Graupners Return from Germany: 1964

Celebrating their 25th Wedding Anniversary, Carl and Gertrude Graupner turned over the responsibilities of running their dairy farm to their four college-age sons and travelled to Germany with the two youngest children, Chuck and Cathy, during the summer of 1964. At the moment they returned home, landing at the Central Wisconsin Airport on 9 August, 43 years ago, they may already have known that this venture represented a watershed change in the family.

[Photo: In Tante Anna Beckers' living room (clockwise) in Barstadt: Tante Hanni Graupner, Tante Else Graupner Dauer, Gertrude Boock Graupner, Anna "Oma" Selma Glaser Graupner, Carl Paul Graupner, August Dauer, Cathryn Graupner with Lumpi, and Anneli Graupner]

Philip wrote: The 1964 trip was 43 years ago. Dad and Mother were 56 and 51/52 respectively. I seem to have forgotten how young they were then....the whole family in Germany was still so young and optimistic. The house in Bärstadt was new, the Dauers and Hadrichs were already working on plans to build in Schlangenbad. Their return and Grandpa Boock's death were so close together that I have forgotten their actual return to Spencer. The four who stayed home (and Grandma and Grandpa) probably were eager to show that the place was still there.

I suddenly feel quite old.

Gertrude and Carl's 25th Wedding Anniversary was celebrated in Barstadt, at the Sommer Restaurant, at the end of their trip to Germany in 1964. Surrounding the table clockwise from Helga Graupner (foreground) are: Anneli Graupner, Cathy Graupner, Christine Aufderheide, Gertrude Boock Graupner, Carl Graupner, Anna "Oma" Graupner, Anna GraupnerBeckers, August Beckers, Erika Dauer, Elsa Graupner Dauer, Ross (New Guinea), August Dauer, Rose Mitchell [Mrs. Howard] Aufderheide, Stan Aufderheide, Chuck Graupner, and Dean Aufderheide. Howard Aufderheide probably took the photo. The Carl Graupners had travelled with the Aufderheides to Belgium.

Back at the farm:

John was 17 years old in the summer of 1964. Ken (22) and John shouldered the farming operation mostly on their own, while Philip (21) and Jim (19) worked at the Pathfinder Mobile Home plant across the street from the farm and managed the household. Grandma and Grandpa Boock frequently dropped by in their red Studebaker Lark to keep an eye on things.

The view among the older boys was that, in the absence of parents and despite occasional problems, things were going well and that life was good; John was more circumspect.

The photo above was taken during one of the adventures that summer. During previous trips to Hatfield park, interesting rock outcroppings were spotted north of Neilsville. The boys drove out one Sunday afternoon and had a great time exploring the formations, which were located in the middle of a farm.