Gertrude Boock (Mrs. Carl) Graupner celebrated her 95th birthday, surrounded by her family at her home in Remembrance Home in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Gathered about Gertrude from the left side of the photo are: Debbie (Gille) and Chuck Graupner, Ken and Pat (Graves) Graupner, Ed and Cathy (Graupner) Busby, Philip Graupner and Jim Graupner. John and Kathy (Kangas) Graupner are missing.Gertrude was the second of three children born to Emma Aufderheide Boock and Arthur Lincoln Boock, in Spencer. Norbert was born in 1909, Gertrude in 1912, and Esther Hannah in 1914 (died on 30 August 1917 in New Ulm). The family moved to New Ulm in 1914 and returned to Spencer in 1930, where Arthur Boock was Cashier of the Spencer State Bank, which he had previously founded in 1908.
Gertrude matriculated at Dr. Martin Luther College in New Ulm and graduated in 1933, when she took a position as a teacher at St. John's Parochial School in Burlington, Wisconsin. She met Carl Graupner (who emigrated from Germany in 1923) in Burlington and they were married in Spencer on 5 August 1939.
Five children were born to Gertrude and Carl in Burlington: Kenneth, Philip, James, John, and Cathryn. In 1948 the family moved to Spencer, where Carl started farming. In 1952, the sixth child, Charles Paul, was born. Over the years, Gertrude and Carl enjoyed 14 grandchildren.
Besides raising six kids and managing the homestead, Gertrude graduated from Wisconsin State University-Stevens Point, taught for many years at Spencer Elementary School, was involved in the activities of Trinity Lutheran Church in Spencer (including directing the choir), and travelled with Carl to Germany for family visits at least a dozen times.
Carl died in August 1996, at age 88. Gertrude continued to manage the farm until the summer of 2003, when she moved to Beaver Dam.
Gertrude was always delighted that her birthday coincided with those of her "twin," Eleanor Oelrich (sister of Marian Oelrich [Mrs. Norbert] Boock, who was also born in Spencer on 17 July 1912), "Bunny" Soles (Mrs. Kenneth) Graves [Spencer, 1902] and good friend, Robert Ip of Munich, Germany.
Also, to be remembered on her birthday in 1951, was the departure of Carl's mother (Anna Selma [Glaser] Graupner) and Carl's sister (Johanna "Hanni" Graupner) from Le Harve, France, on the ocean liner "Washington" for an extended visit to the United States.
