Younger Days: Anne Pene's Vintage Photo Album

Circa, 1929.

Top Row: Middle, Grandma is on the left.  Bottom Row: Grandma is in both photos wearing the same outfit.

Top Row:  Left and Bottom Row: Right are both Grandma. 

Left, Possibly Rudolph Valentino, every girl had one of these, right? Top right, Grandma in the middle.

Top Row: Left, Grandma is in the middle.  Bottom Row: Right, she's on the platform on the far right.

Top Row: Left, Grandma's parents Anton & Johanna Pene; Middle, her brother Albert;  Right, her brothers Louis and Frank. Bottom Row: Left, brother Johnny, Johanna and Louis. and Right, Grandma.

Top Row: Middle, Grandma.  

Top Row: Middle, Louis.  Bottom Row: Left, Louis and Grandma Middle, Grandma on left, Right, Grandma in middle.

Top, Grandma holding child and also in the photo below.

Top Row: Middle, Johanna at their Leonidas home; Right, Valentino again. Bottom row: Middle, Grandma; Right, Grandma on left.

Top row, Right with her father, Anton.  Bottom right, her mother, Johanna, at their home (notice the fencing which was typical for "location" homes in mining communities in the Iron Range).

Bottom Row:  Her family, back L-R Johnny, Anton, Johanna, Frank. front, Louis and Albert

Top Row: Right, Anton & Johanna.  Bottom row: Grandma.

Top Row: Left, Grandma, Right, Grandma.

Top Row:  Left, Anton; Middle, her sister Mary. Bottom Row: Louis and Johnny

All three are photos of my beautiful Grandmother!

Lost Memories: A Lifetime in Twenty-Nine Years.

How do I find the words to write about a life lost too soon?  While attempting to create a timeline of my great grandmother, Martha Kenyon, I realized that when you only live 29 years the task at hand becomes limited.  However, since genealogy is ongoing and never-ending I've decided to share the information I've collected thus far and reserve the right to make additions.

My great grandmother Martha Kenyon Hiller died during childbirth in 1912.  In the 1900's, for every 1,000 women 6-9 died of pregnancy related complications and approximately 100 infants died before the age of 1.  Currently, 15 women per 100,000 die in pregnancy or childbirth (1).   Although a great improvement, currently for women aged 20-34 "pregnancy complications" is still the 6th leading cause of death in the United States (2).  After studying Martha's death certificate it's clear that today she would have received a Cesarean section for her transverse pregnancy, antibiotics for her sepsis and she and her baby would have survived.

My great grandmother's tragic death is every pregnant woman's worst fear.  I'm saddened by the fact that she not only left behind a 3 year old son (my grandfather Don Hiller) and husband but grandchildren and great-grandchildren yet to be born, like me.  Martha would have been 79 the year I was born.

Martha's story can be found on the here.


1.  http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pmss.html
2. http://www.cdc.gov/women/lcod/2013/womenall_2013.pdf

Martha Kenyon Hiller

Martha Kenyon

Martha with her siblings.  She is at the far left, then clockwise Raymond, Delbert, Nathan, Frank, Susie holding baby Dorothy, Allena, Charlie and Florence. Randall died in 1898 at age 1.  Circa 1900

Martha was born in Holland, Michigan on 16, 1882 to Henry and Mary (Fuller) Kenyon.  She was their third child and second daughter (Mary had a child prior to their marriage named, Delbert). Over the years there would be seven more children joining the family for a total of eleven! Sometime between 1898 and 1900 the family relocated to Sebewa Township in Ionia County, Michigan.   

The years between 1900 and 1908 are lost until June 19, 1908 when Martha is married to Ernest J. Hiller in Sebewa Township (just east of Odessa Township)  however it has been suggested that she was possibly a teacher.  Martha's sister Florence and Ernest's brother Archie were witnesses.  Ernest had previously relocated from Lake Odessa in Ionia County, Michigan to Charlevoix and was working as a book keeper at the lumber mill.

Martha and Ernest Hiller's marriage record entry on the bottom line.  

Postcard received by Martha & EJ after the birth of Don.

After the wedding the couple made their home at 304 Antrim Street in Charlevoix and in April, 1909 Martha gave birth to their first son (my grandfather) Don C. Hiller.   During this time, Charlevoix was also undergoing plenty of change moving from a lumbering community to a summer tourist destination.  People began arriving by rail in 1892 which sparked the development of luxury hotels (The Inn and The Beach) train depots and summer associations (Belvedere Club, Sequanota Club and Chicago Club).

Photos obtained from a souvenir book published by W.C Bellinger Curio Store in Charlevoix, Michigan.  The book was given to me by Dorothy Hiller Mather.

Unfortunately, this is where Martha's story becomes tragic.  On May 3, 1912 during the difficult delivery of her second child her daughter, Opal, was stillborn.   By May 16, Martha succumbed to a uterine infection that brought about a septic blood infection.  At the time, this was known as "childbed fever".  She may well have survived with antibiotics, however, it would be another 16 years before they were available.

My great grandmother's story has always touched me.  I continue to wonder how many lives would have unfolded differently if she had not passed so young.  Her husband and parents no doubt were devastated, however, my heart really went out to my grandfather, Don, who was much too young to understand his loss.

As with everyone I write about in this blog, as long as I continue to tell their stories a part of them and their history is with us.  So, this is Martha Kenyon Hiller's tribute and hopefully someday I will be able to make additions to her story.

Family Recipes, Traditions and Preservation

I'm a big fan of recipe preservation and the accompanying traditions whether it's family recipes, heritage recipes or both.  I get even more excited when I find cookbooks on the subject so when I stumbled across this Internet article "Appetites: Preserving Iron Range Recipes" by Minnesota Public Radio News I decided to change topics this month and expand on November's potica post.  In addition to providing another potica recipe, there are recipes for porketta and pasties.  Pasties became a convenient lunch staple of the miners in the Iron Range.  My great grandfather, Anton Pene, worked the mines for years and probably ate his share of these delicious meat pies. Interesting timing/side note, my daughter cooked porchetta/porketta for Christmas dinner last month and learning to make meat pies are on my "to-do" list this winter!  The featured cookbook, "Come, You Taste-Family Recipes from the Iron Range" by B.J. Carpenter is available through the Minnesota Historical Society using the link provided in the article.  I have ordered, but not yet received my copy, however, I'm excited to read this "cultural record" of the Iron Range and my heritage. A new cookbook is also available through The Slovenian Union of America ,"The American-Slovenian Table", which contains traditional Slovenian recipes and holiday menus.  Chapter 1 starts with New Year's Eve-Silvestrovo and highlights significant holiday events in Slovenian culture and ends with Chapter 11 Christmas-Božič.

As families grow and relocate to different states and even abroad, upholding and celebrating family traditions become more important because they are at risk for being lost.  Let's make the effort to keep those holiday traditions and old recipes you might inherit. You never know who might really be missing Aunt Mabel's famous chocolate cake recipe!

Thoughts of Chrismases Past

Both sets of grandparents (Red & Anne Hiller, above) have a special place on the Christmas tree each year.

As a child, every holiday season my parents would pack the station wagon with children, luggage and Christmas gifts and brave the eight hour journey from Michigan to our grandparent's home in Milwaukee.  My Dad would wake us early, carry our pajama-clothed bodies to the warmed car and nestle us into cozy sleeping areas he made for each of us.  No seat belts back then just comfort and, yet, somehow we managed to survive the trip. Not too far into the trip my Mom would open a thermos of coffee which instantaneously wafted throughout the vehicle.  Each year, I would ask myself and sometimes even out loud "

Am I old enough to drink coffee out of that red thermos cap while driving to Milwaukee?"  

And the answer was always "kids don't drink coffee".  WELL....someone failed to inform my Grandma because   upon arrival she would let me pour the Carnation Evaporated Milk from a can in the refrigerator into her hot, black cup of coffee, the creamy white swirls entrancing me and when she deemed the coffee "cool enough" I would get a sip.  I decided waiting for Grandma's brew was much more satisfying anyway.

Harry & Marie Atwell.

Christmas Eve was always reserved for Dad's side of the family, usually held at his brother's or sister's home.  Christmas Day was celebrated with Mom's side Grandpa and Grandma Hiller's and kicked off by attending mass at St. John The Evangelist Church and trying to understand Father Goulet's Slovenian accent.  Both visits were magnificent - uncles, aunts, cousins, gifts, cookies and plenty of laughter and merriment! I only remember two occasions we didn't travel to Milwaukee, once when my siblings and I all had the chickenpox and the other when we were much older and thought we should stay at home.  Both times we were miserable and disappointed we "missed out".  So, I guess the moral of the story is to value our remaining holidays and the time we have left together so as not to feel like we "miss out" ever again.  Merry Christmas! 

Christmas card sent out by my great Grandpa & Grandma Penne, circa 1950's.

My great Grandma's handwriting.  She never learned to speak English, only her native Slovene.

Potica!

Traditionally, during the Christmas Season (Christmas Eve-Božični večer and Christmas -Božič) any Slovenian woman will tell you that means it's time to make potica. The Slovenian Union of America writes in their current cookbook The Slovenian-American Table that potica "is as Slovenian as apple pie is American".  Potica (nut roll) is a pastry made from a sweet yeast bought rolled out very thin, then spread with a ground nut paste mixture and finally tightly rolled into a log shape and baked.  Slovenian immigrant women, like my great grandmother Johanna Kocijančič, brought their recipes to the United States.  I've no doubt that that our current receipe was

My Universal grinder was purchased about 8 years ago and is still available for under $35.00.  My Mom still uses my Grandmother's original grinder.

either memorized by or carried with Great Grandma Johanna and then modernized over the years.    I grew up learning to make potica from my Grandmother, Mother and Aunt and since it freezes well, also eating it at most family gathering throughout the year.

Potica artwork!  If you choose to follow this recipe there is a slight error in the first paragraph-1 tsp. sugar NOT 1/2 cup.

Although there are many different varieties of potica both sweet and savory, my family has always made only one kind, orehova potica or walnut potica, one way, with one nut grinder and with one recipe.  I believe the key to making potica is my Universal nut grinder which produces finely ground walnuts, without turning them to paste like a food processor tends to do, allowing for a tight roll.  About 5 years ago now, my niece, Danielle, found an artist named Marcella Kriebel to turn our family recipe into a work of art and surprised each of the women in our family with a copy.  One of the BEST gifts I have ever received.  Our family recipe for potica can be seen on the Family Recipe page.  Enjoy.

Grandma Hiller's Walnut Potica Recipe

Dough

8 cups flour

2 cups milk

6 egg yolks, keep 3 egg whites

3/4 cup sugar plus 1/2 tsp sugar for yeast

2 packages dry yeast

1 1/2 cups butter plus 1/4 cup melted butter (to brush on loaves before baking)

1/2 cup warm water

2 tsp salt

Filling

3 lbs finely ground walnuts

Grinding the nuts.

1 3/4 to 2 cups milk

1 cup honey

2 cups sugar

1 stick butter

3 egg whites, beaten stiff

Cinnamon

7-8 greased loaf pans are also needed.

1.   Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water with 1/2 tsp sugar.  Let stand 30 minutes to

Proofed yeast.

activate yeast.

2.   Melt butter 1 1/2 cups butter and milk together (I use the microwave).  Stir in the sugar and allow to cool.  Then add the 6 egg yolks. 

3.   Add yeast mixture to milk and mix well.

4.   Sift together flour,  3/4 cup sugar and salt.   Make a well in dry ingredients and then add milk mixture blending with a wooden spoon.  Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until

silky smooth throwing dough down on table a couple times.  Place dough in greased bowl (I actually like to use a 9 x 13 pan so that the dough is a nice shape for rolling later) also greasing top of dough then covering with a clean cloth.  

Texture of risen dough.

5.  Place dough in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Note-I usually turn the oven on lowest setting then turn off before placing bowl inside.

Risen dough on floured tablecloth,

ready to be rolled.

6.   While waiting for dough to rise, cover a large table with a thin, smooth tablecloth and flour well.  

7.   For filling, melt sugar, butter, and milk together.  Stir in honey and nuts.  Fold beaten egg whites into cooled mixture.  

8.  Turn risen dough onto center of table.  Roll dough from center out, lengthwise first then width wise.  This is a slow process and dough should be

very

thin.  

Don't rush otherwise the dough thickness will be uneven and impossible to correct .

Spreading walnut filling.

9.   Spread nut mixture evenly over dough.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.

10.  Roll up lengthwise-start roll with fingers then continue by lifting up on tablecloth-find a friend because this part if a two person job.

11.   Line greased loaf pans along roll and cut into loaves.

12.   Place rolls in loaf pans and cover with clean towel.  Let and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Measuring for cutting into loaves.

13.   Brush tops of loaves with melted butter.  Bake at 350º F for 45 

minutes to 1 hour.

The old time movie below is courtesy of my niece Kellie!

Rolling.

Thirteen Day Voyage to a New Life

Johanna Kocijančić on her wedding day, October 6, 1901.

Never having a chance to meet my great grandmother wasn't necessary to surmise she was a very brave and gutsy woman.   Just a little research regarding women who immigrated to the Minnesota Iron Range in the early 1900's reveals a difficult life which included long work days and substandard living conditions.  For most, pre-immigration perception of the United States was much different than the reality.  There were no streets paved with gold and in the Iron Range most were just red ore dust. In all likelihood, it was the promise of a husband that encouraged my great grandmother to board the SS Königin Luise in Bremen, Germany on April 14, 1901 with her cousin Franc Ščurek.  Eventually her sisters, Ana and Franciska, would also immigrate, marry and raise families in Eveleth.  Johanna's story can be seen on the Penne Family Page.

Franc Ščurek, who became Frank Stark in the United States, with Johanna's sister Ana Kocijančič Kerze.

Bob Dylan, legandary songwriter and singer, was born in Duluth, Minnesota and raised in Hibbing, the heart of the Iron Range.  North Country Blues is a song he wrote about perils of the mining industry and there are plenty of versions of this on You Tube if you would like to listen.  Bruce Springsteen also wrote a tribute to miners in his song Youngstown. 

Youngstown,

From the Monongahela Valley

To the Mesabi Iron Range

To the coal mines of Appalachia

The story's always the same.

Johanna Kocijančič (CO-tsee-YAN-cheech)

House #9 as it looked when my daughter

and I visited in October, 2013.

When Johanna was born in House #9 in the small village of Mali Osolnik in 1874, Slovenia was part of the Austrio-Hungarian Empire and before that the Austrian Empire.  In fact, Slovenia did not become an independent country until 1991. Each of her nine siblings was also born in House #9, as well as her father and his father.  Although the circumstances of her life in Slovenia and reason for her departure are unknown, Johanna immigrated in 1901 and landed on Ellis Island on April 27 with $12 in her pocket.   The passenger list states her final destination as a "relative" in Eveleth, Minnesota however, the surname of this relative is illegible.  Once in Eveleth, according to my Mom, Johanna briefly worked at a boarding house before her marriage to

Anton Pene

on October 6, 1901.  As previously written (see Anton Pene post) my grandmother, Anne Hiller, once told me that this marriage was somewhat arranged by a local Eveleth barkeep. 

Johanna's birth certificate

Johanna lived on the Mesabi Range (the largest of the three iron ranges in Minnesota) from the year of her immigration until she relocated to Milwaukee around 1948.  While on the Iron Range, the Pene Family lived in  "location" homes, temporary or semi-permanent company owned homes built in close proximity to the mine, that afforded low rent, usually $8-$12 a month.  Missabe, Adams, Spruce, Fayal, Leonidas were all locations they lived each providing somewhat monotonous, relatively well-built housing with wooden walkways.  While a little lengthy, the article (The "Locations") below offers accurate insight regarding life in company-owned communities. A few of the Mesabi Range locations, including Leonidas, were incorporated when surrounding towns sought to annex them and I believe this is when my great grandparents became homeowners (still researching this idea, however).

Anton & Johanna with their boys at their

Leonidas home- back row L-R

Al, Louis, Frank, Johnny, front with

button accordion, Matt.

True heartache was an excruciating companion as Johanna and Anton lost four children on the Iron Range.  Their first child, Johanna, died at 9 months in 1906, Tony 8 years in 1914,  Vida 3 days old in 1915 and Mathew 12 years in 1928 yet Johanna was devout, never lost her faith and found comfort in praying the rosary daily.  Despite living in the United States for 60 years, Johanna never learned to speak English thus any communication with grandchildren was through translation by my grandma Anne.  She was always busy in the kitchen, wearing a dress, black shoes, thick socks and, of course, an apron.  Johanna loved to bake and I regard her as my potica matriarch since she is my link to the "old country."  As I bake my own potica each year she, as well as my grandmother, are in my thoughts.

Johanna died unexpectedly.  My Mom was a nursing student in Milwaukee and came home for a visit, recognized her grandmother was not well and along with her mother took to her to the emergency room.  Very ill, she died within 15 minutes after arriving.  In death as in life, she loved her family, never complained and held onto her faith.

Johanna's obituary in Slovene.

Credits/additional resources:

The "Locations" Company Communities on Minnesota's Iron Ranges

Immigration to the Iron Range, 1880-1930

Minnesota Mines

Iron Range Map

Flancati, Flancati!

Traditionally, flancati is a dessert made with dough, deep fried and sprinkled with confectioner's sugar and that's how, I'm told, it was always made by my Grandma Hiller.  However, while searching through her old recipes I found this written in her hand- Oven Baked Flancati.  As a child, I was never privileged to a taste her flancati but my Mom and Aunt made them with her often and they confirmed deep frying was the process she used.

Results of my oven baked flancati.

Probably at some point my Grandma moved away from the time-consuming flancati to rosettes (a Swedish cookie) because I definitely remember eating those.  Rosette ingredients are very similar to flancati, a combination of eggs, flour, vanilla, milk (instead of sour cream) and a little sugar.  A special tool is coated with the batter mixture then held in the heated oil until the rosettes fall off the tool.  When cooled, like flancati, the rosettes are sprinkled with confectioner's sugar.   Every culture has figured out how to fry dough, top it with sugar and call it a dessert/pastry.  Whether you're eating flancati, rosette, churro, beinet, zeppole, bugne, funnel cake, or doughnut in the end it's all fried dough! Yum.

The original, handwritten recipe can be seen on the "Family Recipes" page.

Grandma's Oven Baked Flancati Recipe

The only ingredient change I made was using butter instead of oleo.  Generally flancati dough is twisted before deep frying giving them the nickname "angel wings".  Grandma (inadvertently or maybe these are supposed to be squares?) left out the twisting instructions which is basically pulling one end down and up though the slit.  I decided to add the twist and found it easier to do this when I cut the flancati in strips (1"x 2.5") rather than squares.   These were good however, I think fried would be the way to go.

American Bank & Trust Robbed in Racine, Wisconsin

Imaging finding out that Public Enemy Number 1 just robbed a bank in your city.  was a reality for my great grandparents John and Elizabeth Willing along with other members of their extended family.  (My grandmother, Marie Willing Atwell, was married and living in Manitowoc at the time, however).   John Dillinger was a life-long troublemaker who began a streak of robberies and murders across across the Midwest that eventually landed him at the American Bank & Trust on November 20, 1933.  The crime spree ended when he was killed outside the Biograph Theatre in Chicago by FBI agents as depicted in the 2009 movie "Public Enemies".  While researching this event, I was surprised to learn that the home state of so many of my relatives became a notorious hideout for many famous gangsters.  (More information can be found here regarding Wisconsin gangster haunts).  Interestingly, my aunt currently lives in the vicinity of a number of the northern Wisconsin locations.

My curiosity about this event was peaked when I not only read Genevieve's mention in her memoir but also when Ancestry.com entered it as a "Lifestory" event on John Willing's timeline.  Gen writes "The bank that is located on the corner next to it (referring to the Bijou Theatre) was robbed by

American Bank & Trust Company in downtown Racine.

 and accomplices.  I was in St. Mary's Hospital, which was located on Grand Avenue at the time, after giving birth to Laurana.  There was quite a a commotion at the hospital and also around town as he escaped.  I was never a customer of the bank but I knew several people who worked there, one being Fran Hahn.  It is still a busy place these days."  Not wanting to immediately dismiss her claim that she was in the hospital during this event,  I conducted my own research and found that she was not in the hospital delivering a baby and in fact she may have been teaching in Milwaukee on that day.  Family stories and memoirs are nice to have however, it's not a substitution for conducting your own research.

This website by the Weyland Family provides a thorough and interesting, account of the robbery including information on one of the hostages, bank president Grover Weyland.  This incident is part of their family history and rather than write the story myself, I prefer referring you to their website.

Looking at the map here you can see the close vicinity of the Willing home and my great

grandfather's place of employment to the robbery site.  I wonder how quickly news spread throughout the city without the benefit of social media  Did my grandfather telephone home to check on his family? Come home from work early?  Were relatives, friends and neighbors called?  My guess is that as local and national newspapers hit the news stands, the citizens of Racine had plenty of stories to recount that night and for weeks regarding the day a group of gangsters came to their town.

Monday, November 20, 1933, 2:20 p.m.

In general, most of my posts refer to a specific person, an ancestor.  Last month, that was John Willing, my great grandfather.  I've decided, this month, to expand on John's life and write about an event that took place during his residence in Racine, Wisconsin.  In past posts I have mentioned Genevieve's Memoir and the informative role it has had in helping me to create accurate historical and genealogical information.  In this one case, however, Genevieve's memory was imprecise.  While recounting her stay at St. Mary's Hospital after the birth of her daughter, Genevieve states that  "the bank that is located on the corner next to it (Bijou Theatre) was robbed by Dillinger and accomplices".  John Dillinger did burglarize the American Bank and Trust Company on November 20, 1933, however, Gen didn't marry until October, 1944 and her daughter was not born until after her marriage.  Perhaps she is just confusing the episode with another hospital stay.  Regardless,  I found it thought-provoking that this event occurred one-and-a-half miles from so many of my father's ancestor's homes (grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins) and wondered how this incident affected their lives.   Although I have no written documentation regarding their personal experiences during the manhunt, I'm guessing there was plenty to talk about at dinner that night! Find the story on the Willing Family page.

John N. Willing: "A Wonderful Papa"

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

https://books.google.com/books?id=wwpLAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA142&lpg=PA142&dq=1883,+tornado,+Kenosha,+Racine,+Wisconsin&source=bl&ots=YpkUrnotfh&sig=Z4tIUOZAEnhqYOXCla4XOMRMz24&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBmoVChMIrs6Ytc_zxgIVQ5INCh0FSAT_#v=onepage&q=1883%2C%20tornado%2C%20Kenosha%2C%20Racine%2C%20Wisconsin&f=false

Great Grandpa Willing

The "Racine" Family, circa 1942.

My father was 10 when his grandfather died.  Although visiting his Mom's family (grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins) in Racine often and seeing photos of him standing beside his grandfather he "doesn't remember him, even when he died".  He describes his grandparent's home as an "almost farm-like white house with a painted red foundation" and "at the end of the side driveway sat a small, one car detached garage adjacent to a rather large vegetable garden".  Some of the Racine relatives standing in front of the Bowman Home (former home of John's parents) are shown in this photo.  That's Great Grandpa Willing at the top left wearing a hat and his wife Elizabeth on the step below.  Clockwise, Gil Bowman and Harry Atwell (my grandpa)  John's son-in-laws, middle-Hildegard and Marie (my grandma) John's daughters.  John's grandchildren starting just below Harry are Marlene Atwell, Mary Jane Bowman, Billy Atwell (my Dad), Judy Bowman and Donald Atwell and Joan Atwell (above Donald).

"The Racine neighborhood was very different from ours.  There were no alleys, local businesses or delivery trucks.  It was very quiet, like the country".  In 1940 the population of Racine was about 67,000 and very different from my father's home in Milwaukee at 587,000.  It turns out Dad's childhood memories were right on.   "Farm-like" and "country" certainly described John.   He had at least two things in common with his own father, a corn cob pipe and farming, providing for his family during the Great Depression by growing/raising most of their food including carrots, onions, beets, lettuce, beans, tomatoes, peas, strawberries, raspberries currants, grapes, chickens and eggs.  Despite not remembering his grandpa, I think my Dad captured the spirit of the man.   It's possible my Dad might have remembered his grandfather better than he thought after all.

John's biography can be found on the Willing Page.  As with his wife Elizabeth's post, I will be relying heavily on material from the memoirs of his daughter Genevieve (Willing) (Dunham) Gorski.

Notes:

Quotations taken from Remember the Good Times,  2004, Chapter titled "Travel and Vacations" a self published book written by my Dad, William H. Atwell.

Grandma Hiller's BBQ'd Hamburgers

The original recipe.

 A few years ago, after looking through my Mom's old recipe collection I found this one for BBQ'd Hamburgers.  I recognized the handwriting immediately as belonging to my Grandma Hiller.  My family knows I have a fascination with family recipes handed down through the generations and I was thrilled to find this one.  Grandma Hiller made this for family gatherings, although in all the years we visited,  I don't remember ever eating them.

Last weekend I made this recipe for the first time and it turns out Grandma Hiller was on to something.  BBQ'd hamburgers are very good.  Kind of like a Sloppy Joe with a patty instead of loose meat, with the sloppy included.  As I read  it and gathered the ingredients I was intrigued by this abbreviated recipe.  It's written more in note form than like a traditional recipe, perhaps she was a friend's house and jotted it down quickly?  Or from a magazine?  Regardless, I've never seen a similar recipe and the hamburgers would be easy to keep warm in a crockpot or large roaster for a party, family gathering or tailgate.  Leftovers, no problem, they tasted even better the second day! While not her original recipe, "Grandma Hiller's BBQ'd Hamburgers" is the official name now.

My version.

Changes to Posted Videos

Last week, I became aware that the videos I've previously posted are not able to be viewed on iPhone mobile devices or iPads.  With the changes made today this should no longer be an issue.  If these are the only devices you use to access my blog, you are now able to view the effected videos on the Penne Page, "The Tavern" and the Blog Page, "An Immigrant From Slovenia".

Thanks/Hvala!

An Immigrant from Slovenia

Anton Pene and Lee Ann 1961.

As a child, I would look through old family photo albums and was always curious about photos like this one of me posing with a person that I didn't know.   When I asked my Mom she would say "That's Grandpa Pene he was a miner in Minnesota" and that response seemed to satisfy me for a long time.  But, thankfully, I know so much more now.

With all the genealogy websites available now, it's easy to gather records and create time lines for my ancestors.  My files are filed with United States Census, Immigration and Naturalization records on Anton Pene but learning more personal information is the tricky part.  For example I found out, thanks to my parents, that for breakfast Great Grandpa Pene liked to put soda crackers in his coffee and that he smoked Wolf Brothers Crooks Cigars (Anton would ask my Dad, who wasn't married to my Mom at the time, to go to the store and buy them for him).  I understand to most people these details would seem insignificant but this is the type of information I want to know.  As I've mentioned before on this blog, I "inherited" (I say "inherited" because no one else wanted them) a box of 8mm home movies from my great Uncle Johnny (Anton's son).  Having my great grandfather brought to life through film is a true treasure for me.

Watching the film clip above, I'm able to see Anton's personality shine through as he celebrates with his daughter Anne at the tavern, playfully teases his wife Johanna and, below, during a birthday celebration (circa 1948), him delighting in his birthday kisses and wishes (circa 1960). So, it goes without saying, I'm so happy these films didn't end up in the trash and they made their way to me.

More about Anton Pene can be found on the Penne Family page.

Well-wishers in order:

1.   Johnny Penne, Anton's son

2.   Anne Hiller,  daughter

3.   Al,  son

4.   Don Hiller, son-in-law

5.   Don Hiller, grandson

6.   Geri (Al's wife), daughter-in-law

7.  Wanda (Johnny's wife), daughter-in- law

8.   Bob Boschke, grandson-in-law

9.   Carol Penne, granddaughter

10. Bobby Boschke, great grandson and Mary Anne (Hiller) Boschke, granddaughter

Citations:

Photo of Wolf Brothers Cigars obtained from http://69.16.194.131/tagged/Wolf-Brothers-Western/images.

Anton Pene

Anton Pene, 1901.

Anton's immigration record.

 One could say Anton Pene risked everything in 1899 when he left the small village of Veliki Slatnik, Slovenia (then Austria-Hungary) at the age of 26 aboard the Kaiser Friedrich and landed at Ellis Island with $3.00 in his pocket.  Or, you could say he got out in the nick of time.  For if he had stayed, he mostly likely would have been drafted into the Austro-Hungarian Army and possibly fought during World War I at the Battle of Kobarid, historically one of the deadliest battles ever fought on Slovene land.  World War II would follow and Anton would have seen his country trisected and completely annexed to Nazi Germany, fascist Italy and Hungary (see citation below).  Of course, he knew none of this when he left. 

Anton & Johanna's wedding, October 1901.

After arriving in America, his final destination would be Eveleth, Minnesota where, presumably, a mining job was waiting for him.  Mining Company recruited Slovenes, among other nationalities to work the strip mines around the Mesabi Iron Range.  Immigrants already employed on the Mesabi Range sent letters and money back to family which also attracted more immigrants to the iron range.  Upon arriving in New York City, my guess would be that the mining company either paid his rail fare, loaned him the money or filled a "cattle" car with immigrants headed for Minnesota because I hardly think $3.00 would have been enough for train fare.  In any event, Eveleth would be his home for the next 50 years.

In 1900, Anton lived in a boarding house and was working as a miner at the Mesabi Iron Range for the Oliver Iron Mining Company.  Over the years he worked in the Adams, Fayal and Spruce Mines holding jobs as a driller and timberlander.  In July 1907, the first organized mining strike occured on the Mesabi Range.  The miner's main complaints were ethnic discrimination, low wages, dangerous working conditions and long work days.   In early August strikebreakers were brought in and by mid-August there were enough strikebreakers that the strike officially ended.  Ultimately, the strike was not successful because the miner's demands were not met, however, everyone working the Mesabi Range at the time would have been affected in some way, including Anton.  Although I do not know the exact date he retired from the mines by 1930 at 57 years old he was working for the City of Eveleth and later the Health Department before relocating to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The story told to me by my grandmother is that a local (Mesabi Range) tavern owner named Jance told Anton he knew someone back in Slovenia who had a daughter that would be perfect for him.  Apparently, letters were written and Johanna Kocijančič arrived in April, 1901, with her sister, and by October of the same year she married Anton.  

In 1912, the family became naturalized American citizens.

Anton and his son Matt, circa 1924.

Baby Johanna's funeral photo. This practice was common during this time and often, with children, their only photo ever taken.

Anton and Johanna's would have 10 children:  Johanna in 1902 and who died before she turned a year old, Mary Anne in 1903, my grandmother Anna/Anne in 1905, Anton in 1906 and who died in 1914 from septicemia/pyaemia of the elbow, thigh and knee, Frank in 1908,  Albert in 1910, Louis in 1912, John and Vid were twins born in 1915 but Vid did not survive the birth and Mathew in 1916 who he died in 1928 from complication from pneumonia/heart issues.

By the mid-1940's, Anton and Johanna had relocated to join their children who all previously removed to Milwaukee.  Their new home was an apartment shared with their daughter and son-in-law attached to the tavern.  Even though almost 70 years old, they both worked in the tavern, Anton performing odd jobs and keeping the kegs organized and tapped and Johanna cooking and cleaning.  After Frank and Mary sold the tavern, they bought a home on W. Greenfield Avenue.  They shared the lower level with Anton & Johanna and rented the upper level to Mary's brother (Anton's son) Louis and his wife Fran.   Family was an integral part of their life including parties at the tavern to Sunday dinners at the Zupanchich/Pene home with grandchildren and "Ma and Pa" were the center of it all.

Anton & Johanna Pene date unknown.

Anton's obituary in the Milwaukee newspaper.

The untimely death of Anton and Johanna's daughter Mary in 1950 followed by Frank in 1959 and then Johanna in 1960 caused another relocation for Anton when he went to live with his surviving daughter (my grandmother), Anne on Walker Street in Milwaukee.   This was his last home and also when I was lucky enough to be photographed with him.

It's not important that you cannot read the obituary written in Slovene on the right.  My translation would be:  "Today we lost a loving, amazing,  and hard-working husband, father, uncle, grandfather and great grandfather who took a journey across the ocean and lead the way for generations of his descendants to be born Americans.  We are all forever grateful for the sacrifices you made and we will never forget you.  

Additional information:

Visit http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com/kaiserfriedrich.html for history and photos of the Kaiser Friedrich.

Information regarding immigrants to the Mesabi Range http://collections.mnhs.org/mnhistorymagazine/articles/27/v27i03p203-215.pdf

Information on the Iron Range Company Communities/Locations http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/48/v48i03p094-107.pdf

For more information and photos of Minnesota's early iron range history visit this link to Minnesota Historical Society http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/52/v52i07p246-263.pdf and http://www.miningartifacts.org/Minnesota-MInes.html

.

Citations:

History of Slovenia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia and Gregor Joseph Kranjc (2013).  To Walk With the Devil, University of Toronto Press Scholarly PUblishing Division, p. introduction 5.

Oliver Mining Company recruitment.   

https://books.google.com/books?id=n3Xn7jMx1RYC&pg=PA233&lpg=PA233&dq=Oliver+Mining+Company+recruiting+slovenes&source=bl&ots=gHllCFxR7d&sig=BN9lM5lFzmBW0Ngp--hahbwwIds&hl=en&sa=X&ei=fWljVZ-mNoeNNq_5gcAE&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Oliver%20Mining%20Company%20recruiting%20slovenes&f=false

Great Grandma Willing

Wedding day of John Willing and Elizabeth Thielen Willing.

My great grandmother, Elizabeth G. Thielen, was born on September 16, 1879 lived most of her life in one house located at 1828 LaSalle Street in Racine, Wisconsin.  When she was young, her family made overnight trips by horse and buggy to Waterford visiting her maternal grandparents and family.  During cold weather her father would place heated bricks under blankets at their feet to keep warm while making the journey. Before she married, Lizzie, as she was know, worked at Miller's Shoe Factory "which was downtown and walked each way in her long dresses and high-buttoned shoe".1

  Interestingly, her father, Johan Thielen, was a shoemaker in Racine at the same time.

Racine Daily Journal, June 29, 1904

"There used to be a park with a bandstand and pavilion on the corner of Douglas Avenue and High Street, northwest, and that is where she met Papa".1

 John Nicholas Willing and Lizzie were married on June 20, 1904 in a double wedding ceremony with her sister Gertrude and her husband, Edward Michna.  A talented seamstress, Elizabeth made her own wedding gown and veil and throughout her life First Communion dresses and clothing for her children and bridesmaid dresses for 3 of their weddings.  After the honeymoon, John and Lizzie made their home at 1828 Palica Avenue which was later renamed LaSalle Street.

Lizzie had six children, at home, with the help of a midwife Bernard, Hildegard, Marie (my grandmother), Raymond, Edmund and Genevieve.  She was a hard worker and "her hands were busy day and night with some household task".1  

Elizabeth with her daughters Marie, left and Hildegard, date unknown.

In the Willing house, meals were cooked on a large, black iron wood and coal-burning oven/stove and Lizzie baked bread, cookies and kuchens (German word for cake) once or twice a week.  She also canned vegetables and fruit from their garden and were able to enjoy beans, tomatoes, pickles, beets, sauerkraut, various jams and jellies throughout the winter.  When she worked in the garden, Mamma (as the children called her, wore a big straw hat, old cotton stockings over her arms and a cover-up apron.  Since there was no running hot water, before doing the weekly wash, water had to be heated in a large copper tub and then separated into two wooden washtubs-one for washing the other for rinsing. Clothes were then put through a hand-turned wringer to squeeze out the excess water before being hung to dry outside or in the attic.

Elizabeth Thielen Willing, date unknown, but my guess would be her last birthday in September, 1970.

Elizabeth loved to play the piano and would play as "Papa" would played his violin.  She was also a religious person saying prayers before and after meals and lighting a blessed candle when there was a storm or a family member was seriously ill and praying the rosary.  After her children had left the home, she attended daily mass until she was no longer able.  Elizabeth paid cash for everything and was fond of saying "if you see something you like, but don't really need it, don't buy it".  She never drove a car or had a telephone until later in life.  Genevieve recalls "there were a lot of things she didn't do, but the only thing I remember most that she did do was to always be home when I came home from school and that was at lunchtime too."1

My Great Grandma Willing sounds like a sensible, hard-working, stay-at-home mom. What's not to like about that?

1Gorski, Genevieve Thielen (Dunham), Personal Memoir papers, never published.