June 2015 Ancestral Newsletter #41

Dear Readers, In this newsletter we will continue with the mini-biographies of the Rieder Family. This month's featured relative is Herman Rieder. My Great Uncle Herman was a postman. Occasionally he may havedelivered to our house but I don't believe that was ever his regular route. Once in awhile I would see him at Grandpa and Grandma's house. But, regretfully, I never got to know much about him. Herman's son, Gordon, shares this regret: “I now realize how much we miss by not questioning our ancestors about their lives. My Dad and yourrelatives lived this life and yet we know very little about it. All you have to do is look at Al (Weitzer) and my Dad, they went from horse and buggy and gas warfare to prop airplanes, jet aircraft, rockets, nuclear arms of mass destruction and men on the moon. The easy availability of family supporting jobs, low crime rates, picnics, family gatherings and all of the interaction with relatives---all disappearing now in the rabbit hole of Progress. How would they react to some of the wonderful thingswe have and the massive changes in our world? I got to thinking about Mom and Dad. Because of the times they lived in, it would almost have been mandatory for them to be multilingual. So that would mean Dad spoke German and English. Mom would have been fluent in Polish and English.”

In the school year of 1911-1912, Herman Rieder created a workbook in which he wrote his assignments in both English and German. Below is an example.

Herman Joseph Rieder

Herman Joseph Rieder

Herman J. Rieder The Rieder Family

Herman was the third child of Ferry and Anna (Brechtl) Rieder. He was born in Plain, Wisconsin on July 16, 1901. His siblings were Clara, Albert, Laura, Frieda, John and Donald. The Rieder childrenattended Meadow View School in the winter and went to St. Luke's in spring and autumn.

Herman & ? (possibly a cousin) Herman Rieder (1915) Herman participated in a special Church event in the photo on the right. The photo on the left was cropped from a class photo taken in 1915. (Newsletter #28) The teacher was Sr. Walburga. On Sunday April 27, 1911, 101 children received their first Holy Communion. Herman along with his brother Albert and his sister Clara were part of the group. According to The History of Plain, WI: The altars were artistically decorated with potted flowers, the lilacs and Easter lilies prevailing.The monstrous pipe organ played by Sister Germain, a fine organist, added to the great solemnity of the occasion as these children marched slowly up the aisle, two by two.

Herman's Graduation Picture Herman (top left) with team members at St. Lawrence

In 1922, Herman went to St. Lawrence Seminary School in Mt. Calvary, WI. He was studying to become a priest but decided it wasn't the right choice for his life. He graduated in 1928.

In 1930, two years aftergraduation, Herman along with hisdad Ferry, his sister Frieda, his AuntTheresa Rieder Lins and hisbrother-in-law Alois Weitzer allwent down to Arkansas to visitrelatives. (Newsletters #34 and #37)

Herman Rieder----->

Below: In Arkansas,Cousin Gusta Rieder & Herman

Picnic in the Arkansas hills, from left to right: Ferry Rieder, Herman Rieder, Al Weitzer and the woman is probably Theresa Rieder Lins

Emily Marie Pogorzelski Emily Pogorzelski was born on March 5, 1910. Her parents, Joseph and Josephine Pogorzelski and the family lived in Milwaukee. Gordon Rieder had this to say about his grandparents:

I remember a “subdivision” called Pigsville below the viaduct. The reason it got the name was the people in that area had pigs. Frowned upon by us Sotsiders (phonetic spelling). My Grandparents lived on 16th St. naturally on the Sotside. They owneda small grocery store at one time and Jaja, Grandpa was a stone cutter. He got arthritis real bad and was bedridden as long as I knew him. Grandma or Busha as us kids knew her as, looked after him for all those years doing the best she could to alleviate his pain. There were no drugs like we have now.

Emily attended Cream City Business College studying stenography and bookkeeping. She graduated on May 26, 1927. She also took up competitive swimming and was a champion swimmer.

On August 25, 1937, Emily married Herman Rieder at St. Adelberts Church. The reception was held at the Plaza Ballroom in Milwaukee.

Emily Pogorzelski

Herman and Emily Rieder ----->

Herman and Emily had 3 children: Gordon, Darlene andElaine. They moved to West Allis and bought a home.Gordon Rieder shares some memories of their lives: My mom worked in a butcher shop for 5 cents an hourand dad was a mailman, which at the time was not a veryhigh paying job either. They managed to buy a house for$5,000. and a new car which made our family seemwealthy. Wasn't a lot left over, yet (at Christmastime) wehad gifts of socks, scarfs, coats, boots, gloves and one ortwo toys, food that had been canned in fall and a wholebunch of relatives. My dad shoveled not only our house, and built a mound ofsnow we could sled on, but the neighbors and half the alleybehind our and the neighbors garage so he could get the car out.

When I was younger the thrill of the day was the rag man comingup the street yelling for any rags. We also had the knife and scissorssharpener with his little cart and wheel for sharpening. One other job Iremember seeing was the coal man delivering coal for the winter. Hecarried this big bag on his shoulder full of coal and dumped it into thecoal bin through a basement window or a coal chute. Great day whenDad got a gas furnace and he did not have to stoke the coals, all he had

to do was turn the thermostat higher. We lived on what was the Billy Mitchell farm and it had open fieldsfrom 51st to 57th and from Hayes to the Root River Park. The boys andgirls would go to “block 14” and build forts and have wars. Its allsubdivision now. The Mitchell mansion became an old folks home. The Johnson Cookie factory on National Ave sold broken cookiesfor a dollar. You never knew what you would get so it was always asurprise, most welcome too because they were store bought. Seems kindof dumb now because my mom was a heck of a cook and baker. Mom went from a store clerk in a meat market at 5 cents per hour tosupervisor of night checking at M&I.

Above: Gordon,Darlene and Elaine

Herman, Gordon Ferry & Elaine at a Picnic in Plain My memories of Grandpa and Grandma Rieder centeraround the house in Plain. On the way up to Plain my dadalways came through Spring Green. I don't know if you knowhow hilly it is from SG to P, but it is. Dad had a 39 Dodge andwe would crest the first hill and he would put the car in neutral,shut off the engine and see if we could coast all the way intoGrandpa's yard without the engine running. If you knew mydad, he was very straight laced and this was us kids real lookat him and what he was really like. Grandpa and Grandma had a martin house in the backyard and Dad would climb up and clean it, coming in with fleason his arms. He would also retar the roof of the Ford so itdidn't leak for Grandpa in the rain or snow. Ferry, Anna, Gordon and Darlene

Albert Rieder, Herman's older brother owned a Model A Ford (not a Model T as was written in Newsletter #40). When Albert updated to a newer car he gave the Ford to his father, Ferry. After Ferry and Anna retired from farming, they moved into the house in the town of Plain that originally belonged to Anna's parents, Baptiste and Anna Brechtl. They sold the farm to their son, John. Gordon shares some memories of his Grandpa Ferry and Dad, Herman, on that farm: I remember Grandpa driving down to the farm in the Model A and doing what I don't recall. Biggest thrill for the kids was to go down to the farm in Grandpa's Model A. Nothing else could compare to this joy. When dad and me would go to the house in Plain and down to the farm I do remember dad working the whole weekend. Tar the roof on Grandpa's Model A, clean the Martin houses and sundry other chores. Dad used to save old but not worn out tires for the wagons. He fixed fences and did a whole lot of other stuff I don't recall. Dad always enjoyed going to the farm and helping John and going to Plain and giving grandpa a hand.

During WWII, VictoryGardens were planted byprivate citizens to help aid thewar effort. By producingsome of their own foodsupply, the public insuredthere would be enough foodfor the armed forces overseas.Herman was one of thosecitizens planting at theKiwanis Victory Gardens. Hewas interviewed by anewspaper reporter:

In 1969, tragedy struck the family when Herman and Emily's youngest daughter, Elaine (age 21), died in a car crash. She had attended a wedding in Illinois with her boyfriend and other friends. The morality, at the time, would not allow unmarried men and women to stay out overnight together, so latethat night they headed for home. On the way, the driver fell asleep and hit the only tree in the vicinity. The car was split in half and Elaine was thrown from the vehicle and killed. Gordon talks about that day:

My sister Elaine died on Sept. 5, in the early morning. My son Danielwas born on Sept 5 in the morning just after my sister was killed. Iremember someone saying “one must leave for another to enter.” MyDad, Herman, died on the inside on that day. You could see it in hisdemeanor.

Herman lived to the age of 71. He died on April 20, 1973. Emily out-lived her husband by 22 years. She died on August 26, 1995 at age 85.