Rev. Philip Charles Tesch [Parents]
Ruth Ann Hoffmann [Parents]
They had the following children:
F i Amy Lynn Tesch F ii Rachel Marie Tesch M iii David Andrew Tesch M iv Benjamin Christian Arthur Tesch
Rev. Henry Charles Tesch [Parents] was born 1 on 28 Feb 1912 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He was christened 2 on 31 Mar 1912 in Milwaukee,Milwaukee,Wisconsin,USA. He died on 19 Jan 1984 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He was buried on 22 Jan 1984 in Milwaukee,Milwaukee,Wisconsin,USA. He married Erna Marie Hasenbein on 24 Oct 1939 in Immanuel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
funeral at First Immanuel Lutheran Church, Cedarburg, WI
baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church - Milwaukee
sponsors: Carl Tesch, Gustav Juhl, Hulda Genrich
on baptismal certificate: Heinrich Carl Gustav Teschbaptized Heinrich Carl Gustav Tesch
first appeared in Amerikanischer Kalender (AK) 1941:
resided at 2531 N. 84 St. Wauwatosa, WI
stationed at Redeemer (2360 N 88th St. Wauwatosa, WI)AK 1943: 1927 W. Wright St., Milwaukee, WI
AK 1946: 2321 N. 21 St. Milwaukee, WIburial at Graceland Cemetery (Milwaukee,Wisconsin)
Erna Marie Hasenbein [Parents] was born on 16 Apr 1912 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. She was christened on 12 May 1912 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. She died on 27 Mar 1995 in Baton Rouge, E Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. She was buried on 31 Mar 1995 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. She married Rev. Henry Charles Tesch on 24 Oct 1939 in Immanuel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
baptized at St. Marcus Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
sponsors: Gustav Kabolat (from Pennsylvania) and Marie Hitzig (neighbor) baptized by E. Ph. Dornfeldworked as a secretary to Robert Russel, Corporation Counsel for Milwaukee County
funeral at First Immanuel Lutheran, Cedarburg Wisconsin
text: John 14
hymns: TLH 613, 657, 201buried at Graceland - Milwaukee
Interview of March 4, 1994Cedarburg, Wisconsin
tape side one
Aunts and uncles
I really didn’t have any that I knew at all because they all lived far away, like in Pennsylvania. And they didn’t do any visiting. So we never grew up with them at all.
Relatives
I think we went to Pennsylvania once. We went to visit my Uncle John and Aunt Hilda. That was the only time we were there. My mother and I went alone.
Proud of relatives
None really. They were all unknown to us and to my parents. They didn’t now what they were doing.
My Dad was a machinist, worked in a machine shop. As far as I know, my grandparents were farmers.
My family never took vacations. I don’t remember my father ever taking a vacation at all. We never owned a car, so we never went any place.
Special stories
I never knew my grandparents.
Relationship between parents (warm, formal, loving stern)
I never saw them hug or kiss--not once. We were all on a real good basis together. It was strictly family. “Now it’s time to eat.” We all sat down. Nobody ever said, “l don’t like this.” Nothing like that We just sat down to eat, and that was it. We talked at the table.
Named for someone?
No,
As a teenager-getting along
They were very normal--never had any problems with any of the kids, whether they were teen-agers or not
Playing tricks on brothers?
Nothing like that ever.
Playing at home with brothers or friends-special play experience
We had a piano, and I took piano lessons. That was a big thing for them to pay for that. So I had to do my practicing. I never did that by force. I just sat down and practiced. It was a private lesson at her house, within walking distance. A player piano. We bought it new. We used it a lot, when we had company, occasionally. We’d always get out the piano rolls and everybody stood around and sang along. I remember, I think it was my confirmation, some of Walter’s friends, sang like everything. We bought the rolls we liked.
Pets?
Never.
Dad shaving
Dad had a straight edge.
Superstitions
Nothing like that.Hobbies?
My mother did a lot of sewing remodeling clothes for us. She and my Dad had a big garden in the back yard--we had no garage. My dad did all the manual work and my mother did most of the planting. So we had a huge garden, and also a lot of flowers.
Canning?
Dill pickles by the crock. Potatoes by the barrel. There was a farmer who came around.
Was your Dad mechanically inclined?
Yes. He was very good at it He did the painting whatever needed to be done.
other hobbies? collecting?
My Dad was in a skat club for years. We would rotate the homes with two others. Of course, the wives would sit just around the dining room table and talk Whenever the next Saturday they would meet at so-and-so’s house, I would always go along.: I can’t remember anyone else going along. Walter was older. But that more and less. When we got there, we didn’t do anything. The men sat in the kitchen and played cards.
Your dad lived with you after you were married.
Handwriting?
My mother wrote a lot of letters to Germany--to relatives I suppose. But my dad never did any of that. He never wrote anything. I think he had lot of trouble reading. He always got the German paper. He’d hold it up and really go through it. I think my mother said to me once, “Papa can’t read. But he likes to look at it.” I suppose he made out some of the headlines. But he got only the German. It came to the house by the paper boy.
Rich, poor, middle class?
We were very middle class. Never owned a car, never owned any kind of car, and knew few people who did in our friendships.
Who was the money manager?
My mother. My dad handed over the check. Never asked what That’s the way it was.
I imagine they had a bank account at a neighborhood bank They never wrote checks.Clothes they wore
My mother always had a dressmaker, so if she wanted anything a little special, she’d have her make it for her. She never bought a dress, not that I remember. Those others she made herself, and she made all my clothes, and she remodeled everything she got She’d always say, “I wish some time I could go to a store and just buy material, brand new, and make it.” But she always had to rip everything apart and make it fit And she did a very good job. She had a sewing machine--not electric, of course. I never used the sewing machine in the house on 21st street.
favorite scents -- Did your mother wear any kind of special perfume?
Never! No. Never! Never!
After dad shaved?
No, uh-uh. Not a thing.
When her folks met Henry Tesch for the first time.
Dad and I were in the same class, so I would always talk to her about Henry Tesch. He was the smartest boy in the class. And of course, anything we had--Walther League, if they had a play or something Dad was in it, and so was I. That way she got to know who Henry Tesch was. They lived on 15th and Chambers, Teutonia and Chambers.
Did you see each other outside of school?
No
After marriage, was any favorite furniture passed from your family to your new home.
See, my Mother died on Valentines Day in ‘39, and we were married the following October. So our wedding was very much on the quiet side. And I never can remember how we emptied the house, cause Dad and Ernie went along with us. So I often wonder what happened to all the furniture! I know we took some beds along. We took along whatever we needed, but we also bought new furniture when we moved out to Our Redeemer. Whatever happened to the rest....l often wish I could have talked to our attorney.
Dad’s favorite chair?
No. I think we spent a lot of time in the kitchen. There was nothing to do in the other rooms.
Radio?
First we had a record player. But a big one--like a Victrola. And I know then when I did the ironing I always would run back there and change the record, wind it up again, cause I liked that . Then I remember when we got our first radio, that was when I was working already, I said to my mother, “Oh is that nice to just have the radio on and don’t have to go and change the records. That I know I liked very much.”
But my mother listened to the radio a lot. She sat right in front of it. It was a high-boy radio, and she listened to it very much. She always listened to a religious program from Chicago (Moody Bible Institute). And then she wanted an English Bible, she said, I can find it better that way. So she followed it. Whenever they said read, she would read. She could understand English, of course. But I always still remember, I bought her a large-print Bible because her eyes must have been going. That she enjoyed very much.
Did she wear glasses?
Yes. From the dime store. You just went to the dime store. Everybody did. They had all those racks of spectacles. You just went through them, until finally you found one you could see through.
And when we went grocery shopping, there was a big store. I don’t know what the name of it was. For instance, if you went shopping and wanted a can of beans. The clerk would go all the way down to the other end and get that can of beans and walk all the way back again. It was piece by piece.
Living through the depression
My dad lost his job. He was laid off. Walter at that time was working for some kind of sand and gravel. And they also delivered coal. He said to my dad or mother, that if Dad wanted to work where he works and deliver coal, with those big canvas bags, down the chute in the basement, in the super-super cold, and then he worked hard all day. That was the only job he had. We were so glad about that.
And then when I had my first job after school was over, I had a job and worked at a wholesale grocer. I got $16 a week and I thought that was just great, and I got it all in cash. That was on North Water downtown. And so then I’d come home and just give my $16 to my mother. You know--what else?--it was such a depression. She’d always say, “You have to have money for carfare, too.” So she’d take something off, and give it to me, and that was it She remarked a couple time, “I don’t like to do this, that you give me all your money.” I didn’t know any other way. We were so down and out. Now my Dad’s helped out a bit, and I suppose Walter paid board, or I don’t know what he did.
I was the secretary to the man in charge of the whole office. Then I worked for all the officers of John Hoffmann & Sons at North Water and Buffalo. The building is still there, but it’s something else. I remember he always gave me a ten and five and a one. That was my weekly salary.
You went to Immanuel Lutheran School from first through 8th grade. Then you went to Milwaukee Lutheran School on 13th and Vine. I hiked, of course. Everybody walked.
I didn’t graduate from high school. I went two years. Times must have still been real rough. My mother said, “I think, instead of going back (tuition was $40 a year), you better go where Walter went, to Wisconsin Commercial Academy.” That was on 7th and Wisconsin, on the second floor of a building. It was just a business school. She said, “There they guarantee you a job when you finish. In high school they don’t. You really need that job, So why don’t you quit high school after two years.” Then I
went to the Business College. For one complete year. It cost more than $40, but I was guaranteed a job. But Walter had gone there, and he was never without a job. His school always found him another one when he was laid off. So that appealed to her.things that puzzled you about parents’ lives
Not a bit. It was a real home. There was never any arguing between my parents, or between the children and the parents. it was all real--just calm. Of course, I had to do a lot of housework and I expected to do that so that wasn’t any big deal. On Saturdays the front porch was full of scatter rugs and everything like that. And I scrubbed the kitchen and washed the bedrooms.
Father’s favorite saying?
He was VERY quiet. He was very quiet I think the only time he really talked a lot was when he was playing cards with those two other guys, now all deceased, of course.
the house you grew up in
It’s still there. 2645 N, 15th St., between Clark and Center on 15th. Did you drive past there with me once? Of course, it’s all black now. The people were all on the porch. It was summer time. We drove a little slower. Was it you? I said, “Don’t go so fast, now. I want to really see this.” Whoever was driving, we drove slower, and really looked at the house, It was in shambles, more or less. And they all looked at us, of course. and whoever was driving said, “We better get out of here.” I was afraid, even then, and that was so many years ago.
It was a well-kept duplex. Upstairs was rented out for $15 a month. My family was the landlord. It was completely wood construction. Hot air furnace. We had to go and stoke the furnace every night
looking out the windows of your room
I saw the house next door. There was a little grass between the houses.
what was your bedroom like?
I slept most of the years -- we had a leather davenport in the living room that opened up into a bed. That’s where I slept. My brothers shared a bedroom. My mother and dad had the other.
furnishings
We brushed the rugs, all 9 X 12 rugs in the living room and dining room. The bedrooms had no rugs, unless they were scatter rugs.
I don’t know. It was delivered to the house.
Special letters or packages?
All the letters I got from Dad when he was in St. Louis. He was very faithful about writing.
visitors
There was a door bell. The door were locked at night, I don’t think they were during the day. My mother was always home. There was no problem with someone coming to the door.
There were a lot of peddlers around. I know on Fridays the fish man would come with the truck, go down the street He had a bell or something.
Everybody went out to the wagon. He weighed out their fish. The whole neighborhood--everybody came out. It was really good.We had ice men. The kids all just loved that when he came through. They all went and got those little schnibbles. They were never chased away, either. He would give them all the schnibbles they wanted. And the fish man too, and then there were other peddlers.
And then we had a farmer. I suppose he came from Cedarburg. With potatoes and everything else. They all waited for him. They’d buy potatoes the way they needed them. I know my folks bought it by the bushel. and that was all put in the fruit cellar downstairs in the basement. And pickles--always big crocks of pickles. I think my mother made sauerkraut, too.
spending time in the kitchen or dining room
We had a big dining room, it was very nice. It was used when there was company, when somebody came over. It wasn’t used much.
table settings
We had a different set of dishes for the dining room. In the kitchen we had a big pantry. All the dishes were kept in there. And all the dishes were done by hand, like I do now. It was always a joint effort. No one would ever think of going out and just letting everything. Sometimes everybody stuck around until the whole kitchen was cleaned up.
going to the ice box, expecting to find...
There was never anything like a treat. I can’t imagine why I would have gone to the ice box unless I was setting the table to get something or putting something out. Otherwise~ nobody bothered about it. There was a water pan
below it. That you had to remember to empty that water pan, because the ice was melting.deliveries
We had a milk man, an ice man, an egg man.
going to the store and shopping with mother
At a big store on Teutonia Avenue, which is still there. They had big meat markets there. There was a small department store there. That was a very popular place. And a movie house, the Milwaukee Theater, which we could go to, I don’t know when. It was very rare.
parents’ bedroom
I never spent any time in their bedroom.
when sick
I know once I had diphtheria I must have been rather young between maybe five and ten. Then we had a back rear porch. I think I had scarlet fever that time, And then after I was well, at any rate, I don’t know how the robin got into our house, but a robin flew in, The door could not have been standing open. How it got in I don’t know. And he flew right into my bedroom. The bedroom was here, and around the corner he went, went right into my bedroom. I don’t remember, but my mother said at that time “I thought that was sign that you were going to die.” They were all a little bit superstitious. I can always still hear her say, “That means... that’s going to happen.” The German people were superstitious.
Any place in the house that scared you or made you feel cozy
No. In winter time we’d hang up all the clothes in the attic to dry, cause you couldn’t go in the yard--they’d freeze. So then of course, I’d have to go up there and help my mother bring the clothes down the next day. They were all frozen. The sheets were frozen. Everything was frozen. That’s the only way we could do it.
A big garden in the back. Grass in the front, part of our back yard too was grass. It was very nice. My mother liked flowers, so there were a lot of flowers. One year we had a peach tree, and it bore so much fruit. And after that, it just disappeared. I don’t know whether it froze out, or how it ever got there. Someone must have thrown down a couple of pits.
Whatever it was, there was a tree there, maybe we didn’t even know it was a peach tree. But that was just beautiful. We just gave them away to everybody, because you couldn’t keep up with it.
A lot of tomatoes, and any kind of vegetable you wanted to have. And of course, my dad, in summertime would work out there all the time after work weed, hoe, whatever had to be done. That was his project. They liked to garden, and also did it make ends meet
favorite season
I think it must have been summer time. They loved the garden. They loved the gardening. They loved the work with it I can still see my dad sprinkling there.
hot?
I don’t remember, but it must have surely been hot
winters with snow?
My mother never did the shoveling. I think it must have been the kids at that time, or it just waited until evening when dad would come home. When once we were old enough, of course, we had to shovel. Everybody had to join in if it was a big storm. Not my mother. She would never go out. She had, like they said, “female trouble.” She had a hysterectomy when they were real new. She went to St Mary’s Hospital. I still remember her coming out of the operating room, they brought her right down to the bed. She looked so hot, puffy. Now you don’t see that at all. But she recovered from that real well, and after that she was pretty good, I would say.
books?
We went to the library quite often. It used to be on 16th and North. So I know that we took a lot of trips (I mean the kids down there) to get books to read. Yes, that we did a lot. Never went to shows. Once I started going out with Dad, once in a while we’d go to the show, and we’d usually go to the Egyptian. So that was from 15th and Center to 3rd and a couple blocks north on 3rd. That was a long walk. See, he didn’t have a car, and we surely wouldn’t pay car fare to go there. And then my mother never liked it when we went to the show. She said, “You know, his mother and dad they don’t have any more than we have. And now when he wants to take you to the show, then he has to ask for extra money.” I always got a lecture on it, so I really didn’t enjoy it
I don’t know what the price was at that time, maybe 15 cents. But then I remember we walked home from the Egyptian. And on 12th and Center, right kitty corner from North Division, Dad said, “Let’s go in for a sundae.” And I felt so guilty. And we went it And I had a fruit salad sundae. I said, “I’ll have a fruit salad sundae.” And when she brought it, it was 90% apples. They had cut an apple. I always remember that. “This isn’t a fruit salad sundae. It’s only apples!” I don’t know what he ordered. We walked home the rest of the way. That was it.
interest in the newsMaybe nationally. more than anything. There wasn’t anything too locally to be discussed.
personally remember any big news item
No. When Kennedy died I was working already. My parents were gone.
telephone
Yes. Finally when Walter was working. First of all, we had tenants upstairs and they had a phone. So whenever, it was mostly Walter who would get calls, about dates, not dates, or whatever he went up for, I can’t imagine, there was just a couple, a middle-aged couple living up there, so they always said, just come up any time and use the phone. We never used it during the day for any thing. But Walter did. After he had been working a while we then got the phone. I have no idea whether he paid for it or I don’t think I did. We had it in the kitchen, on a buffet. That part worked out all right.
One bathroom. No shower, A nice tub. That’s about it
entering the house
I can’t remember whether we used the back door or the front door.
on coming home after school
I think. a lot of the times, my mother said, “We’re going to have this for supper (like pork chops), so you’d better go and get them now.” The butcher shop was right on the corner. We had a butcher shop, a grocery, and a bakery. So then I’d go and get the meat for the day. Because maybe the next day we wouldn’t have meat--I don’t know. When they went shopping on a weekend to the big stores, like on Teutonia Ave., then my mother would buy big shoulders of meat She couldn’t keep it that long either, Couldn’t freeze it at home. We used it up--every bit of it.
We ate between 5 and 6, close to six. My dad sat at one end, and I sat at the other end. My mother sat next to my dad. I don’t know who sat next to her.
feelings about the house
I think we were always very happy and satisfied with our home. Like on Saturdays, when I helped my mother clean, I think we must have about 15 scatter rugs all on the front porch, hanging over the railing. So we’d really empty the house. Then I’d wash up all the floors that had to be washed. It was real nice.
I had some very nice friends. The Kuechles were always friends of ours. They went to church as much as we did, with activities. They lived on 24th and Hadley, just a block away from Emmaus. Ruth is in the Lutheran home. She was my maid of honor. Her memory is gone.
Going to her clothing store was a real treat. I bought all my Christmas shopping there. She’d always give me a big discount I never went to the department stores. Pajamas for this one...whatever it was. Oh, she was wonderful.
at day’s end
We almost always went all together, I would say between 9:30 and 10:00 at least, because my dad had to get up early. There never was any question about it Nobody ever sat in the living room, there was nothing to sit for.
eat breakfast as a family?
No. My mother was a great baker. There was always something like coffeecakes, or doughnuts. They were all made from the same dough. She did a lot of baking.
company, guests
Only confirmations. The only thing I remember. Never had birthdays. Nobody ever had a birthday!
extended family living in?
None.
smells that come to memory
No.
street
Was a quiet side street. 15th Street. Between Center and Clark Paved with tar.
Fireplace?
No.keeping cool?
No fan. Kept the house shut. On a hot summer evening the family would go out to the front porch. Many neighbors did, too.big house projects?
No. It must have been painted. But nothing like remodeling.big day in the life of the family, when something new came into the house
A tall radio. I can’t think of the name of it. That was a big addition. I was working then, so I paid for it. I must have paid for it on installments, I’m sure. Then my mother got a wash machine, she got a Maytag. And she always said, “I never knew that life could be so easy.” Cause she did everything on the board. And boiled the clothes in the boiler. A wringer washer, one of the first ones, I’m sure. She never got over that, enjoying that. So easy to wash!
phone number?
Kilbourn something
magazines?
I know my folks didn’t I don’t think I did either. We got the German newspaper in the afternoon. I could read it but didn’t.
first time you went away from the family
I slept overnight at Ruth Kuechle’s. I don’t remember what we were going to do the next day. I asked my mother if I could there sleep over night. Of course she had no objection at all. I can’t remember what in the world we did...l remember that because....
Would you move back into the house the way it was back then, would you?
Yes. I wouldn’t mind that. I’m used to all these easy things now.
best friend
There wasn’t anybody my age around there. There was one boy who lived about four houses south of us. He collected Sunday comics. He was about my age or maybe a year older. I always had the nerve to ask him, “Could I read some of your comics?” He said, “Yea, but bring ‘em back just the way I give ‘em to you.” Cause he was saving all those. He died now, too. He was kind of a nice boy, not romantically. But I thought that was so great that he had all those comics, because we never got the Sunday paper either, so it was all new to me.
neighborhood bully?
Two doors south of us there was a Jewish family, and they had two girls. and they were more or less my age. I don’t know what he did, whether he was a junk dealer. But he had the nicest house on the block Then they got a new car, and it was a Buick I’ll never forget that. That’s why I always liked Buicks. Then one Sunday afternoon she came over and wanted to know if I could go along with them for a ride. And so I asked my mother, and she said sure, she had no objection. They had those two girls. It was so beautiful--that car. All those velour seats. I don’t remember where he took us or anything. I always considered them wealthy.
side two
It must have been the end of October that Lydia would say that she would go and do something she wanted to do because “after October I don’t drive anymore, cause those are the winter months.” She was a real gem to us, she really was. Our chief baby sitter.
nickname?
No.
sidewalk games?
Oh yeah -- hop scotch. And we jumped rope and we had roller skates...with wheels.
We always drew those hop scotches on the sidewalk with the chalk And we always played “hide” with the neighborhood kids. There were a lot of places to hide.regular chores...
Help with the cleaning of course, and whatever my mother wanted us to do, that we did, without questions. And she wasn’t rough. She wasn’t hard on us at all. But she was stern, I would say. You would never say, “I’ll do that later.” You better do it right now. It never entered our minds to ask “Why?” or forget about it.
babysitting for others
There was nothing like that. Everybody took their kids along or stayed home. Never did any babysitting. I would have loved that.
serious childhood diseases
Ernie, my brother had a mastoid operation. He was in the hospital -- about eight at that time. He go some kind of ear infection and had a mastoid operation. That was very popular.
going downtown
With my mother. Our dentist was downtown on the 7th floor of the Caswell building. Uh! We took the streetcar down there, then as the streetcar turned at 12th and Center, then I could see the tower of Jesu Church already, you know, and thought, “It’s only that far before I have to get out and go to the dentist!” It was really an agonizing thing. Then he was on the 7th floor of the Caswell building. So we went there, and when we were done, we took the street car and go right home.
big weather events, tornadoes, storms
No, Of course we had storms. I remember once on my birthday which was April 16th, we had a big storm, and I don’t know whether if I had invited some girls over, I can’t even imagine that we played jump rope on the sidewalk between all the snow and ice, you know. But other than that I don’t remember any bad things about the weather.
were you a tom boy, climbing trees
No. Girls didn’t wear jeans at that time, always wore a dress. Even our boys, they weren’t all dressed up. I’m sure they must have worn jeans or something. But 1 never owned any. I don’t think any girl I knew did.
on a new family moving into the neighborhood
Nothing like that ever happened. They must have moved in and out They just left.
board games
I think that occasionally my dad would play like checkers with somebody, but otherwise nothing. I don’t know what we did evenings! It was a short night. We finished the dishes, did my homework went to bed.
sold anything for school, fund raising?
Never.
swimming
No. You always forget we didn’t have a car. We’d have to pay carfare for all those people! And go where? There was a natatorium on 16th and North. I know the neighbor man always went swimming there.
moving?
Never did.favorite doll?
I liked dolls. I know for sure I had one. It was nothing special except that I liked her.
superstitions, childhood fears
Never. The only superstitious thing was that robin that flew in my bedroom. My mother was really upset about that.
on going to bed
My mother prayed with me. Everything was in German. Ours was in German always.
Muedé bin ich geht zu wh...
getting into trouble...
Never. We were afraid.
punishment
I can remember my mother scolding, but now I wouldn’t have any idea why. I don’t think it was so terrible. I think we were just afraid.
the neighborhood
All nice homes.
neighborhood landmarks
We lived between Center and Clark-- 15th and Clark One corner was a grocery store. The other corner was a meat market and a bakery. So we had everything we needed, except when like my mother did a big shopping for more meat or something, to Teutonia Ave. That was the way our dinners were planned at night. When I’d come home from school, she’d say, “You’d better go and get some whatever...pork chops, or pork steak or whatever it is” and then she’d make supper from then on. She didn’t have a freezer.
went to lmmanuel Lutheran School
walked there. Combined classes happened real often.
school looked like...
Very nice. Still there. Two stones. All brick Individual desks. In the classroom. I remember 7th and 8th grade, you know. All the B’s first and then all the way down. And the boys, of course, were always separated from us, from the girls. The boys on this side and the girls on that side.
Dad was in many of your classes....
Nearly all. I think we were together most of the time. In the early years I don’t even remember, not until 8th grade.
the playground
Well the hard part of it west of the school where most of the kids played. But the boys would always play other schools like in football and baseball. They would go to Franklin Square on Teutonia just south of Center Street. That’s where all the kids would gather. They’d play this school and then they’d play that school. They always had teams going.
I don’t know if we ever went out for lunch, just for recess. We had a big auditorium. We always had a formal setting.
going to school for the first time
I don’t think we had a kindergarten, cause I know I never went to kindergarten. I suppose my mother must have taken me, but I don’t remember.
They always used to have dishes at theaters.
I’m sure we brought a lunch, cause there was no other thing. It was packed in a paper bag. I can’t remember drinking anything.
visitors to school that impressed
No. Never remember a thing.
field trips?
Never!
first grade teacher?
can’t remember.
pledge of allegiance?
can’t remember
prizes or awards?
none
best friends?
It was classroom friendships. I was never anyone special in school.
hobby
Yes. I collected cigar bands. I’d walk along the gutters, pick up all the old butts, peel off the cigar bands, keep them in a stamp book. I’m really sorry I threw that book away. That was my one hobby that I did. Ugh!
the school principal
Charles Bartelt was the principal all the while I went there. He was old then to me, seemed a hundred years old, and he was wonderful. He had everybody under his thumb, including the boys. They always wanted to play at the other playgrounds during the lunch hour. They better be back by 1:00.
I think we had a fire drill every once in a while where we all had to march carefully out of the room. Not as if the building were on fire. That was about it
if someone didn’t do their work..
Unless they had to stay after school. I don’t know. That was very unusual.
liked school?
Yeah. I liked every minute of it
art, music choir
Not while I was going. But after I left, many years after, they started a school choir. They had a Teacher Stellhom and he had such a good choir that they traveled all summer long practically. They went to River Forest They gave a concert there once a year, where he taught the teachers how to bring up a choir, and what to do with them. Like he’d have his whole children’s choir there in a mixed group. And he’d say, “Now for this next song,” in a demonstration, he said, this group on the left you sing second voice on this song, and you over here you sing first voice, and you sing third, or whatever it was. Then they’d just sing it. Everybody changed voice. It was so well trained. They traveled all over the country. I don’t see why he ever died. He was just wonderful. I
never was in any of it. It started after we had gone.school musical or play
I think there was. A lot of plays, but that mostly when we were older, Walther League age, you know.
special presentation or project for class speech, spelling bee
No. They didn’t have anything like that.
observing birthday
Not in school for sure. Nobody ever brought anything. At home, either, you know. It wasn’t a big thing. What we had, we had.
Christmas time
There was a tree in the house in the living room. We got gifts of course, I’m sure we did, but I don’t remember any of them. But I’m sure we didn’t come home from church and not have anything. But it never was anything that special, you know. But I’m sure that we got gifts from our parents. That was all. There wasn’t anybody else involved.
on 21st Street
I think as soon as the kids were out of the house, we went like crazy, or I would, because dad couldn’t be around. Put everything under the tree.
observing Christmas
See we had no relatives here. We were just a little group of people all by itself.
the tree decorated with...
Regular ornaments, whatever we had. To us it looked great. I don’t think we ever had candles. But we did have lights. Candles must have been out by then. Too dangerous.
wedding plans, showers
Phyllis had a shower and Marie Haberman. She used to go to our church. That’s Marie Greif now. Had a couple showers, you know. She was my maid of honor.
Halloween
I don’t think there was anything like that. Neither was there anything that they just go around and ask for candy. That was unknown.
Valentine’s Day
We’d send them to each other. We’d buy them.
cards, candy from Dad
Yeah.
New Year’s Eve
I suppose we went to church.
Easter time
I suppose we had Easter candy around or something. Didn’t hide eggs.
On 21st Street
I remember-- and Pete was always the one that smelled them out. “I smell something back there.” I remember that.
Father’s Day/Mother’s Day
I don’t think they ever made too much in those days. At least we didn’t I don’t know if it was in vogue already then or not.
July 4th
Not that I remember.
going to parks
We had to take the street car. On a Sunday afternoon, once in a blue moon, we’d go to Washington Park. which was in the old place then, before we got there, about six blocks before that, my dad had to take me off the street car and walk the rest of the way, cause I’d get so sick to my stomach. I’d say, “I can’t any more. It’s coming up.” So then he said to Mom or whoever was left, “We’ll meet you someplace around where the monkeys are.” So then he had to walk there the rest of the way. I never could take the street car. That stopping and going, you know. I never made it to Washington Park
packing a picnic lunch
We didn’t pack anything. I think they must have bought us something. But we never packed a lunch because we were home long before that, for supper, you know, or evening, before it really was dark I never remember staying that long. At that time, Washington Park was the zoo, but there weren’t that many things around.
was the pastor ever in your home?
Only at the time my mother died. Pastor Dietz. She died at home. So then I called.
Thanksgiving7
Usually had goose.
high school extracurricular activities
I was on the basketball team, believe it or not. I really was. I don’t remember playing a regular game or anything. But for the classes, or whatever it was, I always played basketball. That was all. That’s about all they ever did. Of course they had choirs, but I never belonged to any of them. And they didn’t have that many choirs, like they do now. We had a lot of out-of-town students, too, who would go home for the weekend. They lived like in Iron Ridge, I remember somebody had a house next door that was used as a place for them to stay, you know, overnight. There were quite a few students that boarded there. It belonged to the high school, was in their charge.
memorable teachers
All that we had I liked real well. Gym teacher that I liked, and he also had other classes. Can’t remember any of their names. I never belonged to a choir, and I can’t understand that. Not that I was such a great addition, but I never got into
languages, scienceWe had algebra. That was about it.
writing papers, projects
no. We never did any of that
Prom...
That wasn’t in at all. Nobody ever attended a prom.
relationship with Dad
We saw each other at church. And there was activity, whatever was going on, we went. Walther League.
clothing style
The boys, too, nobody ever wore jeans. Never. Ever. I don’t know whether they wore knickers at that time, at least later on. They all came dressed. Boys wore ties. No T-shirts.
grades
I always enjoyed it
transportation.
I walked.
friends from lmmanuel
We stuck pretty much together.
lunch at school
There was cafeteria. Each one brought her no own lunch.
skip school?
No (laughing)
Basketball was only during the school time. We had no practice after school or anything like that
homework
Did it at the kitchen table. I can’t remember ever going to the library.
weekends
First of all, Saturday was cleaning day. Like I told you, all the scatter rugs that we had had to go out on the front porch. Wash up the floors. Scrub the kitchen. I really had to help my mother a lot, and I never regretted it, or held it against her, because I knew she never was feeling that well.
reunion
I never went to one. I wasn’t a graduate, so that makes a difference, too.
impact of the war
We always had Red Cross groups that made bandages, and stuff like that. We’d fold gauze certain ways. All the churches had Red Cross groups. We had big groups of ladies that came to Zion
rationing collecting scrap?
No.
news on the war
On the radio. My brother left then for the war. He was living with us, too. My Dad and Ernie came to live with us when we move to Our Redeemer.
those lost in the war
I can’t remember any now. There were, from Zion, of course. But I don’t remember names.
favorite radio show?
Not really.
favorite star, performer?
no.
records
I don’t know how we got them. They were just musical records.
movies.
I could count them on my one hand.
First TV
When we were on 21st and North. At that time they had offers, in the paper always. Come and get one of our TV’s, for showing, you know, not buying. Dad would never do that. I said, ‘Why don’t we get it, see what it’s like.” We always used to go to the Holtzen’s if we wanted to see anything. So one of these offers I just couldn’t resist “Have it in your home for a week and then we’ll pick it up.” So, anyway, he wasn’t mad about it, either then. But the kids liked all the Howdy Doody stuff at that time, and I said, “It’s so nice for the kids.” I had nothing that I was watching. After that he wouldn’t let it go, either, He was more sold on it than anybody, ‘cause he liked all the sport things. That was out first TV -- black and white. They all were at that time.
I don’t think I ever watched a thing during the day--only when the kid’s things came on, you know. I said Howdy Doody, they waited for that. Don’t you remember that?
shows you looked forward to
Any of the comedy setups--I enjoyed that. Of course, Dad was never home then either.
stupid shows, comedians
There were some that I liked real well. Bob Hope, definitely. If he was on, we listened for sure. Anything that was on in sports that was on on Sunday of course, Dad would watch.
watching soaps
Not then.
first job
John Hoffmann & Sons. I even thought I’d have to go to school for a day. But they said no. For some reason or other I didn’t have to go. I was I6, going on 17.
Like I told you. I earned $16 a week then, and I was there quite a long time. I was secretary to all the officers and everybody else.
Then I had my friend Genevieve Zenner, you know. And she worked at the City Hall. So she said, “Why don’t you take the exam for the city hall?” “That’s a good idea.” She said, “You’d get much more money there.” So then I did. I took the exam for stenographer. It didn’t take too long. Then they called me. Then of course, my boss at the grocery store said “Oh, what are you going to get there?” I told him. He said, “That much we can pay you, too.” But then I was mad, you know. I said, “No, I’m going to take that job.”
Then I went to the city hall, the department of public works. I liked that real well.
I had to take a lot of dictation. No filing. Anybody who called in from the city, and said, “We have a hole in the street that needs fixing.” I would make a mark of that and notify the truck to go there to go there. So we kept track of it that way. It was really interesting.
I stayed at the city hall then until I was married. That was ‘39. So I stayed there until ‘39. Of course, there my salary at that time was pretty good. I worked for the commissioner of public works. They had two other girls. So I enjoyed that job.
friendships at work
They were all twice as old as I was. They had been working there for years and years. So I never became friendly. There was nobody young around there. It was either married men or at least 3 or 4 secretaries.lunch
Took my lunch to work I don’t ever remember going out. Once in a while I’d walk over to Gimbels. That was close.
transportation
Took the bus, or whatever it was. Streetcar. I don’t know how I got home. I know I didn’t have a car.
paycheck
It was a check
boss
Got along well with my boss.
promotion
You can always take different exams when you’re in the works. Never did.
I took a lot of exams later at Milwaukee County.hours
I think it must have been 8:00 until 5:00 or 5:30.
relationship with husband
first “date”I suppose when we went to a show. By the way, he didn’t have any more money than I had. Even when we went to the show, I got balled out for that from my mother. She said, “His mother has to pay for that. They don’t have any more money than we have.”
Anyway, it never was that much of a big thing. you know. The thing that peeved him the most, that I was chosen valedictorian (at Immanuel). And he said, “Now you know that I should have had that” And that was true. He chose me as valedictorian. And he was such an old man then. Dad would always say, “How could he do that?” He got a perfect score, all the way through, even Concordia, and they gave him a loving cup, you know. Because, they said, “Everybody gets loving cups. But here’s a student who made A’s everything that he had all six years, and he gets nothing.” So they give him that little loving cup. I still have it Let me see if I have it on the dresser. I never threw it. [It says, “Best All-Around Scholar”
I think that that teacher must have just liked me, because I never made any trouble. I knew my stuff. He must have just thought, “She’s a good little girl.” And really Dad should have had it. But I never told him.
Dad went 6 years to Concordia. You went 2 years to Lutheran High, then to work During those last four years...
I don’t remember how that was. I suppose we did things at church too, with the Walther League. I know they did a lot of plays at that time. He was in most of them. And stuff like that Some activities all the time.
he goes on to St. Louis seminary...
[He started the seminary in 1932? Dad graduated from the Seminary in 1936. He went three years? Started Concordia-Milwaukee high school in 1926?]
status as a seminarian
When he went to the Seminary, he was engaged. Because he said that was the first thing whoever talked to them first said, “Are any in this group engaged to be married?” Then there were any number of them got up. He said, “Now you know that’s against the rules. But since you are engaged, we don’t want you to break that now. But you better carry that through, or else you’re out of the seminary.” So he said, “We all got those instructions.” “OK, if you’re engaged, stay engaged. But don’t ever let me hear that you broke it up.”
tape two - side three
I think it was at Christmas time. We were at his sister’s for Christmas dinner or something. Then he called me into another room. Then he gave me my diamond. Then I went out, and I was engaged. Then when I came home that time, I woke my mother, and showed it to her, and she said, “I knew you were going to get it He talked to us.”
during seminary years
He would not come home too often. At Christmas. But he taught for Walter A. Maier, because he had so many Lutheran Hour Rallies. So Dad would always take his classes -- Hebrew class, or whatever he had when he was going to be gone, for maybe a week He’d always take his classes, and teach them for him. He wanted him so badly to come back after graduation--go to St Louis U., get some more degrees. Dad would always say, ‘What do I want with more degrees? I want to be a pastor.” He just
wouldn’t, you know. In summer they went to camp together in Pennsylvania. Pastor Maier would have the adults, and Hank would have the students. That was a big camp in the Pocono mountains. He said, “You take care of the young people. Take them horseback riding.” He said they were a real wealthy group. They came from New York and Pennsylvania, and all those from the upper East. Some of them were lousy. He’d take them out, really lecture to them. He got mostly all good friends out of those fellows -- all boys. So that was a really interesting couple years.Whenever WAM had to go on a Lutheran Hour Rally, and be gone for a half a week maybe, Dad would teach all his classes.
There were 350 students waiting for calls--350. WAM always said to him, ‘Why don’t you go to St Louis here--there are no calls anyway, and get a couple more degrees.” He said, “I want you to be my successor.” And of course he just laughed about that. And anyway, he said, “I really want you to do that.” But that was the last thing he wanted to do. He said, “I want to just be a pastor of any church.” And of course there were no calls. That’s how he got to teach at Concordia. He taught there, till some calls came. Then the Mission Board decided to start Elm Grove mission. And that’s what he did. Then he finally got into the ministry. The he said, “Oh, that’s not enough for you to do. There’s wasn’t that much canvassing at that time. Elm Grove wasn’t that big. Then he said, “You better take Our Redeemer, too. That’s another mission.” I don’t know who was there at the time. Then he took over the two of them. So then for many years, we started always with Zion,. Then after that service, I’d hop in the car with him and we’d go out to Elm Grove, which was in a public school basement I’d play the piano for him.
After a very short time, he got the call to Zion to be assistant pastor. He was still under the mission board, then. So that was really his boss. They said, ‘We’re going to ask that you to go to Zion.” They had a lot of trouble with Pastor Born. “They need a German preacher. You can do both.” It didn’t bother him. Whatever the mission board said, he had to do. So there was a lot of working together with the mission board at that time.We were married at Immanuel. There were a lot of people there from Our Redeemer. We had a very small wedding very private. We met all the people from Zion that were there. Elm Grove was so small, that they weren’t really a congregation. They were trying to make it a congregation. All the meetings were in the homes. We met in the school basement.
[Zion’s history says: In 1942, Dad accepted a call as assistant pastor. In July of 1942, Pastor Born resigned, and Pastor Tesch accepted the call as head pastor.]
We couldn’t find a house to rent. So one of our members from Our Redeemer bought a house on 84th street--2531 N. 84th St. Then the Mission Board paid our rent. We were still under the mission board. We were at Our Redeemer and lived on 84th Street
[Erna’s dad and brother moved there with them.] It was a three bedroom house. So we all thought “Oh, that’s great!” We were so together always. Ernie stayed until he had to go to war. Then he never came back After that, he was married.
going to Zion and the parsonage
Pastor Born lived there and all the rats. And he trained dogs. The whole basement was all full of rats. It was just a nightmare. Then we’d always call the trustees in, and Dad would tell them, “My wife just refuses to live here. Because at night you could hear all the rats crawling around.” After that, they had a false ceiling in the basement, and some of the men came then and knocked it all out It was just loaded with rats. He raised police dogs. And they were all over the yard. The neighbors said, “They always played with all the rats that came out” It was just terrible! Then would Dad would go to meetings at night then I’d be home alone, the kids were all in bed. Then I’d here the rats go down the walls. It was terrible!
Once I was scrubbing the kitchen. I opened that door that goes down to the basement steps. There stands a big rat! They were big! Oh, they were big! It was just terrible!
Before living there, we lived right off 20th and Wright That’s all torn down now. They rented that little house for us. A little house, all by ourselves. That was real nice, He just had two blocks to walk They rented that house for us. My dad lived with us in that house, too.
the house on 21st street.
My dad moved into that house with us (in 1942 or 1943). He used the bedroom closest to the back stairs.
I was scared stiff of the rats. I think that dad finally told the trustees, “My wife just won’t stay in that house,” or whatever he told them. “Something just has to be done.” So they had that crew in there. Oh, that was awful!
wedding - honeymoon
Ruth Kuechle was the maid of honor. Ernie was the best man. Our wedding was on a Wednesday night at 6:30. And then somebody took us to the depot, because we had no car. I think it was Ernie. We went on the train. We went to the Palmer House [in Chicago]. But he had to be back on Sunday to preach. So we had dinner in the Palmer House. They had that violinist there who we both liked so much at the dinner place. And then we saw a couple shows--matinees. One that was going around then, a western. We went to Radio City. We had a good time for those two or three days. We ate wherever we wanted to. Then took the train home. I suppose Ernie picked us up.
adoption
We went to Lutheran Children’s Home. The thing was, dad was on the board at the time. So every time they had a monthly meeting I’d say, “Ask” ‘Why don’t you ask when it’s possible that we could get that baby.” He said, “They don’t know that, either.” I was really after him all the time. And then finally, they called. They said they had a baby. Dad always used to say. “You’d didn’t even look at that baby. It could have been black or green, or whatever it was. You just said, “Oh, this is my baby.”' And away we went. So that’s the way that happened. He was on that board many years.
time to prepare the nursery....
I don’t know how that worked. We did have a crib. My dad was with us, too. And we had one bedroom. I think that was part of the study. The bedrooms were small. Oh, they were small (on I 8th and Wright), right behind the public school. I put him in the buggy and let him sleep there for his naps--outside. The landlady next door would say, “How can you leave him outside. It’s cold out there!” “He’s covered.” Anyway, that worked out real well.
pregnant and surprised
To me, any baby was Oh! I was so happy. I remember when I went to the doctor, I had a Dr. Olson. He didn’t make anything of it, that I was that old and had my first baby then. I know once when I bought some maternity clothes, some undergarments, the clerk said to me, “How many children do you have? I said, “We have one, but he was adopted.” She said, “You’re 39! And your first baby?” I always remember her saying that “You’re 39!”
the front bedroom as nursery
First in our bedroom. We had like a basket. You were in there quite long.
children’s books or stories
I don’t think I did much reading to you.
children in the neighborhood
We also had the school ground too. You spent time there. So I never really worried. You were out. You knew you had your limits.
church activities
Of course, I went to everything that I could. Like for instance, Ladies Aid. I always went there. Before kindergarten I’d take you along. If it was during school time, you went to school. I was always the accompanist I want you to know. I’d always ask dad, ‘What hymn are we gong to sing?” because I didn’t play the piano that much. So then he’d always tell me. I’d run through it a couple times. Play for the ladies. I was always active --very active. Whatever they had, I was in it.
We never had a PTL at that time that I had to go to. I don’t remember going to it all.
men’s club, othersThe boys and father served at the mother-daughter banquet
the best part of being a parent
I was enjoyed a family. I was very anxious to have a family. I always used to say, ‘I want at least 12 children.’ I never told dad that. I said ‘I want at least 12 children.’ I just loved big families. That’s why adopted Pete. Dad would always say, “We can’t adopt anyone yet. We’ve just been married a few years. Some people have to wait real long.’ I said, I don’t want to wait real long.’ I was really kind of after him. Like he was on the children’s home board. ‘Ask Pastor so and so how soon it would go if we put in our application.’ He’d say, ‘We’ve haven’t been married that long. Some people have to wait longer than that.’ He’d come home and say, “Yes, I talked to Pastor Proft.’ He said he just smiled.
before the adoption
I had to have a doctor’s signature. I had to go to a doctor first. The doctor always said, ‘It’s not impossible, but it’s highly improbable. You’re 39, [or something].’ I was always so eager. Then he would always say, ‘You have to forget about it for a while. Just forget about it You’re dwelling on it too much.’
ironing
The board folded out of the wall.
appliances
We bought our refrigerator on 84th street when we moved into that new parsonage. The gas range was ours. We sold it to Esther when we moved out of there. All the carpeting we had taken out and put into the bedrooms on 89th street
the kids in their rooms
From time to time, they’d get messy. I’d have whoever was in there clean up there room today. That was never a chore.
phone rules for the kids
That was a parsonage. Other kids wouldn’t call there. Other people in the congregation said, ‘You can’t call there. That’s where the pastor lives.’ We never had trouble. I never had to tell anybody ‘Don’t use the phone.’ Nobody ever did. At least not while we were around. I’m sure they didn’t at night Esther was always there or Joy Feustel was there if we went away for the evening. There was a kind of a rift. Esther wanted to sit all the time. We just kept changing it Then Joy played into it I liked Lydia best of all. She was so good.
The Feustels were so good to us. They would say. ‘Whenever you and the pastor have a chance to go away for the day, let me know ahead of time.’ She didn’t drive. We had to take you out. She’d take you out to Sherman Park in the coaster, pack a lunch, let you do whatever you wanted to. She was just so happy to do it. Let the kids wash the dishes and all that stuff. Stand on the chair. They had only Joy.
They had us over dinner so often with the children. Then she said, “Today I’m making a dinner from soup to nuts.’ That’s the way it was. We started with soup. And we had a big dinner. She always was a wonderful cook. And dessert and everything else. And then at the end we had nuts. And then she said, ‘This was my dinner from soup to nuts.’
remodeling the house - painting
Never--see that’s when you’re in a parsonage. You just tell them, ‘We need painting.’ And then they’d come. Even on 84th street, when we lived there, that was a brand new house. Whatever we needed any attention to, without any exception, they all were all very good.
I know one Easter morning, we woke up about 4:00 in the morning or 4:30, and I said to dad, ‘There’s something wrong with the house.’ We had an early morning service. He said, ‘What do you mean?’ ‘There’s a funny smell in the house.’ So we got up and we all looked at each other, and we had a black mustache under our nose. And he did, too. And I looked at the children right away, and everybody had a black mustache. And then it was a pipe had fallen out of the furnace downstairs. We were getting all that gas. If it wouldn’t been a sunrise service, we could have all been dead. So then we called the trustees at 4:00 in the morning, or whatever time it was, and said ‘Something’s wrong with our furnace--something’s really wrong.’ He said, ‘I’ll be right over.” So he came right away. It was Mr. Grages. He said, ‘The pipe fell out of the furnace. You would have been dead in maybe an hour if somebody hadn’t wakened.” Then he called some other men right away, and one, two, three, they had it fixed, you know. That was terrible! A Sunday morning, and of all times, Easter morning.
I don’t know. It must have been by the grace of God that I woke up. Dad was a tight sleeper.
children on your nerves
I would go away practically every Sunday afternoon during the football season. That was on 89th. Because he wanted to watch football. He couldn’t wait until we were done eating so he could go and watch football. And I said. ‘Well I don’t want to watch football.’ So he said, “Go wherever you want to go.’ So I would usually go to a shopping mall or some place and just walk around and do what I wanted to do. But I never took the kids along.
favorite house or place
That would be the house on 84th Street before any of the kids were there. That was brand new house--the only one on the block. We didn’t have to pay rent That was such a pretty house. Every time I passed it, I went slowly. It had ribbon driveways to the garage. The garage was in the back In the spring, if you didn’t stay on the ribbons, you were in the mud. We had a member living about a block down. I know that one time Dad said, ‘You better go down and get …” So he came right over and helped Dad get it back on the ribbons. I don’t know what he did--shovel? Oh, he got so muddy. We didn’t have a paved road. Dad said, “Never go for a place again that has ruts--or no paved road.” “Don’t ever rent a place...” because it was all up to me. He never went along to look at a house. He said, “Never do that again.” And the next place we were in was the same way. That was on 84th.
kids going off to college - changes
Everything was always real natural. You were going to school now, wouldn’t be around. That was it. Never was a big turnover. Never that Dad or I felt, ‘Oh, so many are gone now.’ We were in the midst of rearing children, so that was all a part of it
favorites
candy bar- none
cake -- Any kind of cake. I love all cakes. But now I don’t bake any more. I loved any kind of cookies. I always did a lot of baking. Butterhoms are still one of my favorite foods.
ice cream - never had any favorite. Now its butter pecan.
Bible passage -- - not really. I love to do any kind of Bible reading. I have this book and that book I follow them. I have my devotion every day.
perfume - -- never really had a favorite. Pete’s boys brought some at Christmas.
book - -- I never did much reading. We have these small magazines --Spring, Fall, Summer, Winter. All kind of little different articles in there. It’s a local things with ads in between. That’s such a nice one.
movie - -- none. I don’t care for any movies.
drink - -- can’t say I have a favorite. We have one when we go out for dinner. Dad liked a vodka gimlet or brandy Manhattan. I like a glass of wine.
Season -- summer. Even though I don’t like the heat, but now we have air conditioning.
Foods -- Green grapes. I may have 9 or 13. I used to eat them by the pound. Every summer-grapes. Even now, we have some green grapes in the store. They were like $1.58 a pound. I bought just a little bunch of it The skin was tough, so I don’t know where they came from. I didn’t like those too much. They can be there now. And I like oranges. Bananas. I have to eat some fruits every day.
sports fan
[Not Packers, not Braves, not Brewers--none!]
your hero, model
Really none. I didn’t care for any of the sports. A couple times somebody from church would take Dad to Madison. I don’t think it was football, because he didn’t like to sit out in the cold. But we had somebody who belonged to some organization. He said, ‘That’s it. I will never go along again.’
But then for years when were first were married, every Saturday night, we’d go to Concordia to watch the basketball. Then when we came home, then he would dictate to me the bulletin for the next morning. Then I’d type a stencil of that, have him correct that, and then I’d run it on the machine. All that we did after the game, which I wouldn’t dream of doing now. But we enjoyed those Concordia games SO MUCH! We just loved the games. Al those fellows we knew by name now and everything else. And even from way out on 84th, and it was always winter, and we’d go all the way down to Concordia, watch the game, and then go home all the way, and then do the bulletin. Everything was in our bedroom. We had such a huge bedroom, so we had the office on one side of it The mimeograph was a hand crank Nothing was electrified. We had such a small membership, so it wasn’t as if it had to 300-400 copies, like they do here. But I never complained about then. And then he first went downstairs and studied what he was going to say tomorrow.
favorite restaurants
We went to Zarders until they moved away way to the south side near Brookfield. They have a big restaurant there. We went there once or twice, just to see what it was like, but it’s not the old Zarders. We always thought his son would take it over, but he wasn’t interested. After that, we never went anyplace really splashy.
While I was still at the courthouse, and we had only one car. He would pick me up after work. Then we’d drive out to Port Washington--often, very often.
flower--I like them all
color -- The blues and the pinks.
Clothes -- Everything now comes with slacks. That’s all I’m interested in. You get so many different kinds of slacks. I feel most comfortable with them. I must have 15 tops.
soap opera -- The Young and Restless--it’s VERY good. It’s a nice story, not anything rough. I don’t think I listened to it when I first moved out here, but finally you land on something. I like game shows. I try to guess the answers.
favorite worn-outs
No. But I have a lot of clothes in my closet now that I won’t be able to wear again, because I lost so much weight. We had one lady at church who did remodeling, but she died now so I’m kind of stuck
best day of my life
My wedding day.
wedding photo
By a professional photographer.
pictures
Different banquets that we were to. Dad’s retirement. Different people who took snapshots and sent some to us.
eggs -
Either scrambled or hard boiled.
what are you famous for cooking?
Nothing special that I can think of. I like pigs in a blanket very much, but I wouldn’t say I am famous for them.
Soup -- I really don’t care that much for soups. I don’t like any kind with noodles in it or anything, or clam chowder.
did you ever have breakfast in bed?
When I was in the hospital. That was the only time.
Side 4
whole wheat toast, with a little margarine. I buy that jelly that isn’t jelly.
salad dressing?
Ranch.
fad diets?
I suppose in a way I did. I belonged to the TOPS Club for many years. Then I went way down and got a prize. We had to go from where we lived to sort of downtown. That time I didn’t mind driving alone at night. Now I’m losing weight and I don’t want to.
I told the doctor the last time, “Aren’t you worried about it that I’m always losing so much weight? He looked at his schedule and he said, “It may be the water pill. We’ll watch it.” Be he didn’t seem to be exactly worried about it
favorite snack?
fruit I would say.favorite cookbook?
I have so many that I don’t use.Mother’s cookbook?
When she baked or anything like that, it was just the flour sifter, sifted it on, stirred it a little bit. She’d baked a lot of bread and coffeecake, but always the same dough. One time it will be doughnuts, maybe, the next time it will be coffeecake, the next time it will be stollen. It always tasted good. I always like her baking.food allergies?
Not really.
your weakness?
Every once in a while when I go through a store, and they have some real good looking butterhoms, then I’ll buy 2 or 3 of them, and then I’ll space them--eat a half of one, then eat another half of it. That about it. Or doughnuts, too. I love doughnuts. But even that, when I buy some, I never just gobble them down. Take a half of one, then maybe the next day the other half. Then I have them in the freezer. Put them in the microwave. I have all my microwave dinners here in the freezer, I have a load of them. Because every once in a while they go out downstairs, and I don’t want to go out. So then I’ll take just take whatever I want there. Make myself a TV dinner, which I like very much.
cutting onions
Cut it quickly, mixed it up.
first to finish the meal so you could help the kids?
That sounds natural because I am a fast eater.
food on the bar-b-que?
I don’t. That’s not my favorite. They [Kubers] bar-b-que in winter and summer. They have steaks once in a while. I just can’t eat them. I just don’t like them. And they’re hard for me to chew. That’s why I don’t like them. They don’t care. They all have good teeth!drinks now with meals?
coffee. Always skim milk of course.
as a child?
I can’t remember doing that. I think I had coffee, I can’t remember that I was a milk girl.
the best meal you ever had?
I’m sure there were a lot of them around. I can’t remember any now. Like we had a regular club going for a while with the Greifs and the Holtzens. They all were good cooks. Marie was really a good cook so was Phyllis.
I remember once when I had them over and I made a ham loaf, and then Marie said to me, “You know when I saw that you were going to put that meat loaf out, I thought, ‘How can she serve a meat loaf to us?”,’ but then she said, “Oh. was that good! I never ate a ham loaf before.”
So all the people in the group, the people we associated with were all good cooks. And Ellen is a VERY good cook She’s a VERY good cook
dancing with Dad?
(chuckles) In fact, whenever we went to a wedding, we’d say, “Oh, here comes the musicians. Let’s start saying Good-Bye.” Then we made the rounds, and said Good-Bye to everybody, so we’d be out of there before they’d start. That was a No-No. Not a No-No with us, but we just didn’t like that. I mean, just why sit there? That was always on a Saturday night, you know. And Dad was aching to go home, and so was I [to do the bulletin].
I don’t see how I could have done that! And you know I was never after Dad, “Let’s hurry,” or something. “Get your thoughts together. Let’s do the bulletin. Let’s go.” Good thing the machine never broke down.
mothers comparing notes- how the kids compared
You see, it never happened too much because I was a pastor’s wife, you know what I mean? They didn’t talk to me about those things, even then.
I know one thing. when we took Pete, (now I don’t know whether anyone else was there), we had our school or men’s club picnic. so we went, and I’m sure Pete was the only child, then somebody said to me, ‘cause he was always holding on to my finger while we were walking around, she said, “How’s he doing with his walking?” I said, “When he holds on to my finger, he’s fine. But if I let go, he falls down.” She said, “Oh! You have to do something!” Because he was old enough to walk himself. She said, “When you get home now, get a pencil or get a clothes pin, and let him hold on to one end of the clothes pin and you on the other end, and then go walking with him.” So I did that as I came home, and gave him a clothes pin, and said, ‘Pete, let’s go for a walk.’ When we went down 21st Street. And then I gradually let go. He ran ahead of me, with the clothes pin in his hand!
I’ve told that story to so many people, because they said, that really works. They don’t want to let go of your finger, they want the clothes pin. He was plenty old to be walking. He always went down. The rest all walked very normally. Never had any problem.
volunteering after retirement
I do Braille work of course that once a week and I just love it But we can never get a lot of volunteers. Everybody who volunteers is over 80 practically. We assemble books in any kind of language. It’s not in Braille. It’s in large print. We’re called the Large Print office. That’s for people who still can see, but they have to have large print So our books are always about like this, you know. And then we assemble them, and some are pages up to 52 or something like that, then we bind the books, and correct them again. It’s always in a foreign language. I don’t know what language. Sometimes we try to figure out what it is. But then they’re sent all over the world when we’re done with them. We have to ship them all back to Ucaypa California, that’s where the headquarters is for Braille. From there then they ship them out They always keep supplying us with more books and more books. Some are small. Others are big. Then we used to have the hymnal. This last one we’re doing is prayers for children. We decided it was for bigger children. It wasn’t for tiny ones, to be able to read that. Those were in English, so I don’t know where they were being shipped. It’s hard to get people to come for that And we work on Tuesday morning from 9:00 until 1:00. Then we have lunch--a bag lunch. We make our coffee there in the downstairs office. Some leave at noon then, like Irma Suelflow. At the most we have five there. So those people are hard to pick up. Once they get started they like it real much. There’s a lot of things to do. Assemble them. Bind them. I enjoy that very much.
At Concordia I do whatever he wants. Whatever I can do, I should say (for Joel Heck and Evangelism magazine) for which I’m assistant editor. I said to him, when I first saw that there, ‘Why did you do that?’ He said, “Well, you are.’ He’s always very nice to me. I hate to drop it, but I think I am going to. I just don’t enjoy that any more. I always tell him, “If there’s any snow going on, don’t count on me.” Then I work in the morning. He goes to class at 8:00. So I don’t see him any more. lf I break down, with my computer... If I can’t go on any more, then I just go home. ‘Cause I can’t finish it. I know how to get myself out of most of the holes on the computer now, cause once in while I look up and it’s all full, you know! I know there’s an escape button. That does it. I enjoy working for him. He’s always so nice to me.
other volunteer activities
Not really. I’ve been with Braille for so many years now. Every once in a while First Immanuel they’ll say they need extra secretarial help, but I would never go in there in, cause they have enough girls. They can always fill in with someone, so I don’t think I want to start.
Do you get the news letter from Zion? I don’t like that new one, where the printer does it all. The one from First Immanuel comes out once a month, with statistics in there.
ever felt in physical danger, feared for your life?
no.
at the performing arts center
We went there for years. Ellen always gave that to me as a sort of birthday gift in April. They had the barbershop quartets from all over the country. We really enjoy that so much. They’re so professional and so cute. Everything about it we liked. Lately I said to Ellen, “Don’t buy those tickets.” We always sat in the third row from the front, so we could see so well. But when you go the Performing Arts now, first of all, the parking, they have that building there. By the time we get there, you have to go to the
attic floor, which is the roof. That’s getting to be a chore for me. Then we cross the bridge there to get into the building. Then you have to walk down all the steps because the elevators are packed. Then going out -- the same way. I have to walk up all those steps to the roof again. I said to Ellen, “I just can’t do that any more. I just don’t enjoy doing it, I mean.” I always feel myself falling. And she’s so careful about it, but people push, want to get going. I just don’t enjoy that part of. I said, “You have to pay so much for those tickets.” And she knows someone who’s in the choir there, so he always kept sending her tickets. But I think she told him now I won’t be going any more.Years ago, many years ago, we went to the symphony concerts. Then John would go along, too. That was fun. Then I couldn’t run up steps or run down steps or anything. It was a chore. We really enjoyed those. We had three tickets for that Kids were able to stay alone. I really enjoyed those concerts. They were so good.
after retiring from Milwaukee County and Robert Russell...
I didn’t take early retirement I could have stayed a while yet. He retired about 3 months ahead of me. And I knew he was going to retire. When he left, then I said, “I’m going to retire, too after you’re gone.’ He said, ‘You don’t have to. You can keep going.’ Then I stayed for about two months maybe. But I had my old boss back that I started with-Paradowski. Like when I first came there, I was in the paternity. So anyway, he said, ‘You can stay with them.’ I tried it for maybe a month. He did things so differently. I just didn’t want to go back to him. He even said to him, ‘Can you imagine that? When you started I was your first boss, and here I am now again at the end.’ He died since. He was very good to me, but I didn’t enjoy working for him.
working for EM.Boerke, at reentry into the work force after children
I don’t know how I got that job--whether it was through the paper. I didn’t know anybody there, That I enjoyed real much, I had a good partner to work with--a gal sitting right across the desk from me. We would get the giggles every once in a while because of what happened. She was a real good partner--Doris. I would meet her for lunch even after working for the county.
looking back on retirement-was it at the right time?
I retired just as the computers were coming in. We got our first computer in, and I put in my retirement date. I never learned anything. All the girls after that went to school to learn the computer. I never got in on that. But it just wasn’t the same when Russell was gone. Everybody had such respect for him. And he was good to me--so good to me. Paradowski is dead. Russell is still living. I hear from him once a year--at Christmas. Every time they went to Europe or wherever they would go, they would go to Florida, they would bring back a whole big cache of oranges. They always brought something back I have a lot of things in my cabinet there that are all from Russell--in the bedroom.
advice on retiring at 65
Then I left the county for a while. Because Edith Quade, who worked at the museum, the office space. She knew me through Genevieve. She called me up once and she said, “Erna, we’re going to have an opening in my office, and I would like to have you be my secretary.’ So I said, “I never even thought of leaving.” She painted it real beautiful, the picture--you can do what you want’ So I told Russell I was going to
leave. He didn’t like that at all. I said, “I’m just going to go to the museum.” And I left. And I didn’t like it at all. I knew Edith so well. Oh, I just didn’t enjoy it at all. She had to give so many talks. She went to different societies or whatever it was that she had to give lectures. She said, “Now you come with me, because they’re going to collect tickets or they’re going to collect money and you take care of that for me.” She was always so… Even now yet I call her up once in a while and talk to her, or she to me. Any way it went on like that I just couldn’t get used to working for her.Then one noon I met a girl from the courthouse when I went to the Y to eat She said, “How do you like your job.” I said, “I just don’t like it at all.” She said, “Should I tell Mr. Russell?” I said, “He can’t do anything about that.” So anyway, she did tell Russell then, when she got back to the office, that I didn’t like my job. That very afternoon then he called back and he said, “I checked the civil service list. There are two openings there for law stenographer, or whatever it was. Won’t you take that exam again and try to come back?” I said, “Well, I can try.” So of course, I passed the exam. So then he called me right away. It took a week or so. He said, “You passed the exam. You’re at the top of the list. Would you come back I never found another secretary. I want you to be my secretary.” So then I told Edith. She didn’t make too much of it I said, “I’m just not used to this work Edith. I just can’t fit into it.” So she was real nice about it. Like I said, we remained friends.
Then I went back to corporation counsel. Then he said, “I never used anybody else, unless I had to write a letter. Then I’d call somebody in, dictate it, and then that was it.’ So...
After Dad retired from Zion, your time in retirement, expectations
It was very nice, but your see, right after that, Dad became ill. And so, we didn’t do anything. We were going to go to Hawaii. I said to Dad, “I always wanted to go to Hawaii.” He never would go. He said, “We’ll go now.” And he meant within a short time. Then of course he began to feel worse and worse, so he never got there. He had a very short retirement.
getting the work done in the house
I imagine the kids helped along. But I can’t remember that I ever had to get after you, ask you to do something. But I did ask you to do things.
I always had a cleaning lady after I worked. That was on 84th street already, at Our Redeemer. Did I work then, too? I don’t know! When I really started working every day, then I had a cleaning lady. We had just such a gem. I don’t know how we got her. Her name was Mrs. Appleman. She was wonderful!
He always came home at noon and had lunch with her at noon at home. He said, ‘I’ll see to it that there is something here.” Once she said, ‘I like this horseradish mustard.’ that we had on the table. So then, Dad, of course, went and bought 3 jars full. I said, ‘How did we get all this mustard?’ He said, ‘Mrs. Appleman said she likes it’ I said, “A jar of mustard lasts forever.” She would like anything that he put on the table. They had some good visits. She was a great talker too. She was wonderful. She retired and moved to Appleton.
Then I had a maid service or whatever they called it I had many that were real good, and some that were terrible. I know we had a black woman once. I don’t know how come I was home when she was there. I never was home when any of them were there. All of a sudden she came in. It was about 10:30 in the morning. She said, ‘I’m all finished now. Is there anything else you want me to do? I said, ‘Are you done with everything upstairs and downstairs?” She said, ‘Yea.’ I said, “It’s only quarter to 11!” She says, “But I work fast” She was a real big, fat lady. I said, “No, I have nothing else. If you went around and did everything, that’s it.” So she left. I didn’t have to pay her, she was paid by the agency. That was the first or second time she was there. Then the office called me once. They said, ‘Are you satisfied with so and so?’ I said, “She really goes fast. Last time she was all done at already 10:30 in the morning. She said she was all done with the bathroom, upstairs, and everything.” They said, “Did she leave then?” I said, “Sure.” They said, “Oh, we gave her credit for six hours. She’s supposed to stay there until everything’s done.” “She said she did everything.” They said, “No, she couldn’t have.” So she never came back again. I don’t know whether they canned her or what. But otherwise we always had good luck with them.
grandmother of 17...impressions, joys, frustrations
I’m just sorry that everybody else is so far away. Ruth keeps calling every year, “Why don’t you come down? We’ll tie the dogs up. They all are very good to me, but I just can’t travel now any more. I can’t imagine myself going down to Ruth’s, and I can’t imagine myself going down to Pete’s. He always want me to come. I said, “Pete, you work different hours. What am I going to do?’ He said, “You can watch television.” I said. “Yeah.” Ruth mostly, “Why don’t you come?” she keeps asking. I have an open invitation to you, I’m sure. But there, the same thing when I was there that time, in the morning you left you said, “I’ll show you how to work the television,” so I’d have something to do. I said, ‘Isn’t there something I can do around here?’ No. Then at noon you came home that one time and we went out for lunch. That was nice. But you see, every house is so busy, and I hate to be downstairs by myself. too. They’re all gone all day. I love them all, I just can’t see ‘em.
presidents she admired
I didn’t pay any attention. Most of them I leaned toward republican. I always can go by that when I vote, I’d vote republican. I didn’t vote for Clinton.
what our country needs to get control of.
They have so many things going, I don’t see how any of them will work The health program, I just don’t see how that will ever go through. I’m really not that interested in politics, but I did not vote for Clinton. He’s not my favorite.
voting...
I think we voted at that public school between Meinicke and Wright I think that’s where we voted then. We usually had our minds made up, for whom we were going to vote.
never got involved in politics so that she encouraged others to vote for someone?
No.
about the welfare system....
I think people take advantage of it.
social security benefits-are they what you think they should be?
I’m not complaining
jury duty...
Never could go. I was employed by the government. Kids were always mad about that. “Oh, you could have gone on a jury.” But I don’t think I was even called. I think Dad was once.
McCarthy hearings...
[Can’t recall feelings or reactions]
Armstrong on the moon....
It was thrilling--thrilling to hear about it. flying the flag...
No.
when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor....
I remember hearing about it
liking Ike....
Not particularly. Nothing against him.
about the Vietnam war....
I wasn’t for it of course. Pete was in that.
cover of LIFE that you remember?
No.
our times -- .more evil, same, better?
I think they’re worse -- much worse. You never feel safe. Like Gladys and I used to take long walks at night after all the kids were in bed. We walked from our house all the way around the park there--at night--this was after 10:00, and just walk and talk ‘cause we never could talk during the day. Never did we ever feel we shouldn’t be here. And now often times, we say, Remember we used to walk here at night, like at 9:30 and I 0:00.N We wouldn’t do that any more.
proud to be an American...in 1944 or 1994
I was always a proud American.
the power brokers in Milwaukee....You just can’t figure out once in while why they do things and why they don’t do things. It’ll always be that way. Especially in Milwaukee, it’s terrible. I never go downtown for anything. I wouldn’t drive down there. I can’t take a bus from here. Gladys used to do that, too, but now she never goes downtown.
the rich side of town....
The far east side is old Milwaukee and old money. And then there’s far west side, now that that’s all suburbs.
dealings with a local politician...
I was always surrounded by people in government, like in the county too. You’d read about them in the papers all the time. They were just another person to you. You pass them in the hallway, say HI, and that’s it I never had any input.
buildings in downtown Milwaukee...
Department stores: Boston Store, Gimbels, and now it’s Marshall Fields. That’s about it. None of the others has anything to do with it
Milwaukee’s most famous celebrity...
Not anyone special.
best park..
Mitchell Park. where they have all the flowers from all over the world--all hothouses, that’s all there are. They decorate them according to the seasons. Now they have Easter shows, and they’ll have Christmas shows. That’s a county project. That’s by far the only place I’d ever take anybody. The zoo? The flower show, all the seasonal flower shows--just magnificent.your current house, with Ellen and John...
It’s the envy of everybody when I tell them where I live. I say I live upstairs by my daughter. but I don’t see here for days once in a while, Then I never bother her, and she never bothers me. I have my dinners with her. When it doesn’t suit her, I don’t go down. Tell her I’m not coming. Vice versa--she’ll tell me they’re not gong to be home. It just couldn’t be any nicer.
wishes...
I wish I had a kitchen sink I really do. I could have either a bathroom or a kitchen sink Which did I choose?
This is not a rental neighborhood. You can’t rent out to anybody. And I don’t pay anything here. They even pay most of my utilities. John said, “No we’ll put that all on one meter. What’s the difference?” I said, “But not the telephone, John. I feel I want to make my own telephone bills.” He said, “‘Well, if you want to, otherwise we can put it on our bill.” Just wonderful.
home decorating.,.
I had my sofa recovered. Otherwise, whatever pleased me. I didn’t go according to any era.
the setting..
I just love it When we had that last snowstorm, it was just a fairy land.. Every little twig and every little branch was covered with snow. It was just beautiful. And in summer, of course, it’s nice. There are always a lot of birds around. And I have that big patio if I want to sit outside, which I never, never do. Cause in the morning it’s sunny, and in the afternoon, it’s buggy. So I never use it, but it’s really nice if you want to go out.
getting mail now....
I have to go out to the road to pick it up. The paper, too. It’s delivered by the mailman [in a vehicle].
postage...
I can remember when a letter cost two cents.
things she misses doing..
There are things I don’t do as often as I used to. I do whatever I want to do, whatever I can when I feel all right Like it wouldn’t be like Gladys, every Friday she tears the house apart. Everything goes. She vacuums for hours. I’m not made that way. But she always was. So we’re different there.
sleeps...
In a double bed.
pillows...
polyester
on you night stand...
telephone and radio.
pictures...
I have them all over. I don’t have any real old ones. I don’t know what happened to them.
beauty shop...
I don’t go too much, except for hair cuts. Otherwise, I do my own shampooing. I don’t get permanents any more....I do my toes, nails.
late or early to things?
Early! Ask me about Dad. Always just on the verge. Remember when they used to watch from Zion on 21st and North? Somebody would go out in the middle of the road to see if somebody was coming from Locust Street. There wasn’t much traffic then of course that early in the morning. So as soon as they’d see his car, bending the corner, the elder would go in, “You can ring the bells now. He’s coming.” That’s the way they worked it. He was always the last minute.
At weddings I would always be the first one who wanted to go home. Dad would want to talk to so and so. He would talk to someone really lengthy. There we were opposite ends, too.
weekly schedule in your home...
More or less, it had to be that way. Of course when you were real small, I had to depend on Dad, to be sure he was home. ‘Cause I never had to use the car to go shopping. Everything was right next door to me.
on getting home from working outside, what you did first...
Whatever we were going to have for supper, had to be started. We had one of those cookers that I plugged in the morning on low, if it was a sort of casserole type, so if I came home, all I had to do was set the table and we could eat and we could eat--it was all ready. I tried to plan that kind of meal.
Phil would take the bus home after school, you would put things out for me to start...
That cooker that I had at that time, I used that cooker so much--sauerkraut casseroles--anything, just unplugged it, we were ready to eat.
ever smoked?
Never, Never. [Didn’t know when Dad started. He stopped after his heart attack] He never ever cheated. He said the men at church would say, “If you want us all to stop when we have our meetings, please tell us.” He said, “It doesn’t bother me one bit” I don’t think it did. The doctor told him, “Don’t ever smoke and then come back If you smoke behind the garage or someplace, then I’m through with you.” He really scared the wits out of him.
doodle?
No
make lists?
Now, often. Often. I always put things on a telephone pad -- things I should buy the next time I go shopping. When I go shopping I take it along. All my notes are in shorthand. Nobody else can read it but me.
your ritual on going to sleep....
First I see to it that I take all my medications. That’s always automatic. The last thing around 9:00. All my pills are counted out for the day. Outside of that.,. long prayers.
I still do cross word puzzles. Always have a couple of books going here. It’s always this type. Then I go through them again. Some of them are almost done, some are not at all. But I love cross word puzzles. So I always have a couple books and the paper. All the cross words that I can find I love. I don’t want those real hard ones, so that 1 can just... all foreign expressions or something like that. I love to work them. I love jigsaw puzzles. I just love them, and I don’t have a one. Mainly, because I don’t know where to put it If I had a card table, and I think I gave Ellen my card table, I would have to put it up there, next to the door, someplace where I can see.Dad and I used to always have jigsaw puzzles. When he came home from his meeting, I’d be working on one. I said, “It’s so late,” He said “Well, let’s each find so many pieces.” Then we’d get involved in it more and more.
Phyllis said she brought one along from England, from one of those shops. I don’t know how many pieces. It’s called “An English Cottage.” It’s surrounded by flowers. She said, “I’m not in the mood now,” But that’s what I would like. I would really to like have a corner...
side 5
I wouldn’t want it so hard that I’d never get it done. Then too, we’d work the puzzle. Next day we’d dump it. Start another one. One she has is just impossible. The kids gave it to her. So hard! But I don’t mind baby ones either. I can see the design and the endings right away.
reading the paper...
I go to the death notices first. There are so many people I know from Zion, yet. People from here I don’t know too many who die. Who told us about Herman Harder. They had a burial from there at Harder’s. Usually they have a local undertaker.
saving coins...
I know how many are in there, Philip. One on the window sill is dimes. That little piggy is all quarters. You saw that I made that one when I went to ceramics. When that’s full, it’s over $200. I filled it several times. And I don’t use that money for anything. I don’t spend it I just put it in and keep record of it I never emptied that dime one yet. It’s so heavy. But I can’t spend a dime or a quarter. I just can’t. I’d rather cash a $10 check
collecting mites for LWML?
No. They never have any out for that. I don’t belong to LWML. Here’s it’s a separate organization. At Zion it used to be one. I belonged to automatically. But they always meet at night, and I don’t like anything that meets at night.
hats?
Glad to get rid of them. I don’t know why. I never did wear many. I think I had a couple of hats, of course. I think this is much nicer. I don’t think we have any ladies now that I can think of off hand who come to church with a hat.
skin problems as a teen?
No.
do your children look like you or Dad?
I never could see any resemblance. Surely not me. And I don’t see Dad in any of you either. Pete always says “I think I look just like Dad.” I always have to laugh. He says “I’m just like Dad.” I always want to add, “But Dad went to church,” but I never do.
wishes or dreams for grandchildren....
Every once in a while. I get a wish, like when they graduate from high school that they would go into kingdom work
the hardest thing you ever had to do?
I suppose bury my parents. My mother was only 57 when she died. My dad was 67. Then two brothers.
what has effected your life most?
We were always church connected, even when we were growing up, always active. So it was our general bringing up.
Erna Marie Hasenbein Tesch
Cedarburg, Wisconsin
April 22, 1994My Dad knew Russian. My mother always said, “Dad can speak Russian.” Because he was born there, but he worked there, and he finally came across the grenze (dividing line), Then he worked for her father, who was a farmer. And he worked on a farm.
[never heard her father speak Russian in the house]
stories about why parents or others came to America...
No, They came to Dad’s cousin’s house. They sort of sponsored them. The Metts. That was my Dad’s relatives, not my mother’s.
were their parents still living?
I have no idea,
how your parents met?
All I know is he came across the border there, and then I suppose he asked for a farmer’s job or whatever. Then she said he worked for her dad.
[Mother didn’t talk about this part of her life] to me,
skills learned from your mother...
No. I just helped her with all the housework. Never in that sense did she teach me anything. She did a lot of sewing and I never did any. She always said, “Someday I’m going to have a
new piece of material that I can cut out and just start from new.” Everybody gave her old stuff. She had to rip and rip and rip and tear and tear and sew and sew. That was one of her ambitions--to go to the store and buy some new material. She never had the joy.how you were like your mother....
I can’t really think of any. My mother was very strict Very strict. But not mean--never mean.
was your mother disappointed, had regrets about her life?
No.
you mother’s coping skills., source of inner strength
Maybe she inherited it from her mother. Her mother was gone so long then already. So we never said “Grandma” or anything. They were all gone.
your father-good with people?
He was a very friendly man, very friendly, always well liked wherever he worked. He had friends at the shop, nobody with whom we associated, I don’t think anybody did that then. They all packed up their lunch boxes and went home.
full of fun?
No. Not at all. Just very quiet
sense of humor?
No. My mother either. It was strictly serious-everything.
Did they tease each other?
No. It was just ordinary conversation when we were at the table like evenings. Just light talk Never about anybody that I ever can remember, or what happened during the day--nothing like that
ever see him cry?
No. My mother either.
father’s health.
It was very good, I’d say.
what I learned from my father....
He was very ambitious, and even when he was home, like I told you, he worked hard. We had that big yard, there was no garage on the lot, and he was always out there, like in the summer time, mowing the lawn. I don’t think any of us ever mowed the lawn, but he did. Neither did I ever hear my mother say, “Go help papa.” Nothing like that, He just did it.
was it pride or duty?
Because it had to be cut, and he did it because it was his job. They were all well kept lawns on that block All of them. Very neat. I can’t ever imagine us having dandelions. It was just a plain mower. Even with big snows which we often had, I can’t ever remember seeing any of the kids outside helping. Even the older boys, like Walter.
funny stories about your brothers...
I didn’t get picked on because I was the only girl, but neither did I get special attention.
She was always angry at Walter. Whenever they had a play later on, when he was out of school, Senior Walther League, they always had a play every year. He was always the funny guy. I can hear my mother saying, “Must you always be the Hanswurst?” She wanted him to be the hero I guess, or something. Everybody liked Walter. He was so comical. In everything! He always had to be the Hanswurst. That kind of got her once in a while, But she’d always go to the plays.extended family get togethers, Walter had the jokes....
Later on, Ernie was, you know. He was always the funny toastmaster. All the years he was in the railroad, whenever they had anything big. it was Ernie who ran it. So they both had a real good sense of humor. They were always very good.
A Mr. Rehn and Gustav Schok and Dad used to be a real trio. Finally there was a Mr. Fischer, they lived upstairs someplace and he joined the group. And the women would sit in the evening around the dining room table and just talk The men had their bottle of beer. I don’t think they ever had anything with it--like pretzels.
as a baby...
Born at home. She always had a midwife. That was on 8th and Wright. We lived in an upper flat That’s where Walter was born, too. I remember once she said that Walter was given some sour milk I don’t know whether she didn’t nurse him at all. Then he was really sick.
childhood ambitions...
Never.
home remedies....
I just can’t remember anything like that. We had all the contagious diseases that I told you about. I know I had diphtheria.
lost teeth under the pillow?
No. We just yanked them. That was the end of it!
people frightened of diseases?
I can remember them saying about people “Er hat em Krebs (cancer).” So that always was serious. Outside of that, nothing.
a typical Sunday...
We (the children) always went to the English service, that was first, that was Immanuel. Then my mother and dad always went to the German service. I don’t think they ever went to an English service. While they were in church, she had started the dinner, I finished it. Whatever we were going to have. That I liked. I liked that always. That was always a warm meal. Did the dishes, and that was the end of our Sunday. Mother and Dad sat out on the porch if it was nice. I don’t know what we did-- play with someone.
you didn’t sit together...
Oh no. After that, I always belonged to some choir or other. We never sat with them at all. They were always in the German service. And we never went to German.
the pattern for other families, too
I imagine so. Definitely.
You could have gone to the German service and known what was going on?
Sure. German was spoken in the house.
heroes during teen years....
Nothing that I can remember. Ever.
attitudes about sex...were people secretive, did they talk about it
Very. Never talked about it Never. Ever. It was something so private you wouldn’t dream of discussing or talking about it.
attitudes about sex while growing up...
It’s just that when you got married, then you started your own family. The word “sex” never came up. That’s for sure.
did you know of high school girls who became pregnant without being married?
Not one.
Dad growing up in Dad’s household...
I can’t ever remember her saying anything. I think his family was practically gone when they came over here. There was so much war over there all the time. I remember my mother sending packages there -- clothes, used clothing, packages went over there all the time to help them out, whatever war it was.
Dad and his parents....
He never discussed them.
jealousy or either of you seeing others...
No. And he was almost kicked out of the seminary. That was the first thing--the Dean had them all come in. “If any of you are engaged or plan to be married--don’t forget it, you may never drop the girl. If you do, you’re out of the ministry. Period.” He was real strict. He said, “We all had to get up, if we had a steady girlfriend.” I’m sure we were engaged at that time. That was absolutely a no-no.
asking for your hand....
I know when I came home that Christmas eve from Dad’s sister’s house where we had been for dinner, then we went into the bedroom, and gave me my ring there. Then I had to come in front of all the people there and show them my diamond, Then when I came home, I don’t know whether my mother was sleeping, but I woke her up. I showed her-- My ring. She said, “Ja, ich weiss,”
He asked them both. He liked my dad. He liked my dad very much. I think he was a little afraid of my mother, She never had an argument with him. Nothing. She never tried to tell him off, either,
your wedding gown...
I don’t know where I bought it, I don’t know how I got it I know one of the girls from lmmanuel way back then, when I saw her a couple of years ago, said, “You remember that I fixed your hair the day you were married. I came to your house and combed your hair for you.” I said, “No.” She lives right here on 100th St. now. I said, “Gen, I don’t remember that at all!” She said, “Sure, I came to your house, and fixed your hair.”
(By the way, Mrs. Suelfiow said she was going to bring a picture of Elyse and Philip, who took her to the prom.)
the wedding day...
My mother had just died a few months before it So we had a very quiet wedding. I know when she died, I said to the nurse who was taking care of her, she died at home, they called a nurse in, she had a stroke, I said. “Do you think my mother will be all right so she can go to my wedding in October? She said, “Well, you just can’t tell at this stage. You know, you can get a wheel chair for her, and somebody can push her in that way.” But then she died. It was a quiet wedding, and we had it on Lake Drive. That restaurant is gone now. It was like a private home. Everybody went there for something nice. We didn’t have a reception. That was just the dinner. We didn’t have any reception. So we went there for our dinner, and my one Aunt Hilda from Pittsburgh, she even came in. I don’t know how she got there. That’s the type she was. I was so happy to see her. That was the only one of the relatives that came in from out of town. Ruth Kuechle was my maid of honor. Ernie was the best man. That was about it We had a table full.
As soon as we were done eating, Ernie took us to the station because we were going to Chicago. So he took us down to the depot. We stayed there. That was on a Wednesday night, our wedding was. Sunday he had to preach. We saw a couple shows, that was it Ernie picked us up again at the station.
wedding gifts you can recall....
No I can’t, but there were. Nothing like they have nowadays--piles and piles.
adjusting to married life...
It was very interesting, ‘cause Ernie and my dad moved with us. We couldn’t find a house to rent out near Our Redeemer. So one of our members bought a house, a real brand new one, that was on 84th and Wright, it was the only house on the block, a two-story house with three bedrooms, so then he rented it to us (I don’t know for what-- the mission board paid that). So that’s the way we lived. I didn’t work of course.
Every Sunday we’d race--first to Our Redeemer, then to Elm Grove. We had the service in the public school basement
menopause...
I had no problem. In fact, I was at the courthouse already working with Russell. I thought my period was supposed to come, and it didn’t I thought, “Oh my gosh! Now what?” But that was the end of it. Just skipped it. It was nothing. Absolutely nothing.
current finances, how do you describe them?
I would say secure. They don’t take any rent here, They said they’d pay all utilities. So then I said, “Let me pay my telephone.” He said, “Well, if you want to. Otherwise you can add it on to my bill.” They have been just super.
term ‘senior citizen’
I don’t care for it
getting bored...
No. I really don’t have a chance. I’m glad when there’s a day when I don’t have anything to do.
physical health...
There’s a lot of things I have to watch and take care of...diabetes, insulin, stuff like that, my heart, but I have medication for everything, and I go to the doctors all the time, foot doctor, heart doctor, general doctor, eye doctor-- they’re all in this book
the years flying by with increasing age.
I agree with that. Like I can hardly believe that’s Dad’s gone ten years.
how different from others your age...
Some people can’t get around at all on their own. Like Gladys, one of my best friends, she doesn’t drive. She depends on somebody to pick her up, go shopping with her, Of course she had Don there who doesn’t live too far from her. When Dick died, she sold the car or gave it to somebody, one of the boys. She said, “I’m too old to learn.” She’s very tense. So that wouldn’t have worked. As long as she can clean her house.
She has no charge cards. Not a one. When she goes shopping for anything, whether its big or small, she always pays cash, You’d never change her mind about that.
I did get her to go to church. She always went to church with a friend of hers to St Mark’s, which is on about 94th. They’re calling again. Their pastor got sick. And so she goes with this lady friend who belongs there. She lives on S. 83rd or something. so she comes all the way up here to get Gladys, takes her to church. She introduced her to the pastor, and said, “This is my friend Gladys. She was baptized and she was also confirmed at Sherman Park Church. Can she go to communion? He said, “Oh, sure.” But Gladys of course never joined. She just whenever they had communion, she’d go, with his permission. Then they got a different pastor ‘cause the other one retired. He was one of the assistants at Our Redeemer. So then she said to him once, “I’d like to join the church.” I always tell her, “You really ought to join. Why don’t you join?” Then she said to him, “I’m an Eastern Star.” He said, “That doesn’t matter. What is that?” She said, “Well, it’s a lodge.” He said, “I never even heard of that” Imagine! An assistant pastor at Our Redeemer. I said to her, “Gladys, that is not allowed in our church.” I explained to her why, and explained everything to her, why we object to it And so then she said, the last time I went there, “Will you explain to my why you are opposed to Eastern Star?” And then she said, “He must have looked it up, because he told me everything you did.” And so now she’s out of it. She’s got her demit, I think they call it She’s no longer a member of the Eastern Star. But I don’t know whether she’ll ever join. (The church at 95th and Wisconsin-it never did grow.) I forget what the other pastor’s name was--was there a lot of years, has Alzheimer’s. She said, “We have about 15 people in church on Saturday night.” No school.
Now she’s this far, and I don’t know whether I’ll ever get her to join the church. I don’t know what her dues were at the thing she belonged to. I couldn’t get her to take that step yet
your fit in the modern world...
I imagine there a lot of things I would never agree to.
changes to help older people..
I’m not part of it I think a lot of older people really need help. It’s always so expensive to move into a nursing home.
the best things about being your age...
[People asking] “Are you really 82?” I’m glad I am as well as I am, in spite of all my problems, and that I can keep going. I never just sit home and pout. Never.
keeping busy and being happy...
I think it’s very important, very important With all the activities I have.
diet...
That’s important also. Of course, I have a different kind of a diet because of my diabetes. But whatever it is the doctor assign it’s a good thing to follow.
old age running in the family....
My mother was 57 when she died. So I’ve taken care of that My dad was 67. So I passed him up. My maternal grandfather (Tietz) was 89 when he died, so maybe I take after him.
dreaming..
Once in a while I wake up, and must have been dreaming about my mother. And then I turn around, look at the pillow, “Oh, my gosh! That’s all over.” It doesn’t depress me, but I think “Why do I see her just as plain…. Not my dad so much, but my mother. Never discomforting or anything.
meanings for dreams...
Oh no.
more spiritual thoughts as you grow older?
I’ve always been religiously bent, from school on, grade school on, I always liked instruction classes and school. I was always active in everything we had, everything I could belong to, I did, I was always active in church, always. I even do it now yet
What you would have liked to hear from your parents (like this interview)....
It would be their life, of course, that I would be interested in. Even before they were married. At that time I didn’t care, when I was growing up, though my mother threw in a couple of things every once in a while.
After I began working then I bought our first radio, a high-boy like that, you know. And I bought that. Then my mother said, “I would like an English Bible.” Then she was very, very interested in that, and she sat in front of the radio and listened to the Moody Bible Institute from Chicago. She was very interested in that. She wouldn’t go to anything German.
what you would grab in case of fire...
I think snapshots, pictures of the family, children, other stuff. I would want some of the pictures.
first pregnancy, feelings
We were so thrilled. Cause by that time we had adopted Pete. He was four years old. It was a real thrill.
your doctor....
It was Dr. Olson. He was THE baby doctor at that time,
reading the latest book on babies...
I was always interested in reading articles.
how you got the hospital with the first baby...
I know we went on a Saturday night, naturally. He stayed there the whole while. The labor wasn’t overly long. It was sort of normal. The nurse goes down and tells him. I don’t think he came up at all.
nursed or bottle fed....
You were bottle fed. The nurse said, ‘it looks as if you can surely nurse the baby. It was all just on the outside. Otherwise I would have.
naming the baby...
It was always sort of my choice. I liked Philip. The queen had a baby, right after that, she named him Charles Philip. And we had Philip Charles. I got to hear about that all the time. But we chose it first.
Next choice, if not Philip?
I never thought of that. A biblical name, probably David,
how the baby was...
No problem at all. All the people came in to see you, if they were in the neighborhood. So you were in a basket right in front of the window downstairs, ‘cause I couldn’t leave you up in the bedrooms. I’d be running all day. This was a real hot period right after you came home from the hospital. Was it hot! I had the windows all open and you were right in front of it The grandmas would say, “You mustn’t put him in front of the window there. He might get a draft.” I said, “He’s got a little blanket over him.” I was trying to direct the....
motherly instincts...
At that time, the doctor came to the home, our family doctor, Dr. Schowalter. He would come once a month. I just couldn’t wait till the month was over. He’d check the baby, do
whatever he had to do; gave the shots. I just waited for that day of the month to come. I always had a lot of questions. It was such a relief to have him. Then he’d change whatever had to be changed with the diet. You always had to have milk I couldn’t nurse you. Dad took care of that pretty much. Like at night, he’d always go down for that late, late, late bottle. Go down the steps for me, and bring the next bottle up and heat it So he was really helpful. He did the trudging.what a new mother needs the most during the first few weeks...
I don’t know. It depends on the mother. Some would say, “Let me alone. I want to do it myself.” Others can’t do anything by themselves, or afraid they’re going to do the wrong thing. That changes according to the individual.
your second ‘natural’ baby...anything unusual
The nurses, some of them said, “Oh, you’re back”
Ellen’s name...
I wanted her to have my second name, just like she gave it to Katie, too. Katie Marie. Ellen Marie. Erna Marie. That was my mother’s name. I don’t think that played in it that much,
especially for them.All our babies very good, really very good.
what you learned from previous babies...
Third one, definitely, do it yourself. They were all good babies, we never had anybody that cause any trouble. Sitters always fought over who’s going to come. Lydia Schultz. Joy. Esther. There was always a going competition.
the best ( or worst) character trait of each child.,.
I never had any trouble with any of the kids, like behavior wise, or mischief wise. Only the one thing I always tell everybody. We always had the high chair next to the refrigerator in the kitchen. You don’t remember that! You climbed up on that tray, and on top there, I kept that cough medicine. You were just crazy about that. That Cheracol the doctor always prescribed. You drank practically the whole bottle. I called the doctors and said, “What should I do? He drank that whole bottle!” Whatever he said, it didn’t make any difference. He said, “Don’t give him any more tonight” And the others, that was always one distinctive thing I always tell everybody-- Don’t put your medicine on top of a shelf when there is a high chair and tray. That scared me, when I saw what you did with it! You got over it
pregnancy with Ruth...
I never had any problems with any pregnancy. At the hospital we had one of our members from Our Redeemer, who was a nurse there. She was a married person. She was in the maternity ward. Oh, did she take good care of me.
side 2
That was a special treat. She said we can’t do that with everybody. She did it for my partner in the bed next to me. I had a real cute partner when you were born. I often wonder what happened to her.
impressions of each child as the child grew up....
The usual teen-age problems with Pete was he never liked school. You know what I mean. We had to sort of pull him through, and that was kind of hard on Dad, cause he was on the Board at that time. The principal would always say, “Don’t worry about him. Don’t worry about him. He’ll be all right. I have an adopted daughter too.”
With you, of course, there was no problem. And not with Ellen. We never had any big problems.
Which was most like Dad- or like you
I don’t think anybody was like me. I know Dad was always real proud of you. We were always proud of you, went to school there, and finally ended up where you are now.
who we looked like....
Nothing like that I remember was outstanding. the hardest things about being a parent of four...
There was nothing really hard. Stuff like Pete not going to church, that’s hard. That always bothered us. Dad had a lot of talks with him. We’d go to the early service from 89th street, and Pete would still be in bed. I said, “Pete, we’re all going now. You’re on your own. You have to get there for the next service.” “Yea, yea.” Then of course, sometimes we’d come home, he’d still be in bed. That was hard on us. Cause the others all fell in line.
the people your children married..
Sue Braun...
I remember Pete telling us that she belongs to a Lutheran church. She has a couple of uncles who are pastors. He always liked Sue. Of course they finally got married.
Now I hear she’s going to get married again to a pastor. I don’t know what it’s all about, cause I never hear. Just always indirectly. She’s been a very good mother to all the boys. She really has. They sent one of those baskets of flowers. They never miss anything. They’re just so polite. They’re really good kids. They’re so nice. That’s not a credit to Pete, either.
So I don’t know how true that is. Pete had told us that but you can’t go by that. He said that the boys told him that when she gets married, she’s going to leave the older boys in their house (the house they own now), and of course she’s going to go with her husband wherever he is. I don’t know where he is. He’s a Wisconsin Synod pastor. She deserves somebody real nice once, too.
impressions of Ruth Hoffmann...
No. We never got to see her that much. Just when you came to visit. We had no problem accepting her or anything like that.
John Kuber...
He was Catholic. He had said right away, “I want to become a Lutheran.” He said to Dad, “I want you to give me the instructions.” So he did. He instructed him privately. I think John really appreciated it. He’s very active to this day. I don’t think they ever miss church. He isn’t that active in church, but when they really need him, he’s there. A couple time when they had big doings, they had to get tables and chairs from other places, for a dinner or whatever, he always takes his big truck and goes over there, and they pile it all over the place. They would have had to make ten trips with it. So he’s helpful that way, but otherwise he isn’t active. I think sometimes he’s on some kind of committee, and I think he would always be very good at it. Like evening meetings and stuff like that. Maybe voters.
Mel Klumb...
He was a nice guy. The thing is, he wanted to be so active, and that’s what threw him off the track back when they were in Plymouth. He said to the pastor, “There aren’t many things that I can do since I’m just a teacher. I wish I could do something more for the church.” So then he said, “Well how would you like to be the one in charge of visiting all the new members who move in to Plymouth.” He said, “I’d like that.” So the first guy he runs into is the pastor of this church that he now belongs to. He convinced him, I’m telling you this fast, but that’s what happened, he said, “You ought to belong to our church.” Then the pastor, we had him once here for a guest speaker, he said, “I remember going into church at different times. Mel would be sitting in the church. There was no church service, thinking about it. We had so many talks. But this other guy really slung him around.”
problems facing young couples...
Of course I go on a religious bent. They were both of the same religion. They both belonged. I think a good religious background is the most important.
are divorces too easy?
I don’t know what they do at our church. They have a divorce group. I don’t know if those are people who had divorces, are planning on divorces, or what, Of course, I’m not in favor of it.
should the state make divorces harder to get?
I think that would help.
They had the following children:
M i Peter Allan Tesch M ii Rev. Philip Charles Tesch F iii Ellen Marie Tesch F iv Ruth Elizabeth Tesch
Arthur Paul Hoffmann [Parents]
Verna Henrietta Maria Marggraf [Parents] was born on 4 Mar 1906 in Fond du Lac,Fond du Lac, Wisconsin,USA. She was christened on 25 Mar 1906 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. She died on 15 Apr 1992 in Sheboygan,Sheboygan, Wisconsin,USA. She was buried on 20 Apr 1992 in Sheboygan,Sheboygan, Wisconsin,USA. She married Arthur Paul Hoffmann on 28 Jun 1941 in Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
After graduating from Ripon College, taught English and Latin in several eastern Wisconsin schools, eventually settling in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
Her first "store-bought" dress was her confirmation dress.
Died at Sheboygan Retirement Home/Beach Health Care Center
sponsors: FrauAugust Janke, Ferd. Marggraf, Herm Jens
baptism at St. Peter's Lutheranfuneral at St Mark Lutheran, Sheboygan
buried in Lutheran Cemetery
They had the following children:
M i Richard Charles Hoffmann F ii Ruth Ann Hoffmann
Timothy Wayne Strickland [Parents]
Amy Lynn Tesch [Parents]
John Martin Kintop [Parents]
Rachel Marie Tesch [Parents]
Other marriages:Engele, Michael Peter
They had the following children:
F i Cayla Marie Kintop M ii Julius John Kintop
Michael Peter Engele [Parents]
Rachel Marie Tesch [Parents]
Other marriages:Kintop, John Martin
David Andrew Tesch [Parents]
Valerie Suzanne Headrick [Parents]
Benjamin Christian Arthur Tesch [Parents]
Alison Rae Neumann [Parents]
Heinrich August Wilhelm Tesch [Parents] was born on 7 Mar 1865 in Schloissin, Naugard, Pommern, Preußen. He was christened 1 on 19 Mar 1865 in Gross Benz, Naugard, Pommern, Preußen. He died on 13 May 1954 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He was buried 2 on 15 May 1954 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He married 3 Ulricke Wilhelmine B Juhl on 2 Aug 1902 in Immanuel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Other marriages:Jahnke, Ulrike Auguste Pauline
departed Antwerp, Belgium March, 1888 on the Steamship Vaderland arrived Philadelphia, Pennsylvania April 4, 1888
one of 246 passengers in steerage
age 22 at immigration occupation:laborer
birthplace now Slajsino, Nowogard, Poland1900 Census gives this information:
married 14 years (as of 8 Jun 1900)
Occupation: mason (unemployed four months)
could read, write, and speak English
owned a home (with mortgage)Death Certificate\Document No. 4081, filed June 1, 1954 in Milwaukee County Courthouse
cause of death: Cerebral thrombosis with infarction, general arteriosclerosis with myocardial degenration
lived at 1519 W. Chambers at time of death
birth town info from Joan Kitrow Luetzow 414-483-4426 29 Nov 1993baptismal sponsors:
Carl Friedr. Aug. Prust, Day laborer, in Patzig;
Heinrich Chr. Fr. Tesch, Knecht, farmhand, in Naugard
Henriette Lou. Albert. Gottschalk in Schloissinburied at Valhalla - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Ulricke Wilhelmine B Juhl [Parents] was born on 26 Feb 1877 in Loppnow, Greifenberg, Pommern, Preußen. She died on 24 Oct 1949 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. She was buried on 27 Oct 1949 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. She married 1 Heinrich August Wilhelm Tesch on 2 Aug 1902 in Immanuel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
evan Kirchspiel in Bandekow, Regenwalde
Standesamtbezirk and Amtbezirk in RottnowErna Tesch, pregant with Ellen, attended her funeral service at Immanuel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
death record from Immanuel Lutheran Church - Milwaukee (now St. Peter-Immanuel)
funeral text: Phil. 3,20,21
survived by husband, 3 daughters, 1 son, 3 sons-in-law, i daughter-in-law, 6 grandchildren, 1 great-grandchild, 1 brother, 1 sister, etc.
at death, resided at 1519 W. Chambers St.
buried at Valhalla - Milwaukee
Alvin G. Bartelt Co., Funeral home
They had the following children:
F i Olga Bertha Wilhelmine Tesch F ii Irma Clara Anna Tesch was born on 15 Jul 1907 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. She was christened on 11 Aug 1907 in Milwaukee,Milwaukee,Wisconsin,USA. She died on 15 Feb 1943 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. She was buried on 17 Feb 1943 in Milwaukee,Milwaukee,Wisconsin,USA.
never married
mildly retarded
placed in Milwaukee County institutions in Wauwatosa died in her early thirties
baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church - Milwaukee
sponsors: Albert Tesch, Clara Juhl, Anna Reinhardt
burial at ValhallaF iii Leona Ida Minna Tesch M iv Rev. Henry Charles Tesch
Gustav Hasenbein [Parents] was born on 13 Jan 1879 in Matlan, , , Russia. He died on 30 Nov 1946 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He was buried on 3 Dec 1946 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He married Maria Tietz on 21 Nov 1901 in Wirbalien, Tilsit, Ostpreussem, Preussen.
info on naturalization application, 24 January 1935:
residing at 2645 N. 15th St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin (house originally numbered 1015 15th Street)
machinist
fair complexion; blue eyes; black hair;
5' 10"; 190 lbs.
nationality: Germanlast foreign residence: Kowna, Russia
arrived from Antwerp, Belgium in New York 17 March, 1903 on the SS Vaderland
1920 census:
resided at 1015 15th Street
born in "Wilkowiski"lived with daughter Erna (and Henry) on 84th street while Henry was missionary at large, and moved to 21st Street when Henry took the call to Zion.
died at Deaconess Hospital of myocardial degeneration
buried at Graceland - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Maria Tietz [Parents] was born on 9 Sep 1881 in Kybarten, Schlossberg, Ostpreussen, Preussen. She died on 14 Feb 1939 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. She was buried on 17 Feb 1939 in Graceland, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She married Gustav Hasenbein on 21 Nov 1901 in Wirbalien, Tilsit, Ostpreussem, Preussen.
POE: NY, 3/17/1903 on Vaderland from Antwerp, Belgium
last foreign address: Kowna, Lithuania (formerly Russia) now Kaunas 54.54N 23.54E
died of arteriosclerosis and hypertension, resulting in cerebral hemmorhage at death lived at 2645 N. 15th St. (7 Ward)
survived by five brothers, one sister
They had the following children:
F i Martha Hasenbein was born on 23 Nov 1903 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. She was christened on 27 Dec 1903 in St Marcus, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She died on 4 Jun 1904 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
information from St Marcus
sponsors: Bertha Mett, Emilie Mett, Wilh TietzM ii Walter William Hasenbein F iii Erna Marie Hasenbein M iv Ernst Gustav Hayes