Royce Kettelhodt, 1928-2013

Royce Albert Kettelhodt, age 85 of Princeton, MN, passed away Friday, August 23, 2013 with his children by his side. Royce was born on March 26, 1928, in Princeton, the son of William and Elizabeth (Elsner) Kettelhodt. He was united in marriage to Ardis Shelley on August 1, 1970 in Princeton.

Royce enjoyed hunting, fishing and gardening. He also loved spending time with his family and going to family outings. Royce was a member of the Moose Lodge and a lifelong resident of Princeton, MN.

Royce is survived by his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, along with many nieces and nephews and extended family.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Ardis; and brother, Harold.

The funeral service was held on August 30th at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Princeton, MN with Rev. Michael Soppeland officiating.  Interment was in Oak Knoll Cemetery in Princeton, MN.

Elmhurst, Illinois

  I have been busy scanning what seems like millions of family photos.  I am usually confined to a back bedroom with my computer and printer/scanner when I do this.  But I got a new toy for Christmas that has changed that.  A Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner!  It doesn't require you to be connected to a computer because it saves all the images onto an SD card and when you are ready, you insert the SD card into your computer to transfer the images.  Now I can scan anywhere!  It's really nice to be in the living room scanning and watching TV at the same time.
  I have come across a few old photos belonging to my great grandparents, Erick and Lulu Elsner, that I had not seen before.  Such as this one:

  This is a picture of their house in Elmhurst, Illinois.  I have been trying to figure out the timeline for the period of 1920 thru 1930.  I can't find the 1920 census for them, but I am sure they lived in Minneapolis, Minn at least part of the year, because their son Darrell (my grandfather) was born there in March 1920.  By the time the 1930 census was taken, they were living in Tucson, AZ.  And later they moved to California.  But some time during the 1920's they moved to Elmhurst, Ill.  

    Anyway, grandma Lulu almost always wrote the year on her photos.  I say "almost always" because she didn't do it on this one.  Of course!  Here is the back of the photo:

  So I have been looking for online City Directories for Elmhurst, Ill during the 1920's so I can figure out what years they lived in Illinois.  I have only found one online so far for DuPage County 1925-1926.  

  There is grandpa Eric and his brother Otto.  Grandpa Erick was very close with his brother Otto.  They were carpenters by trade and built and sold many homes during their lives.  They moved to Elmhurst because of the building boom.  

  I didn't find Fred in this directory. (Grandpa's other brother.)  In a previous post, I have a passage from the book Down Winsor Way that says Fred went to Elmhurst in 1923.  And Fred was living in Elmhurst, Ill when the 1930 census was taken.  So I expected to see his name between Eric and Otto.  The directory contains several small communities in DuPage County, and I checked every one of them, but no Fred. 

  

Merry Christmas!

Darrell Elsner

Talented Tuesday - Virgil Frederick Elsner, 1915-2009

Virgil Frederick Elsner, son of Frederick W. and Edith Lorena (Winsor) Elsner. 
Born - Dec. 3, 1915 in Princeton, Minn.
Died - Aug. 15, 2009 in Redondo Beach, Cal.
Married - Aug. 20, 1942 in Boston, Mass. to
Mary Louise Hart, daughter of Leo Hart and Ann (Gross) Hart
Born - Feb. 27, 1920 in Woodstock, Ill.
Died - Oct. 14, 2003 in Redondo Beach, Cal.

  The following passage is from: Down Winsor Way - A Family History and Genealogy, by Vivian Winsor Toothaker, Publish by Cuddy's North Park Printery, San Diego, CA (October, 1962).

  "As a very young child, Virgil showed great aptitude for drawing.  His parents encouraged him in this.  After taking an art course in high school, he attended the Art Institute of Chicago.  His work has been in the field of commercial art both in Chicago and on the west coast, having worked for Walt Disney Studios during one period.
  In 1960 an exhibit on electronics, which he designed, was chosen as the best of approximately 5,000 pieces submitted for the Annual Los Angeles Art Directors Club Exhibit.  This same exhibit won a medal in the annual competition for displays and exhibits conducted by Display World Magazine and it also won a first place award in the annual competition conducted by the West Coast Industrial Advertisers Council.  The design was carried out to display products in an electronic equipment show in New York City.
  His designs for some 42 departments were used in a new department store (Kauphman's) which opened in 1961 in a suberb of Philadelphia.  His industrial designs for various companies are often seen on the market.
  During World War II, Virgil served in the U.S. Navy for more than three years.  He was assigned to a Sub-Chaser which combed the waters of New Guinea, Australia and the Philippines.
  Before entering the Service, he had met Mary Louise Hart, who was teaching school in Oak Park, Ill.  They were married in Boston, Mass.  While Virgil was in the Service, Mary Lou taught school (physical education) in San Bernardino, and San Diego, Calif. and became very fond of the west.  Virgil, too, decided it had much to offer and they stayed in California upon his release from the Navy.  During 1958-59 Virgil again worked in Chicago but the whole family was happy to return to California once again.
  Creative work, such as Virgil's cannot be bound by hours from nine to five.  His great passion for the work he is doing very often causes him to burn the midnight oil and even to greet the dawn.  This calls for great forebearance on the part of Mary Lou, who has much understanding and interest in his work.
  Their sons show an inclination toward the business of art also."

  I did a google search for "Kauphman's" and could not find anything with that spelling.  However, there was a store called "Kaufmann's" which according to wikipedia, originated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.   Click here if you want to read more about Kaufmann's.

  When I googled Virgil, I found 2 patents that were awarded to him!  This one is for a design for a waffle iron:

Patent number: D121386
Filing date: Apr 16, 1940
Issue date: Jul 9, 1940

Here is  the link to view it on google - Virgil Elsner's Waffle Iron Patent 

And this one is for a sprayer:

Patent number: D156873

Filing date: Jun 14, 1949

Issue date: Jan 17, 1950

The link to view it on google is - Virgil Elsner's Sprayer Patent

Frederick William Elsner, 1885-1965

Fred Elsner

Frederick William Elsner, s/o Albert Elsner and Lydia Richter
b. April 8, 1885 in Germany, arrived in US on March 1, 1887
d. Nov. 13, 1965 in St. Cloud, Stearns County, MN
m. April 30, 1913 in Princeton, Mille Lacs County, MN

Rena Elsner

Edith Lorena Winsor, d/o Samuel Winsor and Edith Lyon Banks
b. Dec. 17, 1889 in McIntire, Mitchell County, Iowa
d. Aug. 26, 1970 in Sherburne County, MN



Fred and his parents arrived in America at the Port of New York on March 1, 1887.  They travelled to Fort Wayne, Indiana where his mother gave birth to Elizabeth Natalie Elsner on April 6, 1887.  And by 1889, they were all living in Chicago, Illinois where his parents had four more children: Paul (b. July 16, 1889),  Anna (b. Jan. 17, 1891), Otto (b. Oct. 22, 1894), and Erick (b. Oct. 13, 1896).  According to the 1900 Census for Chicago, Illinois, and the Chicago City Directory, Fred's father, Albert was a Saloon Keeper.

By the time the 1910 Census was taken Albert had moved his family to Greenbush, Mille Lacs, Minnesota and was a farmer.  Fred and his sister Elizabeth had moved away from the farm and were living together in Princeton on Eastern Avenue.  Fred was employed as a salesman at a hardware store and Elizabeth was a sales lady at a general store.

Fred married Edith Lorena Winsor on April 30, 1913 at the home of Rena's parents, Samuel Winsor and Edith Lyon Banks.

Fred and Rena had one child, Virgil Frederick Elsner, born December 3, 1915, in Princeton, MN.

The 1920 Census shows Fred, Rena, and Virgil living in Princeton, Mn. where Fred rents a home and works in the office of a garage.

The 1930 Census shows that Fred has moved his family to Elmhurst, Illinois.  Fred owns his home at 264 Willow Road and it is valued at $7500.00.  Fred's sister-in-law Vivian Winsor (age 19) is living with him and his wife Rena and their son Virgil.  Fred's occupation is carpenter, and Vivian is a Stenographer for a Life Insurance Company.

The 1940 Census shows that Fred and Rena are renting a home at 194 East Fremont Ave, in Elmhurst, Illinois for $27.50/month.  (I looked up the address and found that this is a multi-family unit built in 1924.)  Virgil is 24 years old and living with his parents.  (sister-in-law is no longer living with them).  Fred's occupation is Carpenter - Building Construction.  In 1939, Fred worked 26 weeks and earned $500 that year.  Virgil's occupation is Commercial Artist - Household Equipment.  And in 1939, Virgil worked 50 weeks and earned $1500.

The following passage is from: Down Winsor Way - A Family History and Genealogy, by Vivian Winsor Toothaker, Published by Cuddy's North Park Printery, San Diego, CA (October, 1962).
　

         "Rena", as she is known to her family and friends, has a wonderful sense of humor
         and the ability to stir others to laughter. She possesses something of the adventurous
         spirit of her grandparents, always willing to try something new, always seeking greener
         pastures. She has moved her home many times during her lifetime, but wherever her
         home is located, it is tastefully decorated and furnished and is kept spotlessly clean
         and neat by daily cleaning. In adversity, she has gone to work outside her home to
         help keep the larder filled. Before her marriage, she worked as a milliner.

         When he was but a few years old, Fred's family took the long and adventurous journey
         from Germany to America. His father operated a store in Chicago for a few years before
         buying a farm near Princeton, Minn.

         Rena's younger brothers and sisters considered Fred the ultimate in romantic figures
         when he came to court her, driving-not the horses from his father's farm-but a hired, shiny, 
         livery rig with smartly groomed horses, bringing a procession of artistically wrapped
         gifts to sweep the lady off her feet.

         Baby sister, Vivian, who was only two weeks old the first time he came to call at the
         Winsor farm in Wyanette Township, was two and one-half years old and steady enough
         on her feet to be the ring bearer when Rena and Fred took their marriage vows in a lovely
         home wedding. The family, by that time, had moved to a house in town.

         Those were happy days when Fred worked at the Caley Hardware Store and they lived
         in a little cottage in Princeton. Later Fred worked at Powell Hardware Store in St. Cloud.

         In 1923 they moved to Elmhurst, Ill. where a building boom was beginning. With his
         brother, Otto, Fred learned the carpenter trade and things went just fine until the great 
         depression set in and they lost the home they were buying and on which Fred had shared
         in the building. Since that time other homes have been bought and sold. They spent two years 
         in Manhattan Beach, Calif. and eventually returned to Minnesota."

　
Since the 1910 Census for Princeton says Fred was a salesman at a hardware store and Down Winsor Way mentions that Fred worked at Caley's Hardware Store in Princeton, I was curious to see what I could find out about Caley's Hardware Store.  I found out that Caley Hardware Company was owned by Thomas H. Caley and was in business for 52 years.  They sold all kinds of things, from items for the home to farm equipment. 

These are just a few of the many ads that ran in The Princeton Union newspaper throughout the years.

November 13, 1913, pg. 3

Oct. 19, 1916, pg 5

  

I also found a photo on The Minnesota Digital Library website of an interior view of Caley Hardware.  I was surprised to find Fred's name written above the picture!  Click here to see it.  Enlarge the picture to get a better look at it.  I believe Fred is the one with the bow tie. 

I had heard that Fred had moved to Illinois to help his brother Otto with building houses.  Down Winsor Way mentioned it was 1923.  I checked The Princeton Union  and found this add on September 14, and 21, 1922.

The Princeton Union, Thursday, September 21, 1922, page 3.

I looked for an article in The Princeton Union that mentioned them leaving town, but was unable to find anything.  The online newspaper I used (Chronicling America) only goes up to Dec. 31, 1922, so there may be something after that if they left in 1923 like was mentioned in Down Winsor Way.

Down Winsor way also gives me some more clues about where Fred and his mother Lydia might have been born.  It says that Fred was born in Stetin, Germany and Lydia was born at Mecklenburg, Germany.   However,  I also have a copy a document that was written by Elizabeth Elsner (Fred's sister) that says that Lydia was born in Neuendorf, Germany.  (It doesn't say where in Germany Fred was born.)  Down Winsor Way does not mention where Albert was born, but Elizabeth's document says that he was born in Stolp, Germany and on his marriage license to his second wife (Zilla Gawehn) he put that he was born in Neuendorf, Germany, and his obituary says West Prussia!


The Princeton Union newspaper information is from the Library of Congress, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers site: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/

Mystery Monday - Mystery Couple

Thanks to a newly found cousin, I have pictures of Albert & Lydia!  Everyone in the picture is identified with the exception of one mystery couple.  I have been trying to figure out who they are, but have had no luck.  So for now, they are Mr. & Mrs. Mystery Couple.  (I am assuming they are married, but maybe they are brother & sister.)

In this picture we have from left to right: Lydia (Richter) Elsner and her husband Albert Elsner, then Bill Kettelhodt, Lulu (Robideau) Elsner and her husband Erick Elsner, next to them is Fred Elsner, the mystery couple, and Elizabeth (Elsner) Kettelhodt.

In case you forgot how they are all related, here is a reminder:  Albert & Lydia Elsner are the parents of Fred, Elizabeth, Otto, and Erick.  Bill Kettelhodt and Elizabeth were married on Sept. 22, 1913; Erick Elsner and Lulu were married on Nov. 15, 1917; and Fred and Rena (not pictured here) were married April 30, 1913; Otto and Betty were married on Nov. 25, 1919.

So who is the mystery couple?  Is it Fred's in-laws, Samuel and Edith Winsor?  Or could it be one of Albert's brothers and his wife, or Lydia's sister and her husband?

In this picture, they have moved a few people around, Bill Kettelhodt and Fred Elsner are gone, but Fred's wife is in this one and now Otto and Betty are in the picture.  From left to right is: Otto and Betty (Hedin) Elsner, Lydia and Albert, Lulu and Erick, Elizabeth (Elsner) Kettelhodt, Rena (Winsor) Elsner, and then the mystery couple.

It looks like Mrs. Mystery Woman has her arm around Elizabeth's waist.  This makes me wonder if it might be Elizabeth's in-laws, Frederick T. Kettelhodt and Ottilie (Kriesel) Kettelhodt.  Bill isn't in this picture but he is in the one above and isn't even standing by his wife or the mystery couple.  And Rena is in this picture but she wasn't in the other one but her husband was.  Maybe they took turns taking the picture.  Were these two pictures taken on the same day?  Maybe they took the first picture before Otto and Betty arrived, so they had to take another family picture.  They all seem to be wearing the same clothes in both pictures.  Erick took his hat off for the second picture and Lydia has a different belt on her dress in the second one, but otherwise I think they are all in the same clothes.

In this one, all the ladies got together for a picture.  Left to Right: Lydia, Betty (Hedin), mystery woman holding a little dog, Elizabeth posing for the picture, Rena, and my great grandma Lulu in her sailor dress laughing at Elizabeth.  (Are they sitting on a wheelbarrow?!)

I noticed that in all these pictures, Elizabeth is always next to the mystery woman.  Is it because it is her mother-in-law, or a favorite Aunt?

Hopefully, someone will be able to help me identify the mystery couple and maybe we can figure out what year these pictures were taken too.  I believe the pictures were taken on Albert's farm which was in Greenbush Township, Mille Lacs, Minnesota.

Wedding Wednesday - Fred and Lorena Elsner

The Princeton Union, May 01, 1913, page 1

Weddings of Week

Fred W. Elsner and Edith L. Winsor

Married at Home of Bride's

Parents Yesterday.

  "A very quiet wedding occurred yesterday afternoon, April 30, at 2 o'clock, at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Samuel Winsor, in Princeton, when their daughter, Edith Lorena, was united in marriage to Fred W. Elsner.  Only immediate relatives of both parties were present.

  The ceremony was performed by Rev. Emerson Service, pastor of the Methodist church, in which he used the impressive ring service.  Little Vivian Winsor carried the ring in a white rose.  Lohengrin's wedding march was played by Mrs. Roy Winsor.

  The bride was accompanied by Miss Elizabeth Elsner, sister of the groom, and Virgil Winsor was the best man.  The bride was tastily gowned in white chiffon over white silk and carried bride's roses, and the bridesmaid was dressed in pink voile and carried pink carnations.

  After congratulations a buffet luncheon was served and Mr. and Mrs. Elsner received many presents, among which was $100 in money.

  Both young people are well and favorably known in Princeton and vicinity and have many friends who wish them a long and prosperous life.

  At 4 o'clock Mr. and Mrs. Elsner left in an automobile for Elk River, where they took the train for the twin cities.  They will be at home to their friends in Princeton after May 30." 

  Fred Elsner is my great grand uncle - my great grandfather's brother.  His parents are Albert and Lydia Elsner.
  Fred was 28 years old and Edith Lorena Winsor, better known as Rena, was 23 when they married.   
  Rena's parents are Samuel and Edith (Banks) Winsor.  Samuel (1848-1926) was born in England and immigrated to the United States with his parents when he was two years old.  Samuel and Edith married about 1884 and had ten children.
  Vivian Winsor is Rena's little sister and was only 2 1/2 years old when she carried the ring down the aisle.  How cute she must have been!  Virgil Winsor is one of Rena's brothers and Mrs Roy Winsor is Nellie (Jones), who was married to Rena's oldest brother.
  The article said that Nellie played the Lohengrin's wedding march.  Lohengrin is a romantic opera written by German composer Richard Wagner.  The opera was first performed in 1850.  The most popular and recognizable part of the opera is the Bridal Chorus, better known as "Here Comes the Bride".

1900 Chicago City Directory

I found the 1900 Chicago City Directory online and since I know that Albert Elsner lived in Chicago at that time, I had to look him up.

From the 1900 Census I know that Albert, was living in Chicago with his wife Lydia and their children Fred, Elizabeth, Otto, and Erick. He was renting his home at 492 N. California Ave. and his occupation was saloon keeper. There were five other families that lived at that same address. They included a soap maker, plumber, piano maker, and a dry good salesman. 

When I first looked for Albert in the Individual Listings, I did not see him.  But I couldn't believe how many Elsners there were!  Could they be relatives?  I read each name and occupation and that is when I found Albert. He is listed as John! 

From the 1900 Chicago City Directory

There is also a  section for Business Listings so I looked up "Saloons" and found about 19 pages of them!  I was hoping to find the name of the saloon.  There are no adds for any of the saloons, just columns of names and addresses.  I found Albert's listing, "Elsner John A. 492 N. California av." I also looked up a few of the other people that live at 492 N. California Ave. to see if their business listing had the California address like Albert's does.  But they had different addresses in the business directory.  So I think that they were all renting apartments above the saloon.

Just one page of Saloons listed in the 1900 Chicago Business Directory.

In 1909 and 1911, the city of Chicago renumbered and renamed many of the streets.  492 N. California Ave. was changed to 1001 N. California Ave. So if you are curious to see where Albert and his family were living, like I was, you will need to use the converted address.

I used google maps.  But when I looked at the street view, it put me on Augusta Blvd.  Just to the left is the side of 1001 N. California Ave. Continue to the corner and there is the entrance to the business.  I also googled the address and found that it had been a Humboldt Pie (pizza) restaurant and now is Knockbox cafe.

I also checked the Cook County Property records.  The records for 2011 show that 1001 N. California Ave. is mixed use commercial/residential with apartments above and that the building is 111 years old.  That would mean that the building was brand new when they moved in and the saloon opened!

University High School - Class of 1939

Darrell Elsner
Warrior Staff, Glee Club

My grandfather, Darrell Elsner, graduated from University High School on Wednesday, June 21, 1939.  There were 339 graduates in the Summer Class of 1939.  The class name was "Midshipmen" and the class colors were blue and gold.

Commencement Program

TWENTY-SEVENTH

COMMENCEMENT

UNIVERSITY

HIGH SCHOOL

WEDNESDAY

JUNE 21

1939

             UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM

                                  EIGHT O'CLOCK P.M.

University High School (commonly known as "Uni") was built in 1924 and was originally named Warren G. Harding High School, after President Warren G. Harding. The name was changed to University High in 1929 when the school became the official teacher-training high school for the Southern Campus of the University of California (known as UCLA).

It is located on a historic 24-acre site in West Los Angeles that is designated as a California State Historical Site due to the discovery of the remains of a Native American village and a freshwater spring on the campus that was used by Native Americans in the area for thousands of years.

Because the campus had formerly been a Native American village, the name "Warriors" was originally selected as the school theme, the yearbook the "Chieftain" and the Indian Chief as the school symbol. The school colors were blue and persimmon and the student newspaper was the "Warrior". However, near the end of the 1997-1998 school year, students voted on a new school mascot. Students chose "Wildcats" as the mascot. The student newspaper is now the "Wildcat", the yearbook is "Paw Prints", and the school colors did not change.

"They set up the Warrior"

The "Warrior" newspaper was a weekly publication that won many awards.  According to the 1939 Chieftain, page 56: "The latest are two first-class honor ratings received from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association; others date back several semesters - one is an All-Southern California second-place rating from the University of Southern California."  With the print shop instructor supervising the "run" of the finished papers; Darrell was one of six boys that were part of the mechanical staff which put on the finishing touches.

Glee Club
Darrell is on the back row in the middle

1939 was the first year the boys and girls Glee Clubs were combined into one club.

The original campus housed about 600 students in grades 7-10, 30 teachers, and 3 buildings.  The first senior class of 32 students, the "Pioneers", graduated in 1926.  Construction of a state-of-the-art theater/gymnasium complex was started in 1930 and completed in 1932.  The auditorium and A buildings survived the 1936 Long Beach earthquake, but other buildings suffered considerable damage.  A tent city was erected to house classes during the repairs.  In 1938, the East gym, tennis courts, ROTC parade grounds (now softball and baseball fields) were completed.  By 1939, Uni had become a 3-year high school with a population of 1,700 students.  A three-story classroom building was added to the campus in 1957.

In 1971, the Sylmar earthquake caused irreparable damage to the Auditorium, Gym, Cafeteria, and Industrial Arts buildings.  The Auditorium had to be demolished and plans were drawn to build a smaller theater and arts complex with additional cafeteria space in 1980.  Renovations began in 1989 for modernization of the school, including handicap access, asbestos removal, and modernization of the existing chemistry labs, classrooms, and library.  Renovations were completed in 1994.

The school, which has been able to maintain much of its original architecture, is one of the few Los Angles schools with buildings constructed before World War II.  Its brick facades, wide hallways, and "unique east coast look" make the school an attractive place to film.  Uni has been noted in the press as being one of the more popular schools for filming, even compared to other local schools with similar structure and appearance.  In 2003 and 2004 alone, 38 movies, TV shows, and commercials were filmed at University High.

Eagle Rock High School - Class of Summer 1939

Velma Carver
Guard, 4H Club, World Friendship

   



  My grandmother, Velma Elaine (Carver) Elsner, graduated from  Eagle Rock High School in the Class of Summer '39.










  Eagle Rock is a neighborhood in northeastern Los Angeles, California.  Eagle Rock was incorporated as a city in 1911, and was annexed into the City of Los Angeles in 1923.

  Eagle Rock High School (ERHS) first opened its doors on September 12, 1927.  The school colors are green and grey, the mascot is the Eagle, the school newspaper is the 'Eagle's Scream', and the yearbook is called the 'Totem'.

    As I began looking through my grandmother's yearbook, I started to notice some things that were different about it.  The outside cover is a plain green cloth cover.  Usually the cover of a yearbook has a title or emblem on it.  But I didn't really think about it too much.

  Then I noticed that the pages inside the seam have little holes like spiral paper. And in the middle of the yearbook, there is a page that says "The End".  But it isn't the end, there is another section!  The first half of the book is for the Class Winter '38 and the second half is for Class Winter '39.

  When I looked at the book from the side, I could see that there are definitely two sections.  The top section is a little more discolored than the bottom section. Also, the paper is not lined up exactly the same in the two sections.

  And then it dawned on me! Remember when I told you in a previous post that my grandparents met in Trade School in a bookbinding class?  Well, I thought maybe Velma had used her skills to combine two yearbooks into one. 

  I searched the internet for an ERHS yearbook from the 1930's so I could compare it with Velma's yearbook.  I found the one above which is from Eagle Rock High School Winter '39.  As you can see, it has a grey cover and is spiral bound.  The website said that this yearbook has Winter '39 in front and Summer '39 in the back. 

  So she took the original covers off the yearbooks from Winter '38 and Winter '39 and bound them together to make her own unique yearbook. 

  The Winter '38 part of Velma's yearbook has the graduating class portraits, group pictures of the classes, Student Government, Activities, Junior High, and Athletics.  I found these pictures of my grandmother:

This is Velma's B11 class picture.
She is in bottom photo, sixth row, second person.

 

Self-Government Committee. 
Velma Carver is seated in the first row on the right.

"The commissioner of Self Government and his staff work in conjunction with the Boys' and Girls' Advisory Councils. The duty of this committee is to make students cognizant of State and School laws that affect them and report violations of these rules. This covers hall conduct, cafeteria regulations, leaving the campus without permission, and throwing or running on the grounds. A record is kept of offenses and as an individual's lapses accumulate, they are turned over to the Advisory Councils."

  The second part of Velma's yearbook has the graduating class portraits for Winter '39, then group pictures of each of the classes, Student Government, Junior High, Athletics, and then the Summer '39 graduating class portraits.  I found my grandmother in these photos:

Self-Government Committee.
Velma is in the fourth row on the right.

  "Cooperating with the Advisory Councils the Self Government Committee, through its guards, tries to maintain the standards of conduct established by Senate regulations."

Class of Summer '39. 
This is just one page.  There were 199 graduates.

  Her yearbook was signed by many classmates, friends, and teachers wishing her a future of success and happiness.  Some of them mention the Eagle Rock float she was on, a sewing class, and a cooking class.  Here are a few of my favorites:

"Best Wishes to a swell girl who was almost Rose Queen."

"Lots of Luck to a keen kid.  We have had lots of good times "Queenie"."

"Velma Carver, No more one handed anything and you'll be all right - jitterbug"

"To a swell girl" 

"Velma Dear,  I certainly have had a swell time in foods with you and I'm afraid I'm going to miss you when I leave.  Now be a good girl and don't do anything I wouldn't do - Always will remember "Food" class."

And my favorite:

"From Miss Clark you'll get a snappy answer

Of just who Velma might be

Because she's the genius who thinks she can

Cook without a recipe!"

  Ha!  Mom has told me a few stories of how bad her mother's cooking was!  And I wonder what it was she tried to do one handed?!  How funny!  At least she was good at bookbinding!

High School Diploma - Velma Elaine (Carver) Elsner

The other day while I was looking for something in one of my closets, I came across a few boxes that I hadn't looked in for a while.  They contain things that I got from my grandfathers house (Darrell Elsner) after he passed away.  I was helping my mother clean out his house which had quite an accumulation of things in it, and she let me have a few things to bring back to Texas with me.  He had lived in that house since it was built.  Mom said that my great grandfather (Erick Elsner) built the house for her dad and she remembers when they moved in.  Los Angeles County property records show that it was built in 1952.  So like I said, there was a lot of stuff in there!

One of the boxes contains photographs.  Most of them are of my mom when she was a child.  It also contains photos of me and my sister.  A lot of the pictures are still in the picture frames.  Another box, has very old Christmas ornaments, some are still in the old boxes!  And the last box has some old toiletries.  I don't know why these toiletries were never thrown out, but I'm glad they weren't.  Mom wanted to throw them out when we were cleaning and couldn't understand why I wanted to keep them.  I love them!  They are antique!  I need to find a way to display them.  I think they are interesting and fun to look at.  I will share pictures of them with you another time.  I want to start with something I found amongst the picture frames that I had totally forgotten about.

This is my grandma's High School Diploma!  Her name was Velma Elaine Carver.  She went by Velma when she was young, but later went by Elaine.

It reads:
"Senior High School Certificate
Los Angeles City High School District

This Certificate is awarded to Velma Carver
who has been found worthy in Character and Citizenship and has satisfactorily completed a Special Course of Study as prescribed by the Board of Education.

Given at Los Angeles, California this twenty-third
day of June nineteen hundred and thirty-nine"

It is signed by the Superintendent of Schools and the Principal of Eagle Rock High School.


This is what it looked like before I took it out of the cover:

I don't know what the rusty looking stuff is...mildew maybe?

 

 When I removed the diploma from the cover, I found the commencement program folded up behind it!

I have separated the diploma and program from the diploma cover for now because it looks like the diploma is starting to get damaged from the mildew.  I put them in an acid free box.  Does anyone know what I should do about the mildew?  Should I try to clean it?

I think the outside of the diploma cover is made of a thick cardboard made to look like leather. 

The inside looks like an off-white silk moire fabric that was glued to the cover.

Wedding Wednesday - Darrell and Elaine Elsner

Mr. and Mrs. Darrell Elsner
June 4, 1941

This wedding photograph is of my maternal grandparents Darrell and Elaine Elsner.  They met in a book binding class they attended at a trade school.

Darrell Marvin James Elsner and Velma Elaine Carver were married June 4, 1941. 

Darrell was born March 10, 1920 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  He moved to California with his parents, Erick and Lulu (Robideau) Elsner, when he was a child.

Elaine was born April 29, 1920 in Los Angeles, California.  Her parents were Albert and Olive (Dixon) Carver.

They were married 25 years when Elaine died unexpectedly at the age of 46.

1938 Tournament of Roses Parade



 "Queen of the Fairies"

The first Rose Parade was held in Pasadena, California on January 1, 1890.  It started as a way to celebrate California's mild winter climate.  The first parade was a small procession of flower-covered carriages with afternoon games including foot races, tug-of-war, and sack races.  It evolved into a parade of flower-covered motorized floats built by volunteers from sponsoring communities, with marching bands, equestrians, and a college football game.

The parade is always held in Pasadena, California on New Years Day unless New Years Day falls on Sunday.  Then the parade is held on January 2nd.  The "Never on Sunday" tradition of the Rose Parade began in 1893 when, according to the Tournament of Roses Association Web site, parade officials decided to move the parade that year "to avoid frightening horses tethered outside local churches and thus interfering with worship services."

The picture above is from the 1938 Rose Parade program book.  It shows the float that was entered in the Rose Parade by the city of Eagle Rock, California.  The theme for the 1938 Rose Parade was "Playland Fantasies" and the Eagle Rock float is titled "Queen of the Fairies".  The queen of the "Queen of the Fairies" float was crowned before a large audience in the American Legion Hall.  Each girl was given a cameo lavaliere by the Chamber of Commerce for her participation.  My maternal grandmother, Elaine (Carver) Elsner, is on this float.  She is the third from the left...the blonde in the middle looking toward the camera.  She was 17 years old.

Happenings in Greenbush, Minnesota on December 7, 1911

The following was printed in The Princeton Union on Thursday, December 7, 1911 on Page 7.  It was under the heading of "The Farm Fireside. Gleanings by our Country Correspondents......" under the Greenbush section.

The Princeton Union, Thursday, Dec. 7, 1911, pg. 7

  The school children of district 5 are

preparing for a Christmas program.

  Frank Grow was among the crowd

who attended the dance in Santiago

on Thursday.

  Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Grow and

son, Leland, of Foley were here visiting

with relatives a few days.

   Quite a number of young people of

this vicinity attended the dance at

Santiago last Thursday evening.

  Mr. and Mrs. Nels Robideau and

Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Grow were welcome

callers at Mr. and Mrs. John

Odegard's on Sunday.

  A dance will be given at the residence

of Nels Robideau on Friday,

December 15. Supper will be served

and a good time is assured. Everyone

is invited.

  Mr. and Mrs. Rant Ross, Mr. and

Mrs. Sidney Grow, Mr. and Mrs.

Clyde Ross, Miss Conroy and Miss

Davis called on Mr. and Mrs. Thomas

Grow on Sunday.

  Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Ross and

daughter, Orpha, and Mr. and Mrs.

Sidney Grow and son, Leland, visited

with Mr. and Mrs. John Grow and

family on Sunday.
                                                             

  Most of the people in this article are my relatives!  I'll try to explain who they are, and later on, in a different posting, I will give you more information on each one of them.
  First, Mr. & Mrs. Nels Robideau are my great great grandparents.  Nels and Annie (Grow) Robideau are my great grandmother Lulu (Robideau) Elsner's parents.
  Five of Annie Grow's siblings are mentioned: John Grow, Sidney Grow, Thomas Grow, Alma Grow (Mrs. John Odegard), and Frank Grow.
  At the time this was written, Frank Grow was single and 20 years old;  Sidney Grow, 34, was married to Nellie (Ross), 29, and their son Leland was 6; John Odegard, abt 29, was married to Alma (Grow), 26; Thomas Grow, 27, was married to Ella (Taylor), 22; John Grow, 40, was married to Mary (Burke), 41.
  I wonder how many people attended the dinner and dance at the Robideau home?!  At the time, Nels, 45, and Annie, 38, had 11 children and one on the way.  My great grandmother, Lulu was 15 yrs old.  So there were already a lot of people in attendance!
 





Newspaper is from the Library of Congress, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspaper site: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83016758/1911-12-07/ed-1/seq-7/

Sunday's Obituary - Zilla Gawehn

This obituary is for Zilla (Richter) Gawehn.  It was published in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette on Sunday, March 14, 1954, pg. 12A.

REV. ZILLA GAWEHN
  The Rev. Mrs. Zilla Gawehn, 90, died at 7 p.m. yesterday in her home, 513 East Suttenfield St., where she had been ill a week with pneumonia.
  She was born in East Prussia, Germany, and came here in 1890.  She was a member of the First Spiritualist Church.
  Surviving are two sons, George and Erich J. Gawehn, Fort Wayne; and two daughters, the Misses Betty and Luella Gawehn, also Fort Wayne.
  The body was taken to the C. M. Sloan & Sons Funeral Home, where friends may call after 7 p.m. today.


  ____________________________

  Zilla was Lydia (Richter) Elsner's sister.  Zilla was born Oct. 26, 1863 in Germany and married August F. Gawehn in about 1885.  She immigrated to America in 1890 along with her husband and two children, George and Elizabeth.  They settled in Fort Wayne, Indiana and they had  two more children, Luella and Erich.
 
  Zilla's husband August died October 20, 1929.  Her sister Lydia died April 7, 1936 leaving behind her husband of more than 50 years, Albert Elsner. 
 
  Zilla married Albert Elsner on Dec. 28, 1936 just 8 months after her sister died.  Zilla and Albert were married for 11 years before he passed away on July 5, 1947.

  The only new information that this obituary provides is that Zilla was a Reverend.  I was hoping there would be a mention of other Richter family members that were either surviving or had passed before her.  Oh well, I'll just have to keep looking!

Sunday's Obituary - Albert John Elsner

This obituary for Albert Elsner was printed in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette on Thursday, July 3, 1947, Pg. 10.

ALBERT JOHN ELSNER

  Funeral services will be conducted Saturday for Albert John Elsner, 89, who died at 2:40 a.m. Wednesday of a heart ailment at his home, 2540 Thompson Avenue.

  Services will be held at 3 p.m. in the Harry Wilson Funeral Home, Dr. B. F. Clark, of Indianapolis, officiating.  Burial will be in Lindenwood Cemetery.

  Mr. Elsner was a retired farmer.  He was born in West Prussia, Germany, and came to the United States in 1890.  He had been in failing health for several months.

  Survivors include the wife, Mrs. Zella Elsner; four children, Mrs. Elizabeth Kettelhodt, Princeton, Minn., Otto Elsner, Minnesota, Fred Elsner, Chicago, and Eric Elsner, Los Angeles; four stepchildren, George, Luella, Elizabeth and Erich Gawehn, all of Fort Wayne; eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

  Friends may view the body at the funeral home after 7 p.m. today.

_________________________

I believe that Zilla is probably the one that gave the information for this obituary to the newspaper.  I was hoping to find out if Albert had any siblings.  I'm not sure if the information is accurate about him being born in West Prussia as I have only ever seen or heard Germany as his place of birth.  So I will check into that and see what I can find out about it.  Also, he did not immigrate in 1890, it was 1887.

Sunday's Obituary - Lydia Elsner

This obituary for Lydia Elsner was in the Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette on Wednesday, April 8, 1936, pg.6.

__________

ELSNER

_________

                                               Mrs.  Zilla Gawehn, 1309 Sheridan

                                          court,  this  city,  received  word of the

                                          death of her sister, Mrs. Lydia  Elsner,

                                          80,  of  Princeton, Minn., Tuesday aft-

                                          ernoon  at  her  home.   Surviving  are

                                          four   children;   one   brother,    E.   J.

                                          Richter,  Napoleon, O.,  and her sister.

                                          Funeral services will be held Thursday

                                          afternoon at  Princeton.   She formerly

                                          resided in this city many years ago.

It looks like the information for this obituary was provided by Zilla Gawehn who resided in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It gives us another confirmation that Zilla and Lydia were sisters.  Zilla mentions Lydia's 4 children, but not Lydia's husband Albert, of Princeton, Minn., who is probably the one who notified her of her sister's passing!

The most exciting thing to find in this obituary is that Lydia and Zilla have a brother!  E. J. Richter of Napoleon, Ohio!