52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 24 "Romance"

MY FATHER...THE ROMANTIC CAR THIEF: 

When my parents were married on June 15, 1946 my father was just returning from service in WWII.  Their courtship had been unique in that they had not known each other but were brought together by my paternal grandfather.  My father had been born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and my mother had been born and raised in St. Joseph, Michigan, some 200 miles away.  The families knew each other, though, through another familial connection but my parents had never met.  While my father's parents, and even his brother and sister, had traveled numerous times to St. Joseph to visit my mother's family, my father had never joined his family on these trips.

When my father went into the service he was already engaged to someone from Detroit.  She was wearing his engagement ring and my father had presented her with a photo of himself in uniform with a personal inscription.  During his service in Central America, in the US Army Air Corps, his fiancee, Lillian, had "strayed" and my grandmother had been privileged to catch her in this indiscretion.  My grandmother, being a very controlling person, had demanded the engagement ring and photo back and Lillian was banished - never to be heard from again!

It was at this time that my father's parents traveled to St. Joseph to visit my mother and her family.  During this visit, my paternal grandfather played matchmaker and asked my mother if she would like to write to his son in the service who had just broken up with his girlfriend.  My mother agreed to write to the serviceman only if he were to write her first.  The correspondence began and would last for about 2 years until my father was discharged in February, 1946.  During this time my father decided that it would be a great idea to send his "new" girlfriend a photo of himself in uniform and this is the photo he sent her.  Evidently he had been raised to "waste not, want not" though my brother and I thought this was the most hilarious thing as we were growing up and would hear this story and see this photo:

In February, 1946 my father was discharged from the service and he returned to Detroit.  My mother and HER mother (chaperone, you know!) traveled to the train depot in Detroit to greet him.  This would be the first time my parents actually saw each other.  Immediately my father proposed, my mother accepted and she was given the same engagement ring that my father's previous fiancee had worn.  They were married just a few months later on June 15, 1946.  On their 25th anniversary, though, in 1971 my mother did get a new engagement and wedding ring set though she really never seemed to mind the original setting either.  It was more of a humorous story that was told over the years to friends who would always marvel at the recycled photo and ring.

But there is more to this story.  My parents were to be married in my mother's home town of St. Joseph.  A few days prior to the wedding my father arrived in St. Joseph with his new acquisition which was a used car that he had just purchased in Detroit.  He was most proud of this car and it would be their honeymoon transportation to Niagara Falls.

On June 15th, the day of the wedding, my father decided to move the car from my mother's house because he was sure his brother and other male friends were going to be playing a prank on him with his car.  Not knowing the area of St. Joseph he simply drove his car a few blocks from my mother's home and parked it in front of a house.  The wedding took place, the guests moved to the reception hall and the day was perfect.  After the reception my father walked back to pick up his car so he could go and pick up his new bride and they could start on their honeymoon.  But when he got to the place where he had parked the car, the car was GONE.

Thinking for sure that his brother, cousins, friends and/or my mother's three brothers had moved the car as a joke, he simply walked around the downtown area and happened upon his car which was parked in a parking lot of what he assumed to be a business of some sort.  He got in the car and proceeded back to pick up my mother at the wedding hall so he could drive her back to her home so she could change out of her wedding gown.  They had just pulled up in front of my mother's home when suddenly the police came up behind him, told him he was driving a stolen car, and despite protests that my father was the owner of the car, he was made to drive back to the police station.

My mother, so sure now that HER brothers had played some prank was so angry that she marched back to the reception hall where the party was still going on and confronted her brothers, cousins, brother-in-law and all professed innocence in the matter.

Back to the police station they all went where my father was being held as being in possession of a stolen car.  Everyone attempted to convince the police that my father was the rightful owner of the car, some offered to stay in his place and my mother's uncle even offered to put his nearby hotel up as collateral if the newlyweds could leave.  They were told, though, that this was a state offense and that my father would have to stay in the police station until word came from Lansing, the state capital, as to the rightful ownership of the car.

What had happened was that my father had purchased the car in Detroit from a man going through a divorce.  The man's wife had not known about the sale of the car and she reported the car stolen.  When my father had moved his car on the day of the wedding and parked it a few blocks away, the owner of that home had noticed the car parked there all day and reported it to the St. Joseph police who ran a trace of the license plate which came up as having been stolen in Detroit.  The police towed the car to the parking lot of the police station and my father, not knowing the area, simply got in the car and drove it away.

After sitting in the police station until 4 in the morning, the word finally came from Lansing that my father was indeed the rightful owner and my parents were able to finally leave on their honeymoon.

The next day they did make the front page of the St. Joseph newspaper which made for a repeat of a good story over the next 50 years.  My father even carried a copy of the newspaper clipping in his wallet those 50 years, as a reminder of the events of his unique wedding day:

The next morning, none the worse for wear, they posed with the car in front of my mother's home as they prepared to leave on their honeymoon:

 copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 23 "Homemade"

HOMEMADE BY GRANDMA AND GRANDPA:

My maternal grandparents, Ella, nee Kolberg, and Joseph Kijak, were loving grandparents whose memories I will carry with me forever.  They were also very talented in woodworking (grandpa) and craft work (grandma).  Here are some examples of their talents, which I still have today, and am proud to display in my home:

Homemade by my grandmother:

My christening slip and gown made in 1948:

Christmas decorations:

Homemade Easter eggs:

Stuffed animals (2 poodles and "Tony the Tiger":

Baby clothes for me:

My Mickey Mouse stuffed animal, which my grandmother made in varying fabrics for many of my cousins, (it is stuffed with women's hosiery):

A foot stool, which my grandmother made by using 7 large empty juice cans and covered with material from coats that she would purchase at rummage sales.  She made these stools for many cousins, who still have their stools today, and who remember my grandmother with love: 

Homemade by my grandfather:

Doll furniture:

A toy trunk, made by my grandfather in 1927, for my mother when she was 2 years old.  I now use it in my home as a coffee table:

My mother's rocking chair, also made by her father in 1927, when she was 2 years old:

My grandparents were talented people and I know that they would be pleased to know that all the above items are in my home and are still displayed by me.

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 22 "Sports"

DETROIT SPORTS:

In my family, sports played a large part in the activities that my father (and my brother) enjoyed.  The Detroit teams were my father's passion, and he could always be found enjoying a game or three at the same time.

I can still see my father sitting in his recliner watching the Detroit Tigers on the large TV, watching another sport on a small 7" TV that he propped up on his stomach and holding a radio to his ear listening to another team.  Whether it was the Detroit Tigers playing baseball, the Pistons playing basketball, the Red Wings - and Gordie Howe - playing hockey or the Lions playing football, there was my dad.  In fact my parents had season tickets to all the Detroit Lions games for many seasons. 

In going through my photos for an interesting story to enhance this post I came across two photos of my paternal grandfather showing him enjoying sports.  

While I remember my grandfather vividly, and while we were extremely close, he never mentioned anything to me about having actively taken part in a sport.  But pictures do not lie!

Here is my grandfather, Elmer Schulte, in 1902 at the age of 8 with his bicycle.  I am taking liberties here for the purpose of this post that riding a bicycle is indeed a sport!  I am amazed at the size of the tires on this bike and how young my grandfather was when he had this bike.  He was also pretty well "dressed up" for a bike ride; was that the way children road bikes in the early 1900's?  Realizing this photo is well over 100 years old I did the best I could with scanning it:

Some years later, perhaps when newly married, my grandfather was shown in a baseball uniform out on the field catching a fly ball.  My grandmother wrote on the back of the photo that this was "Elmer in baseball uniform" though I never knew that he had actually played on a team.  

Was this a staged photo for fun showing him with feet off the ground catching the ball or was it a real game?  I don't know but it is a unique photo that is also over 100 years old:

While I remember my grandfather enjoying watching the Detroit teams on TV, and listening to them on the radio, it is interesting to me to realize that he also at one time did actually take part in sports.

Memories and newly discovered memories are enjoyable!

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 21 "Preservation"

KEEPSAKE ITEMS TO PRESERVE:

I have been very fortunate to have inherited many keepsake items from my parents, grandparents and even a few from great-grandparents.  These are very important to me and are items I want to preserve.  While I don't have children of my own, I am hopeful that my niece (with three young sons) or my nephew will one day continue to keep and preserve these items.

Here are some examples:

A six volume set of "The New Practical Reference Library Encyclopedia" dated 1915 which was owned by my great-grandfather, Rudolph Schulte (1869-1940).  The illustrations in these books are outstanding and they are handy reference guides to events in the world prior to 1915:

A German violin which also belonged to my great-grandfather, Rudolph Schulte (1869-1940).  Rudolph was an insurance salesman in the 1920's.  He had a client who could not pay his insurance premium so he gave Rudolph this German violin in exchange for his insurance premium.  The violin is dated from the 1850's:

A German prayer book which belonged to my great-grandmother, Bertha, nee Kramp, Kolberg (1860-1915).  She brought this book to the US when she immigrated on November 28, 1883 from Klein Tuchen, Kreis Bütow, Pommern, Preußen. This area is now, in 2025, known as Tuchomko, County Bytow, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland:

My most prized possession is this cut glass mushroom lamp which belonged to my great-grandparents, Rudolph (1869-1940) and Juliane, nee Feucht (1870-1907), Schulte.  This lamp dates to the mid-1890's and was in their home throughout their marriage and later passed down in the family until I received it.  This lamp is special to me because it is the only item I have of my great-grandmother who passed away at the young age of 36:

A childhood roll top desk that was my father's (1923-1996).  I still use this desk today to hold office supplies and I have a desk lamp placed on top:

A Polish flute (or better known as a recorder) which belonged to my great-grandfather, John Kijak (1861-1945), who used this flute to call sheep while he was still living in Poland.  He immigrated to the US from Taniborz gm. Kleszczewo pow. Poznan woj. Wielkopolskie (Greater Poland) on June 19, 1882:

A photo album that belonged to my great-grandmother, Amelia, nee Schluessler, Wellhausen (1876-1963).  This type of album is frequently seen now in antique shops:

My mother's (1925-2016) cedar chest which she received for her high school graduation in 1943 from her parents.  Her parents had this cedar chest hidden in their own bedroom, covered with a quilt, for weeks before the graduation and my mother told me she never noticed anything different:

 All of these items are important to me and are all displayed in my home.  It is important to me, as a genealogist and family historian, that these items continue to be preserved.

 

A message of appreciation goes to my cousin, Ina, in Poland for the correct wording of my ancestors' Polish home villages.

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 20 "Rubis Cousin's Reunion"

RUBIS COUSINS MEET AFTER 80 YEARS:

Newspapers and television broadcasts frequently have human interest stories of family members meeting after many years apart.  Back in 2012, I took part in arranging for my then 87 year old mother to reconnect with her then 85 year old cousin after 80 years apart.

I personally thought it was a slow news day in South Bend, Indiana but alas nobody in the media appeared to cover this story.  Instead I had to cover the event myself!

A few years earlier I had received an e-mail from a person who had come across my blog.  While I frequently receive such e-mails, none have ever had a connection with my mother's paternal grandmother's family which is the Rubis line from Poland.  My mother knew very little about her grandmother who had passed away in 1918 long before my mother was born.  My mother did know that her paternal grandparents had a very rocky marriage and had separated around 1900 and that her grandmother then had connected with another gentleman, moved to South Bend, Indiana from Bay City, Michigan, where she gave birth to 7 more children with this gentleman before she passed away in 1918.

That was why this e-mail I received a few years earlier surprised and pleased me as the woman writing indicated she had seen my blog, noted the banner on the blog that contained the 4 photos of my great-grandmothers and recognized the name of Mary Rubis Kijak.  This writer, D, told me that she believed my great-grandmother was her husband's great-grandmother as well.

E-mails went back and forth between D and myself.  She indicated that her mother-in-law was the daughter of Mary Rubis Kijak's oldest child from her relationship with Frank Banner, Sr.  While my mother knew that there were children from her grandmother's life with Mr. Banner she only remembered them from her childhood.  Living in the fruit belt of Southwest Michigan (St. Joseph) it was common for family members from other areas to visit St. Joseph during the summer to take the fresh produce home.  Evidently members of the Banner family would frequently do so, coming from nearby South Bend, Indiana (35 miles) and my mother remembered playing with these half cousins when they were children.

D and I exchanged information and I learned that D's mother-in-law, Betty, was very eager to see my mother again.  My mother as well was eager and did remember Betty as a child though 80 years had gone by.

On August 22, 2012 we had our reunion.  My mother and I drove from St. Joe to Mishawaka, Indiana and met Betty and her daughter-in-law, D, at a restaurant where we had a wonderful lunch and long conversations.  Both D and Betty had brought scads of photos with them.  Out came my Flip Pal scanner and I was able to scan all the photos right there at the table.  After lunch we went to Betty's house, near the Notre Dame campus, for some further visiting.  

Here is a photo of my mother (left) and Betty (right) at their reunion in 2012:

When there are sensitive issues involving ancestors it is often difficult to learn any of the details involved but Betty was very forthcoming with information on my great-grandmother's second family that I had not been aware of.  It was a very special reunion in many ways and one that my mother and Betty were so grateful for.

The next year D and I arranged another reunion with my mother, Betty and two other cousins, Martha and Evelyn.  Again we traveled to Mishawaka, Indiana and the 4 cousins had a grand reunion that they all thoroughly enjoyed.

Here are the 4 cousins at that reunion with Betty and my mother in the back row standing and Evelyn and Martha sitting:

Again, in 2015, the 3 cousins and D traveled to St. Joseph to take part in my mother's 90th birthday celebration.  Even after so many years apart the 4 women thoroughly enjoyed spending time together.

Since then all 4 cousins have passed away.  D and I still correspond and discuss how happy we are that we were able to get the cousins together when we did.  

This year, my mother would be 100 years old, and in thinking of this I was reminded of these reunions between these cousins.  All 4 women shared the same grandmother, Mary Rubis Kijak, while Martha and Betty had Mr. Banner as their grandfather and my mother and Evelyn had John Kijak as their grandfather.

And I learned a valuable genealogical lesson - "never say never" as there are always avenues to explore that will lead to new discoveries, though I always thought the chances of my finding further information on my Rubis ancestors were slim.

In the last few years I have learned that this is definitely not true, as I have had the immense joy to have connected with a cousin in Poland, from the Rubis side of both of our ancestors, and with her help I have been able to extend my Rubis ancestral line back more generations.

This information will be shared in further blog posts this year.  

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 19 "Mother's Day"

MOTHER'S DAY, 1950:

It was Mother's Day, 1950.  I was 20 months old and certainly old enough to give my mother a special Mother's Day gift.  My parents and I lived in an upper flat in Detroit and the only means of entrance and exit was by an outside staircase.  

All on my own I came up with this gift for my mother.  I worked on it the afternoon before Mother's Day.  Quite a gift, wouldn't you say?

Yes, that is a full body cast - the result of slipping on the bedroom floor the afternoon before Mother's Day and the accomplishment of doing the splits.  My poor mother didn't know what had happened and certainly didn't realize the magnitude of the injury.  She has told me that I cried so terribly that she called my father home from work and together they took me to Saratoga Hospital in Detroit.

There I was found to have a broken left leg.  There was an orthopedic surgeon at the hospital at the time and he performed a closed reduction of the left femur and set the leg with the full body cast.  

This was quite a chore for my petite mother to carry me up and down the stairs for the months it took to heal.  I had just been learning to walk and had to learn that all over again.

Fast forward to 1981 and I was now employed at Saratoga Hospital as the Medical Staff Coordinator.  Imagine my surprise to see the same orthopedic surgeon, Clarence Maguire, M.D., still on the staff nearly 30 years since he set my broken leg.  No, I didn't remember him; I just knew his name from my mother's tale!  He was near retirement and thoroughly enjoyed hearing how he had been the surgeon to take care of me on Mother's Day in 1950.  I showed him the photo and he chuckled and remarked that casts like that were certainly not used any longer.

In recent years, the 5 year old daughter of one of my goddaughters had the misfortune of breaking her leg after a fall off her bike.  She had a much smaller and prettier bright purple cast on her leg.  I showed her this photo of my broken leg and her only question was how I went to the bathroom with that cast on!  

Good question!

I will say that in the years after that Mother's Day I did manage to gift my mother much more appropriate and loving gifts though she would often remind me of the Mother's Day in 1950.

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 18 "Gravestones"

CLEANING A GRAVESTONE:

I am not necessarily a fan of social media per se but I do use Facebook for the many "research" related groups that are available on that site.

One of the groups that I belong to is devoted to memories of living in Benton Harbor and Saint Joseph, Michigan and contains a wealth of information on the history of my home town.

Recently there was a post on the site from a gentleman who announced that he had a "Gravestone Cleaning" business that he had just  begun and he was interested in spreading the word on this service.  He offered the first person who would respond a free cleaning of a family gravestone.  I responded to his post and, amazingly, he answered me that he would be willing to clean a gravestone of my choosing for free.  

My maternal grandparents, Joseph and Ella (Kolberg) Kijak, are buried in the Lincoln Township Cemetery in Stevensville, Michigan and I selected their gravestone for cleaning. I exchanged a few messages with this gentleman, who told me his name was Samuel, and he agreed to clean my grandparent's gravestone.

My grandparents bought the burial site and gravestone in 1955.  My grandfather passed away on October 23, 1960 and my grandmother on May 29, 1973.  Since I moved back to the area in 1997, I have visited their grave many times each year, placed flowers there every summer and have noticed the stone becoming more and more faded.  They had selected a stone at that time, with the engraving on both sides, and both sides were definitely seeing the effects of the weather and the last 70 years.

Kijak gravestone, 2025, before cleaning:

After Samuel finished his cleaning the results were amazing.

Kijak gravestone, 2025, after cleaning:

These are pictures from each side of the gravestone taken by Samuel.  I went to the cemetery the next day and the pictures don't even do the results justice, as the final results were perfect; just as though the stone was just placed.

I was very pleased with the work that Samuel did and I was happy to give him permission to use my pictures for his advertising.  

I wish him much success with his new business venture and I may use him in the future for the gravestone of my great-grandparents.

Joseph and Ella Kijak, August 8, 1945, Ella's 50'th birthday:

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 17 "Favorite Place"

THE PORCH SWING:

My earliest memories of visiting my maternal grandparents include their porch swing.  Though I was born in St. Joseph, Michigan, where they lived, my parents and I moved to the Detroit suburbs when I was a toddler and only visited St. Joseph in the summer and on Easter week-end.  I was always excited to visit my grandparents because their home and the town were happy places to be.

My grandparents had a two-story home on Pleasant Street in St. Joseph.  Kitty corner from their home was the local Catholic church and school and directly across the street was the Catholic convent where the nuns lived.  The street wasn't very long, perhaps containing 10 homes at the most, between Court Street and Church Street.  Being in the downtown district everything of enjoyment was within walking distance. 

St. Joseph, Michigan downtown State Street: 

There were the stores to shop or browse in:

Murphy's Dime store with the wooden floors (which still exists today under another name) where my mother had worked right after high school.

Gillespie's Drug Store and Soda Fountain where we would get an ice cream sundae. 

St. Joseph Band Shell along the Bluff of Lake Michigan and the St. Joseph River where Sunday performances were held by the St. Joseph Municipal Band:

We could walk down a staircase from the bluff to the railroad tracks and a little further we would be on the sand by Lake Michigan.  

There was also Silver Beach with the famous Carousel (which has now been restored).  

Wilbur's Ice Cream on Broad Street which had the best assortment of flavors and where we would stop on our way home from the band concerts.

Wilson's Bakery where my grandmother would visit at 6 am on the mornings when we were visiting in order to purchase some tasty treats including the 7 sisters coffee cake that my mother loved.

Along Main Street, just steps from my grandparent's home was Bittner's Meat Market where my grandmother would buy fresh meat and poultry to make meals for us.  I always thought her roast chicken was the absolute best and now I wonder was it because (1) it was a fresh chicken or (2) was it because she used a gas oven.  In any case I have never been able to replicate her roast chicken.

But the thing that gave me the most pleasure was the porch swing that hung on my grandparent's front porch.  It provided a place to sit in peace and quiet, a place for reflection and calm.  It resembled this swing:

There were other chairs on the porch and my grandparents would graciously allow me to sit on the swing while they would take the chairs.  We would talk and they would always be interested in what was going on in my life.  After my grandfather passed away when I was 12, whenever we would visit, my grandmother and mother would sit on the porch with me and we would just relax and enjoy the flowers my grandmother had around the house.  I spent countless hours on the swing myself reading and relaxing.  

When I was around 16 I decided that I wanted to live in St. Joseph.  I dreamt about it constantly, made journal entries about it and even after I was in my 20's and my grandmother was also gone, I would take vacations to St. Joe and stay with relatives.  It was the place where I was the most at peace and the happiest.

The years went by and in 1997 I finally achieved my dream when my mother and I moved back to St. Joe after the death of my father.  My mother was able to enjoy 19 years back in her home town and it is now 28 years since I have been back here as well.

The house on Pleasant Street is gone. That side of the street was demolished and a banking complex was built in it's place. (The Catholic church, school and convent building still exist on the opposite side of the street.)  I have walked the street many times trying to picture just where the house was and have determined it had sat where the drive-up lane of Fifth Third Bank sits today:

But in my mind's eye I can still see the house as it was when I was growing up and I can picture the porch swing that I spent many hours relaxing on.  Unfortunately the porch swing is not shown in this portrait but I can see it in my memory:

Good memories of happy and peaceful times along with continuing feelings of contentment and joy living in my home town.

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 16 "Easter Memories"

EASTER MEMORIES ARE THE GREATEST:

With Easter just a few days away, it is a perfect time to write about my favorite yearly holiday - Easter.  While other holidays were special in their own way, Easter was the holiday that I have the most intense pleasant memories of.

I was born in St. Joseph, Michigan.  My mother was from St. Joseph as well where she grew up while my father was from Detroit.  When I was a young girl we moved to the Detroit suburbs where I grew up and where my brother was born.  We took summer vacations back to St. Joseph to visit my grandparents and all my mother's many relatives and they were fun times.

Easter was the special holiday every year where we always went back to St. Joseph to celebrate.  Two of my mother's brothers and their families also came from the Chicago area to spend the holiday as well.

We had traditions that never failed to excite me even as the years went by.  We always dressed up and went to church as a family group and my grandparents were so proud to have their family together.  Even after my grandfather died in 1960 we continued to gather as a family with my grandmother and church was a special occasion.  The church was always crowded on Easter and one year the uncles were dragging their feet about leaving the house and when we arrived at the church there were no pews left.  The service was also being played through the speakers into the basement and we had to sit in the basement fellowship hall for the service.  The uncles never made that mistake again!

My grandmother always had Easter decorations around the house.  A glass hen candy dish was always filled with chocolate covered eggs and it sat on the buffet in her dining room.  I have this candy dish now and continue to fill it with Hershey's chocolate eggs each Easter:

There was always a lamb cake as the centerpiece on the dining room table; a white frosted cake my grandmother made from a lamb mold and which was covered with coconut.  I have this mold today and my mother and I have made the cake a few times over the years.  It is not the easiest to maneuver when removing the lamb.  Those little ears don't seem to want to stay on and we have been known to use toothpicks under the frosting to keep them in place; we just need to remember not to bite into the toothpick.  Here is "Lucy Lamb" in 2000; the chocolate fudge version:

The centerpiece on the buffet, however, was my grandmother's home made Easter egg tree.  In the 1940's she boiled eggs and colored them, poked holes in the ends and blew out the insides, cut a small opening in each egg, filled with artificial flowers, etc and with the insertion of pipe cleaners hung them on the tree using branches she collected from the grounds around Lake Michigan.  This was displayed in a large vase every year without fail.

Today the eggs are down to 23 which is amazing given they are over 80 years old.  I treasure these eggs and wrap them carefully.  A few years ago I had them on my buffet in my living room and the windows were open with a nice breeze blowing in.  Suddenly I heard a big crash and when going into the living room I was horrified to see the Easter egg tree had fallen onto the carpet.  Amazingly not one egg was broken!  I know that was my grandmother in heaven making sure that her decoration was still safe:

This Easter I will again have my grandmother's Easter decorations on display, and though Easter is much different now, I still have the greatest memories of this holiday as well as great memories of my special grandmother.  

This is Easter, 1961, the first Easter after the death of my grandfather when my family and the families of my two uncles gathered again in St. Joseph with my grandmother. 

Leslie Kijak, Ella Kolberg Kijak, Eloris Kijak Schulte and Harris Kijak, Easter, 1961:

All are gone now but the memories remain!

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 15 "Fortune"

MY GRANDMOTHER, THE LANDLADY:

This week's topic in the "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge is "Fortune".  My post will be a different take on the word "fortune".

My maternal Kijak grandparents had many homes in their life.  Most of the homes were rentals; they purchased a home and farm property in the early 1920's, and my mother was born in this home, but during the depression they lost the home and property.  It wasn't until later that they were able to purchase their own home in St. Joseph, Michigan.

The home was large - it had 2 bedrooms and a bath, living room, dining room, kitchen on the main floor but another 4 bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor.  At first my mother's 3 brothers each had a bedroom on the second floor and my grandfather's father, who lived with them, had the 4th bedroom.  But as their sons grew and left home, and after my grandfather's father passed away in 1945, my grandparents decided to rent out the upstairs rooms to make a little extra money.  "Little" is the operative word here!  I will say that there was a separate entrance to these rooms so that nobody passed through the house itself on their way to their rooms.  

818 Pleasant Street, St. Joseph, Michigan:

These rooms were offered strictly as a sleeping room with no meals offered.  The rooms each had a bed, dresser, closet and the shared bathroom down the hall.  Because of the shared bathroom she only rented to men. My grandmother made the beds each day, changed the linens and towels and cleaned the rooms.  For that work she charged the mammoth price of $1 per day or $7 per week.  I will say that she always had all 4 rooms rented.  Many of her renters remained for many years until she sold the home in 1970 and moved into a senior citizens complex.  When her family would come to visit, such as on Easter, she would inform her renters that her family was coming for x amount of days and they would find other accommodations for those days and then would return after we would all leave.  

Yes, the cost of living was much lower in the 1940's but $7 a week per room did not add much to my grandmother's income.  She was a hard worker and a pleasant landlady and she never had any issues with her renters.

UNTIL...one tenant came and stayed quite a while with no issues.  He was agreeable and followed the rules.  However, when he chose to leave he left behind something that caused a big concern for my grandmother.

In cleaning his room after he vacated my grandmother noticed a box left behind on the shelf in the closet.  In looking through the box she was perplexed - what were all these apparatuses?  She asked the husband of one of her nieces and he told her that it looked like coin counterfeiting equipment and he advised she call the police. 

The police were called and indeed it was equipment used in counterfeiting coin.  My grandmother answered questions and this progressed to a federal case.  She eventually had to go to Kalamazoo, Michigan to the Federal Court Building to testify in this matter.  

Whatever happened to the perpetrator I don't know.  But I do know that it frightened my grandmother to think that such activity was going on in her own home without her knowledge. 

Fortune - My grandmother certainly never made a fortune in her lifetime despite hard work and dedication.  But she did have the experience of seeing somebody else's interpretation of fortune albeit in a felonious manner.

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 14 "Multiples"

THE SCHLUESSLER TWINS:

In all my years of genealogical research I have not uncovered evidence of many multiple births in my direct line.  Recently I did learn from newly released church books from Tangen, Kreis Bütow, Pommern, Preußen (now Tagowie, County Bytow, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland)  that my 4th great grandfather, Joachim Kautz was a twin.  Joachim and his twin brother, George Kautz, were born August 12, 1759 in Tangen to parents Joachim Kautz and Anna Marie Jarke. This was an interesting discovery for me and only the second set of twins in my direct line.  Definitely more research will be needed on these twins to see if I can flesh out more information on them.

For the purposes of this post, though, I am featuring my great-grandmother and her twin brother.  Emilie Auguste Christina Schluessler and her twin brother, Albert August Christian Schluessler, were born November 25, 1876 in Sterling Township, Macomb County, Michigan to parents Wilhelm Schluessler and Emilie Schauer as their 4th and 5th children.  As I was 15 when my great-grandmother passed away I did know her well and she often discussed the fact that she was a twin.

Both Emilie and Albert were baptized on December 3, 1876 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Fraser, Macomb County, Michigan.  It is interesting to note that their two middle names mirrored each other.  Each baby had 3 godparents but none of their godparents were family members.  

Eventually Emilie would marry George Wellhausen on February 14, 1895 at St. John's and twin brother, Albert would marry Anna Auguste Quandt (Annie) on September 4, 1909 in Detroit.  Both families settled in the Utica/Sterling Township, Michigan areas and raised their respective families there.  

Albert Schluessler passed away on November 7, 1944 in Utica and he is buried in Utica Cemetery.  His wife, Anna (Annie), 14 years younger than him lived to the age of 102 passing away on February 25, 1993 in Utica, Michigan.  She is buried with Albert in Utica Cemetery.

My great-grandmother, Emilie Schluessler Wellhausen, passed away on May 25, 1963 in St. Clair Shores, Michigan and is buried with her husband, George Wellhausen, in Utica Cemetery as well.  George Wellhausen died on April 8, 1938 in Utica.

Left to right:  Emilie Schluessler Wellhausen, Annie Quandt Schluessler, Albert Schluessler, Helena Schluessler Herz Rine and son Edwin Herz, Catherine Quandt (mother of Annie Quandt Schluessler).  Picture was taken before 1928:

This is all pretty much dry material in the research on one's family.  While names, dates and places are vital, other interesting facts add flavor to the story.

When I began my research in the 1970's, I questioned my grandmother, Ella Wellhausen Schulte, about her family.  She mentioned to me one day that she still had an aunt living.  This surprised me as my grandmother was then 82 years old herself.  She explained that the wife of her Uncle Albert (her mother's twin brother) was still living as her aunt had been much younger than her uncle.  In reality Annie Quandt Schluessler was only 6 years older than my grandmother.

I suggested that we go and visit her aunt but my grandmother didn't feel inclined to do that.  She made excuses such as "Aunt Annie won't remember me", "I haven't seen or talked to her in years", etc.  I took it upon myself one day to just telephone Aunt Annie in Utica.  I explained who I was and she was very gracious and pleased to hear from someone in the family.  Of course, she knew who my grandmother was and she invited us to come visit her.  She also mentioned another niece, Helen Steffen, and wondered if she could come with us to visit her as well.  I set it up with her and THEN told my grandmother!

Once everything was arranged and my grandmother was assured that her Aunt Annie was eager to see us my grandmother was on board.  We contacted my grandmother's cousin, Helen Rine Steffen, who was also excited to pay Aunt Annie a visit.  

We found Aunt Annie, at 88 years young, to be gracious and pleasant.  She had baked a cake and served us cake and coffee.  She had a beautiful home where she still lived independently and showed us her beautiful flower gardens that she tended herself.  Her daughter-in-law had come to visit as well and we had a wonderful afternoon.

Aunt Annie Schluessler (in center) with nieces, Ella Wellhausen Schulte and Helen Rine Steffen in 1978:

Not long after my grandmother gave me a box of old photos and what did I find but a photo of these same 3 women, standing in the same position, dated 1918 - 60 years previous.

Aunt Annie Schluessler (center) with nieces, Ella Wellhausen Schulte and Helen Rine Steffen in 1918:

Undoubtedly they had seen each other during the 60 year interval but it was an interesting photo in any case and another example of "multiples"!  

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2025; Week 13 "Home Sweet Home"

AN ANCESTRAL HOME STILL STANDING:

Charles Ernst Wellhausen was my 2nd great-grandfather.  While I did not know him, he was the impetus for my beginning genealogy research in the mid-1970's.

At that time my paternal grandmother was still living.  She came to visit one day and the conversation turned to HER ancestors.  I had known her mother (my great-grandmother Wellhausen) who passed away when I was 15 and I had many photos and memories of "great-grandma".  In the course of that conversation with my grandmother she talked about HER grandparents and it piqued my interest.  I was living in the same area of Michigan as her grandparents had and I decided to do some research on her grandfather.

Charles Ernst Wellhausen was born on July 24, 1833 in Alt Kentzlin, Demmin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.  He was married on March 23, 1860 in Hohenbollentin, Demmin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany to Christina Graumann.  They later immigrated to the US and settled in Mt. Clemens, Michigan in Macomb County.  He passed away there in Mt. Clemens on April 13, 1909.

At the outset of my research, of course, I did not know all the above information.  I did visit the cemetery where he and his wife are buried and was able to learn some basic dates.  It was, though, during a visit to a local library that I uncovered an extraordinary book that referred to Charles Ernst Wellhausen.

In the St. Clair Shores library in Macomb County there was an 11" x 14" hard cover book that was for sale.  It had been advertised in the local newspaper and I went there on a whim to see the book.  The book was entitled "1859 Wall Map, 1875 Atlas Map, 1895 Atlas of Macomb County, Michigan".  In looking through the 1895 Atlas section I found something that excited me.  This section included a page by page listing of 15 local residents' farms or businesses with small pictures of the husband and wife on the top of each page.  In that section I found a page titled "Residence of Charles Wellhausen, Section 20, Clinton Township".

The Charles Wellhausen home and farm, 1895 in Clinton Township, Michigan:

Needless to say I purchased the book.  I'm not sure anymore how much the cost was but probably no more than $20 or $25.  I remember taking the book and driving to my grandmother's apartment where I showed her the photos and asked her "is this your grandfather Wellhausen" to which she concurred it was, adding "my grandfather looked like one of the Smith brothers from the Smith brothers cough drop company"!

Not only did I now have photos of both Charles and Christina Wellhausen but I had an actual photo of their farm and home as well as the location.  It was a very exciting find and a great way to start my genealogical journey.

In more recent years I have learned that the Wellhausen home is still standing although over the years the farm property was sectioned off and more homes were built.  I have had contact with the family now owning the home and there are many similarities in its appearance today to the way it was in the 1890's.

Former home of Charles Wellhausen on Moravian Drive, Clinton Township, Michigan, 2025:

I believe that Charles Wellhausen would be pleased that the home he had in the 1890's is still standing, in good condition, today.

copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte