North Crest Resident Harriett Trebatoski

It isn't often that you come across a pithy quote that relates to knitting but as soon as I heard it, I immediately thought of North Crest resident Harriett Trebatoski. The quote is: "If you give a gal a scarf, she'll have an accessory. If you teach her to knit, she'll be in stitches for the rest of her life."

Harriett has spent a large part of her adult life crocheting and knitting for family and friends as well as crafting many other items that were sold through the Lincoln Center Holly Shoppe. From the time Harriett first began knitting in 1982 until the time she put down her knitting needles and crochet hooks in 2010, she provided 2,550 crocheted kitchen towels, 1,093 knit caps and shirts, 601 baby afghans, 257 baby quilts, 839 flower arrangements and 900 seasonal wreaths, birds, rabbits and other decorative items. These are just what is on record at the Holly Shoppe. It does not take into account the afghans she made as wedding presents for all her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Harriett has also made countless baby afghans and other items. To say she enjoyed knitting would be an understatement.


Harriett was born March 16, 1920, to Harry and Amelia Garceau in Crosby, Minnesota. Her father ran the Chevrolet dealership in Crosby and her siblings, four brothers and two sisters, attended Crosby-Ironton High School.


The family was involved in music activities. Harriett played a keyboard, her two sisters played organ and piano, while one brother was a music teacher and played with their father in the city band.


Harriett met Stanley Trebatoski at the J.C. Penney store in Crosby where he was the assistant manager and she was a sales clerk. The couple married on July 10, 1939. Harriett recalls that on the day of their wedding it was 110 degrees in Minnesota. "I'll never forget that day," she said.


Harriett and Stanley returned to Stanley's hometown of Stevens Point in 1940 and lived on what was the Trebatoski homestead on Illinois Avenue; it remained their home for the next 54 years. Harriett lived in the house until 1997, moving a year following Stanley's death when St. Michael's Hospital needed the property for expansion.


Harriett and Stanley operated the Fifth Ward Grocery store on Church Street prior to Stanley's taking a position with Normington's Laundry where he remained for 20 years before taking a job with the city of Stevens Point treasurer's office.


While their children were growing up, Harriett was a stay-at-home mom. She did take a part-time position at the Coast-to-Coast store before joining the UW-Stevens Point food service catering team.


It was during the time that Stanley was working at Normington's that Harriett joined a knitting club with the wives of the other workers at Normington's. One of the primary items that the knitting club made were baby soakers, wool pants that went over diapers.


Harriett recalls that they weren't difficult for her to learn to knit and it wasn't long before she began crocheting as well as doing some sewing for her children. Irma Zimmerman, a member of that sewing club, now lives with Harriett at North Crest.


Harriett's daughter, Pat Trebatoski, Stevens Point, said that Harriett has enjoyed crocheting and knitting so much she would rather give her items away than sell them. "She and my dad were the most generous people I knew," Pat said.


While Harriett has given up knitting and crocheting because of arthritis, her family and friends will forever treasure the handmade gifts she lovingly made for them.