Making sausage is day-after Christmas tradition for family

Although “making the sausage” may indicate work that isn’t pretty in some contexts, for the nearly three dozen descendants of Francella Burgart, the literal process of making ring bologna has become a valued Boxing Day tradition.Aubrey Burgart, daughter of Jon Burgart of Antioch, Wis., was hard at work on Wednesday cranking the 60-40 beef-pork bologna sausage and spices mixture from the Elma Locker out of a lard press and into “natural casings.”Carolyn (Burgart) Nelson said she for one would miss the tradition if it went away. “It’s a pretty big deal to the family,” said Nelson, who hosts the annual family Christmas at the rural Ionia Heritage Farm where she lives. “Even the little great-nieces and -nephews are cranking it out.”— For more on this story, see the Dec. 28 New Hampton Tribune.