The Waschers

Subjects: (Left to Right): Elfriede, Ernest and Alma Waswo Wascher.

Date: 1915.

Occasion: Unknown.
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Maternal Grand Aunt.

I have very little information regarding this photograph. Once my mother retired, she went through the boxes of photographs and created historical photo albums. She made one for myself and one for my brother.

Alma Waswo Wascher was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1883. She married Ernest Wascher on June 7, 1905, and they had two children Ernest Jr. born in 1908 and Elfriede born in 1909. Alma passed away on January 14, 1968 and is buried in the Beverly Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois.

Judith's father was Ernest Wascher Jr. She wrote the following about the family:  William Moeller(husband of Minnie Waswo) was the uncle of Ernest Wascher Sr.  William Moeller was the brother of Anna Elizabeth Moeller who married a Wascher.  William and Ernest Sr. were not only uncle and nephew, but also brothers-in-law as they married sisters (Minnie and Alma).  Their children, therefore, were related on both their mothers' side and their fathers' side of the family.

I am in contact with Judith, and perhaps she will be able to provide additional information.


George Daniel Waswo, Jr.

Subject: George Daniel Waswo, Jr., age 1.

Occasion: First Birthday.Date: January 1918.

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Photographer: A. F. Schultz, Milwaukee, WI.

Relationship to me: Maternal Uncle.

My maternal Grandparents, George Daniel Waswo, Sr. and Lucy Traulsen Waswo were quite proud on the birth of their first born son. As what happens with most parents, the first child gets all the press, especially if it's a boy. We all know how papas like the idea of the family name carried forward.

For George Daniel Waswo, Jr., this was no exception. This is just one photograph of a series that was taken on his first birthday. I am assuming because it was stamped in the lower right corner, that this was an extra photograph, not part of the proofs, that the parents would choose from.

The remainder of this series was framed in a long narrow frame measuring 8 inches by 29 inches and contained 8 photographs of George Jr. Unfortunately, I would have to ruin the finished product if I were to take it apart and try to scan each photograph. All 8 photographs were of George in various poses either on the wooden chair as in this photograph, or on a wooden three wheeled scooter.

I remember as a child this picture hanging in the home of my Grandmother Lucy on Richard and Ring in Milwaukee. In the late 1960's Grandmother moved into the townhouse that my father had built. We lived on one side, and Grandmother on the other. This picture hung in Grandmother's townhouse until she moved into Methodist Manor in the early 1980's. After that, it went into storage. It was once again displayed in my mother's home when she moved to Texas.



Elizabeth Forrai Schelonka

Subject: Elizabeth Forrai Schelonka, age 15.

Occasion: Unknown.

Date: Summer 1926.

Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.

Photographer: Unknown.

Relationship to me: Paternal Aunt.

I found this photograph in a box after my mother had passed away. On the back of the photograph was written Elizabeth, summer 1926, in my Grandmother Rose's handwriting.

This is one of the few photographs that I have from my father's side of the family, especially during this era. I do remember seeing this photograph as a child. If memory serves correctly, I believe my Aunt was off to work.

It is my hope, after posting this photograph, that one of my relatives may be able to shed additional information.



Arthur Herman Traulsen, revisited.

Provided by Jeremy Green

Provided by Jeremy Green



Provided by Jeremy Green

 Click on the photograph or document to enlarge it. Hit your browser's back button to return to the post, and click on the next photograph or document to enlarge.

Subject: Arthur Herman Traulsen, age 29
Occasion: Military Photograph, World War I
Date: 1918
Location: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown
Relationship to me: Grand Uncle

Arthur Herman Traulsen was born was May 25, 1889 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. From a previous post, he ran a bakery on Mitchell Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin after 1906 the year his father Henning Traulsen passed away. He married Linda Borgwardt on February 12, 1922. He passed away on May 3, 1960 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Art and Linda had three children, two are still living, and they have four grandchildren.
 
While going through a boxed of framed pictures, I found this small portrait of Arthur Traulsen.  If you look closely, you will note there is no insignia nor rank on the uniform. This photograph is most likely the induction photograph that the military takes.
 
Per my Cousin Jeremy, he commented via Facebook:
 
"In terms of his military service he served in the United ...States Army as a Corporal in Company B of the 116th Engineers this unit was under the command of the 41st Division(Sunset Division). He was inducted into the army on 31 March 1918 and mustered out on 11 March 1919, honorably discharged. Grandpa T. served in France during his service and was awarded the Victory Medal w/France bar.
 
As an aside I still have Grandpa T's medal, discharge paper and the very uniform he is wearing in that photo. Great stuff I'll try to get my folks linked up to see this image."

Jeremy scanned and provided me copies of the above documents. They are posted below the photograph.

Air Cake

I take a break from posting photographs this week, by posting this recipe. The reason is, this is one of the few documents that I have showing my Grandmother Rose Forrai Bockay's handwriting. I remember letters Grandmother wrote in Hungarian, but few in English. I am sure that this cake was a favorite of my father, and mother asked Grandmother to write it down for her. You see, Grandmother Rose did not use written recipes. All of her recipes were stored in her mind. I am so glad that my mother and other relatives asked her to write them down. Otherwise, they would be lost forever.

The "OVER" on the bottom left is my mother's handwriting and on the other side was written, "Remove from pan as soon as cool. Do not leave in pain overnight."  I don't remember any incident, but the only reason mother would write such a note was she left the cake in the pan overnight, and it was very difficult to remove the next day. She certainly was not going to make that mistake twice!

I remember this cake being called Hungarian Air Cake. I remember my relatives making it quite often. I also remember mother making it, and using it as a birthday cake. Most of the time it did not have frosting, just a sprinkle of powder sugar, but I also remember chocolate frosting on the cake from time to time.

If you would like to try a historical cake from my past, I have transcribed it below:

6 Egg Yolks
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Lukewarm Water
1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 Cup Cake Flour
6 Egg Whites
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Beat yolks until thick, add gradually 1 Cup Sugar and beat well, add water, salt, vanilla, and mix. Fold in Flour, whip egg whites not dry, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1/2 Cup Sugar gradually, beat until stiff and fold into egg yolks. Bake in angel food pan. Bake 325 for 1 hour.

And don't forget to remove from pan once cool...... it will be difficult to do if you leave it cool over night!

Last Known Photograph of Johana Lueth Waswo Giermann

Provided by Judith Jacob

Subject: Johana Lueth Waswo Giermann.
Occasion: Unknown.
Date: 1934 - 1935.
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.

I apologize for the poor quality of the photograph. This was a photocopy provided by my cousin, Judith Jacob. These are the only photographs that I have of Grandma Giermann in her later years. This is the last photograph of Grandma Giermann that I have. Judith believes that all of these photographs were taken at Grandma Giermann's home located at 5328 Leland Avenue, Jefferson Park, Chicago, Illinois in the late 1920's to mid 1930's.

Johana Lueth Waswo Giermann, the later years.



Photograph provided by Judith Jacob

Subject: Minnie Waswo Moeller, Johana Lueth Waswo Giermann and Alma Waswo Wascher.

Occasion: Unknown.

Date: Unknown, about the late 1920'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.

I apologize for the poor quality of the photograph. This was a photocopy provided by my cousin, Judith Jacob. These are the only photographs that I have of Grandma Giermann in her later years. In the next few weeks, I will post these remaining photographs of Grandma Giermann. Judith believes that all of these photographs were taken at Grandma Giermann's home located at 5328 Leland Avenue, Jefferson Park, Chicago, Illinois in the late 1920's to mid 1930's.