Obituary

Written by Margaret, January 2002

Mom and Dad were married in Feb. 1911, in Effingham Co. Illinois, in a double wedding with Mom’s brother and Dad’s sister. It was merely a simple ceremony, and the folks lived with Dad’s parents and 2 sisters. They (Dad’s family) made life miserable, so in a few months, Mom and Dad moved up to Urbana, Illinois to live with Mom’s brother, John, whose wife had died. Ruth was born there.

The folks moved to their own place, where Hilda and Henrietta were born.
Dad heard reports of good, cheap land in Michigan, so livestock, poultry, equipment and household goods were loaded into box-cars, and Mom, Dad and 3 girls onto a train and settled near Vicksburg, Michigan, where Ada (1916), Frieda (1917) and I were born. That was in 1920 (me).

Again, Dad had reports of great land in Indiana and made a train trip to check it out and found a farm to rent. Another loading of box cars! By then they had a car (Model T, I guess, with isinglass window curtains). A neighbor kept Mom and 6 girls for a couple of days while Dad made the trip, returned to Michigan and 8 of us left for Indiana.

Ruth recalls that awful trip in March, 1921. It rained, roads were just mud and a wonder they arrived safely.

Mom had been upset because there was no close Lutheran Church in Michigan, so I was soon baptized at Goodland. There were no relatives to be “sponsors”, so mine were Mrs. Frohreich, wife of the landlord, and Mrs. Linnemeier, wife of the Pastor.

We lived there a year and then moved to a better farm, just at the edge of Goodland, where we could walk to town, church and school.

We lived there from 1922 – 1935 , and I believe I could draw a plan of that house and the lay-out of buildings, etc.

We were poor in some ways. Three more children were born there, so it was hard to ever have anything extra. The older girls (3) worked some, and then dropped out of school to work in Chicago. Of course that helped, since we were in the Great Depression.

We had a huge garden and ate well. There were canned fruits and vegetables and also canned meat. When hogs or calf were butchered, some meat was cured and kept in barrels with straw, but everything else was processed right away. Lard was rendered and stored in crocks. Some meat was ground for sausage, fried in patties and canned. Hunks of beef were canned, also. Good eating in the winter. I hated the smell of the lard rendering!

We always had chickens and also geese for several years. I remember that they would leave a terrible mess! And also remember Mom sitting in the door of the chicken house, holding a goose between her knees and plucking the feathers. These made pillows and feather beds.

We had no electricity or running water, so there were many chores: filling the kerosene lamps, cleaning the lamp chimneys, pumping water and bringing it in the house. Also bringing in coal and wood for the stoves.

1-6-06, Much of this has been written previously.

We cooked on an old cook stove year-round. Dad raised a lot of hogs and fed ear corn on the ground. We picked up dry cobs to use as fuel also.

I remember the arrangement of the garden, where there was a large strawberry patch, asparagus, rhubarb, gooseberries, horseradish, and peppermint with lots of room for beans, peas, radishes, onions, etc. And another area for sweet corn.

We had a lot of cows, so always had all the cream, milk and butter we could use. Eventually we had a small dairy and delivered milk in pints (3 cents) and quarts (5 cents) two times a day. Also sold butter, cottage cheese and cream. We had a little building where we sterilized bottles, etc., without running water.

One Christmas morning (about 1930) Dad told us to go look on the south side of the house and there was a pony!! It was gentle and we had fun with it. Later, he got a cart and we delivered milk with that, part of the time. The pony was blind in one eye.

That next summer, it was dry and little pasture for cows, so Dad sent Harold and me to a back field to cut some corn stalks and bring them to the feed lot. We had to go up a lane and corn was tall on both sides. Well, the wind was strong and evidently the rustling corn “spooked” Trixie. She took off and Harold couldn’t hold her. When she came to the turn in the lane, the cart turned over, we fell out and I had a broken arm. Dad had seen the dust flying above the corn-tops and was there to rescue us. I think that ended the pony’s days with us.

When we went to bed upstairs, we took a kerosene lamp, turned it low, and left it burning all night – on the floor. It’s a wonder that we never had a fire! The folks slept downstairs. When we went to bed, we were expected to say our prayers, then call out “Schlaf Goot” (or Schapf Gut) to the folks, and they answered “Ya, Du on”. Meaning “sleep Good” and “yes, you too”. If they didn’t hear that, Mom would call out “Margaret, or Frieda, or whoever – you didn’t say your prayer”. The folks went to German school in Illinois and still spoke some German into the 20’s, especially if it was about something they didn’t want us to know. Mom taught me to count in German and the German alphabet. I regret we didn’t learn more. Dad had several choice phrases, mostly uncomplimentary!

We went to the little Lutheran Church in Goodland, where the men sat on one side and women on the other. That changed in the late 20’s I guess. I loved that church! It had bright electric lights, beautiful light fixtures and some stained glass panels that were magic when the sun was shining.

Those windows were in place until about 1985. Dad left money to the church, which was used for new windows. The artist saved some of the old glass and I have 2 small wall hangings (?) made from the glass.

There were (or are) 2 steps up to the altar. When we had the Christmas Eve programs, we went up on the steps to say our “pieces” which we had to learn. At home, there was a step up to the living room and Mom made us go up on the step and recite, while she stayed in the kitchen and made sure she could hear us. We always got a little box of candy and an orange afterwards, a great treat!

I remember a few years when we lit the candles on the Christmas tree, but only for a short while.

We attended “Instruction” classes at church on Saturday afternoons, prior to our confirmation.

I mentioned that Dad raised a lot of hogs, which provided cash for school clothes and many other things. He’d load 2 or 3 hogs in a little trailer and take them to Lafayette, I believe.

During the Depression, his feed supply for hogs was limited. Other farmers had feed, but no hogs, so Dad helped several farmers by letting them have some sows, which they fed. When the little pigs were born, the farmer kept half and Dad got half. It was a big help to everyone.

The railroad track was on the north side of the farm, just about a block from the house. As the train slowed for town, it wasn’t unusual for “hoboes” to jump off and head for our house to ask for food. It was common belief that the hoboes had a way of marking places to stop. Mom always fed them, on the back steps, never in the house. And Dad frequently found someone sleeping in the haymow. He’d have Mom fix some breakfast and send them along.

I believe we were living west of Remington when Dad discovered a man asleep, with a gun beside him. He got down, went to town, or called the Sheriff, who took care of that one.

Mom always had to help with milking, separating milk, etc., so it was up to us girls to fix supper.

I can’t vouch for my sisters and brothers, but I don’t believe any of us ever asked much about our ancestors, or even about our parents’ childhood or their early years of marriage.

Of course we know our parents were both born in Effingham Co., Ill., were baptized, confirmed and married in the same church at Bible Grove.

We do know something about their parents. They were Johann (John) Friedrich Schwengel born in 1843 in Oldenburg, Germany. It isn’t known when he came to America, but probably as a young child. He married Mary Charlotte Sollwedel on Jan. 23, 1873. She was born and baptized in Meslin, Meslenberg-Schwerin, Germany. She emigrated in 1854. She was confirmed in St. John’s Lutheran Church in Bible Grove. She died in 1943, and is buried in the church cemetery.

Her husband Johnn (John) died in 1898. He was a naturalized citizen in 1890.

Mary and John had nine children, our mother being the 8th. The next sister died a few months after birth. It was common to give three names to children!

1. Louise Henrietta Anna, 1873
2. Johanna Marie Auguste, 1875
3. Heinrich Friedrich Willhelm, 1877
4. Wilhelm Heinrich Ernst, 1878
5. Meta Chritina Charlotte, 1881
6. John Heinrich Herman, 1883
7. Frederick George Dieterich, 1886
8. Marie Wilhelmina Sophia (Mom), 1888
9. Margaritege Louise Karoline, 1891
*John and the baby are also buried in St. John Cemetery.

In 1911, Mary Schwengel (our grandmother) married Henry Habbe. He died in 1919. In her obituary it states that she lived with her daughters after his death – until she died in 1943.

I’ve wondered how she managed the years after her first husband died in 1890 until 1911. By then, her children were all grown, and in fact our parents were also married in 1911, along with Mom’s brother George and Dad’s sister, Louise. It was a double wedding at St. John’s Church, but we never heard anything about it – and probably didn’t ever ask.

We know even less about Dad’s family. He had written a lengthy life-story, but few details about family. We have a picture of his parents, and both looked very stern, and I believe they must have been.

April 7, 2006

I’ve written quite a bit about my life in the early years, but am going to write about the later years.

Carl and I met in Nov. 1940 when he was a Senior at Purdue and I was working in an office on campus. We continued dating, and he got a job with Consolidated Products Co., selling feed products for livestock, in a territory in North-central Indiana. Both of us had some financial obligations. He wanted to re-pay his brother for money he had borrowed in school. I owed a small charge account and a scholarship loan of $200.00. We talked of getting married, but along with the money obligations, there was a military draft program.

All young men were required to register for the draft. We felt he would possibly be deferred because of his work with agriculture, but still hesitated to get married. We had gone to visit Earl and Mary at Rockport, and Earl encouraged us to get married. So – after talking to our parents, who reminded us that he might have to leave, and the possibility there would be a child, etc. We decided to go ahead, and on very short notice, we were married at St. James Lutheran Church in Lafayette, on Aug. 2, 1941.


Margaret's '500 Things about my Life' and additional writing about her life

1. I was born in Vicksburg, Mich.

2. I was born on Dec. 11, 1920.

3. I was the 6th girl born to my parents, William and Mary Budde.

4. When I was 3 months old, we moved to Goodland, Ind., 3 miles north of town.

5. I was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Goodland, on March ________, 1921

6. In 1922, we moved to a farm ½ mile west of Goodland.

7. We regularly attended Sunday School and church at Trinity Lutheran.

8. I started 1st grade in Goodland when I was 5 years old.

9. We went to Farm Bureau picnics and enjoyed the “sing-alongs” and free pop.

10. There were free shows once a week in the summer at a vacant lot in Goodland. A screen was set up and some board seats were put up. Most people sat on the ground. No one had folding chairs.

11. “Tent” shows were popular. For a penny, you could vote for the “Beauty Queen”. Henrietta won this contest one year.

12. I can still visualize our garden at Goodland, where we had asparagus, rhubarb, peppermint, horse radish, strawberries, gooseberries and grapes. Then we planted other vegetables and flowers.

13. We had 2 big cedar trees in the front yard. The top of one of these was our Christmas tree one year.

14. We didn’t have electricity in Goodland, so we lit candles on the tree for a little while each year.

15. We had no plumbing, so our “bathroom” was a path and a 3-holer.

16. At one time we raised pigeons in an enclosed area.

17. I remember my mother picking feathers from the geese we raised, and helping put the feathers in a casing.

18. We had a small dairy. I helped wash and sterilize the bottles, etc.

19. One year Dad gave us a pony for Christmas. He told us to go look by the side of the house – and there we found “Trixie”.

20. We had a cart for Trixie and used it to deliver milk in Goodland.

21. One of our jobs was to take the pony and cart to bring green fodder to the pasture in dry weather.

22. On one trip, Trixie was frightened by the rustling corn in the field, along the lane, and she ran away with Harold and me. The cart overturned and I had a broken wrist. Trixie was blind in one eye.

23. For fun in the summer, we gathered up various things and made “mud pies” to dry in the sun for pretend parties.

24. When pastures were dry, we herded the cows along the railroad track near our place. This was done when trains wouldn’t be coming.

25. One of the fields was used as a landing field for small planes, about 1930-1934. This was a great event.

26. I always hurried outside to look for a plane when I heard one. It wasn’t uncommon to see them doing stunts – “loop-the-loop” “barrel-roll” etc. It was thrilling to see them.

27. Three more children were born in Goodland, so I helped look after them, when the older girls left home to work in Chicago.

28. There were band concerts on Thurs. nights in the summer. A large bandstand was pulled to the main street crossing and local people played in the band.

29. Free movies.

30. When there were band concerts, it was common practice for young folks to get a friend or two and just walk up and down the 3 or 4 blocks. Sometimes you’d have a boy friend and venture to the town park to walk around.

31. On Halloween, we didn’t have a lot to do, or much in the way of costumes, but we’d get a sliver of soap and use it on windows. Also threw grains of corn on porches.

32. I loved school, and particularly liked my 2nd grade teacher, Miss Armstrong. In her room, there were pictures above the blackboard: Lincoln, Washington, and 2 I especially loved were “The Angelus” and “The Gleaners”. I still enjoy those.

33. Miss Armstrong taught us Christmas carols and I didn’t realize for a long time that a line in “Joy to the World” was “He rules the world with truth and grace” – and not “he rules the world with fruit and grapes”.

34. The Depression years were hard, but on a farm there was always food. We had no money for clothes, etc. Mom would have us take chickens to sell at the produce store, to get money for school books. And Dad would load up 2 or 3 hogs to sell to get money for repairs or whatever was really needed.

35. I had only 2 dresses in the 5th grade, but believe that was the hardest year (probably 1930).

36. Ruth worked for a wealthy family in Chicago, and would bring their “hand-down” clothes and shoes to us. One time the family she worked for sent some new bath towels! That was special.

37. We used linoleum on most of the floors. Maybe a 9’ or 12’, and then some kind of border to fill in the rest of the room.

38. We did have carpets in 2 rooms. In the spring, they were hung outside and we used a carpet beater to get out the dirt.

39. In the 8th grade I learned the Gettysburg Address and said it in front of the Assembly (or whatever?).

40. Loved Latin and English and Math and made good grades.

41. Moved to Remington during Soph. Year.

42. Rode the school bus for 1st time.

43. Was greeted by kids singing “My Buddy” or “I only want a Buddy” (see link)

44. Took business courses and got to go to Commerce contests at Ball State in Jr. and Sr. years! Had good times.

45. Received “Good Citizen” award from DAR in Sr. year.

46. Was Salutatorian of the Class of ’38, only a fraction of grade lower than my best friend, Luella Knochel.

47. Received $100.00 Scholarship loan from Sorority.

48. Started Lafayette Business College in June of 38.

49. While in Business school, worked for Room & Board for Leo and Marie Rush, at 615 University St. Cooked, cleaned, sewed _____?, and ate in the kitchen.

50. Street Car line ended in front of house, so rode it to school, for 5 cents, and rode home on it.

51. Best friend in College was Ermina Young Williams.

52. After 5 months of college, where you proceeded at your own speed, I had a job at Purdue in the Poultry Dept., as a secretary / clerk. Typed very detailed charts on egg production, etc. and other jobs, - dictation (used shorthand), and filing.

53. Continued to work at Rush’s for another 6 months.

54. Salary was $12.50 per week.

55. Moved in to an apartment with 2 other girls. Worked with one of them.

56. Always walked to work. No one had cars then.

April 26, 1999, without re-reading what I’ve written, here’s more, which may be repetitious.

57. Went home at noon and always ate lunch and dinner there, taking turns cooking, etc.

58. One noon I put eggs on stove to boil – but forgot them until 2:00, or so–hurried home, to find pan was dry, eggs exploded, some of them on the ceiling.

59. Adjoining apartment was shared by 2 men working at Poultry Dept. After coming home from date one night, I was getting ready for bed. Noticed a movement at the transom above locked adjoining door. One guy was evidently on a chair watching me!! Next day there was a very contrite note of apology, asking forgiveness, etc.!

60. Left Poultry Dept. in May, 1941, to work at Alcoa in Lafayette.

61. Prior to that, had moved twice on west side. Once with 3 girls in my upstairs apartment. Later with 1 girl. In August she moved out and Carl moved in. (See #65)

62. Our bedroom had been the back porch. Also had living room and kitchen, and shared the bathroom. Was a furnished apartment.

63. While living with girls, we attended “tea dances” on Saturday nights at Purdue Union. Didn’t need dates to go.

January, 2001 This was started several years ago. As I think of things, I’ll add them. Some may be repetitious.

64. Going back to #62, one of my apartment-mates was Mary Brown. We walked together to work. She was engaged to Newt Brownlee, who had a friend, Carl Downen. Both of them had Ag classes together while they were Purdue students.

65. Carl asked Newt to introduce him to Mary’s friend. We met for a “coke” in the Student Union, and later Carl called, asking me to a dance at Purdue.

66. I had been dating Dwight Alvis from Remington, but had ended that and had a few dates with a Purdue student.

67. First date with Carl wasn’t great. Neither of us danced well. But, he called again, and there were some “on-again” “off-again” times, but we went “steady” about 1 year, I think.

68. Dates were mostly going for a coke, or occasionally walking across the levee to a movie. Money was scarce.

69. Carl worked part-time at Purdue, so he had some money. Also worked quite a few hours at a filling station on the levee.

70. Carl finished Purdue in May, 1940, and got a job as a feed salesman. Needed a car, so that was nice to have a car for dates!!

71. Going back to High School, I did have some boy friends, and went to the Prom my Junior year with Bud Fisher. I don’t imagine I had a fancy dress, but it was a long one.

72. In my Senior year, I was dating Dwight Alvis. My friend, Dorothy Hicks, was dating Andy Domsic. Andy and Dwight didn’t know how to dance at all, so before Prom we went someplace to dance and tried to teach them the “box-step”! The Prom was fun and I know I had a long dress that year. The folks were more prosperous then.

73. That was 1938, and when I graduated, the folks gave me a gold locket, which I still have, and cherish.

April 30, 2004

74. At Goodland, my best friend was Iza Bobbitt, the oldest of 7 or 8 children. Her Dad had a job and occasionally he would give us a quarter to go to the movie.

75. There was a big wood building that was the theater.

76. Occasionally there was “Family Night” and all could go for 25 cents. Our family went a few times. I only remember the “Rin-Tin-Tin” (dog) movies. Silent ones.

77. Iza’s mother sewed for her, and I realized I could have some more clothes if I learned to sew. In 9th or 10th grade, I occasionally helped a lady clean house and earned 35 cents, or 50 cents. I bought a Simplicity pattern for 10 cents and material for about 13 cents a yard, and I learned. Nothing elaborate, but it gave me a few more things.

78. Hilda and Al were married in 1935, and she had me to make a dress for her. It was light blue organdy with navy dots!!

79. At Goodland, we lived close to the railroad. During the Depression, “hoboes” would hop off the train and come to the house for food. Dad always insisted Mom give them something, but she made sure they stayed on the back porch.

80. Sometimes Dad would go to the haymow in the morning and find a “hobo” asleep in the straw or hay.

81. When we delivered milk, many people had no refrigeration (neither did we), so we delivered twice a day. Milk was 5 cents a quart, but there were some families who just couldn’t pay when we went to collect. Dad never pressured them, saying their children needed the milk and we would manage OK.

82. Mom did her part in sending eggs or fruit or whatever to some families, also.

83. Dad always had a lot of hogs. He helped some farmers by putting sows out “on shares”. He provided sows, they provided feed, and then kept half of the sow’s litter.

84. He fed lots of ear corn on the ground for the hogs. Later, we picked up the dry cobs, which we used in the cook-stove.

85. Also had coal for heating. Would have a load delivered, and then one of our chores was to carry in enough chunks for all day and night.

86. And then, we carried out the ashes! I think they were dumped in the garden. Or maybe on the drive-way.

87. Another chore was to fill the kerosene lamps each evening, from a barrel out by the garage (just a wood building). The kerosene was used for other purposes, too. And then, there were always lamp chimneys to be washed.

88. The light was not good for reading or homework, but everyone went to bed early and got up early.

89. We delivered milk from the car, except for the times we had the pony. We had glass bottles, and once I fell and cut my hand and knee on the glass.

90. When it was extremely cold, Dad put a small kerosene heater between the seats!

91. Also, in cold weather, we undressed behind the heating stove, then made a dash for our beds upstairs.

92. Rooms were so cold! Snow blew in around the windows and did not melt.

93. Dad had 2 horsehair coats, made from hide of deceased horses. They were very heavy, but really felt good in winter, when we used them for covers.

94. There were times when 3 of us slept in a bed. If one turned over, the others had to turn over also.

95. Of course, I don’t remember, but always heard about moving from Michigan. Dad had his 1st car (Model T) about 1918, so he and Mom and 6 little girls, ages 10 to 3 months) moved to Indiana in that car with no heater, just side-curtains, and over mud roads!

96. I always helped prepare meals for the threshing crew. That was a big event, and so much work, feeding 12-15 men. Each woman tried to out-do the other, I believe.



More about Carl and Margaret:

When Carl returned home from the war, they moved back to Ohio, and Carl continued his job with Consolidated Products Co. They bought a house, and opened a boarding home, which gave them extra income. Carl travelled a lot selling buttermilk products to farmers. They also had a chicken farm there.

Sadly, they lost a baby by miscarriage in 1946. Alice was born in 1948, followed by Janet in 1951.

They moved to Crawfordsville, Indiana in 1954. Carl went into business with his brother-in-law, Don Branstetter, who was Doris' husband. Together they operated B & D Lumber.

In 1957, they purchased the home at 1309 E. Main, and lived there until the fall of 2001, when they moved to the East Union Condo.

Carl left the lumber yard in 1961, and started his construction business, Downen Building Service.

Margaret worked at Crawfordsville High School, from 1960 - 1967, as a secretary.

They bought McFarland & Miller Monument Works in 1967, changing the name to Crawfordsville Monument Co. about 1970. They retired in 1985.

Karla has 4 children: Brent, Casey, Holly and Stacy. She was married to Brian Hill. (divorced)

Alyce died Jan. 12, 1991. She had 1 son: Jeremy. She was first married to Bill Taylor, then to Lynn Baker.

Janet has 3 sons: Josh, Jared & Mark. She married Fred Clements

Carl and Margaret were active in the Lutheran Church, and all the girls were brought up in the church.

Other activities they enjoyed: church building with Laborers for Christ after retirement, travelling in their motor home, Fountain Park Chautauqua, furniture refinishing, helping other people, and Carl was a Red Coat for many years. Margaret made many quilts, making sure all the grandchildren and great grandchildren received one or more quilts. Both delivered Meals on Wheels for several years, and are members of American Legion and VFW. They enjoyed all their grand kids, and were enthusiastic supporters of all their activities. Carl worked many jigsaw puzzles in his later years.

As of this writing, Carl and Margaret have celebrated 71 years of marriage.