Grandma Giermann, circa 1910's

Provided by Judith Jacob

Restored Portrait by Joseph Frank Forrai

Subject: Johana Lueth Waswo Giermann.
Occasion: Unknown.
Date: Unknown, about the 1910's.
Location: Chicago, Illinois.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Maternal Great Grandmother.

Johana Lueth Waswo Giermann was born August 18, 1848 in Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. She married Frederick William Waswo on October 10, 1869 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Chicago, Illinois by Pastor T. Grosse. Frederick committed suicide on April 2, 1896. I have no information when she married Mr. Giermann, but the two had no children. Mr. Giermann preceded Johana in death. Johana passed away on May 18, 1935 at age 86 in Chicago, Illinois.

In the next few weeks, I will be posting photographs of Grandma Giermann. Most have been provided to me by my Cousin Judith.
 
Today, I have provided two photographs. The top one was provided by my Cousin Judith. The bottom one is the same photograph that was restored by my father, Joseph in the 1970's. Obviously, there were multiple copies of this portrait. You may ask, why the photograph was restored?
 
My mother found a fragile copy of the portrait at my Grandmother Lucy's house in the late 1960's. My father had built a townhouse, we lived on one side and Grandmother Lucy lived on the other side. Mom and dad helped her move from Richard and Ring to the townhouse. This was the only portrait we had of Grandma Giermann. My dad made several copies. Mom framed one, and it hung on the 'wall of the relatives' in our home.
 
You might think these are two separate portraits because Grandma Giermann is facing the opposite direction. My dad reversed the negative and printed the restored portrait with Grandma facing both directions. Dad and Mom decided they liked the above portrait the best. I guess you can consider it poetic license of the restoring photographer.

Grandma Giermann through the years.




Photograph provided by Judith Jacob

Subject: Johana Lueth Waswo Giermann.
Occasion: Unknown.
Date: Unknown, about the late 1800's early 1900's.
Location: Chicago, Illinois.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Maternal Great Grandmother.

Johana Lueth Waswo Giermann was born August 18, 1848 in Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.  She married Frederick William Waswo on October 10, 1869 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Chicago, Illinois by Pastor T. Grosse.  Frederick committed suicide on April 2, 1896.  I have no information when she married Mr. Giermann, but the two had no children. Mr. Giermann preceded Johana in death. Johana passed away on May 18, 1935 at age 86 in Chicago, Illinois.

In the next few weeks, I will be posting photographs of Grandma Giermann. Most have been provided to me by my Cousin Judith.

In an email, my Cousin Judith wrote:

"Regarding Johanna, ten kids is a lot of kids and  losing your first two and two more after that must have been tough.  Add in the difficulties with the Allen marriage, children, and deaths, the suicide of her husband at age 49 in 1896 leaving her with a large building to manage, the saloon and the sausage business  to deal with, and several kids still at home, she really had to be a strong woman to get through all that.  To top it all off, her father also died in the fall of 1896 ....no wonder she looks a bit hardened and stoic in her later pictures!  And she lived to 80 something.......a lesser woman would have been undone by the vicissitudes of life.....God bless her."

Inside Grandma's House

Photograph Provided by Judith Jacob

Subject: Johana Lueth Waswo Giermann's House
Occasion: Unknown.
Date: Unknown.
Location: 5328 Leland Ave, Jefferson Park, Chicago, IL
Photographer: Unknown.

Last week we had a view of Grandma Giermann's house from the outside. Today we have a view of the inside, the front parlor. This picture was provided to me by my Cousin Judith.

If you look carefully, you will see a gentleman sitting in a chair on the left side of the picture. The picture is too fuzzy to make out who it is. My guess would be either Robert or Albert Waswo.

It is a grand looking home, and I would love to have Thanksgiving dinner there.

Grandma's House

Subject: Johana Lueth Waswo Giermann's House

Occasion: Unknown

Date: 1913
Location: 5328 Leland Ave, Jefferson Park, Chicago, IL
Photographer: Most Likely, George D. Waswo.

I thought with being November and the holidays fast approaching, most people remember family and friends. The song over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go, comes to mind. So this week and next, I will post pictures of Grandmother Johana's house.

With the leaves on the trees and two young men on the porch in shirt sleeves, I doubt very much this photograph was taken in November. Mostly likely during the Spring or Summer of 1913. I zoomed in on the two young men on the porch. The resolution is poor, but I can tell neither of the two men are my Grandfather George. I am guessing the one standing is his brother Robert and the one in the back ground Albert. If you remember from earlier posts, Albert was a breached child. While he was able to work, he could not care for himself on his own. Initially Grandmother Johana cared for him until her death in 1935. After that his sisters Minnie and Alma cared for him until his death in 1948.