Double wedding of John & Elizabeth (Thielen) Willing (center right) and Edward & Gertrude (Thielen) Michna (center left) with attendants Theodore Thielen and Anna Willing (right) and Frank Michna and Katherine Thielen (left).
John Nicolas Willing was a lifelong resident of Racine, Wisconsin; born (1870), married (1904), lived and died (1947) in this city. Both his parents, Bernard and Johanna (Sievering) Willing, were German immigrants and he was one of seven children; Mary, Annie, Louise (Netti), Bernard (Ben), Leonard and Catherine (Kate).
Very little is known about John's childhood in Racine, however, an event occurred on May 18, 1883 that certainly would have left an impact on such a young boy. A tornado swept through his neighborhood devastating the area and taking the life of his sister Annie. A New York Times newspaper account on May 19 also mentions "a son of Barney Willing is missing". The only two possibile "sons" were John or his brother Ben who would have been 5 1/2 months old at the time. My research is ongoing regarding the tornado and hopefully more details will emerge in a later post.
New York Times article regarding Racine tornado.
According to the 1900 United States Census, John worked as a servant in the home of the Keitchert Family two houses away William Thielen, his future brother-in-law. Could this be how he met his wife Elizabeth?
As well as farming and servant, Great Grandpa had various other occupations- salesman at a meat market owned by his brother-in-law, Sylvester "Slippery" (because he was never around when needed) Mostek and shipping clerk at Hartmann Trunk Company and maintenance man at the Knights of Columbus hall. The Great Depression devastated many businesses and families and Hartmann Trunk was no exception. Grandpa eventually became unemployed sometime after 1940 and although he tried to stay busy, eventually fell into a depression himself for a few years. Mysteriously, while in the hospital for a broken hip the depression left him and he was his old, cheerful self again. He loved to talk and joke with his children about his younger days, often with them sitting around the pot belly stove in the dining room.
John on the right with his son-in-laws, Harry Atwell (center) and Gil Bowman, date unknown.
John never drove a car or had a vacation, was a firm believer in refraining from manual labor on the Lord's Day and was intolerant of insurance salesman. When he died at the age of 68, after a short illness, the doctor diagnosed an enlarged heart. "That may be the medical term but to me that meant the many years of love and hard work to support his family and also helping neighbors in need. He really was a wonderful Papa"1.
Clockwise from left: John's daughter Marie Atwell holding Billy (my Dad), wife Elizabeth, John, daughter Hildegard Bowman holding Mary Jane, in front of Hildegard is Marlene Atwell and taller girl in middle is Joan Atwell. Circa 1937
1. Quote from Memoir of Genevieve. Genevieve Willing Dunham Gorski, 1993.
Additional information regarding the Racine tornado can be found here:
Summarized Proceedings and a Directory of Members, Volume 32
By American Association for the Advancement of Science