I've Been Working On the Railroad Part 6

Working in Ore

In 1977, the BN was still hauling raw ore from the mines on the Iron Range to the Allouez ore docks. The Allouez yard clerk, in addition to crew hauling duties was charged with not only verifying inbound trains but getting a list and creating cards which would tell which mine the load came from and the grade of ore. On the side of the cars was a steel framed pocket that usually was used by the carmen for marking a car bad order but in Allouez the yard clerk also placed the cards they created in these pockets.  If the yard clerk was lucky, they could tag the cars as they rolled by, but often the yard clerk would need to walk alongside the track to tag the cars. Additionally, the yard clerk would occasionally be called upon to be a weighmaster. Allouez at that time had a digital scale that would allow for quickly weighing the loads. The clerks in Allouez did not have computers and did everything on paper in 1977. Train arrivals and departures were entered into the computer by the clerks at 17^th St.

Never did I dream that I would be called to work on top of the ore docks! The first day, I met my coworker and person who would train me at the base of the dock. He motioned to a rickety looking box and chuckled as I questioned the elevator’s safety. I doubt if it had been upgraded since it had been installed, but with blind trust I quickly learned how to operate the elevator and stepped off at the top of the dock where there was an extensive office building.  Here I was introduced to a ticker tape machine, the precursor to the punch cards of 17^th St. and was quickly put to work entering data while mountains of tape accumulated on the floor. The building shook as a train of ore cars shoved by onto the dock. As soon as they stopped, my partner hustled me outside for a walk down the dock. There were four tracks on the dock. It was our job to collect the tags from the ore cars and note which dock pocket the car would be emptied into. This was the data that was entered on the tapes. Other clerks were busy billing the ships for their loads, and making sure the weights were recorded accurately. I enjoyed working the dock, but as it was a 24-hour job, I mostly got called for the night shift. Shipping season was only closed a couple of months so there were many cold nights, which made it especially dangerous as the steel would be covered with frost and slippery. Later, when they first started shipping taconite, the round pellets would spill onto the walkway making it even more hazardous to walk the dock. I always had a fear of falling into a pocket and as the walkways were narrow, felt it could happen. The ore punchers would also walk by and release the cars’ loads into the pockets. If the ore was frozen, the car would need to be moved to the gantry which was a mechanism to shake the load loose. The sun offered a spectacular show as it rose over Lake Superior announcing a new day.

 

Ore Dock in Superior where I worked.

Working on top of the dock was short lived as the raw ore was depleted and taconite became the commodity shipped. The BN built a long conveyer system which could take the pellets from the stock pile in the Allouez yard to the docks and load the pockets. There was no need for grading, as taconite was a uniform manufactured commodity from the Iron Range, a combination of low grade ore and bentonite clay which is used as a binding agent. Alas, though the docks still stand, there are now trees growing on top where I once worked.

I've Been Working On the Railroad Part 5

The Rack Clerk

Most stations of Superior’s size had a yard rack clerk and an industry rack clerk.  The rack had small slots just large enough to hold a deck of IBM punch cards and had a labeled slot for each track in the yard. It was the rack clerk’s responsibility to work closely with the yardmaster to make sure there was an accurate paper representation of each track in the yard. Yardmaster shifts were 6am-2 pm, 2pm-10 pm, and 10 pm - 6 am. Before the next shift yardmaster would come on duty, the rack clerk would need to run switch lists of the entire yard using the IBM 402 and the punch cards. It was imperative that those cards stay in order, and the tracks also run in a certain order so the yardmaster was best equipped to plan the work of his switch crews. A rack clerk’s worst nightmare would be to drop a multi track deck of cards which would then need to be put back in order using the most recent switch lists.

Claudia and Dewey LaJoie were the longtime husband and wife team that manned the day shift rack positions at 17^th St. Dewey was responsible for the industry rack while Claudia was the yard rack. Both had a great sense of humor, were willing to share what they knew about railroading, and made newcomers feel comfortable. Claudia was more of a “mother hen” personality, while Dewey was quiet and reserved. The pair complemented each other well.

The yard rack clerk would receive the marked up switchlists back from the yardmaster showing the work he expected the switch crews to do.  If things went as planned, the rack clerk could then switch the cards to the marked  tracks in his rack to reflect that work. In many instances the switch crew didn’t accomplish all so it was wise to wait until the yardmaster gave the word when the tracks were completely switched.  If the crew was making up a train, as soon as it was done, the rack clerk would run another switch list for the manifest clerk so they could do their job of getting the consist and wheel reports ready for the conductors. If the switch crew was spotting an industry, or several with  a transfer, the rack clerk would take that track and hand it and list to the industry rack clerk. The industry rack clerk would need to make sure the cars were spotted on the correct track in the rack. He also received information from the industries when cars were loaded or empty. This would be reported to C.O.M.P.A.S.S. and a new switch list would be run for the yardmaster showing the crews could pull the cars out of the industry. Several of the satellite stations, Superior East end, Mikes yard, and Duluth East side, reported to their respective  industry rack clerks by way of Telecopier. The telecopier was a precursor to the fax machine. You would put your paper list into the machine, dial a phone number and place the handset in the cradle to start the copying and sending process. The receiving person would receive a copy of what you were sending on their telecopier.  Many times the list was not fully readable and would need a follow up phone call for verification of car numbers or other data.

 The industry clerk also reported the Interchange between other railroads thereby releasing responsibility of the rail car to the other railroad.  From 17^th st, we interchanged with the LSTT, the CNW, the Soo Line, Milwaukee Road. Later, after the DWP built Pokegama yard, they were also added to the Interchange list.  Before the yardmaster shift change, the industry clerk also needed to run the industry yard switch lists for the yardmaster to be able to plan the work for his crews.

I've Been Working On the Railroad Part 4

The Keypunch operator

During the late 1970’s, the BN used a  yard management software called C.O.M.P.A.S.S. which involved the high technology of the time, the IBM punch card. Every work station that had responsibility for reporting anything to C.O.M.P.A.S.S. was outfitted with a IBM 029 Keypunch machine. The machine itself had room for a stack of about 500 cards to process, as well as an output tray, catchbasin for the square dots that resulted in the punching of the holes, as well as a full QUERTY Keyboard with a numeric pad on the side. .  It also had a dupe key which would duplicate the previous card’s input data.  To make the operator’s task easier, the machine could be programmed by using a Cylindered drum with a prepunched card on it. This would automatically stop the cards at the location where the operator would need to input data. Depending on the task being performed, we had a choice of several drums.

The theory of reporting everything to C.O.M.P.A.S.S.  was to have an accurate paper record of what was out in the rail yard at any given time. Some tasks would generate a response for the next station. It was the Keypunch operator’s job to report all train arrivals and departures to C.O.M.P.A.S.S.  If you were reporting a departure, you typed the departure time and date into the header card, and fed it and the train consist cards to the printer/computer. This would read the time, and the card consist, process it so those rail cars were no longer at your station’s responsibility. A list was printed out and filed as an outbound train. The next station down the line would then receive their deck of cards from their printer/computer so they could perform the arrival procedure. If the train was merely passing through, the arrival and departure would be reported  within seconds of each other. The times were gotten from the train crew as they reported their physical location to the dispatcher. Reporting an arrival was similar and would transfer the cars’ location to your station’s responsibility.  To make things work easier, each station was designated a station code which also generated a numeric tag, an industry was designated a numeric tag. Punch cards are limited in the data you can input into them.

At 17^th St. yard office, the keypunch operator also needed to input the data from the markup of the manifest clerk for each train. This would entail putting the destination tags into the punch cards so that when a list was printed out, the yardmaster would be able to plan his work with his switch crews to get the cars in the correct destination whether they would be going to a local industry for loading or unloading or on the next train out of town.  Finally, the keypunch operator also received the carmen’s report on each train reflecting the cars that would need to go to the shop tracks for repair. Again, these needed to be reported to C.O.M.P.A.S.S. so they would print out on the track list given to the yardmaster.

IBM Keypunch Machine

17^th St  keypunch operator also did the arrivals and departures for the unit trains out of Allouez, empties going to the mines and loads returning. Since they were primarily unit trains, the BN just had 3 decks of cards (one for each plant destination, Hibbtac, National Tac, and Butler Tac) to save a little on the number of cards being used. Most nights, the keypunch operator job was quite busy and occasionally the chief clerk would send you out to assist the yard clerk with his duties of crew transport of verifying trains.

When the keypunch operator was finished reporting to C.O.M.P.A.S.S. they would run a switch list of the track for the yardmaster and give the deck of cards to the rack clerk so they could be placed on the proper track in the rack.

I've Been Working on the Railroad Part 3

Getting off the extra board

In 1977, the clerk’s extra board on the BN was strictly seniority. The jobs needed for the day would be filled in seniority order. The less seniority you had, meant the less you worked. As a clerk we had three distinct call periods during the day: 5-7 am for jobs starting from 6-8 am,  1-3 pm for jobs starting 2-4 pm and 9-11 pm for jobs starting 10-12 pm. It was before cell phones and you needed to be available during the call times in case they called. In most cases, you only had 1 hour to get to work and it could be any of the outlying stations in addition to the yard offices, freight office, roundhouse, material shop, etc. It was hardest for me to meet that afternoon call time, as by that time of the day, I would be wanting to be outside in the summer or off doing something. If you missed a call, that meant you would not work for the day unless by chance the list got down to you at the next call period.

As you can see, then, a goal would be to get off the extra board as soon as possible even for a little while. Fortunately open jobs were posted quite often and were assigned via a bidding process with the most senior person getting the bid. If you were free, you could also move on an open job (as long as it wasn’t posted) such as a vacation vacancy. Of course, it would be assigned to the most senior person. Even if you were assigned one of these jobs, you were always subject to replacement if a more senior person chose to “bump” you from that position.  These rules were quite complicated but did serve to ensure that the railroad had workers covering all their positions while retaining the integrity of the seniority system as set forth by the clerk’s union.

Nothing stays the same, however and with the acquisition of the Frisco railroad in 1980, the union negotiated some changes to the extra board. It would now be a rotating extra board with the same call periods. This meant that despite seniority, as the people older than you got called, you would rotate to the top to get called in the rotation order. Another big change was that this would now be a Guaranteed Rotating Extra Board meaning, that if you were not called that particular day, you would get paid anyway (up to 5 days a week) simply by submitting your Guarantee form.  As always, the railroad could call you outside of the designated call periods but if you didn’t answer you were not penalized. The jobs they would call you for outside of call hours would be specifically for over the road van transport of train crews.

I've Been Working on the Railroad Part 2

The Manifest clerk

It wasn’t long after I started working at 17^th St Yard office that I was introduced to the position of manifest clerk. Early on in my career, there was an inbound manifest and an outbound manifest clerk whose desks faced each other separated by a double accessible rack of papers. Robert LaGesse was the inbound clerk and Sam Goldberg was the outbound manifest. The two could not have been more different in personalities. Sam was a happy go lucky guy who always had a big smile and a friendly word for anybody. He looked like and probably did enjoy life to the fullest especially as he was nearing retirement age. He was dedicated to his work but at that time, the job just wasn’t as busy as it used to be. It was Sam’s job to get the paperwork ready for all outbound freight trains leaving the terminal. 

In those days, each rail car needed to be accompanied physically by a paper document called a waybill. On the waybill was the information such as car initial and number, shipper’s name, receiver’s name, contents, (commodity code) routing, and freight charges, special handling instructions, hazmat instructions, etc.  Most rail cars must travel through many railroads and stations to meet their final destination. The waybill accompanied the car from the beginning and ended up at the destination with the car.

The waybills were filled in the rack between the manifest desks by the last two digits of the car number. When the rack clerk gave a list of an outbound train track to the outbound manifest, he needed to pull the waybills in train order, checking to make sure all was correct and the cars really needed to be on that train, the hazmat instructions were still attached to the original waybill, etc. Once the bills were pulled, a rubber band with some additional hickey cards were attached to make a neat package for the conductor. The outbound manifest clerk then went back to the rack clerk, got the deck of computer cards that corresponded with his train, changed the circuit board in the huge bemouth of the IBM 402 to Wheel report, inserted the cards and kicked the 402 to life. In most cases the cards fed flawlessly and a Wheel Report was printed quickly. However, cards jamb and get destroyed occasionally, decks get dropped, etc. Every effort was made to insure the wheel report was an accurate accounting of train order as some of the cars had movement restrictions on them such as because of their load, they could not be placed next to certain other types of cars for safety of the train and crew.  Once done, Sam would wrap it all up and wait for the conductor to pick up his paperwork. Normally during a shift this process would be repeated numerous times as the trains were ready to leave town. General freight trains, and the smaller local trains all needed to be handled the same way.

IBM 402 that was used by Outbound Manifest to run Wheel Reports

On the other side, as inbound train conductors brought in their paperwork, the inbound manifest clerk got busy. Bob LaGesse was a very serious dedicated employee who would have made a great teacher. I was living my dream job and highly enjoyed working with Bob as he patiently took the time to not only answer my questions, but explain in detail why things were done the way they were.  Though a little intimidated by him, I respected his knowledge and tried to soak it up like a sponge. He did have a dry humor to him as well.  From my younger perspective, Bob was Mr. Railroad himself! Unlike some of the other employees, Bob treated all the women coworkers with respect. That was Bob.

When he would receive the wheel reports and waybills from a conductor, his work started. Tearing apart the large package, checking the waybills against the wheel report, (even empty cars needed to have a waybill to get back to their originating road) and making sure everything was in order, Bob would then need to mark local destination tags, on the wheel report. The local tags that were used, would designate to the yardmaster which outbound train the cars needed to be placed on to get to their destination.  Each train was also checked into the yard by a yard clerk who physically verified the numbers on the side of the cars. Bob would also get this list and check it against the wheel report for errors. All cars into the yard needed to be accounted for.  Waybills were again checked on the inbound side for special instructions, to make sure the hazmat instructions were still with the waybill, etc.  Finally, the marked up list would go to the keypunch operator so the tags could be changed in the computer systems, new cards with local tags could be generated, and the paper train could be yarded in the corresponding track of the rack clerk.  When completed, Bob would then file the waybills in his rack so they would be available for the outbound manifest when needed.  

I've Been Working on the Railroad Part 1

I spent many years working for the Burlington Northern Railroad and later BNSF. The next few posts describe a little of my job there.

I was always stressed during job interviews and the interview I had with Maurie Tessier from the Burlington Northern Railroad was no exception. I had applied for a job almost a year before but apparently at the end of the hiring season and had actually forgotten about it when the call for an interview came. Mr Tessier was a balding middle aged person with glasses and a smile that immediately put me at ease. He explained what a clerk would be doing, some of the jobs, that the pay scale was union, and a few other details. He offered insight into what the extra board was, and explained that after a couple of years on the extra board, I would have enough seniority to hold a bulletined position and would be set until retirement. Neither of us could have foreseen the economic changes that were about to occur and how his statement would be so far from the truth.  I was hired, but needed a “company physical” before I could start working so was told to schedule that ASAP and wait for my first call.

            The call came almost 2 weeks later. On June 12, 1977 I was to be a janitor at the Allouez scalehouse. Being new, and unfamiliar with the locations, I needed to ask for directions. The job worked from 7am - 3 pm and included not only the 3 story scalehouse but the switchmen’s lunch room. Everything on the railroad was on the job training so when I arrived I met the person who would be showing me the ropes: what needed cleaning, where the supplies were, timing the lunchroom when the building was not occupied. The day flew by.  It was only a one-day vacancy so the next day I was back on call on the extra board.

            The clerk’s extra board in 1977 was strictly by seniority.  A crew caller was tasked with filling the vacancy by calling people in seniority order. If there was more than one vacancy available when they called, you were given a choice. The crew caller called people until all vacancies were filled. As a clerk, we had specific call times when we needed to be available: From 5-7 am, from 1-3 pm and from 9-11 pm. They could call at other times but we were not penalized for not being available outside of our regular call times. This was before the days of cell phones so you pretty much needed to be home “in case the railroad called.”

            My second day on the job I was a chief clerk at the 17^th st yard office. It was hard for my parents to understand that despite the job title, I was not given a promotion the second day of working.  Again, it was only a one day vacancy and involved overseeing the yard office operations, answering the phones and listening to the company radio. The chief clerk directed the yard clerks to check the incoming and outbound trains and in general make sure everything ran smoothly.  . I had a trainer, which made it much less stressful. I remember my parents laughing at the so called “promotion”. Janitor one day and chief clerk the next.  Thus began my career on the railroad.

The Smelt Run

Every year during the 1960's a true sign of spring was the annual smelt run on Lake Superior. As a family we made the trek several times heading to Ashland where on the shore we were sure to find successful smelters. A smelt is a small silver fish that when deep fried in a beer batter is yummy perfection. We didn't actually take part in the fishing but went to watch and buy some of the silver. Getting to the beach of Lake Superior in the early evening, we could already see people set up for the night. Large campfires made from shoreline driftwood glowed as orange flames took the chill from the evening. People were everywhere, many with an adult beverage close at hand. Those actually fishing were dressed warmly with winter jackets and hats but the rest of their body was covered in waist high rubberized waders. Smelt are one of the few fish it is legal to net during their short season. In fact as they come into shore for spawning in the warmer shallower waters, hearty men and women would carry their nets out from shore to waist high, quickly the partners would drop the net into the water and start hauling it in to shore. The trek back to shore though usually only a couple hundred feet was very slow as the nets became heavy with the silver fish. Near shore in about a foot of water, other helpers would come to sort the catch and release any nonsmelt before the catch was taken ashore and dumped into coolers, or other receptacles. We watched the process repeated over and over, cheered with the crowds as catches were brought to shore and of course borrowed someone's campfire to warm our chilled bodies. Soon, Mom would signal Dad that it was time to go. Dad would make a purchase, usually about $.05 a pound for the fish he and Mom deemed they had freezer room for. We soon were snuggled in the back seat of the car for a nap while Dad drove the 90 miles home.

The smelt runs have dwindled over the years so it is no longer a huge event. Fisheries management of the sporting trout species competed for the same food sources and the smaller fish lost out, in time becoming food for the larger species. My memories of that indicator of spring live on.

The Chicken Story

“Stop running around like a chicken with its head cut off,” admonished the impatient mother to her teenage daughter. The girl slowed and pondered a time many years ago at her grandparent’s farm.

            Pa rolled a large stump to the middle of the barnyard. He carefully took his ax from the scabbard and honed it against the whetstone, rotating the large stone with the foot pedal. Sparks flew as the metal glistened to a sharpened edge. The flock of white leghorns cackled at his feet, oblivious to their fate.  Reaching down, Pa picked up a bird and in one motion had it spread across the stump. Thwack!  The ax made a clean cut severing the head from the bird’s body. Pa released the bird and with wings flapping, it haphazardly ran from him until it dropped. More followed as Pa’s ax hit its mark time and again. The headless birds ran without direction, dropping when death took over.

            Hearing her name, she came back to the present knowing full well the meaning of her mother’s oft used phrase.

Nelson's General Store

Nelson’s General Store

            The brass cowbell tinkled softly announcing our entrance into the dimly lit general store. The well-worn hardwood floors creaked as we searched the shelves for our few purchases. Such a contrast from the supermarkets in my hometown. No florescent lights, no hustle and bustle of customers late getting supper on the stove, no rows of checkout lanes. No, Nelson’s General Store in Ogema, WI seemed from another era. The store had plenty of groceries, though not the variety I was used to. Being only 5, I judged a store’s quality by the size of its candy counter. My favorites were within reach but I knew better than to ask. I wasn’t with my mother but with my aunt Pearl and wanted to be on my best behavior. I contented myself with looking around. We were the only customers in the small store and my aunt gave me the freedom to browse. This was a privilege I didn’t get at home, where I was always under the watchful eye of my mother.          

            Mr. Nelson came from the back room and greeted my aunt. He was a balding gentleman with wisps of graying hair peeking from around his ears. The heavy black rimmed glasses seemed to define his face. He had a bloodstained long white apron covering his clothing. As my aunt placed her order for the week’s meat purchases, Mr. Nelson disappeared into the back room. He soon returned from the cooler pulling a large beef carcass on an overhead hook. As it hovered over the solid butcher-block table, Mr. Nelson lowered the carcass to prepare cutting. Deftly he wielded the cleaver and parts of the carcass became steaks. At the end of the table was a huge roll of paper hanging on a wrought iron roller. Mr. Nelson quickly wrapped our purchases with this paper and tied the package neatly with white string. He carried our purchase over to the counter with the rest of my aunt’s selections and proceeded to ring up our purchase on the ornate silver cash register. CaChing! The final total appeared. My aunt paid, said our good-byes and we turned to leave. The brass cowbell tinkled softly as we left the store.

Ice Skating

Ice Skating

Ice skating was an important form of entertainment for my parents. Both mentioned skating with friends on the river when they were young.  Thus as they started their family, they wanted to give us every advantage. As soon as winter snows would allow, Dad would bank out a small area of our yard  by shoveling to form a rink. The garden hose would come out and Dad would flood our private rink. Of course it wouldn’t be ready until the next day but by then the water froze solid to form a smooth sheet of ice. Mom and Dad both would help us lace up our skates and we would attempt to become the graceful skaters they wanted us to be. It never happened. We fell more than stayed upright, our legs betraying us as we landed on our posterior thankful for the padding the extra warm clothes offered.  Dad went through this ritual for us for several years to no avail. We were not going to be star hockey players or figure skaters. 

Let's Go Fly A Kite

Let’s Go Fly A Kite

A song made popular by the movie Mary Poppins in the 1960’s was Let’s go fly a kite. The chorus went like this.

Oh, oh, oh!
Let's go fly a kite
Up to the highest height!
Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring
Up through the atmosphere
Up where the air is clear
Oh, let's go fly a kite!

I remember singing it quite often but I don’t think we ever sang it on our kite flying adventures. Our kites were simple: plastic sheeting stretched over balsa wood cross pieces. We used a torn sheet for a tail, tied in bows along a string.

The wind needed to be just right as we ran along to help our kites get airborne. Many times they would circle and flop to the ground, lying inanimate until picked up and set free for another attempt. YES! The wind caught and lifted the kite. More line was played out as the kites began to shrink from sight. An average spool of kite string was a mere couple hundred feet. Not being satisfied, we purchased more and added to our kite’s tether. The kites soared as we had a competition of sorts. How far would the kite fly? We could barely see them, flying so high, tugging for their freedom.

“Vicki! Julie! Dennis! Supper!”  Before cell phones it was common practice for parents to summon their children by calling out the back door.  “Coming!” We answered. We began the arduous process of reeling in the kites. Having a taste of tethered freedom, the kites fought the process. The string was wound on the handles and the kites came into view. Finally, back on the ground they were quickly gathered up as we raced through the trees to hurry home for supper. 

Sliding

Here is another attempt at a poetic memory.

Sliding

We were lucky.
Our own backyard sliding hill.
Horses recently vacated,
lumps of manure still present.

Bundled against the cold,
snow pants, heavy coats,
freshly knit mittens covering tiny fingers.

Piling three on the toboggan, Dad gave a shove.
Zooming, flying, shouts of glee broke the silence.

Tail wagging, happy black dog ready for a job.
Clipped to the collar
the toboggan followed Smokey up the hill.

Laughing, holding hands,
we trudged up the hill.

Do it again!

The Boat

I recently attended a program on writing your life story in poetry. The assignment was to take a photo and write a poem about it. Here is my attempt.

Wooden Boat

Wooden boat; American flag flutters fully in the breeze.

Classic- Dad's pride and joy.

Touring the river, miles of water

Waving to friends at backyard barbeques.

Fishing crappies, sunfish, bluegills.

Three small children

Cane poles tangled.

Waterskiing-with big waves challenging

Splash!

Circle to pick up skier.

Smaller waves; skier upright.

Safely on shore.

A new generation enjoys.

My Third Great Grandmother - Wilhelmine Ziese Maas

My 3rd GGrandmother Wilhelmine Ziese Maas was buried in Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Watertown, Wisconsin or was it the Immanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery in Lebanon, Wisconsin 6 miles away. The only mention I had of her was in an email about 10 years ago from a shirttail cousin. One email he mentioned Lebanon, and the next he mentioned Watertown. He did mention the stone was deteriorating as could be expected since she died so long ago. The hunt was on as we took a whirlwind genealogy tour the summer of 2016. I knew nothing about her other than her birthdate (1825) again from that early email.

Digging in my records, I found her listed as the mother of Bertha Maas Albrecht on Bertha's marriage record to Carl Ewald. Wilhelmine's spouse was listed as Johannes Maas. So now I had names of both GGG grandparents but little else. The Email from Bob also stated that Wilhelmine's full name was Ernestine Wilhelmine Ziese (asa Ziehse) and her husband's full name was Johannes David Maas. He died in a logging accident in Pomerania although no date was given. They both were from Trechel, Pomerania. Their daughter Bertha Emilie Maas was born December 15, 1846 in Basenthin, Pomerania. Still not much to go on about Wilhelmine and Johannes.

Before our trip, I took to the internet to see if I could find more. I used a Facebook Group called Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness and within minutes someone responded with the following.

The first image is the marriage of Johannes David Maas to Ernestine Wilhelmine Ziese in July of 1843.  The second 2 images are the complete baptism record of Wilhelmine Ziese which shows her full name of Ernestine Wilhelmine Henriette Ziese baptized in 1826. Her parents are Johann Ziese and Maria Duwen. My German is lacking so I will need to find a translator to read the rest of the record.

As we came to Lebanon first from Milwaukee, we stopped at the cemetery there. While we found many stones with the name Maas, we were unable to find Wilhelmine born in 1825. On to Watertown where we stopped at the store my GG grandfather Charles Goette had built. Talking to the current proprietor we were able to locate the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Watertown so headed out there. It didn't take long and we found her!

She was born July 15, 1825 and Died June 5, 1919. Not knowing when she came over, I elected to search for some census records. Working backwards I hoped to find her in at least the 1910 and the 1900 Federal census. Possibly also the Wisconsin 1905 and 1895.

The 1900 Federal Census shows her living with her son Albert and family. She is 74 years old, widowed, had 8 children but only 3 are living in 1900. She arrived in the United States in 1888.  I have not found her in the 1910 census yet. So many questions. What were the names of all of her children, how many of them came to America, where did they settle? What port did she arrive? My guess on some of these are they are hidden because of spelling interpretations. I will keep searching.

The Fabric of my Life

The Fabric of my Life

             This quilt has pretty much seen its better days as it has been much used and loved. My grandmother Tillie Albrecht made it in the late 1950’s using scraps of fabric from other projects. Though not displayed on a bed anymore, every time I look at it I can fondly remember the clothing my siblings and I wore from  these fabrics.

           

My Grandmother was a farmer’s wife and having come of age during the Great Depression was resourceful enough to make sure that nothing was wasted. The “batting” for this quilt and others she made were old flannel sheets which added an extra layer of warmth. This quilt is tied with yarn and  was pieced together on her treadle machine. As my grandmother died when I was in second grade, this  quilt brings back memories of a grandmother who left too soon.

Grandma's House

Grandma’s House

I have many fond memories of going to Grandma Swanson’s house in Morse and have shared the floor plan as best as I can recall.  Grandma’s bedroom (or as she called it the front bedroom) was a good sized room with a large opening that had a curtain rather than a door. The closet also had a curtain covering so I really have no idea how large it was.  There may have been a nightstand next to the bed but I don’t recall. The dresser was a large dark mahogany colored piece with a large mirror and several drawers.  It matched the headboard and foot board of the bed. The cedar chest was lighter in color. Next to the cedar chest was this ornately carved wood box that was always a mystery.  The walls were covered with wallpaper though I don’t remember anything of the design.  Grandma’s house always smelled faintly of mothballs.

The front porch was fully screened in and stood in the shade of the 2 large pine trees so in the evening it was cool and breezy. Many hours were spent visiting with neighbors or playing cards while sitting on the porch. The cot was a nice place to take a mid afternoon nap.

The living room had a large overstuffed green striped rocker, a recliner, and a couch with the slanted arms that made it easy to use them for a pillow. In one corner of the room was the large black and white television encased in its wooden cabinet.  The room was also wallpapered. A large area rug covered the hardwood floor.

The dining room was a place of family gatherings. The dark finished table with its matching chairs and large buffet or credenza took up much of the room. Grandma did have a few small plants near the windows. In the far corner stood the large oil burning furnace which heated the house and in the winter would dry mittens and other wet clothing.  The daybed would open from a couch to provide additional sleeping space. This room was also wallpapered and the floor was hardwood.

The back bedroom was a comfortable room with a  tubular steel headboard and footboard on the double bed. Grandma’s treadle sewing machine stood against a wall waiting for her next project. She sewed many Barbie clothes with that machine for her grandchildren. The dresser and matching vanity stood against the wall. In addition, the closet held toys for us to play with while we were there. A clown doll, a sock monkey, both of which she made, a small red wagon, and a baby doll with a blanket. We knew to put them back when we were done playing. This room also had wallpaper and the closet had a curtain rather than a door. Worn linoleum covered the floor.

The most surprising thing in this room was the door in the floor which led to the cellar. We were not allowed in the cellar, but when Grandma would go down for a jar of canned goods, we could see that the primitive ladder led to basically a hole in the ground. There was a dirt floor, and I couldn’t be sure but the walls probably also were dirt. There was a bare light bulb providing adequate light and a few shelves for the home canned goods. The cellar was not very large.

The kitchen was not very large and the formica topped table and chairs just barely fit.  The white steel cabinets covered one wall. The double sink was placed in the middle and under the window so you could look out while doing the dishes.  Over to the right, Grandma kept her stainless steel canisters filled with the staples of every kitchen. Most important to us kids though was the cookie jar which always had cookies in it. A standalone metal cabinet provided additional storage as there were no upper cabinets. The refrigerator had a rounded top with a small freezer on top until in later years it was replaced.  The stove was a behemoth of a woodstove that Grandma would need to feed small pieces of wood in order to cook or bake. She was an expert at using it and all her meals and baked goods came out to perfection.  Next to the stove, there was a tall metal cabinet which she called her pantry that held her canned goods.

The bathroom was unusual in that it did not have a bathtub or shower. Grandma had a large square galvanized steel tub that she would bring in for baths. The water would need to be heated on the wood stove as the house did not have a hot water heater. An appropriate amount of cold water would be added so you didn’t burn yourself. The tub was small and difficult to fit in and wash yourself.  You would stand in the tub and pour warm water over you to rinse the soap off.  You washed your hair in the sink. The bathroom did have a toilet, and a bare sink which she had skirted with fabric to hide the plumbing. Her vanity table with a small mirror and her makeup also had a matching cloth skirt to hide the cleaning supplies.

The completely enclosed back porch was used primarily for storage but at least once a week, Grandma would roll her wringer washer from the wall to the center of the floor and door her laundry. After agitating the laundry in the tub, Grandma would then feed each piece through the wringer to get the excess water off before hanging the clothes outside to dry.  The back porch was the main entry for family to the house so shoes and coats were also left there.  On the wall hung a curious plastic molded picture of a deer driving a car with 2 hunters on the hood. Later I found out that my dad had purchased that as a gift for his father when he was a child.

The family had lived in that house for many years as my uncle Glen was born in that house in 1929. Dad mentioned that during recess he and his friends would walk home from school because they were sure that his mother would have some fresh cookies on the table for them. They were not disappointed. The furnishings I drew were as I remembered in the early 1960’s. I am sure the living room furnishings were also updated from the earlier years.   As I mentioned, the round top refrigerator was replaced, and in the later 1960’s the old wood stove gave way to a newer propane model which I am sure was an adjustment to Grandma’s baking.

My Grandfather's clock

The clock is a mission oak style and family legend (though unverified) has it that it was won by my grandfather, Edwin Albrecht for selling newspapers in Milwaukee as a 12 year old.  I first became aware of the clock shortly after we moved to Charles St in Hiawatha Heights. It was sitting on top of a box in storage in the basement. As a youngster of about 11, I would tease the clock so I could hear its melodious chime. I was told it had a 7 day windup mechanism with the key long gone, that it would not only keep time but activate the chime on the hour and the half hour. I fell in love with that clock.

Pa's Clock: It leans to the right to keep it running though I have not let it run in years. I love the chimes.

Mom also treasured the clock but it sat in the box for the rest of my childhood and teen years. In 1978 I purchased an older home (built in 1924) in Superior Wi and made my move. I wanted the clock. The conversation went like this. "Mom, don't you think Pa's clock would look better on my living room wall than in the basement in the box."  Next trip the clock came north and I was thrilled! I first gave it a good rubdown in tung oil to get rid of the dust and grime. I didn't do the back because it has a wonderful label on it, telling about the clock. Next stop was Nummi Jeweler's clock repair. After about a month, I was able to pick up my WORKING clock complete with a key to wind it. The chimes were just as I had remembered: Melodious and rich, sounding every half hour and on the hour. Occasionally, I needed to reset the chime by moving the large hand to 2 then back to 10 until the chime sounded the correct time. I enjoyed my grandfather's clock for many years. The chimes became silenced once again when Tony moved in as he was a light sleeper. The clock has made the moves with us, and I hope someone of the next generation will cherish it as I have. It has a place of honor on the wall of our bedroom and is now truly an antique at over 100 years old!

The Family Garden

          Throughout history, the family garden was very important. For many, it meant the difference between eating plentifully during the winter or having meager meals. The size of the garden was always in direct proportion to the number of people it needed to feed and family plots could be found not only in rural areas but also in urban yards. Our ancestors were no different. During the late 1880's when most of them immigrated from their homelands, they would make sure a garden spot was hand tilled and planted so the harvest could be preserved for winter eating. During the depression years, the family garden took on a new meaning and many children were enlisted in the garden's care of hand weeding and watering. Of course harvest time also meant the children were able to pick the produce and help with the canning and preservation. These would be the meals they would be fed in the winter so it was important to make sure the garden produced as much as possible. If you had a growing family, a garden would save the family many dollars on the grocery bill. Money was scarce during the depression.

My family was no different.

My mother always had a large garden. There were rows of beans, carrots, tomatoes, several kinds of squash, and cucumbers. There were radishes, and potatoes and a few rows of corn with their tassels swaying in the breeze. The garden would have to produce enough vegetables to feed a family a five for the coming year. That meant during harvest season, Mom spent days processing the fruits of her summer’s labor. These lessons on canning were also shared with Julie and I as we worked along side Mom, learning how to slip tomato skins, cut carrots and beans, and other skills we would need in our future.

As we got older, we also were expected to help in the garden. We were patiently taught to distinguish between a garden plant and a weed. We were taught that if you pull only the tops of the weeds, you would be battling that same weed tomorrow.  Weeds needed to be dug from the root, carefully making sure you got the whole thing and not just a portion. We would need to be extra careful with the weeds that were close to the vegetable plants.  We were taught the best time to harvest, when the vegetables were at their best. Many times after his retirement from the farm, Pa would also help in the garden.

A good gardener always samples the fruits. A plump cucumber was quickly plucked from its vine. I carefully inspected it and realized it would need cleaning before I popped it into my mouth. As my mother taught me, I gently rubbed it up and down on the leg of my jeans slowly twirling it to make sure all sides were cleaned. It crunched as I took a huge bite. Summer gardens!

At the edge of the garden stood the rhubarb patch. Rhubarb likes shade so the patch was located in the shade of the garage. Mom used the rhubarb to make jam, sauce, and my favorite; rhubarb pie. As youngsters, a special treat was when Mom would hand us her tin measuring cup with about ¼ cup of sugar in the bottom and tell us to go pick a stalk of rhubarb. Yummm. We knew we didn’t want a very fat stalk as the more flavorful stalks are about ½ in diameter. We kept the leaf on as we pretended it was a plumed pen needing dipping in ink. We sat on the cool concrete steps and dipped our rhubarb stalk in the sugar and giggling as we ate. 

Mom’s Rhubarb Custard Pie

1 frozen unbaked deep dish 9 inch pie crust or homemade pie crust.

Beat 3 large eggs

Add 2 tablespoons of milk.

Mix and stir in 1 ½ cups of sugar, 3 tablespoons flour and ½ tsp. nutmeg.

Stir in 4 cups of sliced rhubarb.

(I also add a packet of unflavored gelatin and refrigerate right from the oven as some years the rhubarb has too much moisture in it and the pie doesn't set up properly)

Pour mixture into piecrust and bake at 400° for 55 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Remembering ... a doll house

Growing up in a time before personal electronics and other gadgets of today's childhoods, we received gifts that sparked the imagination.  I don't remember the year that I received my doll house, but I do remember it vividly, and remember the hours of enjoyment I got from it. A posting on the internet prompted me to do a little research.

My doll house was built by my dad from McCalls pattern No.150W. I can imagine Dad working hard in his workshop to get everything just right so he would have a very happy daughter when it was presented. Frustration would have let the occasional swear word slip but he would have gotten quickly back on track. For the finishing touches he would ask for an expert opinion from Mom before painting or finishing the decorating. McCalls included a photo on the cover of the pattern.

 

 

Dad's version was very true to the pattern. Made from plywood, the house size was 51" long, 11 1/2" deep, 18 1/2" high. Built to 3/4 scale.  A little girl's paradise world.   Of course my furnishings and decorating was quite different. My kitchen/dining area had tan woodgrain contact paper "linoleum". Cabinets were not built in, and no curtains on the windows. Going upstairs to the living room, I remember the steps as well as the floor covered with Terry Cloth forest green "carpeting", The fireplace was painted black while the "brick" was a dull shade of red. I don't remember wall coverings, but I know Mom would have chosen light tans or grays. "Carpeting" in the bedrooms was again terry cloth (probably an older towel from the cabinet) while the bathroom had "linoleum" again. None of the windows had curtains. Of course the outside was painted also. It sat on a long older dark varnished table that seemed perfect in size for this use. 

 

 Ready to move in.  The family I had was several hard plastic dolls with no clothes on and immovable arms and legs. Reminded me of clothespin dolls but in my imagination they could do everything that real people did. The furniture was again heavy colored molded plastic. I remember the beds as being blue with a white coverlet on top.  The dressers even had drawers that opened! The dining room set was brown, a table and 4 chairs whose fragile legs eventually got broken. The kitchen appliances were separate and in the most modern style of the day. There were some cabinets which included the none working kitchen sink.  The living room had an overstuffed easy chair with couch to match and a small oval coffee table. My memory is fuzzy on other chairs for the living room but I seem to remember at least one. I can't remember the color of the bathroom fixtures but I know they were not white. Pink seems to come to mind.  I loved having the storage drawer, as sometimes in my rearranging, the furniture I wasn't using or the family went in there when I was finished playing.  I wish I had a photo of me playing with it. 

 

 

As we moved, my doll house came with us, and was set up in the basement playroom though I was almost getting too old and my sister Julie was beginning to spend more time with it than I.  Years later, it was redecorated and put to use by the next generation but alas it eventually met its demise and a potential family heirloom was discarded.

 

 

Researching on the internet came up with many photos how others had elaborately decorated their dollhouses with self created furniture miniatures, photos for the walls, curtains, and furnishings. Some even gave it a Victorian look though the house design is decidedly a modern 1950's tri-level. Almost makes me want to find a copy of the pattern and build another one.

A strange Christmas Present

My brother and I were first introduced to snowmobiling through our church's Luther League party which was hosted by classmates. They only had a couple of yellow and black Skidoos available, but by hooking sleds to them with long ropes, more of us could play and get the feel. That was it. We both came home singing the praises of the Skidoo and how much fun they were. We expected Dad to go right out and buy one the next day. It didn't happen.

Maybe there would be one under the Christmas tree although we couldn't fathom how Dad would get it in the house. We still were asking for one daily, but to no avail. We didn't have additional opportunities so it appeared that snowmobiling would soon become a memory.

Christmas morning dawned and no shiny snowmobile awaited. We eagerly opened packages, knowing that at least some of them would be new pajamas, socks and underwear. We got to the last box, rather large and square and addressed to the three of us. Of course it would be a board game we guessed. The three of us quickly tore the wrapping, to reveal a box taped shut with packing tape. A knife from the kitchen allowed us to make quick work of the tape to reveal a ... shiny new red metal gasoline can!?!  Puzzled, we didn't understand until Den noticed the piece of paper taped to its side. There was the sales slip for a new 1968 16 horse Scorpion snowmobile! 

Our dreams had come true. It was waiting for the first ride right outside the window!  Breakfast was quickly gobbled as we threw on clothes to try our new present. Den, being the oldest got to drive it first and made a trail around both the front and back yard. My turn made it easy to follow the trails. Julie was a little young to drive so Dad rode with and helped her. Then we brought out the metal saucer and tied it to the back to give each other rides. What a fun and memorable Christmas day!