Tales After Sunset

By Mary Gerstner

The children and descendants of Fred and Freda Suther share short stories and anecdotes about this charming couple who began their life together in the USA after immigrating from Bakum and Dinklage in Germany.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312641303

Book preview

Tales After Sunset

Tales After Sunset

by

the family of

Fred and Freda Suther

Published by

Mary Carolyn (Suther) Gerstner

through

http://www.lulu.com/shop/mary-gerstner

©2014

ISBN 978-1-312-56088-8

The original compilation of these stories was composed on my computer and reproductions printed at Kinko’s. Remember when we had to do that? Since then, I have been able to get books printed on lulu.com, whose business is a print-on-demand model and produces professional looking books. This year I decided it was time to get this collection published so that any of us could have a really nice keepsake.

Mary Gerstner

2014

Foreword

About seven years ago (August 1989) I asked my brothers and sisters to write about certain topics in their lives because I realized that the stories we tell our families would be gone forever if they were not recorded in some way. It was a tough assignment for some of them. Quite frankly I'm sure that I annoyed some of them with my request for something that came easily for me. I think that the value of these stories was actually doubted. The first topic we wrote about was Chores. I called this collection Suther Tales.

In subsequent years we wrote about animals, school and toys. It was my task to choose the topic, encourage my siblings to write, collect their stories, and set them in print. Mom passed away in 1993 and I lacked the enthusiasm for that year's contributions. Then I went back to school to get my degree, and the Suther Tales went dormant.

All the time I couldn't help thinking that there were little stories and anecdotes about my parents that all of the family should know and be able to preserve and pass on to future generations. In the fall of 1994 I sent a letter to my brothers and sisters and their children. This is what I wrote.

Our Suther Tales was dormant last year. Mainly that's because your project manager didn't get the project managed at all last year. We have four chapters so far. A lot of friends and relatives have marveled at the idea and saw the value in building and preserving history in our family. We really can’t let it end yet.

Part of the reason I didn't get the ball rolling was that I had an even bigger project in mind for this year. Mom died in 1993 and it was then I knew that all stories about my Mom and Dad had to be preserved because we are all going to forget them. My brothers and sisters have a unique perspective on these two very special people. So, brothers and sisters, this time I would like you to write about Mom and Dad in your own special way. It can be stories that one or the other ever told you about their childhood or their homeland. It can be a philosophical writing on what you think they taught you, or what their coming to America meant for you. Do you know anything about their childhood? Their courtship? Let’s hear about it this year!

Probably one of the most unique perspectives of Mom and Dad will come from our spouses. For Betty and Ellie is might be some of your closest friends that knew them. This year I hope that Kathy, Francis, Ginger, Dee and even Al can add something to our book. By the time they died, all of you had more time invested in the Suther family than you realized. So, please add something this time. If you don't think you could write, try some of the suggestions below.

I have a request for all their grandchildren as well. Some of you knew Mom and Dad in a very special way. The very oldest remember them when they were younger grandparents, still working the farm. Some of you only knew them from a distance because you had to make a trip to come see them. Some of you actually lived with them for a short time. What stories did your parents tell you about them? We'd like to have your perspective this year. How? I can give you some options.

Most of you get together with the Suther side of the family during the holidays. I have observed that at least one of the grandchildren in each family (except mine) has a video camera. If you can get together a story telling session at Thanksgiving or Christmas, record it on your video cameras. We'd probably have some good material to work with. I imagine that is so because one person's memory and the telling of it will spark another to add something else. It could be quite fun. This is one way to do it as a group. Send me the video to transcribe and I'll return it for your collection.

Some of you are great writers and would have no problem writing a story or an anecdote. Some of you are great talkers and a tape recorder would do the trick. (Please don't call me, tell me the story and hope I'll write it for you. I don't remember a story very well, and I'll get it all wrong!) It doesn't matter how short it is. I will use all anecdotes I get to compile the grandchildren's chapter. If you have a poem, illustration or short story, send it to me and I'll arrange it appropriately in our book.

Oh, and did I mention that this is for all generations who remember Mom and Dad? Ask your kids what they remember —you might be surprised.

I got stories by letter, by interview, by the internet, by questionnaire —you name it! It was fun. Sometimes I came home at lunch time, opened the mail and shed some tears because the stories touched me so much.

A lot of the grandchildren were stumped. Take what Steve Suther wrote:

I could write another piece about YOU — like when you had boundaries for the rooms in your pretend house laid out with sticks and rocks and I stepped over them. You said something like, Hey, watch out you great, big giant! You're the one who tuned me in to Rock 'n Roll, I recall your appreciation for Ray Stevens' Ahab the Arab, your 4H sheep projects, and how you seemed to enjoy getting a whole troop of nieces and nephews together to play Mother May I or Simon Says.

Ah, yes! I'll leave the collection of those stories to my kids!

I have included in this book a magazine article and a newspaper article that help to give perspective to my parents' lives. The recipes are from the cookbook I put together during the '80's. The songs just developed during the course of time. The Christmas songbooks was originally mimeographed (remember the purple print?) by Sister Ellie and were used at Ralph & Kathy's house the first time. When my copy started to deteriorate, I computerized it. We still like to use it when we get together at Christmas and I thought your family might like to see it.

Finally, I want to thank everyone in this family who has waited patiently for me to complete the book. Sometimes the stories might seem redundant, but I found enough difference in each one to put together a kaleidoscope of two really wonderful people. So, I hope you enjoy this book. Read it for your own enjoyment. Read it to your children or grandchildren, or have the older ones read it with you. Not many families have something like this to share.

Mary

My Dad's House

Mary Gerstner

(1982)

In the original copy of Tales After Sunset, there was a scanned graphic of a drawing of my dad’s house in Germany. This is the story I wrote to accompany the picture. If you’ve seen the picture in my house or a copy in someone else’s home (in our family) you’ll have a mental picture of what is described.

This is the house where my dad, Fred Suther, and his family lived in Germany. And here is the story of how this picture came about.

This picture is a print of a framed painting presented to Freda Suther, Vera Strunk and Mary Gerstner by the Nuxoll Family on September 26, 1982. When they were visiting in the home of Joseph and Gusta Nuxoll, Joseph showed them a picture that they had a friend in Vechta draw and render of the original home place of the Suther family. The artist is E. Shulte of Vechta, Germany and this is his interpretation of pictures that the Nuxolls gave him for reference. The picture that Shulte had produced for the Nuxolls was to be presented to Heinz and Lizbeth Nuxoll Heitman on the occasion of their 25th wedding anniversary. Joseph had composed and recited for them the poem that he was going to use when making the presentation. When they all realized our appreciation for that picture, they went to the artist and had another one made to present to us on our departure.

The house and barn combination is typical of German dwellings, where the building on the left is the barn area and the building on the right is the dwelling. In the far distance birds fly over the area that Joseph, Heinz and Alphons used to like to sneak off to in the evening and hunt birds. (Daddy probably did, too!) To the right of the house can be seen the family garden, and the top of an apple tree rises above the roof of the house. The small building on the right is the well house. The trees in the foreground are chestnut (left of the path) and three oaks (right). A wood pile is also located in that area. The cobblestone road was intended for foot traffic, while the sand road was for horses and wagons and bicycles.

Herman and Henry Suther agreed on the authenticity of the drawing at the Suther reunion held in October, 1982. Henry recalls helping to lay some of the brick on the building when his dad had become sick and too weak to do the work on it himself. He lay down and gave Henry instructions —Henry's formal education in masonry! Herman recalls helping to build the fence in the foreground.

When the Suther brothers left Germany one sister remained behind: Marie. She married into the Nuxoll family, who then lived in the house. Their children eventually went to the same school that the Suther brothers had attended. Heinz Nuxoll's wife is named Trisca. Her sister told us she recalled playing with the Suther brothers regularly when they lived on an adjoining farm.

In 1982, there were five children still living in the Nuxoll family. Alphonse and Joseph lived in Bakum and Heinz, Lizbeth and Mia lived in Dinklage. These cousins are of my generation.

A New Life - Suther Brothers Faced Joys, Problems in U.S.

The Marysville Advocate

May 31, 1990

Reporter: Oretha Reutti

In a three‑year period, 1923‑1926, six Suther brothers ‑ Clem, August, Frank, Fred, Henry and Herman ‑left Baden, Germany, to come to America in search of a better life. They found it, but not without lots of hard work and coping with a language barrier and strange American customs

They had reasons aplenty for leaving Germany. Their mother, Wil­helmina, had died at age 45 in 1909, leaving a growing family to be cared for by an older daughter, Maria. A year earlier a two‑month‑old daugh­ter, Elizabeth, had died.

Their older brother, Bernard, 21, was killed in World War I in 1917. The father, Herman, a carpenter, died at age 54 in 1918, the same year 9-year‑old Johanna died of tuberculosis.

Sorrow continued to stalk the family when the oldest brother, Joseph, 30, died of throat cancer in 1922, leaving a wife, Anna, and two children.

There were few opportunities for young Germans as Germany's econo­my was in shambles after the war and inflation had soared to unbelievable heights.

August, 23, was the first to leave in 1923 with his passage to America paid by August Wempe, farmer west of Frankfort. Also coming with August were his friends, Joe Lueking and Frank Zerhusen. Lueking stayed with Wempe, Zerhusen went to Wes Tilley, a farmer west of Frankfort, and August went to Hubert Roeder, another farmer west of Frankfort.

Hub Roeder, Frankfort, was a school kid then but remembers August and his billfold full of paper marks.

When he gave me a 1,000 mark and said I could keep it I was pretty excited, Hub said. Then he told us that all those marks he had in his billfold wouldn't buy a good cigar in Germany.

The Roeder kids brought their books home from school and August would study with them to learn to read and write English. Hub says August worked in a tailoring shop in Germany before coming here.

Brothers Frank and Fred came in 1924; John Adams, farmer east of Winifred, sponsored Frank. Mrs. Genitha Adams Horigan, Frankfort, remembers her sister, Ruth, read to Frank in the evenings and then he would read back to her. And when he didn't know a word he'd say, Vas ist dot? After working enough to earn his passage Frank stayed longer to work for a team of horses.

Fred was sponsored by Wes Tilley, where Zerhusen was working. Margaret Tilley Wullschleger, Home City, recalls how much her family enjoyed the young Germans and helping them to learn English. The Tilleys were not Germans.

Several years ago when Margaret and John Wullschleger toured Switzerland and Germany, they visited the Zerhusen family and were royally entertained. Two years later Zerhusen died.

In 1924 Henry, 24, and his friend, Marie Birding, 22, were sponsored by Clem Voet, a farmer northeast of Marysville, who had come from Din­klage, Germany. Henry worked for Voet to pay for his passage.

Mrs. Velma Voet, Marysville, daughter‑in‑law of Clem Voet, remembers when Henry and Marie were married in St. Gregory's Catholic Church in 1926. Her late husband, A.B. Voet, was pretty young then and he thought it was quite a deal when Henry asked him to be his best man. Henry and Marie lived in Wetmore and had 10 children.

Herman, a carpenter also came in 1924 at age 17, sponsored by Wes Tilley, He later worked for Frank Stuke, east of Seneca. There he met Alvina Lierz and they were wed in 1929. They had six children.

The last brother to come was Clem, who had married his brother’s widow and lived on the Suther home place in Germany. Clem, Anna, her two chil­dren, Frank and Mary, and their first­born, Henry, arrived in New York City on Nov. 15, 1926, and traveled to Centralia by train. They lived on rental farms in the Marysville com­munity and then bought the Wes Tilley farm, the place that had been home to several young German immi­grants. They had six children.

Clem died of cancer at age 63 in 1961. Anna died in Germany while visiting relatives in 1970. Her remains were returned to Frankfort for burial.

In 1925 three German sisters, Paula, Augusta and Wilma Stoever came to America from the same vicinity