Norma, Lucy and George with our maroon Chevrolet

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Subjects: (Left to Right): Norma Elsbeth Waswo(age 11), Lucy T. Waswo(age 41) and George D. Waswo, Jr.(age 15).
Date: 1932.
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Occasion: Unknown.
Photographer: George Daniel Waswo, Sr.
Relationship to me: Mother, Maternal Grandmother, Uncle.

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. This is a photograph from the album made for me. The caption on this picture is: Norma, Lucy and George with our maroon Chevrolet.

All through my childhood I heard stories of the Maroon Chevrolet. This must have been the most beloved car of the Waswo family. If memory serves me correctly, this was a photograph from about the time they purchased the car. This was just seven years before the passing of my Grandfather George Sr.

My mother had a red wooden toy car that was part of her doll house. It looked very similar to the car in this photograph. She always called it the 'maroon chevrolet' and though I never really played with the doll house, I do remember playing with the wooden toy car when visiting grandmother.

Grandmother Traulsen with friends

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Subjects: (Left to Right): 2 friends and Alma Helen Wolff Traulsen.

Date: 1930's.
Location: Unknown.
Occasion: Unknown.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Great Grandmother.

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. This is a photograph from the album made for me. The caption on this picture is: Alma Helen Wolff Traulsen on the right with two friends. This is the only information I have. These are the very few photographs that I have of Great Grandmother Traulsen later in her life. You may do a key word search on this blog to find earlier photographs and entries.
 
Alma Helen Wolff Traulsen was born on November 23, 1865 in Schniedermuhl Proving Rosen, Germany.  She emigrated to the United State and arrived on October 12, 1882. She married Henning Traulsen on October 15, 1886 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They had five children with four surviving to adulthood. Alma Traulsen passed away on March 8, 1941 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Herman and Bertha Wolff

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Subjects: (Left to Right): Herman and Bertha Wolff.
Date: 1930's.
Location: Unknown.
Occasion: Unknown.
Photographer: Unknown.

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. This is a photograph from the album made for me. The caption on this picture is: Alma Helen Wolff Traulsen's younger brother.  This is the only information I have.

Joe and another friend

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Subjects: Edwin Soel and Joseph Frank Forrai(age 16 years).
Date: 1929.
Occasion: Unknown.
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Father.

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. Since my father's side of the family was poor and large, there are not many photographs from my father's youth. In the next few weeks, I will be posting the few that I have. The Bockay/Forrai's could not afford to make copies, so snapshots were shared. Therefore, they have been scattered amongst the family.

If my father looks unhappy in these photographs, it is because he did not have an ideal childhood. His biological father, Louis Forrai, passed away in 1919 from the Flu Pandemic. The Hungarian community arranged the marriage between Paul Bockay and Rose Forrai. My father did not have a good relationship with his step father.

I was hoping to get some additional information from my relatives on the lives of my Step-Grandfather and Grandmother during this time. I have limited knowledge. I do know that my Grandparents ran a boarding house on Holmes Avenue in Cudahy, Wisconsin. In this photograph is Edwin Soel who was a boarder at the house. My father and Edwin were friends, but that is about all the information I have.

Later in life, my Grandmother rented the upstairs apartment in a residential home on Holmes Avenue. I remember as a child visiting her there.

Best Friends

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Subjects: Steve Holasek and Joseph Frank Forrai(age 15 years).
Date: 1928.
Occasion: Unknown.
Location: Cudahy, Wisconsin.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Father.

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. Since my father's side of the family was poor and large, there are not many photographs from my father's youth. In the next few weeks, I will be posting the few that I have. The Bockay/Forrai's could not afford to make copies, so snapshots were shared. Therefore, they have been scattered amongst the family.

If my father looks unhappy in these photographs, it is because he did not have an ideal childhood. His biological father, Louis Forrai, passed away in 1919 from the Flu Pandemic. The Hungarian community arranged the marriage between Paul Bockay and Rose Forrai. My father did not have a good relationship with his step father.

This is the earliest photograph that I have of my father and his best friend, Steve Holasek. They remained friends throughout their entire lives. My dad told the story that Steve's dad was a moonshiner during prohibition. He eventually got caught, and was jailed. This put an economic hardship on Steve and his mother.

The Holaseks did have more money than my father's family. While my father longed to attend and graduate from college, this dream never did come true. Steve, on the other hand, attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison and obtained a Bachelor's degree. I remembered that Steve was married, but I believe they had no children. When I graduated from High School, Steve provided me with a very generous gift that help pay for my college education. Perhaps in a way he felt bad that he was able to attend college, but his best friend never had the chance.

In Memory of

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William F. Strei




Gloria Strei




Joseph Frank Forrai




Norma Waswo Forrai




William F. Strei Prayer Card



William F. Strei Prayer Card

Obituary from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel



Appreciation Card from Gloria Strei

 I am taking a break this week from the family timeline, to pay tribute to a very close family friend. If you remember from my past post(Gloria and Helen LaPorte), Helen LaPorte was best friend with my Grandmother, Lucy Traulsen Waswo. Their two daughters became best friends, Gloria LaPorte Strei and Norma Waswo Forrai. Gloria's husband was William F. Strei, who passed away on April 1, 2011. These photographs were taken on July 25, 1998 at the home of William and Gloria in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Although, no blood relationship existed, sometimes friends can be closer than relatives. This is the case with the Strei's and the Forrai's. Unfortunately, time brings all friendships to an end, and Gloria is the remaining member of this friendship. William and Gloria were married in August 1947 and my mother was Gloria's maid of honor. William and Gloria were married for 63 years, a real tribute to love and commitment.

I have always referred to Bill and Gloria as my "Uncle" and "Aunt". They will always be as close and dear in my heart as my 'real' Uncles and Aunts.

With this posting I wish to express my deepest sympathy to my Aunt Gloria, and Uncle Bill's remaining family and friends. My Uncle Bill was a very special person and will be missed by all who knew him.

Road Trip

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Subjects: (Left to Right): Paul Bockay(age: 47 years), Joseph Forrai(age: 15 years), George Bockay(age: 45 years), and Rose Forrai Bockay(age: 40 years).
Date: 1928.
Occasion: Unknown.
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Photographer: Unknown.
Automobile: 1926-7 Hudson.
Relationship to me: Step-Grandfather, Father, Step-Grand Uncle, and Paternal Grandmother.

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. Since my father's side of the family was poor and large, there are not many photographs from my father's youth. In the next few weeks, I will be posting the few that I have. The Bockay/Forrai's could not afford to make copies, so snapshots were shared. Therefore, they have been scattered amongst the family.

If my father looks unhappy in these photographs, it is because he did not have an ideal childhood. His biological father, Louis Forrai, passed away in 1919 from the Flu Pandemic. The Hungarian community arranged the marriage between Paul Bockay and Rose Forrai. My father did not have a good relationship with his step father.

My father started his first year of high school. I am unclear whether he ever completed it. At this time, the family was lacking money, so my father went off to work at Patrick Cudahy Meat Packers in the mail room. I have never found a high school diploma or GED. It is unclear whether my father ever finished high school.

He eventually worked his way up at Patrick Cudahy to traffic manager, and that was his job when I was born. The company changed hands in the early 1960's, and that was when my dad left. From there he pursued real estate and construction. He was a licensed broker as well as realtor. Eventually he partnered, and ran a new residential home construction company until he retired at age 65.

What a fantastic historical photo! Joseph (standing proudly in the middle at age 15 with his vest and rolled sleeves) is flanked by Paul and George Bockay in classic 1920s fedoras, standing in front of a wonderful piece of automotive history.

The Car Details: 1926–1927 Hudson Super Six Brougham

My intuition was 100% correct—this is indeed a Hudson, specifically a 1926–1927 Hudson Super Six Brougham (or Landau Sedan).

Here are the specific details that confirm and highlight this exact car:

• Landau Irons (S-Curved Bars): The distinct curved chrome bars on the rear fabric roof section are called landau irons. During the mid-to-late 1920s, Hudson featured these on their "Brougham" and custom sedan models to give them the sophisticated look of traditional horse-drawn carriages.
• Fabric-Covered Rear Quarter: Notice how the back section of the roof is covered in dark leatherette/fabric rather than painted steel—a signature design element of the 1926–1927 Hudson Brougham.
• Running Board Luggage Rack: Clamped onto the left running board is an accordion-style expandable metal luggage gate. Since 1920s cars didn't have built-in trunks, families clamped these metal gates to the running board to hold suitcases, camping gear, or boxes during trips.
• Artillery Wheels: It rides on classic 10-spoke wooden "artillery" wheels with heavy-duty rim lugs.
• Under the Hood: It was powered by Hudson's famed "Super Six" inline 6-cylinder engine, which was legendary in the 1920s for its smooth counterbalanced crankshaft, durability, and hill-climbing power.

Location Clues in Minneapolis

While pinpointing an exact street address without a house number visible is tough, the background architectural features tell us a lot about the neighborhood setting:

Building Style: The large background structure is a 2½-story stucco building built on a high concrete/stone foundation. It features large multi-pane windows on the first floor and double-hung windows above.

Type of Structure: In 1920s Minneapolis, this style of clean, flat-roofed or low-hip stucco building was very common for:

1. Apartment buildings / Multi-family flats (very popular throughout South Minneapolis, Whittier,   Phillips, and Stevens Square).
2. Parish halls, convent homes, or private school buildings.

Neighborhood Atmosphere: The scene feels like a residential side street or courtyard driveway. You can see a neighbor/resident leaning out the lower window on the left watching the photo take place, and a woman on the right carrying a package or laundry bundle.

It’s an incredible snapshot—capturing Joseph right at age 15 alongside a prized Hudson automobile during the peak of the Roaring Twenties in Minneapolis!

The Family Connection

• George’s Hudson: It makes complete sense that the 1926–1927 Hudson Super Six belonged to George (on the right). In the 1920s, a Hudson Brougham with landau irons and custom running board luggage racks was a substantial purchase—a real pride-and-joy automobile.
• Paul (on the left) & Joseph (middle): Knowing Paul was struggling financially puts their poses into perspective. Notice how Paul has his foot propped up on the running board with a very proud, confident stance, leaning against his brother's impressive car. Wearing their best vests, ties, and hats, George, Paul, and your dad were clearly treating this as a special occasion.
• Grandmother Rose: Having my grandmother Rose in the background carrying a package/bundle adds such a warm, candid touch to the scene.

The Minneapolis Visit

The accordion luggage rack loaded on the running board on the left side of the car fits the "visit" idea perfectly! When families went on road trips in the 1920s, that expandable gate was where they strapped down suitcases and overnight bags.

Since your family was based in the Milwaukee/Cudahy area, a road trip up to Minneapolis in 1928 in George’s Hudson would have been a grand adventure. Taking Highway 12 or Highway 61 across Wisconsin back then was no small journey, making this photo a wonderful record of a memorable family trip!