Bernard (Barney) and Johanna were German immigrants, Bernard from Vreden near the Dutch border and Johanna from a town I can't even find on the map (so most likely I have an incorrect town name or the name has been changed) who made Chicago their home for a short time. And that's all I know about either of their lives before they married.
Subsequently, I will begin on July 21, 1874 at St. Michael's Church in Chicago, Illinois. On this date, my great-great grandparents Bernard Willing and Johanna Sievering were married. St. Michael's in Old Town was built on land donated by a prosperous immigrant brewer and served German immigrants beginning in 1852. This wooden structure was replaced in 1869 with a brick building and steeple that was once the tallest structure in Chicago. However, just two years later in 1871, St. Michael's Church was ravaged by the Great Chicago Fire. On October 12, 1873 the church was re-dedicated becoming one of the first after the Great Fire to do so and just nine months before my grandparent's wedding day the next year.
Bernard and Johanna's first child, Mary, was born in May 1875 in Chicago followed by Annie in 1876. By the time of my great grand father John's birth in April 1878 the family had relocated north to Racine, Wisconsin. Four more children would followed-Louise, Bernard, Leonard and Catherine-all born in Racine as well. Bernard and Johanna would reside in Racine the remainder of their lives.
Bernard Willing (beard) with my great grandfather John, holding his granddaughter Mary Jane, and his daughter Hildegard Bowman. Circa 1937. (Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of Johanna.)
Bernard's granddaughter, Genevieve (I often refer to her as "Aunt Gen" in this blog and use her memoir quite often as reference) described him:
"Grandpa was a farmer and also dabbled in real estate in his later years. I only remember him as having snow-white hair and full beard and carrying a cane. I always like to watch him pull on two chains that would wind the cuckoo clock that hung on the dining room wall. What fun it was to watch the little cuckoo bird come out on the half or full hour". In his later years, Grandpa seemed to cough a lot and had difficulty breathing, no doubt from smoking a corncob pip for years".
And describing Johanna:
"I only recall Grandma as being rather plump and watching her grind coffee beans, churning milk for butter or lifting the coffee pot off the big iron stove and taking a drink from it. She was injured in the cyclone that ripped through the north side and also killed Annie".
New York Times, May 19, 1883.
Undoubtedly, the most significant event in their lives occurred during the evening of May 18, 1883. The warm day had brought afternoon thunderstorms followed by large dark clouds and hot, still air. A tornado formed and swept through Racine killing little Anna (Annie) who was six. On May 19, The New York Times reported "The little daughter of Barney Willing was blow fully 50 rods from where the house stood and against a wall, and killed instantly". The same news article states "A son of Barney Willing is missing". This could have been either my great grandfather John, 5, or his brother Benny who was one year old at the time. Since the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern reported on May 19, 1883 that "Barney Willing, eight months old was killed in his mother's arms" I am inclined to conclude that Benny/Barney was the child missing. Regardless, both John or Benny were found and lived well into adulthood. All members of the Willing Family were seriously injured that day, some permanently. Two years after the tornado Barney and Johanna were blessed with a baby daughter they named Anna in memory of the daughter they lost.
Barney and Johanna made their home at 1838 LaSalle Street for a number of happy years in the same neighborhood as their children and grandchildren. Johanna died in 1923 and when Barney died in 1939 their house was purchased by their granddaughter and her husband, Hildegard and Gil Bowman. When I was about 10 years old I visited "Aunt" Hildegard at the home never realizing, until just a few years ago, the circumstances and sadness the devastating tornado had on my great, great grandparent's lives.
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