Darcy's Birthday Surprise

Darcy's Birthday Surprise: Amanda Reinke Kleemann

This posting was inspired by Darcy Kleemann Boock's 26 February 2007 email, relating the great news that through The Keepers blog, a persistent German woman, Ingrid, contacted her about possible family connections. As it turns out, Ingrid may well be Darcy's second cousin, opening a whole new chapter of family history and personal connections between them. Seems appropriate that this joyful story be told to celebrate Darcy's birthday, TODAY!
[Typically engaged in extended family activities, with camera in hand, Darcy is in the midst of Gertrude's 90th birthday celebration.]

Hi Jim and Marilyn,

I haven't been on The Keepers site lately and now I see that I am way behind on reading all of the material that you have been posting, Jim. You have been busy.

I think I told you that last week someone contacted me from Germany in regards to my father's mother Amanda Reinke. Ingrid is 56 and only speaks German, so I have been using Alta Vista Babel Fish Translations and my dictionary to correspond with her. She said that she remembers that her father once and only once mentioned that he had an Aunt Amanda who went to
America. It appears that her grandmother Meta is my grandmother Amanda's sister, which would make us pretty closely related.

I asked her how she found me on the Internet and she said that she first tried searching for Amanda Reinke, but there are too many by that name. So she tried just Amanda and Bresin, where she was born. I tried that same thing but there are too many people by the last name of Bresin. So I tried Amanda and Bresin, Kreis Lauenburg and then two hits came up that are both from/by me. One was a post I made to a mailing list back in 2001 and the other was from the interview of me that you posted on The Keepers blog. So she found me on The Keepers blog. Amazing isn't it!

I know very little about my grandmother. She never spoke English very well and was sick in bed a lot. She died when I was 13. I was very close to my grandfather, however. It is hard to believe that I could be so close to him and at the same time feel that I didn't even know my grandmother. I have a copy of only one letter that was written by Meta in Bresin and sent to my grandmother in 1913.

It is written in the old German Schrift, which I transcribed as well as I could and then sent it on to your mother, Jim, back in 1999 to translate for me. So I have this nicely written translation from her. The letter doesn't tell me a lot, but several names are mentioned who I believe are my grandmother's siblings.

Art and Em: Empty Nesting (February 1938)

Empty Nesting: February 24 1938

By coincidence, this newsy letter dated 24 February 1938, from Emma A. Boock to her daughter, Gertrude, happened to drop out while I opened yet another box of letters from the farm. I found the letter compelling because it revealed the new "normal" for Art and Em, with their grown children away, and the friendship they had with the Frank Oelrichs, Marian's folks. Although, Frank ran a large farmstead east of Spencer, the letter reveals that he had another vocation as well.

Norbert and Marian, newlyweds, were living in Minneapolis, where he was evidently taking a class and also working at Midland. The letter mentions that Marian was back home to visit friends and returned by train to Minneapolis on the 23rd. Gertrude was teaching at St. John's Lutheran School in Burlington, Wisconsin, and dating Carl Graupner.

Spencer, Wisconsin 2/24/38

Dear Gertrude:-

Marian left yesterday noon. Norbert sent a telegram that he was called back to the Midland before school was out and that he'd meet marian at the depot Wed. eve if she could come. She was real glad to get back to Mpls. altho she enjoyed seeing her friends here. Last Sunday Oelrichs invited Rev. Stapels and us for dinner and supper. Some more of their relatives came in the afternoon and they had a big crowd for supper. They left again after supper and we played cards till eleven. The men alone and Mrs. O., Mrs. Stapel, Marian and I. We played "Schafskopf" and had such a good time. Giggled all evening. Eleanore was home too but she, Lil, and the boys went to a party in the evening.

Mr. O. is working at the funeral home and he has been taking quite a few dinners with us. The mortician from Milwkee left again last Sat. He was too much of a city guy, altho he understood his business first rate. They have interviewed two embalmers this week and no doubt will have one again soon. The Mlwkee fellow would never fit in a small town.

Our "Bridge" met at Tillie Martens' Tuesday eve.

Washed & ironed this week and actually found a little time to work on my braided rug. This eve the Colby band is giving a concert at our hall. We bought tickets for that.

Our H.S. basket ball team is in first place. The teams will play their tournament at Abbotsford the first part of March.

Dean Seitz and the Jones tots are having a good time scooting down the side walk from our porch to the street. It is so warm today. We did not have much snow lately. Dad did not have to shovel paths very often this winter.

Yesterday morning Oelrichs & Marian came in real early because he worked at the funeral home. So we had a good visit, also a lunch, before we took M. to the depot. After that Mrs. O. went to Annie Schwantes, who now lives in the old Mrs. Stoltenow house.

Mrs. Brembach is Carrie Schapekahm. She is my mother's right cousin. We called on her when we were on the Mlwkee trip with Klause's but I suppose you forgot. She's got three sisters at Mlwkee--Mrs. Wm Landwehr, Tessie Schapekahm, Flora now Mrs. Bal. (She married a Hawaiian) and one brother at Pewaukee--John Schapekahm. I'm afraid you're not well versed in your history pertaining to your ancestry. Grandpa A. came from La[e]ngerig, Westphalen. Grandma A. from Gehrde Hanover. Grandma B. from Perchiesen Posen, and Grandpa B. from Schlesswig Holstein.

Your choir must be pretty good to get so many invitations.

Will close & mail this. Have a little shopping to do.

Love, Mother

Just noticed that I am out of envelopes for this stationary so will have to use a white one.

Gertrude Facklam will have to return from Manitowoc again. She went there thinking she'd get her job back sooner, but in vain. It sure is tough luck.

The Aufderheide Brickyard Homestead

The Aufderheide Brickyard Homestead: Memories by Gertrude Boock Graupner
[Photos: jfg and Jim Aufderheide collections] [Revised after a visit with Jim Aufderheide on 21 February 2007]

[Winter detail of Fred and Elise Aufderheide homestead and brickyard from west, ca. 1910. Cutter is drawn by Philip, Fred's horse. Photo: jfg.]

As Gertrude Boock Graupner turned 88, still managing the farmstead in Spencer, she wondered whether she might make one last trip to her New Ulm. So, on 23-24 June 2000, my daughter Emily and I took Mother on an adventure to the wonderful city she still considers, at age 94, her home, where both her Aufderheide and Boock grandparents lived. During that visit, the short digital videos listed on the right side-bar of this blog, were produced.

On an earlier visit to New Ulm, in the late 1980s, Gertrude and I had stopped by the then-vacant Aufderheide homestead, to take a closer look the house that she knew so well, William Aufderheide (Jack and Joyce's son) happened to be heading home from work and saw us. William parked his pickup truck on side of Minnesota Street, near the old office entrance (on the west side of the house) and introduced himself to us. When he realized how interested Mother was in the brickyard history, he generously opened the house and gave us a tour. It was a mutually-appreciated experience, because Gertrude was able to recall the details and functions of the rooms and what furnishings and contents were located in each of the rooms and the upstairs bedroom, while her grandparents were living there.

[To my dismay, this happened so unexpectedly and the moment was so compelling, that I neglected to record or photograph any of it. Fortunately, we have this from a series of photos in Jim Aufderheide's collection.]

How did Gertrude know the Homestead so well? Although Arthur and Emma Aufderheide Boock lived in Spencer, Wisconsin, between 1908 and 1914, when their three children--Norbert (1909), Gertrude (1912), and Esther (1914)--were born, they returned to New Ulm for sixteen years. During this period, Norbert and Gertrude became acquainted with their many younger New Ulm cousins, frequently visited the Aufderheide Brickyard--young Norbert got a part-time job there, and later, Gertrude attended Dr. Martin Luther College in New Ulm.

In spring 1985, Norbert and Marian Boock had taken a long trip to California, and visited Howard and Rose Aufderheide. After returning to Spencer, Marian mentioned that Howard had wondered what had happened to the contents of Elise and Fred's Brickyard homestead. Earlier in May 1983, I had asked the same question of Carly Aufderheide, while working on the history of the Brickyard.

[Carly with Grandma Aufderheide on the west side of her house, feeding newly hatched chickens in 1916. P:jfg]

Hence, the following 1985 rough draft of a letter from Gertrude to Howard and my speculative drawings, based on Carl J. and Gertrude's recollections, were produced . Jim Aufderheide has also been involved in a more extensive research project involving the Brickyard and the homestead, so the following will hopefully serve as a contribution to that effort.

April 9, 1985
Spencer, Wisc.

Dear Rose and Howard: -
It was so good to hear how much Norb and Marian enjoyed their long trip [to California], especially their visit with you at your nice home. Marian mentioned you had wondered whatever happened to the Aufderheide belongings. As I lay awake early this morning, I went back in memory of all the rooms and tried to think who has the various items. Some things must have just stayed there for a while [after Fred and Elise Aufderheide passed away] for the Andersons [next tenants] to use. Will you bear with me, as I share this with you? Norb and I being the oldest cousins may have remembered the most, though Norb is rather indifferent about it all. You, Howard, must have good pictures of the home in your mind. Are you 6 years younger than I?

We entered the big kitchen of the house from the screen porch [on the northeast side near the windmill] and through the hall where the telephone hung. Remember the big square wood range in the south corner by the window? The sink, with faucets for well water was the followup for nice soft rain water, was first. Then a "pie cupboard" which held dishes and food at times. It's walls were of tin with punched designs (Carl Aufderheide told me they had it in their basement in St. Paul. The big table with all its leaves and the chairs and the couch which opened, I never knew who took them. The sideboard Meta Flick wanted and was given as a remembrance for her kind services. [Photo postcard from Hertha Aufderheide, 23 January 1911. East side view from 1909. As one entered, the kitchen was to the left, just beyond a small foyer where coats could be hung up on hooks. The window on the far left, was the master bedroom. P: jfg]

One door led to the bedroom in which two, 3/4-sized bedsstood and a high bureau with lilttle drawers on top. Aunt Hertha took the bureau and Grandpa's walnut bed; had them refinished by the Biebl brothers and Carol may still have them in use, unless Pam has them now. I can't remember who wanted the other bed--Grandma's. Uncle Karl took the safe. Your folks [Herman and Esther] took back the cedar chest, since your Dad gave it as a gift years before. My mother [Emma A. Boock] used the gray rug with blue design for many years--even brought it to Spencer for their bedroom. There was a round walnut table which Grandma later put on the screen porch for her plants!! Aunt Clara saw the value of it, had it restored beautifully and used it. I believe Ruth has it now.

The other kitchen door led to the former office which had a desk which Hertha had redone and Carol still has. I think your Dad or Karl took the leather and wood recliner. There was also a leather and wood sofabed where I slept usually. That, and the washstand I lost track of.

Then there was the parlor with its rose design carpeting (inlaid) and its cherry furniture. Hertha wanted the piano but never took as she had her own. Buds took it later and used it in his rec room after he built his house. I think my mother took all the furniture. Later we divided it between Norb and me. I still have one loveseat and a rocking chair, also the table and the big Bible which lay on the bottom shelf. The other loveseat, a chair with arms, and one without, Marian reupholstered and used for a while. Now Marilyn has them--she is such a "family heirloom" lover. She has a few frames, too, and old pictures. We have some frames, also. Our grandchildren get rocked in the rocker.

[The interior view of the Parlor, on the occasion of Emma Aufderheide and Arthur Boocks wedding celebration, 15 July 1908, looks to the southeast corner with the faux cherry door to the Master Bedroom and the window to the south. The floor is carpeted with a floral pattern as are the walls. The ceiling also has an ornate pattern. The wedding cake is sitting on a table (under which the large family Bible lay) that matches the armless chair on the left side of the door, a similar chair with arms on the Parlor's north wall, two love seats, and the upholstered Parlor rocking chair. A blonde piano sits left of the armless chair on the Parlor's east wall. The portrait hanging to the right of the door is of Fred's mother, Sophie Beneke.]

There was a bookcase and a few wooden smaller rockers and porch bench--can't remember who has them.
The bedding, the dishes, silverware and silver sets, the cutglass were divided amongst the four families.

I only saw the inside of the house once while Norm Anderson and wife lived in it. They both were so hard of hearing it was hard to make them understand who I was, but once Norm understood, he was very gracious. They kept up the rooms very well. It all seemed smaller than what I saw in my memory.

Norb took the Edison, maybe he still has it. And we have an old washstand your Dad and Uncle Karl had in their upstairs bedroom. What happened to the three beds upstairs I have no idea. Maybe they were given away later. There was little value to them.

When our parents died (Emma and Art), Norb and we divided [their belongings] all between us, except for the electric stove and washing machine. Dave got married soon after that and too the living room set, plus lamps, etc. Then Cathy married and took the dining room set, a little desk, and kitchen set, cedar chest--all of which she uses daily. We have several bedroom sets in reserve for our company. We couldn't bear auctioning anything. I share the piano and two trunks with old-fashioned clothes, Mother's wedding dress, and lovely blouses, etc. Many a style show has used them.

Gertrude

[Further Notes: Because of the five or six similar basement windows and the two window wells, the similar appearance of the foundation, Carl J. Aufderheide's 1983 note that the basement was built "of solid concrete and reinforced with railroad rails", and Jim Aufderheide's recollection that the basement was quite large, it might be that the house had a full basement underneath it. Jim Aufderheide related on 21 February 2007, that Grandma Elise was very fearful of a recurrance of the type of cyclone that leveled New Ulm in the late 1800s, and that Grandpa Fred made sure that the house would withstand such a storm.

When I commented on the elegant design features of the front of the house, with its four shuttered windows and the tall door, and the unusually high brick facade and substantial cornice of the North and South ends of the master bedroom/kitchen/East entrance half of the house, Jim Aufderheide pondered whether Herman Schapekahm, the prominent designer and builder of both residences and public structures like DMLC's Old Main, might have designed the brickyard homestead. He was Elise Schapekahm's brother.

In 1989, the house was bulldozed by the owners of the property at that time and there is a "For Sale" sign at the curb; it is difficult now to even imagine that an entire era of family history ceases to have any physical artifacts remaining on the property once occupied by The Aufderheide Brickyard and Homestead. jimg]

Closing note: Although this posting dealt mainly with homestead furnishings, a number of recollections published in THE SETTLER, Summer 1983, by Carl J. Aufderheide, Norbert Boock, and Gertrude Boock Graupner will eventually be reprinted here.

Albert Peter Boock: Renaissance Man & Family Historian

by Jim Graupner

Charles Dicken's seemed to have it right; so many of the incidental connections in life seem to circle around to have significant impact later on. No one could have been more instrumental in setting things in motion than New Ulm's First Citizen, Albert Peter Boock. That assertion will only be posited in this short article, but substantial attention needs to be given this extraordinary figure.

When I began my family history avocation, I dedicated my efforts to the unsurpassed character of Wilhelmine Plath Boock. Equaled in character and energy was her eldest son, Albert Peter: scholar, social butterfly, businessman, humorist, musician, philanthropist, uncle extraordinaire, public servant, world traveler, family diplomat, man of rare humility.

It was Uncle A.P. who provide me with real substance for my nascent efforts at gathering information for a family history, by providing me with a genealogy for the Boock side of the family. Interestingly, in the same year that he shared with me his anscestor chart, a Walter Boock of California, happened to stop by Emma and A.P. Boock's home at 318 North Minnesota, to start his own ancestral journey of discovery.

Others, like Howard Aufderheide, in 1959, had urged Grandpa Arthur Boock to write the history of the New Ulm families; I had also pressured Grandpa Arthur and Grandma Emma for genealogical information. To their credit, although neither ever wrote family history per se, they did write letters to generous relatives who provided the much-desired information. A. P. was one of those who had a real passion about researching the past, but making personal connections in the present with relatives in the United States and in Germany.

Two letters with which I would like to introduce Albert Peter Boock, are of his hand from 1960. A.P. scopes out his itinerary for travels to Los Angeles, the Hawaiian Islands, Australia, and back to Los Angeles, where he planned to visit the Ruemkes. I find it fascinating that there are vague references to both Julie Harris Humes' family and our ["Gertrude's brood"] family, as well as Norbert's family, into which family historian Darcy Kleeman Boock married.]

New Ulm, Minn. March 22, 1960.
Dear Art:

Enjoyed your letter of 3/13. Leaving on my Polynesian Circle Tour tomorrow. Fly from Mpls. 11:30 P.M. arrive Los Angeles Thursday A.M. 5:30. Will be met at the airport by the tour leader of our African Safari. They stage a small reunion at Long Beach Friday 3/25--We fly to Hawiian Islands Sat. 3/26. On the way home expect to stay over to visit Em T, Elmer, Edgar and family. May also see Mrs. Gust. Hillemann. Geo & Esther from Madison called Saturday and Sunday on the Walter Hellmanns and us. Left for Mpls Sunday afternoon. Irwin Schmidt is home from the hospital, but we have no encouraging news.

After the cold wave in Minnesota and Wisconsin, the climate in the "Down Under" region will be very enjoyable.

Glad to note Gertrude & her brood are so industrious and ambitious. Hope Norbert will land a connection to his liking and with good remuneration.

Bert & I are as well as can be expected & hope you & yours are in good health, happy and contented.

Cordially, A.P.

A. P.'s second letter, written to Arthur Boock 26 May 1960, notes that he is "sending herewith the Boock family tree" and "a copy of a photo of Josias Boock" he received from Olivia Raabe, from the "old August Raabe photo album." These items are in my possession.

[Portrait of Josias Boock, born in Borghorst, 18 April 1811. Married to Wilhelmine nee Theede, born 19 october, 1815. Photo by W. Zacharias, Kiel, Schleswig Holstein. Notation in A. P. Boock's hand. Josias was Christian Friedrich's oldest sibling by 15 years; our Great, Great Uncle]

[A.P. Boock's Boock Family Tree and a Family Tree made for A. L. Boock. At the bottom of these letters, find a scan of the original response to, presumably, a heraldry inquiry from A. P. Boock to Ferdinand Seeger, M.D. , a genealogical searcher, from New York.]

New Ulm, Minn., May 26, 1960.

Mr. A.L. Boock,

Spencer, Wisconsin.

Dear Art:

In comliance with your letter of the 17th I am sending herewith the Boock family tree as far as I have been able to develop it- also a copy of a photo of Josias Boock which I got from Olivia Raabe, evidently left in the old August Raabe photo album by Herman's mother, Elizabeth Boock, sister of Christ & John H Boock. Sorry I could not be at John W[eddendorf]'s funeral, as I would have been interested in meeting all the relatives mentioned by you. I met Estella and Bertha Schmidt as well as Renee and her husband at the reunion we had a Elmer's place. Of course Emma T, Edgar & wife [Gladys] with their daughter [Carol] and grand daughter [Julie] were there. [L: Phil and Renee Schmidt Sessions (daughter of Irwin & Estelle Cordes Schmidt), Estelle, Edgar, Nelle Rae Cordes, Bertha Schmidt, Emma T. Boock Ruemke, AP Boock, Gladys Bille Ruemke, Carol Ruemke Harris, and young Julie Harris (Humes).]

When you complete your investigation of the Plath family tree, I shall be pleased to receive a copy.

Am now planning that trip to Alaska- altho no definite date has been determined, so can not promise to attend the formal dedication of your new bank building- however shall be pleased to run over sometime this summer- or as soon as I get a new or different car. My tires are about shot, but the motor and other mechanism are O.K. 6 by 16 tires are getting scarce.

George and Hertha were here for a brief call a few days ago. Geo. had some Mission Board biz. he expects to come again in June, when there will be another Mission convention or something. He wants to be relieved of his job- as he is only filling out the unexpired term of Bill Stelljes.

Glad to note your tribe is in good health and hop Gert will not undertake too much and ruin her health.

Cordially, A.P.

Reply, presumably to A. P. Boock, from Ferdinand Seeger, M. D., genealogist, New York, 14 December 1916, concerning a Boock "coat of arms."

1956 Aerial View of Spencer

Spencer, Wisconsin 1956 (looking west); Click twice to enlarge.

Spencer, Wisconsin 1956 Labelled Aerial View (looking west)

"It's a Letter from Grandma Boock!"

A letter from Grandma [Emma Aufderheide] Boock was always a welcomed news in college. Marilyn Boock Schmidt writes of the wonderfully detailed letters she received from Grandma Emma, in Canada. There are many letters, but the two I've decided to make available at this time are newsy and dear. It's amazing how comfortable she was in being very specific about distant relatives and even her school chums in her letter to college-aged grandsons.

The first letter was written on 21 October 1965. Grandma Emma had just written a much appreciated letter for Jim's birthday on October 20th, which, during college years in Madison, was usually given to mid-term exams. Emma followed with this letter to the three of us in Madison; it focussed on the trip that Gertrude took with her to the Dr. Martin Luther College Centennial in New Ulm, which many in the Boock and Aufderheide families attended. The trip to New Ulm was Emma's first since her husband Arthur had suffered a fatal heart attack while attending church at St. Paul's in 1964.

The second letter was written on Grandma Emma's 81st birthday, 13 November 1965, to Marilyn (Boock) and Fred Schmidt, one week after their son Jonathon's birth. Because Fred was a minister and Marilyn graduated from Concordia College in St. Paul, as a Lutheran teacher, there is considerable church news. Of course, the social and spiritual connections to the Lutheran Church of the Wisconsin (in New Ulm) and Missouri Synods (Spencer) were the central theme in Art and Emma's life, as it was for most of the Boocks and Aufderheides at that time.

For the Graupners, in 1965, Ken was in UW Medical School, Philip was studying German in Germany, John was studying French and I, history, at UW; Cathy was in her senior year at Spencer High School and Chuck was in Eighth Grade.

For the Boocks, in 1965, Rev. Fred and Marilyn were in Edmonton, Canada, expecting their first child; David was teaching in Black River Falls; and Jerry was in his senior year (Cathy and he were classmates) at Spencer High School.


Spencer, Wisc. Oct 21-65

Dear Kenneth John & Jim!

I am slow in writing so this will do for all. jim had a letter from me for his birthday. Your mother [Gertrude]stopped in a few minutes ago on her way to P.T.A. She brought me some eggs & apples, yum! yum!

I do not believe that any one enjoyed the New Ulm visit as much as she did. When we got to the church in the morning we met two Gehrke girls, neighbors of ours in New Ulm and Norbert and you mother were daily visitors there. They had to look a while before they recognized each other, but then they reminisced and they again saw each other at the open House in the after noon. One of the girls had come from St. cloud that morning to attend the Centennial.

Rev. John Raabe preached for all three services. He's been Pastor at Litchfield Minn for many years. He's a son of Oliva Raabe. He wrote a humorous book on his boy hood years and Norbert is mentioned in it several times. The sent him [Norbert] the book today and am eager to read it. The classes (Confirmation) up to 1938 were in the school basement and the later ones in the church basement. Sandy was supposed to help at Church but with us and Hertha, Carol & Pam in the School, she never left us. I met only one from my Confirmation class at the school--Mrs. Prof Stindt. Quite a few have died and others are too feeble. Hertha Weddendorf, Lydia Bliefernicht and Minnie Broecker were [p. 2] confirmed with me, in 1898, but they are not very well. We called on Hertha Weddendorf. Did not find Clara. She must have been on a trip.

Bertha was at the Union Hospital in bad shape. She was very confused but did recognize us, but she did not realize where she was. She always was so much fun but there will come an end to all things!
We stopped at the cemetery first and left an artificial plant for Grandpa's [Arthur] grave. Then we decided to say hello to Witts at the Funeral Home and they would not let us go. We had to promise to stay for supper and for the night. In between we made calls. This worked out real well because Hertha & Carol & Pam were staying with Sandy. The two George's did not come and Pam had permission to stay with her mother. She likes it fine at D.M.L. College but she says there are too few boys in her class. Hertha & Carol drove to N.U. with a pastor or Luth teacher from Columbus. They left their car at Columbus.

Mrs. Laura Plath a former neighbor of ours now living in Bloomington Mpls was buried here on Tuesday with services by the pastor and vicar of Marshfield (Immanuel's church).

Your Dad is finally getting the upper hand on his land here, like all our good [p. 3] farmers and he's real happy now. The corn should soon be ripe. As yet we have not had a hard fronst. He had Kresselt in last week to chop.

our Renters are packing and will be out by Monday. The bought a farm near his Dad's. I'll have Sandy Verch and husband Mondloch in. She's working and he is doing trucking out of Milwaukee, but is home 3 or 4 days a week.

Marilyn & Fred already were in a snowstorm and icy roads. their winters must be very long there.

We encountered daylight time (regular) in Minnesota, and had to change watch time for two days. Well, soon we will be on regular time, too.

We should have a pastor (regular) soon. Three calls were returned and our attendance and collections are dimminishing.

We may come your way yet some time this fall. Norbert said he'd like to go to Watertown some time. Maybe we can get in touch with some of you. Will you be home for Thanksgiving? How long a vacation would you have then? Maybe John will come some weekend or is he too busy?

Must close. Hope this will find you all well and happy. Let John and James read this too.

Love Grandma B (over)

I had two post cards from Philip but he did not say anything about coming home. He and Ursel were sight seeing in Prag.

Spencer Wisc. Nov. 13. 1965

Dear Marilyn & Fred: -- We all are still up in the air about the new increase in family and wish that you were not so far away, so we could see him often. I suppose you, Marilyn, are feeling fairly strong by now. Just take it easy and don't mind being a little lazy for a while. It will pay off in the end. If only Grandpa Boock could be here to rejoice over the prince. You were always his princess. Elsie Schulz took me along to the Sommers at Neenah last weekend. Dorothy & Otto, Nita, Betty & all came over in the afternoon and Dorothy was telling how Grandpa would brag about his little princess at Mpls. while Dorothy was working for him at the bank. [Photo: Emma and Arthur Boock with "princess" Marilyn, in Minneapolis.]

Thanks for lovely stationery. I was going to get me some next time I shopped. The Giesekes gave me a pretty pair of brown gloves. This will be the first time I am not getting a birthday meal for all. Your mother invited me for Sunday dinner and on Saturdays no one cared to waste the time to celebrate. I've already had a lot of mail and expect some more. John wrote he could not be home until Thanksgiving and "lets celebrate then" so I may have them over for a meal then. Philip finished the house for his uncle [August Dauer, Schlangenbad] except the finishing inside and he had now been at Brussels sightseeing and he was at the largest Art exhibit which he had [p. 2] never hoped to see. Hanni wrote that they will miss him so much when he leaves. His ticket will expire in February. Then, I suppose, the army will take him.

Your Dad has been stopping in with my mail around five every eve. Then a little later Jerry joins him here. The boys practice at school so late and very few boys from the farm can join the ball teams because they have to be home for chores.

Attended church services at Neenah (Wisc Synod). This is the daughter church of a large and beautiful new church there. They took us over there, too, and the pastor & wife showed us all around. It is so very beautiful. I told him (pastor) that I'm Missouri and he said "you've got some very brilliant men in your Synod." He, Rev. Schaefer, has been in Neenah for 33 yrs.

My renters seem to be well satisfied here. He trucks out of mlwkee and comes home Fridays. She works at Land O Lakes and their hours vary. Sometimes she has to go at 5 or 6, sometimes later. Their home is nicely furnished but she wants a door on the first landing and we're still waiting for the carpenters to do that.

Bertha Ruemke is still at the N.U. Hospital. She's all confused in her mind and some one is with her continually. During the night they tie her so she won't fall out. If God will only take her soon. [p. 3] Just now your mother [Marian Boock] called to congratulate me for the 81st. She said you had written and told all about the baby. Don't worry, he will be fine. When Howard A[ufderheide] was born, they used the instruments so hard that he had a big gash on his forehead over the eye, and after a while that all disappeared. That was during the bad Flu Epidemic and all hospitals were filled, so Sandy's mother and I took care of her and baby at home. I did not think he ever would look normal.

Today we've got our first snow but it rained hard first and now the snow looks just like heavy frost.

Today we have Clothing Drive Pickup. I had things packed for them when Bill Krueger came in and looked at it and he took two of Grandpa B.s heavy overcoats. The rest I did not send because it was all little stuff. But now I know that Grandpa's coats went to a good place.

The Rev. Baer's are going to St. Paul for Thanksgiving. His father, a retired pastor, & wife had gone to the west to stay with a daughter but they did not like it there, so they came back to Mpls & St. Paul to visit daughters and Thanksgiving Rev. Geo Baer will bring them back to Watertown with him for a visit. Pam will have only one day's vacation which she will spend with them in St. Paul. I wrote hertha & George to visit us during that time. They bought a beautiful [p. 4] homeon one floor, no basement or attic and Watertown is a nice place to live in with the college atmosphere, and a lot of them living there are old friends of theirs from college days and they have been invited out and had lots of company. Pam likes it at Dr. martin Luther College, New Ulm.

We still have no pastor just those from Mshfld, but they are good. One problem was "Communion for Shutins," but they thought maybe the spryer ones could be taken to the Chapel before regular services. Our church has got too many steops to walk for old people.

Gertrude just now called and sent Birthday greetings. Cathy has been going to Wausau, Madison & Mshfld for college ability meetings. She does not have her Drivers License.

My Drivers License was renewed this month for another 2 years, no trougle at all.

it takes so long for mail to go back and forth to you so will close and try to get it in the P.O. before noon.

Greetings and lots of love to you three.

Grandma Boock

Let me know what your little one could use in clothing, etc. and I will let your mother select something for me.

Loving Flowers: Happy Valentine's Day!

"Loving Flowers" by Gertrude Boock (ca. Age 6)

Drawing sent to Emma Gertrude Boock in an envelope addressed to Emma A.L. Boock, New Ulm, Minnesota, Address 801 Suth St[ate]., with a flower stamp and a postmark dated 1919. Note the bird in the nest.



Accompanying the drawing, was Gertrude's first written letter:

"Dear mother
this is my first letter.
I can read. I can write.
I love you.
Good by
Gertrude"

Emma Aufderheide Boock with Gertrude and Norbert, visiting the Adolph Klauses in Rochester, Minnesota, about 1920.

Surviving the 60s

by Jim Graupner
Surviving the 50s & 60s: A Near-true Account of Standing up to the Soviets

It was probably challenge enough trying to get through the teenage years, but on top of it all children of the 50s and 60s had to contend with the prospect of nuclear war--well, after the Russian Soviets managed to use all those German scientists to discover the secrets of putting one together. Then, too, Premier Nikita Khrushchev did visit an Iowa farm and earlier had proclaimed, "We will bury you."

In 1952, during the Korean War, our farming village of Spencer, Wisconsin, located where it was on Highway 13, which runs directly north-south through the center of the state, was a perfect route for the Russian invasion. One lady next to the Methodist Church (later, a Mennonite Church), even locked her doors and pulled the shades against the horrible prospects. It made perfect sense that the Russians would fly over the North Pole with their bombers laden with nuclear weapons and launch the attack into the heart of America over Spencer.

Against this perfect logic, the good citizens of Spencer marshalled themselves into a state of preparedness. They decided to build an observation tower 20 feet atop the firestation and man it with towns people, armed with binoculars and connected by a local telephone line to the Strategic Air Command in Madison. The observation post was actually a plywood cube, maybe 10'x10'x8', with windows on all four sides. They'd keep track of the intercontinental bomber traffic and, using a diagram of the sillouettes of two Russian bombers (side views and top views), record each group of invading planes--of course it was difficult to distinguish each plane because they were unique only by one or two little bumps or pertrusions off the wings and fuselage.

[Note: Cathy Busby Graupner actually came up with an article that was written about the observation tower, republished on page 49 of the centennarian booklet entitled, "Spencer, Wisconsin 1874-1974." On page 119, there is an amazing aerial photo of Spencer from 1956, on which you can actually see the tower. On the detail above, it can be seen as a tiny white cube with windows above the little brick firestation, white doors in front with windows on either side, in the extreme left-center side of the photo. The actual article is reprinted as a scanned article at the end of this story.]

According to Form 6.3 of 1 August 52, "Aircraft Flash Message Record," observers were to fill in Date, phone exchange and number, number of aircraft, type of aircraft, altitude of aircraft, time delay in reporting, code name of observation observation post (O.P.), Direction of aircraft from O.P., distance of aircraft from O.P. (Record to the nearest mile), direction of flight, and special remarks (i.e., hostile aircraft, blimp, helicopter, aircraft in combat or distress, etc.). There were 30 lines for recording the information on each sheet.

Now, most of the people living in Spencer (pop. 780), were merchants or retired farmers or professionals who were looking for a town with promise. Promise, because it had the junction of the Soo Line from Ashland and the Chicago Northwestern railroads. Our grandparents were there and our family, on the farm just outside the village, and our cousins who lived in town. Some of the retired farmers couldn't walk the best, having fallen off silos and such, and grandpa had cataracts and grandma had hip problems, but they all trudged up the steep steps to the top of the firestation and up the ship's ladder to the observation cube.

Despite their limitations, they were enthusiastic about fulfilling their civic duty in defense of the nation. It was exciting, like when the village's favorite son, who played for a professional football team, buzzed the town with a low-flying pass in his military jet. One can only imagine the operator at the SAC in Madison listening to the calls from serious-minded callers serving their watch and describing the attack, which through a binocular might have been actual Russian bombers, products of astigmatism, fly specks, actual flies, or pieces of lint. Perhaps the SAC fighter jets were scrambled just in case the great airwar for North America would be fought over the local marshland, where kids could see the planes explode in fireballs and black smoke streaming up as the Russian planes hit the swamp and were sucked under.

In 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, survivalists living in town or on the farm could prepare for the Nuclear Winter by building bomb shelters either in their homes or schools. Students learned the duck-'n-cover routine in school so that they could survive the initial blast under their desks. Out in the countryside, farmers could build simple shelters in the earthen-floored basements of their houses by placing feed sacks to enclose a space against the stone-wall foundation and stocked with canned peaches or canned chickens, a kerosene lantern and the latest technology, a transister radio.

County fairs featured booths with beautiful pamphlets on how to construct stronger and more resistant shelters. The "General Information" gave instructions for people who preferred to construct their shelters in "backyards and basements." There were eight design choices from the 45 square, 128 cubic foot "Lean-To Shelter" for three persons, to the attractive "Clay Masonry Shelter" with over 70 square feet of area and 420 cubic feet of space--for six persons.

The "Fallout Protection Factor" of all shelters, "if properly constructed," had "a fallout radiation protection factor of at least 100--the minimum recommended by the Department of Defense." I was never quite sure whether the farmers could duck out to do chores or how long they might be able to remain in the relative safety of the shelter before getting out to get on their tractor and make hay or combine or make fence. Additionally, there is a cautionary note that concludes the instructions: "In building any of the shelters, modifications may have to be made to suit local building codes. If modifications are necessary, they should be checked with local civil defense authorities before starting construction." Printed: January 1962. Reprinted March 1962.

The Spencer Observation Tower:

[Note: this is the article republished in "Spencer, Wisconsin 1874-1974." If you click twice on the detail, it will zoom larger so that you can read it better. Of course, the "near-true" version I wrote comes from the mind and lore of a kid who was in second grade at the time. I remember that the band was playing at the dedication celebration on a beautifully sunny day and that the doors of the firestation were open and that lots of homemade food was being served, while a throng of people engulfed the fire engines and were climbing into the tower--my memories stem largely from that event.]

Else Dauer Celebrates her 77th Birthday

by Jim Graupner; editing by Philip Graupner
[Information drawn from an interview of Johanna Luise "Tante Hanni" Graupner, by Jim, on 3 July 1971, in Spencer, Wisconsin]

[Family Photo Courtesy of Philip Graupner: Elsa Selma Graupner Dauer, Erika, Ursel, Else, August Dauer]

Else Anna Lina Dauer Eickstedt celebrates her 77th birthday today, 9 February. Grandma Emma Aufderheide Boock had the date noted in her birthday book. Else was the oldest of three daughters born to Elsa Selma Graupner and August Wilhelm Dauer in Schlangenbad, Germany. The photo to the right shows Else at six months, 9 September 1930.

Her father was a master cabinet-maker in the beautiful mountain village of Schlangenbad im Taunus. Her parents actually met in the United States, in Milwaukee. In 1928, August, who worked for Nash as a draftsman, returned to Schlangenbad to work in his father's cabinet shop. Soon after, Elsa followed and they were married in September, 1928, in Schlangenbad. In 1935-36, August decided to take a position at the Opel Company as a model-maker for autos and, perhaps, airplanes.

The photo to the left shows Else at the school door in Schlangenbad, on her first day of school [ca. 1936].

The photo to the right shows Else and Erika (b. 11 April 1934) swinging on the courtyard gate of the store in Mulheim-Ruhr, Mellinghoferstr.69, 1938 or '39.

Perhaps August and Elsa had taken the girls to visit their grandparents, Anna "Oma" and Hermann "Opa" Graupner, in Mulheim, where Oma and Tante Hanni had a grocery

store in the first floor of their three-storied house.

After their house and store were destroyed in the bombing during WWII, Opa and Oma Graupner and Hanni, moved to Schlangenbad, near the Dauers for several years. Hanni worked in a grocery store in Georgenborn. Uncle August had resumed his cabinet-making for local clients and occasionally for the U.S. Army base in Wiesbaden.

When Else traveled to the United States, her Grandmother "Oma" Graupner and Aunt Johanna "Tante Hanni" already had arrived in Wisconsin, visiting three of her children's families: Ida Graupner (Mrs. Willard) Liepert, Hermann and Malinda Bloedorn Graupner, and Carl and Gertrude Boock Graupner. The photo above was taken on the kitchen steps of Ida and Willard Liepert's farmhouse, near Kewaskum. If I've correctly identified everyone, seven of Hermann and Malinda Graupner's children accompanied their father for this occasion.

The bottom two rows include: Richard, Donald, Herman, Paul, Robert, Dora Lou, and Linda Ann Graupner, and Willard "Willie" Liepert. The top two rows include: Anna Glaser "Oma" Graupner, Gerald "Jerry" Liepert, Uncle Hermann Graupner, Else Dauer, Uncle Willard Liepert, Joan Graupner, held by Aunt Johanna "Tante Hanni" Graupner. Philip noted that, in studying the photo, Jerry Liepert must have been on furlough from army training.

In 1953, Else married Raymond Eickstedt, who's family farmed in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Else and Raymond lived in Cedarburg and raised five children there. Raymond was an airplane mechanic for the Falk Corp. in Milwaukee. Later, Raymond took a position near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, as a small-airplane mechanic, so the family relocated to Lander, where Ray was the airport manager.

[Ray Alex (11), Yvonne (10), Erica (9), Ingrid (6), and Angela (1 1/2); Photo from January 1966).

Philip's First Trip to Germany: 5 February 1965

by Philip Arthur Graupner
(James Graupner remembered that I had started my first trip to Germany on 5 February, 1965 and asked if I remembered my thoughts on that day. I wrote out this story in response.)

The trip to Germany, Feb. 1965

What thoughts went through the head of the insecure, immature, naive, socially inept and inexperienced boy of barely 22 yrs. on the eve of his first trip to Europe? What thoughts went through the head of the insecure, extremely willful, outrageously opinionated, arrogant and desperate young smart-alec on the eve of his first trip to Europe? It was but one person and the answer to both questions is the same. My brain was not having many thoughts as Dad drove me to the airport in Stevens Point for the first leg of the journey, for it was already nothing but ashes after all the anticipation and anxiety and sleepless nights of the preceding weeks.

It is strange how little I can remember about it. I can really only recreate little bits and pieces in my mind. I certainly didn’t remember the exact date, although I did remember that it was in February. I had just finished my Bachelor’s Degree at UW-Steven Point in January, 1965 after having to put in an extra semester in order to take a number of basic requirement courses that I “couldn’t be bothered” with during the first four years, such as Geography 101. My major was in German and I had decided to take a two-month course at the Goethe Institut in Rothenburg o.d.Tauber to improve my language skills. That was to take place during March and April. I made my travel arrangements through a travel agent in Stevens Point and requested that the first leg of the round trip be by ship. (I was fascinated by ships then.) The trip was booked on the little Holland-America Line passenger ship named the “Maasdam”, which was still doing regular transatlantic crossings from New York to Rotterdam with stops in Cobb, Southampton and Le Harve. I had a round-trip ticket that was good for a year and wasn’t thinking of staying in Germany for as long as I actually did.

On 5 February, 1965 my father drove me to the little airport in Stevens Point, which at that time was the local “big airport”. I can’t remember who else was along. I remember receiving an extravagantly large gift of several hundred dollars from Dad. I can remember getting into the little North Central DC3 plane and that it was daytime. I’m sure that this little plane did not fly directly to New York but can’t remember where I changed planes. Since I remember arriving in Manhattan during the day, I must have slept in the airport overnight. I landed at JFK and took the shuttle bus to the transit terminal on the east side of Manhattan.

From there I took a taxi to the Holland-America Line pier. There was a huge crowd of people waiting to be allowed to board the ship but a movie was being filmed on this location with actors running up the gang-way over and over again. I have no idea if we “extras” were in the final version of the film. I was anxious because I did not actually have a ticket. All I had was a written confirmation that I had paid for the passage. Of course, the worry was unnecessary and I was on the passenger list. We finally were all allowed to board and it took a while to find my cabin. I shared a tiny 2-man cabin toward the inside of one of the lower decks with “person unknown”. He hadn’t arrived yet but oddly enough, I picked him out of the crowd on deck as we all waited for the tugboats to move the ship away from the dock. I thought to myself, “I hope I don’t have him for a roommate.”
Slowly the ship moved away from the dock and people waved to their friends and relatives on the dock....no paper streamers. I don’t think I was as impressed by the leaving as I was perhaps expecting to be. I know I was relieved that I was on the boat but other than that, I was mainly hungry and exhausted. I’m fairly certain that I had eaten nothing in the last two days other than what I ate at home and what was served on the flight to New York. I was in luck. Passenger liners do not let their customers starve. There were three big meals in the dining room and extra meals in the lounge; a second breakfast of coffee or tea, the afternoon coffee or tea and one final lunch for those who wanted to stay up late. I was very fortunate in being assigned to table of 8 in which all the other guests were students from Redwood College in California. They were part of a class of perhaps 30 - 40 students and professors that was traveling on this boat to Europe for a semester abroad. Our assigned waiter was a red-haired student from Frankfurt named Fritz. As the time gradually was changed and breakfast came earlier each day, I was often the only one at the breakfast table that Fritz had to wait on.

The meals were an epiphany for me. I had no idea that food could taste so wonderful. Each meal was exciting. The ship didn’t offer too much otherwise. The single movie was “Goldfinger”. There was a little library and in the evenings there were betting games and on one occasion, a woman gave a little song recital which was pretty awful. The bar was well attended in the evening. My college friends usually didn’t appear until around noon. So, I had a lot of time to myself and was usually on deck in the wind. My schedule worked out fine for the little cabin. I was usually out of the cabin during the day and the other guy was usually out during the night.


The passage took ten days and it was fairly rough in mid-ocean. The first stop was in Cobb, Ireland. The ship anchored outside the harbor and was met by a smaller boat that took off passengers. We also stopped in Southampton and Le Harve before reaching the final destination of Rotterdam, Holland. The final days of the journey, running along close to the shore and into ports, was particularly interesting. Still, it was also good to reach the end of the journey. I didn’t have to say good-bye to my college friends. They and their professors were all bused to Amsterdam and they just took me along. I was able to get a room in the hotel that they were booked at. We had each gotten a book of coupons for free tourist activities in Amsterdam with our boat ticket. My friends and I took the free canal boat tour, free drinks at a famous pub, etc.

After a couple of days, I said good-bye and early in the morning took the train to Mainz, Germany. Why not to Wiesbaden, which is where I wanted to go? I was just too dumb. I probably didn’t see the name on the schedule and assumed that trains didn’t go there. I took the bus from Mainz into downtown Wiesbaden. I called Tante Hanni at her office and she asked where I was. I said, “I think I’m across from the Museum.” “Stay there, I’ll come and get you”. Fortunately, she was just a couple of blocks away. She got one of the guys in the office to drive her over to me and they took me back to the Wiesbaden train station and put me on the bus to Schlangenbad. In Schlangenbad, Onkel August met me at the bus stop and walked with me to their little house. He had to go back to work in his shop across the street, but Tante Elsa made coffee for me and keep me company until Fritz Hadrich and Hanni finished work and picked me up to drive me to Bärstadt.

The house in Bärstadt was full. Tante Anna and Onkel Adolf Beckers lived downstairs. Oma and Hanni lived on the second floor. Helga, still a high school student, was staying with them then....and I joined them too. In the little apartment on the third floor under the roof lived the Hadrichs; my cousin Erika Dauer Hadrich with her husband Fritz and their two children, Juliane and Kristine.

I was there for a couple of weeks before starting classes at the Goethe Institut in Rothenburg, a picturesque old walled city in lower Bavaria. I was assigned a room in a 17th. century house inside the old walls. The school was on the other side of town just outside the wall. Classes were entirely in German and lasted all day with a long break for the noon meal. Meals were eaten as a class in restaurants, although a breakfast of tea and Brötchen was served in the school itself. The experience in Rothenburg was extremely valuable for me. Although I had a good background in German language from college, I really learned to speak the language during those two months.