Zielke Family Christmas Dinner Henry Zielke Home; 776 Second Ave, Aurora, IL
In the spirit of the season, I thought this would be a good time to share the few random memories Aunt Grace has of Zielke Family Christmases. As is frequently heard of "old-fashioned" Christmases, the family celebration for Reinhold's and Martha's family was not a celebration filled with expensive purchases, but rather a time for family to come together and enjoy the holiday with family and food!
Decorating for Christmas always happened on Grandma's birthday, December 18th. The green, artificial tree was older than Aunt Grace who described it as "a spindly-lookin' thing" that provided PLENTY of space for ornaments! The tree would stay up until January 6th.
Grandpa Zielke & Don (?) Appears to be at Uncle Henry's house
Gifts for the holiday were generally special, but with a practical purpose. Gifts primarily consisted of clothes, an orange and a little candy. Grandma never did the Christmas shopping. "Berdie" (aka Aunt Bertha) did all the shopping and brought the gifts with her from Indiana. The children were told that Santa delivered to HER house, although they were also warned that Santa would be watching them through the window to make sure they were behaving themselves. Aunt Grace remembers that one year, Berdie's friend made doll clothes for her baby doll with a trunk! She said she was so disappointed though, because the clothes all looked homemade.
Grandma Zielke
Sometimes, Berdie had a hard time making it to Illinois from Indiana due to the lake effect snow coming around Lake Michigan. Great was the anticipation of the gifts that Berdie would be bringing with her, made even worse by the house rule that dinner was to be eaten BEFORE gifts could be opened and dinner wasn't served until George, Henry and Berdie all made it "home" for Christmas.
Christmas dinner was served with everyone gathered around the big family table that had 3-5 leaves added to make room for all. Aunt Dorothy had the table for years; it is now in cousin Jeanine Creviston's possession. While the family never had turkey, the meal still centered around poultry, featuring a goose and SEVEN ducks! Preparation for the meal began a week ahead as the goose and Muscovy ducks were killed and hung on the clothesline for up to a week before Christmas.
Muscovy Ducks come in several varieties, make good pets AND "are considered very good eating with lean, tender meat that tastes more like veal than duck."
Aunt Grace recalls hearing friends talk about their big 20 lb turkeys for their Christmas dinners and wondering "what kind of pigs are we with a goose AND seven ducks?" Potatoes with gravy, corn and beans were all a traditional part of the main meal with apple and cherry pies for dessert, but two of Grandma's specialties were the crowning glory:
Apple dressing was made with lots of apples, cinnamon, sugar and very little bread. (I remember my dad telling my mother he wanted apple dressing for Christmas dinner and her telling him that if he wanted it, he could make it, probably because she knew she couldn't match Grandma's, but Dad made it!)
Butterscotch Meringue Pie- sorry, no recipe available here!
A few cousins with Grandma about 1965 Grandma, the Pope girls, Norm, Beth & Carol
In later years, I only remember one year, but there was a cousin gift exchange. We were each assigned a cousin to buy for. I'm not sure which cousin had my name but I remember the stuffed toy angora-type cat I got! She was so pretty and soft! I had her for years! If it was you, thank you! I loved her!
Christmas of the 1920s, 30s and 40s was a much simpler time, yet I'm certain no less magical for the Zielke kids than our own kids and grandkids today. I'm also fairly certain the Zielke children were probably more grateful for their clothes, oranges and candy than most kids are for fancy electronics today. There is much to be said for leading a simpler life.
We've lost too many of our Zielke family in 2021; all from Uncle Henry's family: Marilyn, Norm, Ken & Don. We offer prayers of peace and comfort for our family members who feel their loss the greatest during this holiday season. It is also my prayer that we might all remember the simple blessings of the Christmas season; especially the true gift from our Heavenly Father; His son, Jesus Christ, who taught us how to live, suffered for our sins and gave His life that we might return to Heaven to live with him, reunited with our loved ones through all eternity.
May God bless each of you. Merry Christmas and the Happiest New Year!
One day when I was interviewing Aunt Grace she was telling me about some of Grandpa's favorite sweets like Circus Peanuts, Banana Cream Pie and a Lemon Jello Cheesecake! That led to more discussion of foods that the family ate or special dishes they made. I thought documenting that conversation might bring back some fond memories of things you liked to eat at their homes or reunions! Maybe you even have a recipe or two you'd be willing to share!
Aunt Grace remembered her mom making sweets, like apple pies, sugar cookies and a white layer cake with sour cream icing and walnuts. She remembers that they never had "fresh" meat (other than the chickens they'd kill), but they loved the pork chops that had been cooked and preserved in crocks in the basement. The pork chops were warmed in big 12-14" fry pans and served with canned brown gravy, frequently served as gravy bread. She also remembers that Grandpa loved fried potatoes; I guess I take after him... Grandpa's favorite Lemon Jello Cheesecake was a low calorie dessert in a graham cracker crust. The filling was made with lemon Jello (partially whipped with an "egg beater"), cream cheese and Milnot. Sounds pretty good to me, although I'm having a difficult time believing it was low-cal??? (Did they have fat-free cream cheese in the 1940s-1960s?)
Upper: Family Reunion 1989 Lower: Family Reunion 1970 at Marge's home in Oswego
As we transitioned from things the Zielke family ate and began talking about family reunions, Aunt Grace remembered that there was always fried chicken at the reunions. Some of the "specialties" mentioned below may have been brought to reunions OR they may just be a special dish that Aunt Grace remembers them making.
Home Movies: Zielke Family Reunions 1954, 1956 & 1957
Unedited, silent movies (I apologize for the dark spots)
"Little" Aunt Emily (Uncle George's wife) made a Kidney Bean Salad, sweet pickle relish and deviled eggs with hard boiled eggs, celery, onion and Miracle Whip or mayonnaise.
"Big" Aunt Emily (aka Miem, Uncle Henry's wife) made some special desserts: apple pies and a spice cake with banana frosting.
Aunt Bertha made Chop Suey! She also made a dessert of apple slices arranged on a jelly roll pan and drizzled with frosting on top.
Aunt Helen would make meat loaf with a mix of pork, beef and veal mixed with eggs, ketchup, onion, mustard, brown sugar and sage!
Aunt Mary Ellen would always take her Cheese Potatoes to reunions and picnics. Cooked and sliced potatoes smothered in a basic white sauce that had Kraft American Cheese melted into it. Uncle Ray would contribute his favorite baked frozen Lloyd J Harris apple and cherry pies!
Aunt Grace would contribute cole slaw and/or Baked Beans with Ham Bones! She says Marcia was always the pie baker in their house. The cole slaw was made with finely shredded cabbage, Miracle Whip, vinegar, oil, sugar and celery seed. (Emily liked it with pineapple chunks or drained, crushed pineapple added to it!) To make the Baked Beans, she would boil the beans with baking soda and then rinse them and cover them with clean water. Then add a ham bone, onion, celery and carrots and cook all together. Cook until everything is tender, pick the meat off the ham bone. Add ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and Worcestershire Sauce to the ham, beans and veggies and bake for about an hour at 325 degrees.
Aunt Marge's German Potato Salad was a regular at reunions. Potatoes were cooked and cut up, bacon was fried and crumbled. Fry onion in the bacon grease and blend in 1/4 to 1/3 cup flour. Add vinegar, sugar and water and cook until the sauce was clear. Warm the potatoes and bacon crumbles in the sauce and serve warm.
Aunt Dorothy specialized in desserts! Apple Squares, coffee cakes, Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing, Rhubarb desserts, pies and crisps were all part of her favorite recipes. (Jayne, any recipes to share with the family???)
While this isn't a very informative blog post, I hope it brings back a few fun memories of visits to our aunts/uncles homes or attending a Zielke Family Reunion, always coordinated with annual visits from the "Kentucky Cousins." I've long regretted losing touch with our great family after my dad's death. I guess it just didn't feel right anymore; being the one who didn't belong. It has made me appreciate even more, the opportunity to reconnect with Aunt Grace, the rest of the family and to be able to document bits and pieces of our family history. Today, one week before Thanksgiving, 2021, I'm thankful for each of you, my wonderful, extended Zielke family and most of all for our wonderful matriarch, Aunt Grace. 💖
I loved hearing my parents' "love story" when I was little and really enjoyed hearing Aunt Grace's memories of her story with Uncle Austin. It made me think that the rest of you might enjoy hearing about your parents/grandparents/aunts/uncles courtships through her eyes as well!
Reinhold & Louisa Zielke 11 March 1903
Our family story began when Reinhold Zielke married Louisa Staffeldt on March 11, 1903. They had three children: George, Henry & Bertha. Louisa was quite ill during her fourth pregnancy and younger sister, Martha (who always wanted to be a nurse), went to stay with them and help care for Louisa and the children. Louisa, who had pneumonia, and the baby passed away shortly after the baby's birth on March 7, 1917. Martha stayed on to help Reinhold with the house and to care for the children. In Martha's mind and heart, her sister's children were as much hers as her own children.
Reinhold & Martha Zielke 20 November 1918
Over time, Martha became an integral part of their family as she and Reinhold grew to love one another. They married November 20, 1918 and were blessed with five more children: Helen, Raymond, Grace, Marjorie & Dorothy.
George & Emily Zielke 24 June 1933
George married Emily Katherine Griesmann on the 24th of June, 1933 when he was 28 and she was 29. Their wedding reception was a small family affair at the home of Emily's parents. Grace was 8 at the time and the fact that she doesn't remember a time when Emily wasn't like part of the family, Grace believes they must have dated for several years before they were married. The only event during their dating years that is clear to Grace was from the time George & Emily took all the siblings to the gravel pit to swim and she nearly drowned. George worked at the gravel pit and Emily worked at a bias tape factory. They lived in a rental home owned by Dr. Bell (the dentist) in Oswego.
Henry & Emily Zielke 2 March 1935
Henry married Emily Clara Katherine Staffeldt on the 2nd of March, 1935 when he was 26 and she was 24. Henry and Emily were 2nd cousins as Emily's grandfather Johann was the elder brother of Wilhelm, Henry's grandfather. Aunt Grace can't really remember a time when this Emily wasn't part of the family either, as Henry met her when Grace was only two-years-old. As their parents were cousins, Emily had come for a visit in Oswego after the family car accident. Emily offered to carry Grace out to the barn to see the cows since Grace was still unable to walk at that point. When they got to the barn, Emily met Henry who was milking the cows. The rest, as they say, is history and Emily always credited Aunt Grace for her introduction to Henry! (Another interesting tidbit in the Family Tree: The two Aunt Emilies were cousins as their mothers were sisters!)
Bertha married Burdette Alva Wood on the 28th of September, 1930 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Aurora, Illinois when she was nearly 19 and he was 23. Burdette had just finished barber school and was opening a barber shop in Indiana. Bertha wanted to move to Indiana with Burdette, so they had a quick wedding on Sunday evening at 6 or 6:30. The two Emilies (George's and Henry's girlfriends), along with Burdette's sister Ida were Bertha's attendants. They had veal for the wedding dinner and the cake topper was recycled to top Grace's wedding cake years later. (Their daughter, Vivian, had the topper last.) Burdette took lessons and got his pilot's license through the GI Bill. Grace remembers that Burdette always bragged about how much money he made in his barber shop; hundreds of dollars in one day! Grace lived with them for two summers and remembers that Bertha wasn't allowed to wear makeup if Burdette was with her. She also remembers that they always took separate vacations and that he would always go to Colorado Springs, Colorado on his vacation.
Garnet & Helen Hudson with children:
Dick, Jim & Janet about 1944
Helen eloped with Garnet Hudson on the 9th of August 1938 at a Justice of the Peace in Indiana when she was 19 and he was 29. They met through friends; Verna Ode was Helen's friend and Verna's boyfriend, Audy (from Kentucky), was a friend (or cousin) of Garnet's. Garnet was working on a farm outside of Oswego. Garnet had previously been working at a steel mill in Indiana, so Grace is unsure how he came to be working on a farm in Oswego. Garnet was a heavy drinker, had been married before and was ten years older than Helen, all of which were detrimental to his acceptance into the family. Helen had graduated from high school in 1937 and was working at a restaurant/bar.
Following the accident that scarred Helen's face and broke Grace's hip, Grandpa & Grandma had received cash settlements for the children. ($2500 for Helen; $500 for Grace & $250 for Ray) They had used the money toward the purchase of a home at 5237 Fairmont in Downer's Grove, IL, which was to have been Grandma's "dream home." Garnet decided that he wanted to purchase a feed grinder to start a business in 1938-39 and asked Grandma & Grandpa for Helen's settlement money . The business didn't last, however, and Garnet went to work at Barber Green until the fall of 1942 when "Grandpa" Hudson came to get them and move the family to Kentucky.
Aunt Grace didn't really feel like she knew enough of Helen's and Garnet's relationship or events to share more, so I reached out directly to "the kids" to see what they could share with us all. I received the following from Dick (via Judy):
"It was my impression that the eleven year difference in age of my mother ( Helen) and my father (Garnet) was of disfavor with Grandpa Zielke which led to an early life departure of Mom/Dad, me and my one year old little brother, Jim, from Oswego, Illinois to Louisville, Kentucky.
Your father (Uncle Ray) was likely an only sibling among the Zielkes to show any
measure of respect to my father. Admittedly, Dad’s alcoholism posed a lifelong challenge."
The following passage is a quote from the response I received from Janet:
"Let me begin be saying that Mother (Helen) was an angel on Earth. Dad (Garnet) had a drinking problem and when he was not drinking he was a good Dad; BUT when drinking he could be a challenge. Mother and Dad did not talk about getting married etc. After they were married they rented an apartment from the Pasko’ s (not sure of the spelling). I met Jean on one of our many vacations to visit our Illinois family who always spoiled us royally. Mom and Jean had a special friendship that lasted a lifetime. Both brothers, Dick and Jim were born in Illinois. Sometime between 1942 and 1943 Mom and Dad moved to Valley Station which is in the Great State of Kentucky! Our neighbors were Lu Bell and Joe Arnold. Sister Margie Lu was named after Aunt Marge and neighbor Lu Bell. It was such a fun house as our neighbors had no children and boy oh boy did they ever spoil us. We received birthday gifts up until they passed away! As a matter of fact, they are buried near Mom and Dad at Cave Hill. Mom asked that I take flowers to them every time I brought flowers to her and Dad as they had no kin. Brother Dick was fortunate enough to have Lu Bell for a teacher for two years and she said he was a genius and wonderful student! While living in Valley Station our cousins (on Dad's side) came to stay with us. Berle, Lahoma and Evelyn had been placed in a home by their Mother, so Uncle Wavie asked for help with this sad situation. We all had a fun time until Dad decided to move his family to Hudson, KY (we called it 'down in the country' and that it was). NO running water ( we carried the water in lard cans), NO indoor plumbing (thank goodness for the outhouse), one room Schoolhouse. Bath time was once a week on Saturday and we all used the same water and tub ... I think Marge and I got to go first! The main crops were tobacco and watermelons .... As Dad was working in Louisville during the week and only with us on weekends it soon became necessary to leave the farm. Family from Illinois came for Mom and family as she was not well. Upon Mom's recovery Dad came and picked us up and this time we headed back to Louisville, KY. This time Grandpa Hudson joined the Clan and we became best buddies! Grandpa eventually became forgetful and had to go live in a special place but we visited him every weekend. Along came Baby Bob while we lived on Compton. Next move was to Contestoga where we filled the house. We had wonderful friends and neighbors for the remainder of our time together! At the appropriate time Dick, went off to the army and was stationed at Fort Knox and then Germany. Upon graduation from high school Jim went off to college on a Football Scholarship. Upon my graduation, I went to work and tried taking evening college classes, but it was too much for me as I was working two jobs. Mom and Dad moved to Montana which was close to Compton where we had previously lived. Upon Marge’s graduation, Marge worked and then married her childhood sweetheart, Larry. Baby Bob enjoyed his time with Mom and headed off to college at the appropriate time as well. Mom and Dad eventually purchased a lovely home near sister Marge. Mom and Dad spent their remaining years there until their deaths in 1985 and 1988. In closing I would like to say just how Blessed our family was to have such wonderful grandparents, Grandpa & Grandma Zielke, Aunts and Uncles: Uncle George & Aunt Emily, Uncle Henry & Aunt Emily, Uncle Burdette & Aunt Bertha, Uncle Ray & Aunt Mary Ellen, Uncle Austin & Aunt Grace, Uncle Bob & Aunt Marge, and Uncle Bob & Aunt Dort and especially all our many cousins who were more like brothers and sisters! Most especially Aunt Grace who is our one remaining Aunt and has enough LOVE in her HEART to share with ALL!"
Ray & Mary Ellen Zielke 11 Sept 1942
Ray married Mary Ellen Hill on the 11th of September, 1942 at the Evangelical United Brethren Church in Aurora, Illinois when they were both 20-years-old.* Ray and Mary Ellen met while they were both working at Stoner Manufacturing (down the hill from the old YMCA) in Aurora, where they made pinball and vending machines. Ray came home and told Grace that he had met a girl and not too long afterward, he told Grace that Mary Ellen's sister Dorothy had the exact same birthday that Grace did. Ray brought Mary Ellen home to meet the family fairly soon and the family all seemed to like her. Aunt Grace remembers Mary Ellen as being very caring and frequently cared for the Brown twins, Janet & Joyce, who lived next door to her. She would bring them along to visit at the farm.
Ray and Mary Ellen frequently double-dated with Ray's friend, Ralph Randall and his girlfriend, Eva, when Ralph was home from Fort Sheridan on the weekends. Dates were frequently to the movies or to the Blue Moon Dance Hall in Elgin. It was a tavern that served burgers and also had a band. (Side note: I have a hard time imagining my dad at a dance hall, yet I'm pretty sure my mom would have loved it. Maybe with enough beers and a desire to make his girl happy...) There are many pictures of Mary Ellen with Grace. When I asked Aunt Grace about their relationship, she said she felt like Mary Ellen had more in common with her than she did with her own sister, which is very true.
Ray's birthday gift to Mary Ellen.
Ray & Mary Ellen had a candle-light ceremony in the early evening of September 11, 1942 at the Evangelical United Brethren church on 4th Street in Aurora. Grace, Marge and Dorothy (Hill) were Mary Ellen's attendants. Standing up with Ray were Henry and Mary Ellen's cousin, Carl Smith. Mary Ellen wore the locket pictured above for her wedding. (The locket has become a tradition in Carol's family. Carol wore it for her wedding. Each of Carol's daughters and daughters-in-law wore the locket and it will be offered to each of Carol's grandchildren for their weddings as well.) The wedding was interrupted between the ceremony and the reception as Ray needed to go to the Draft Board in Yorkville with Grandpa to finalize the paperwork to obtain a draft exemption for Ray from World War II. (Farmers were needed during the war to ensure food was being raised to support the country and the troops.) They then returned to the reception in the church basement where all sat, conversed and had wedding cake and coffee. There was no honeymoon as Ray needed to get back to helping Grandpa on the farm. In the spring of 1943, Ray went to work for Louis Probst on the farm on Routes 30 & 47; the first farm on the right. They were living there when Bill was born. Later they moved to another farm on Randall Road in Aurora and then finally to Mary Ellen's parents house at 415 North Avenue in Aurora and Ray went into carpentry.
Grace & Austin Pope 3 November 1945
Grace married Austin John Pope on November 3, 1945 when she was twenty and he was twenty-two.
If you recall, from "School Days: Part II," Grace and Austin unknowingly had their first encounter at a basketball game when Grace was inadvertently blinding Austin and others on the opposing side of the gym with the mirror on the bottom of her purse! Before they began to date, however, there was...
Before Austin, Joe Blasing, who had lived close to the Zielke farm was dating Aunt Grace. She recalls that one day, when the weather was pretty and they had moved to the Barker House, they were walking down the lane and he showed her where he used to live. Herman Blasing, Joe's father, had committed suicide in the barn. Austin was dating Della Reppy while Grace was dating Joe. The two couples had gone on double dates for dinner and a movie a couple of times before Austin and Della broke up. Grace and Joe had also broken up because, while Joe was a very nice boy, he was Catholic. One day when Austin went to the A&P (grocery store) to pick up old produce to feed the pigs, he was talking to Mr. Larsen, the manager, and told him that he was thinking about asking Grace out. Mr. Larsen was unaware that Austin had broken up with Della, his children's babysitter and told Austin that Grace wouldn't do it. The two entered into a bet!
Austin asked Grace to do him a favor and go with him to the A&P in Yorkville on Saturday night at 7:00pm, and so their first date began on April 29, 1944 with a trip to the A&P! The evening didn't go smoothly, however. It just so happened that Austin's father was in the hospital, there was a cow bellowing in their barn and Austin's mother needed help. Remembering that he was going to the A&P, she called the store, looking for Austin. The date continued with a trip to the Pope farm where they checked on the cow, met Austin's mother, went to a 9:00pm movie followed by a hamburger, with ketchup (it was wartime and foods were rationed). When Austin took Grace home at the end of their date, they sat in the car and talked. Until 4:00am!!! Grace didn't get much sleep that night/morning, as Ray arrived around 8:00am to pick Grace up to sit with Mary Ellen who had just suffered a miscarriage.
By Thanksgiving of that year, their relationship had apparently gotten pretty serious as they took a trip to Louisville with Marge along as their chaperone. They headed out with Grandma's hand-written directions, which they were unable to read! They knew they were looking for a white house with a brick porch, kitty-corner from an orphanage.... but all the houses were white with brick porches!
"Berdie" took Grace into Chicago to Marshall Fields to find her wedding dress. Grace knew she didn't want a lot of buttons down the back and was able to find a beautiful dress with a zipper down the back, buttons in front and a sweetheart neckline for $25!!! (This was the shopping trip the salesclerk mistook Aunt Bertha to be Aunt Grace's mother!)
The wedding took place at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Aurora because there was no Lutheran church in Oswego. Aunt Marge, Austin's sister Miriam and Grace's friend from the Civil Service, Margaret Dhuse were her attendants. Vivian Wood was the Flower Girl and Don Zielke was the Ring Bearer. Charles, who had been stationed in Italy, came home in October and served as Austin's Best Man. Groomsmen were Ray and Walt Parks, Austin's brother-in-law who made it home on leave from WWII in time for the wedding.
The wedding reception was in Grandma & Grandpa's basement where they had tables and chairs set up EVERYWHERE to accommodate the 100+ guests. Everyone had ham sandwiches and potato salad to eat. After awhile there was a terrible racket outside the front door. Grace and Austin went to the door to welcome the charivari (shiv'-a-ree) when Ray and Bernie Blasing scooped Grace up in their arms and started running; veil flowing and Austin running behind! They ran past all the cars and it was so dark out, Grace had no idea where they were going until Uncle Frank Staffeldt was able to stop them.
In December after the wedding, Grace, Austin and Marge attended a Christmas Pageant at Bardwell School in Aurora. Afterward as they were driving along Route 25 about 10:00pm, they came upon Rodney Pierce (a friend a few years younger than Ray) who was having car trouble. After helping Rodney, they were driving on along Route 47 and came to two trucks whose drivers were stopped in the road talking. One of the trucks pulled out to turn left and their car slid under the truck on the icy road. Anti-freeze was leaking everywhere and Aunt Grace remembers being quite upset because they had just completed repairs on the Pontiac recently. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the -10 degree temperature had them all pretty cold, pretty quick. One of the truck drivers gave them a ride down the road to Ray & Mary Ellen's place where they ran around, knocking on all the doors and windows, yelling, trying to rouse Ray or Mary Ellen. Finally, Austin went to the garage and started honking the car horn. They spent the night there and then had to use Grandpa Zielke's car for the next several weeks until their car repairs were done.
Marge & Bob Kaetzer 18 April 1953
Marge married Robert Henry Kaetzer on April 18, 1953 when he was twenty-nine and she was twenty-five. Bob was known to the Zielke family most of his life as Bobby Stillson, although he had never been formally adopted by Lydia & Skyler Stillson. Skyler was a barber who worked with Uncle Burdette. Bob & Marge's courtship began when he wrote her a letter. He was working in Gary, Indiana and would come to stay on the weekends. They dated for 1-1/2 to 2 years before they married, although Aunt Grace doesn't recall them having any "real" dates. Bob bought her ring from a jewelry store that was owned by the people he stayed with during the week in Gary.
Dorothy, Grace & Helen Gilmore were Marge's attendants. Bob's childhood friend, Johnnie Ragen from Arizona and Austin were groomsmen. Kathy & Margie Lu were Flower Girls with Norm as the Ring Bearer.
It was mostly relatives in attendance at their 4:00pm wedding at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Aurora. While wedding pictures were being taken, Margie Lu entertained everyone in the hall with "5 Little Ducks," teaching it to everyone there. The reception followed at the church where sandwiches, cake and coffee were served. After the reception, lots of guests came to Oswego to continue the celebration. Afterward the newlyweds went to a hotel between Joliet and Plainfield. Dorothy (Dort), Eleanor, Austin & Wally Schoen tracked them down and wrote on their car windshield with lipstick. They honeymooned in the Smokey Mountains and later moved into the Barker house until Ray built their new brick home across the street from Grandma & Grandpa Zielke.
Dorothy & Bob Hendrickson Christmas, 1987
Dorothy married Robert William Hendrickson on June 21, 1958 when he was thirty and she was twenty-four.
Dorothy and Bob met while she was teaching at Shabbona High School. Bob's brother-in-law owned a grocery store and Bob was a meat cutter in the store. Dorothy shared an apartment with her girlfriend Carola; she and Bob used to double date frequently with Carola and her boyfriend. They dated for about two years during which time Bob had gone home to Waukegan and worked at a paint store. Bob was accepted well into the family, even though he wasn't a farmer...
They were married at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Aurora. Dorothy made her own wedding dress. Carola and Norma Peterson, Dort's grade school friend were her attendants. Marcia was the Flower Girl and wore a dress made by Aunt Grace. Tommy Hunt was the Ring Bearer. Bob Hunt, Bob's brother-in-law and Carola's boyfriend were groomsmen. Dorothy's godfather, Wilbur Schutt walked her down the aisle as Grandpa was 78-years-old and shuffled when he walked
At the reception in the church annex, guests were served salads, relish trays, chips, cake and punch. Aunt Grace made the punch and remembers cousin Judy kept peeling carrots until they were all gone.
Dorothy wanted to go to New England for their honeymoon. They were gone two nights; made it to Michigan and came back home. She had decided it was too frivolous to go on a honeymoon. They took Marica and Nan back to Waukegan with them. They purchased a lot with plans to build their house later.
Dorothy quit teaching at Shabbona after she married. Later she taught in a private girls' school in Kenosha. After Jayne was born, Dorothy started a preschool at their church. Bob worked in roofing materials and sold AMC cars.
As I reflect on the family relationships I observed so many years ago; the relationships between the Zielke siblings, their relationships with their spouses and the spouses' relationships with one another, I remember each of them fondly. I know none of them were perfect, and I'm fairly certain none of their marriages were perfect all the time. I am certain, however, that they loved one another and they loved their families; it was evident when I saw them together. While none of them were perfect, they were perfect for each other. Each courtship was different, each marriage was different, but each of them fought through the hard times and appreciated the good times "until death do us part." My love and appreciation for each of them, and the examples they have given us, has only increased as Aunt Grace shared their stories. What a blessing to each of us that they were all brave enough to say "Something Stupid."
When you take psychology, you learn that sibling order typically has an impact on behavior and relationships in the family. With that in mind, last week I thought it might be interesting to know how Aunt Grace remembered each of her siblings as far as their interests, skills and sibling role went. She was quick to point out that with children spread over 28 years, they really didn't know each other very well growing up, but she was a good sport and gave us her memories as best she could. As usual, it became a fun, interesting conversation.
Uncle George would best be described as a provider for the family. She remembers that after he went to work in the Gravel Pit he would always turn his paycheck over to Grandpa. Aunt Grace believes that there were times the family would have had a hard time getting by if it weren't for him. She also remembers him as a great animal lover and that it wouldn't be uncommon to see him with a cat on his shoulder.
Uncle Henry was the sweetheart of the family. He was the quietest and always very considerate. Although he was quiet, he had a good sense of humor, enjoyed a good laugh and had a twinkle in his eye.
Aunt Bertha was the comedian of the older kids. She had a great sense of humor and was always very generous. An early memory of her generosity was when she'd come home from working and the younger kids would run out to meet her, knowing she would have treats for them.
All three of the older kids were hard working and responsible as was evident in the fact that Grandpa could trust them to go to Oswego alone to work the new farm. They were conscious of the younger kids and did things to include them; like taking them to the gravel pit to swim.
They apparently also knew how to combine fun with work and included the younger kids in those adventures as well. Aunt Grace vividly remembers the time George and Henry came to the farm with the Emilies and took the younger kids out to the pasture to drown gophers! Aunt Grace wasn't certain WHY they were drowning the gophers, so I did a bit of Googling. Turns out there are dual reasons for eliminating gophers in pastures: 1) Gophers quickly destroy the root system; turning the pasture to mud during a rainy season, and 2) livestock can step in one of the holes and break a leg. Although Aunt Grace didn't remember why they were drowning gophers she does remember how excited they got and how they would all cheer when they'd pour water down one hole and then see the poor critter float out of the hole at the other end!
Aunt Helen was always a bit of a loner; almost to the point that she could be described as aloof. She never really had many friends and we speculated that part of that may have been a result of the scar she lived with most of her life after the car accident when Grace was a toddler. She does remember getting into trouble with Helen when she and Marge used to get into her makeup.
My dad (aka Uncle Ray) was always a big helper. While he never had to help with household chores, he carried the bulk of the responsibilities for the outdoor chores from crops, to livestock, to machinery. Aunt Grace said he was probably the best kind of big brother a girl could ask for. I expected her to say he was a tease, but she said no; that they were all pretty serious.
Aunt Grace sees herself as the worker bee; responsible from a young age for household chores, some barn chores and family taxi driver after Ray left home. She was never much of a daredevil and didn't like roller coasters. If she went to a fair or a carnival, she enjoyed the Tilt-a-Whirl or the Merry-Go-Round. The Ferris Wheel was okay as long as she wasn't stuck at the top, especially with someone who liked to rock the car while up there! (I wonder if she ever rode it with my dad???) She was never really sure why, but she knows that Uncle Garnet didn't like her and always said that Janet was just like her!
Aunt Grace and Aunt Marge had a strong love/hate relationship. They were so close, they could be considered best friends, yet Aunt Grace remembers arguing with her more than any other sibling. Chores, especially doing the dishes, could be a battle between the two of them; possibly because Grandma favored her a little as the baby of the family for six years. It seems Aunt Marge got away with some things Grace couldn't have dreamed of. In spite of all that, they shared clothes to double their wardrobes and spent most of their free time with neighbor and friend, Della Reppy.
Not surprisingly, Aunt Grace feels that she had the closest relationships with Ray and Marge. She remembers that she and Ray bought a bike from the Reppys for $2.50 and that they shared it with Aunt Marge. Grace rode the bike mostly for errands, without any tricks or daredevil stunts involved. Ray rode the bike more than the others for enjoyment; frequently popping wheelies and riding with no hands. For as much as Aunt Grace claims to have no coordination, it seems that Aunt Marge was the least coordinated of the three and had quite an adventure whenever she went for a bike ride. It turns out, Aunt Marge was unable to stop the bike on her own! Whenever she went for a ride, Ray and Grace had to watch for her to come home so that they could run out and catch her! If they were too late and missed her, Aunt Marge had to ride around the block another time so that Ray and Grace could catch her on the next round!
Aunt Dorothy was the after-thought baby of the family born 28 years after Uncle George and 6 years after Aunt Marge. She had a marvelous sense of humor and, along with Aunt Bertha, was a family comedian. In spite of the fact that Grandpa spoiled his baby girl, she was a hard worker and through her own determination, made it to college to become a teacher. She worked as a nurses aid, saved her money and got scholarships to reach her goal.
In spite of the 28 year age difference in the siblings, it was always apparent to me that the Zielke kids were all loyal to and supportive of one another. It was always a great joy to me to attend family reunions; to see their interaction and to hear their laughter. I hope each of you have similar memories of the family and that, like me, you've been able to follow their example as you've built relationships in your own families.
I've realized that often times, people don't realize what special talents or gifts they have to share with the world. Whether it's out of humility or they honestly don't stop to think of the things they just "DO" as anything special, many people feel that way, and such was the case with Aunt Grace.
I recently asked her to tell me about anything she has collected over her lifetime, or hobbies she has had. Right away, she told me that she's never had/done anything like that. She then told me that Uncle Austin did. He apparently had quite the coin collection and as silver was going for $22/ounce, they were able to pay for their trip to Alaska by cashing in the coin collection!
Fortunately, Nan was there with her on our call and asked her mom about all of her counted cross stitch. And we were off and running! Oh yes!!! Aunt Grace has done a lot of counted cross stitch in her time! For anyone who may not know, counted cross stitch is done with embroidery floss on aida cloth using the most basic embroidery stitch: the cross stitch, a series of Xs arranged by pattern and color to create simple or complex designs.
The first project she told me about was the pictures she made for each of her seven grandchildren. They were made to look like old-fashioned "samplers" and have each grandchild's name and birth information:
Matthew & Jaci with their Samplers
While the Samplers were special gifts for each of the grandchildren for Christmas, Grace also made sure the grandchildren know that they were on Santa's list as in 1993, she made a counted cross-stitch of Santa with each of the grandkids' names on his list!
The next special one I learned of was her Lord's Prayer:
Floral patterns were pretty common among her counted cross-stich designs:
I love that all of her major projects include her signature and the year on them; little things that will make them even more special to her progeny through the years.
One year she did a cross-stitch that matches the pattern on her good China. Granddaughter, Lisa, gets the China and will also get the matching cross-stitch.
Following the floral theme, in 2003, she also did a "LOVE" cross-stitch hanging
Aunt Grace has also made table runners for several family members! She's made them using Monk's Cloth doing Swedish Weaving. I got to see one up close when I visited Norm and Elaine lately and, as someone who does embroidery, I was fascinated with the amount of needlework visible on the surface and virtually NOTHING visible on the backside! Gorgeous!
Poor Nan was kept busy during this video chat with Aunt Grace, running around and taking pictures of everything for me so that I could include them in this blog post and her exercise wasn't complete just because we finished with the cross-stitch projects!
As I asked Aunt Grace about her earlier years, I learned that before she was married, she used to embroider dresser scarves and dish towels. I know most of the "young 'uns" who may be reading this will have no idea what a dresser scarf is, but they were very common before the 1960s when furniture began to be made with better, more protected surfaces. Dresser scarves were laid across the top of dressers or bureaus to protect the surface of the furniture and were most frequently adorned with embroidery. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of a dresser scarf to share with you, but Nan was able to dig out some of the embroidered dish clothes!
Not surprisingly, Aunt Grace also used to make a lot of her girls' clothing when they were young. When I asked if she sewed for economic reasons or pure enjoyment, she said, "Well. BOTH!" She enjoyed sewing, but as a young, post-WWII family, making clothes for her growing family helped to ease the budget.
Finally, I learned that not only does Aunt Grace do beautiful embroidery and cross-stitch, she also knows how to knit AND crochet! Most people I know, do one or the other. A fun favorite that people beg her for are her "scrubbies." To make them, she cuts. nylon net into 2" strips and then crochets six strips in a circular pattern to make her kitchen scrubbies. She ocassionally gets a request for larger scrubbies to use to wash cars; for those she uses 12 strips!
The final "non-hobby" project for "show-and-tell" with Aunt Grace was this gorgeous afghan, made of squares knitted in different patterns and sewn together! If I may repeat myself, absolutely GORGEOUS!
Looking at all of these beautiful heirlooms Aunt Grace has created, makes me realize how important it is to prepare to leave something behind for my children and grandchildren. Each of these items are a reflection of her great talent and the abundant love that she shares with each of us. Don't count your talents and skills short. Whether we knit, crochet, collect coins, restore antiques, take photos, sing, play an instrument, write stories or whatever it is we do with our "free" time, it is a piece of who we are and whatever we can do today to ensure that our progeny have access to those things will enable each of them to know us and know of our love for them through the generations. I know we're all blessed to know all we have been able to learn from our amazing matriarch. We love you, Aunt Grace!
Aunt Grace with her hand- embroidered dish towels; Jan 2021
