I don’t know why aunt Alice isn’t on this picture. If I am wrong let me know,but I think she was part of the family then. There was a young girl who came to work at the telephone, her aunt Carolyn brought her to Jefferson City, and found her an apt. And took her to look for a job. I don’t know where else Carolyn took her but one of the places was the Capitol City telephone co. Where I was working. Her name was Jane Harwood. She was hired and she also was I rolled in classes at Lincoln Univ. I am not sure when Lloyd took off for Chicago . I don’t remember if they met before he left or after he was gone. I am only sorry their romance hadn’t progressed far enough that Jane wasn’t part of the 50 wedding anniv.
Was that the service station Lloyd ran on Heritage highway? I wonder how long he had that station. I wish someone would write a article on Lloyd’s life from after grade school to the time they moved back to missouri from Ill. I feel like I was must have been to occupied with my own life. I think he went to Lincoln but how long? HE worked at VonHoffman press. Was that before he married or after? I know he gave Julie a set of encyclopedias when he worked there.
Was this the service station that Lloyd ran? I think it was on heritage highway. I still wish someone would write the story of Lloyd’s life. I think he was 8 when I left home. I would like to know what high school was like for him. I would like to know what jobs he had when he went to Illnoise . I know he worked at a pizza place I think he lived at the YMCA. I think he worked for Allison chambers( I did not write Allison) why do thes iPads do this? I think he worked at another auto factory. Can’t remember the name. I want a day to day account of his growing up rears after I left home. H
Lloyd said this is a family picture, brothers and sisters so he thought it was right that Aunt Alice was not on the picture. Thank you to everyone for the nice thoughts they had for me I the posts. Lloyd remembers Johnny taking him for a tractor ride as a young kid. The tractor was brand new.
This was most likely a brother sister photo. Daddy’s brother, Uncle Herbert, and Mother’s sister Tillie, and brother Gus. I love the look on Mother’s face! Wonder what she’s thinking. We have been blessed to have such a fine sister-in-law as Jane. We love you girl!
Wow! Ninety-ninth! I was wondering…thanks for figuring that out Lloyd. Next year, on their 100th (the year our entire family began) we should have an extra celebration! It’s weird to think that none of us would be here (what? about 180 of us?) if they did not get married.
Besides Tom and his Tracy and Leanne and Drew, who else is getting married? I think I heard of another one of Dan’s kids? Who is the 4th couple? I thought I heard there was another engagement, but didn’t know there was a date yet? Somebody e-mail me, I’m kind of out of the loop without Facebook ( getting that is on my New Years Resolution list, if I can find someone who has the time and patience to teach me how to use my tablet).
Cleo, thank you for thinking of me. Did you forget you were the matchmaker? One hundred years is a long time. We put my Mom in hospital this week. Pls keep her in your prayers.
Note the color highlight of the item posted on upcoming events. The Pink is for birthdays, the Yellow is for deceased and the Green for anniversaries. No corrections needed.
What does this weather remind you of? It is cold and raining and not good for working on the farm today, except the livestock has to be taken care of, no matter what the weather is. Today is a good day to find a little Christmas tree to decorate. The last time I went with my younger sisters looking for a tree or hunting rabbits, not sure. Lolly got caught in a trap Mahlon had set to catch something. Naomi and I were not able to get her out of that trap. Thank god it wasen’t two far away. Naomi stayed with lolly while I went home to get Mahlon. Mother and father never were told what happened.
Do you remember? Did I cry and scream until Mahlon came? It must have been the first time I ever seen a trap, and didn’t know what it would do. This rain reminds me of us all running to the barn loft with a jar of peaches, or pickles. We lay in the soft hay, looked for baby kittens, and had to poke or noses in the pigeon nests, to see if there were any eggs or little ones. Is there anyone out there who collects Cherished Teddies or precious moments? We have a lot of them at Calvary’s Gift that are very cheap right now. Trying to get rid of them. Also lots of beautiful Christmas decorations and wreaths, ornaments, and just about anything you could think of.
The day is cold and dark and dreary
It rains, and the wind is never weary
The vine still grows up the moldering wall
With each gust, the dead leaves fall.
and the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary,
It rains, and the wind is never weary,
My thoughts still cling to the moldering past,
The hope’s of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.
Alas, my soul and cease repining,
Above the clouds is the sun still shinning.
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary. Longfellow
I don’t remember Lolly getting her hand in the trap. Do you still have scars? Was it just your fingers or what??? I wish I could remember all the things you two remember. I love that poem and I love this weather. The only thing that could make it better would be if it was snow instead of rain!
All I remember about it was the stump that held the trap. The stump had a hole in the center that was filled with water. The trap was on top of the hole. I know that I got my hand caught in the trap, but I don’t remember it happening. I don’t remember Mahlon getting me out of it either.
Aunt Lolly, I asked Marjorie about you getting your hand caught in the trap and she didn’t remember that story. She left home to live and work in town when she was 17. Did that happen after she moved into town? Do you remember how old you were? That must have really been frightening for you. You were lucky you didn’t break any bones in your hand.
Was that the huge stump just down a bit from the junkyard? I remember getting stump water from it to put on my wart. Somebody told me that would get rid of it.
That was probably the same stump. It just looked big to you because you were so little. I was probably 6 or 7 years old and you would have been 4 or 5 years old. I don’t remember living at home with Margie. She was probably gone from home by the time I was 2 1/2 years old. I can remember Bea. She kept me warm at night, held me in her arms and told us stories. and taught me to pray. She was only about 10 years older then I was, but she always took care of me. Every day she made a cake for dinner. We called it “the same ole cake” I would love to have a piece of it today!!
During the war sugar was rationed. Every day in the summer time we would have a snack between dinner and supper time. We carried the lunch out to the field where the men were working. We also had a light lunch because don’t forget we were working hard also. Up in the attic over the kitchen is where many of the Stroessner things were store . I don’t know if they were put there by the stroesserners before they moved out or my family after we moved in. One day we found some cookbooks in in that place over the kitchen (you got there through a small door in the girls room.) one cook book Beatrice found a recipe for a cake that only called for a half cup of sugar. But it did call for a lot of eggs. Well we had eggs. That turned out to be our same old cake. She told me years later that it should have been baked in a angel food cake pan but at that time we didn’t have a angle food cake pan. The batter was poured into a 9 by 13 flat pan like you would use for any cake
That’s cool, you sharing that story about you and Bea. We don’t hear enough about her. I guess you were her “baby” growing up, like Mahlon was Margie’s “baby” to take care of. I think Margie was the one Elizabeth took care of.
Kathy your mom Margie raised me but you know what? Mother depended on Margie a lot because when we lived at Schuberts I think that we survived on the money they made selling(peddling) in Jeff City they sold fresh baked bread, dressed chickens, whatever vegetables were to be had at the time, your Mom can fill in the rest. Margie and Vernon were their main workers after Elizabeth and Lillian, Bud, and Felix left home.
When we were little, we always looked forward to the first snow, and hoped it would happen on a high number rather then a low date. I don’t know who told us this. but we always were told, that if it snowed on the 21st or first of the month, that was how many times it would snow that winter. Boy it is really coming down here too. I guess we will have 21 snows this winter. The ground is almost covered. I am trying to put up my hundred plus nut crackers. They are a big pain. I just carry a few up the stairs at a time. The sun is suppose to shine by 2 pm!
I hope you are right and we have 21 snows! I lost faith in the persimmon seed, since last year the seed revealed a lot of snow and we had very, very little. We had a little blowing snow hear for about an hour, but nothing stuck to the ground…bummer!
There are people in this family who will be able to answer your question, so stick with us. Some of our people went to Nebraska early on and in the last 15 years or so some more of our sommerer men went to Nebraska to teach in Lutheran schools. In fact one of them runs this website. Did you ever hear of the last name “kerl” Do you still have family there? Who are they?
Hello Everett! Most of the people who post on this website would be your second cousins (twice removed) or third cousins. At least I think I have that right.
Rollie stopped by my Dad’s farm a few years ago, and we generally see them at the Sommerer family reunion in Fremont, NE. I live in Seward, NE. It’s not such a trip for us, but my parents generally come up from Missouri for it. We’ve only been doing that for the last 5 years or so.
Hello Everett
Rollie and Marcia are so nice. Part of the Nebraska Sommerers. They are related. One of brothers that left Honey Creek and went to Nebraska had children.
Hello Everett
This might be a second attempt. We enjoyed visiting with your grandparents. Lloyd took Rollie to see the original farm here that the Mo Sommerers left from when they went to Nebraska.
Grandpa Sommerer was not a stranger to the Ehrhardts. His first wife was a Erhardt.He had 2 girls by her before she died. Aunt Yetta and aunt Rosie. Were fathers 2 half sisters.I can’t say for sure but I am guessing they knew each other as children.
I want to add also that mother was very pretty. I think that she had bad teeth because her mouth was always closed in all her pictures. Mother had 2 older sisters who worked and had money to spend I guess, they made a lot of dresses for her and had her pictures taken often. There was a photographer who lived in the neighborhood and I can’t remember his name. This photographer was married to a Sommerer girl. Another clue.
To continue the Sommerers were considered rich farmers. I am guessing that anyone would have been happy to have their daughter marry a rich mans son. So I think things went well until the depression in1929 the day that Bea was born. It wasn’t her fault. , I just remember it that way.
Correct me if I’m wrong…. Daddy grew up on the farm on Tanner Bridge Road (that we refer to as the ‘first place’ after they were married). And Mother grew up first in Jefferson City on Dunklin Street and then later on the house our Grandpa Erhardt built on Honey Creek Road…is that right? Is it okay to assume they may have both gone to Immanuel Lutheran Church?
Did anyone ever figure out where Everette was from in IL? How do you mean they were rich before Aunt Bea’s Bday/the Great Depression? Were they land rich or did they have lots of other assets? I’ve always heard they lost their wealth signing on to someone else’s mortgage. Is that true? If so, did they ever speak to the one who impoverished them? Love to you all. Steven
Ok I am going to try to tell you what I was told by my uncle Gus. My grandfather sommerer who I never met, he died about a week before I was born. He had 2 sons. The youngest son was playing in the hayloft and fell out of the hayloft and as a result became a cripple with a hunchback. Grandpa decides to educate that son and the other son would get the farm and take care of him for the rest of his life. He sent uncle Herbert to a business school ( well when uncle Herbert got out of business school he wanted to farm. Isn’t that just like a kid. SO mother and father and Dora (his sister who married mothers brother Theodore). I guess were obligated to sign their john Henry to papers to help uncle Herbert get his farm. I think up until now things were fine. They all planted their crops and the depression came and they were all in deep shit. No one could sell their crops. The farm was sold on the court house steps . Aunt Yetta s husband bought the farm instead trying to help them. The farm became theirs. Father hated him most of his life until I guess he realized he really did him a favor. I forgot what the question was I was answering
Mother was born on the farm on Buffalo Rd. The place where Eddie Ehrhardt now lives. She was the last of the 12 children our Grandparents had. Grampa Erhardt built that house. They then moved up to Honey Creek Drive, shortly after mother was born, because the doctor said for Grampa to get away from the bottom, the river was not good for his health. Mother was almost 5 years old when she helped Uncle Gus and her Daddy plant the cedars on cedar row that she was so proud of. They lived there for a short time after that, Mother started school at Immanuel at Honey Creek for the first grade. She said her Daddy carried her all the way to and from school. Then one day the preacher, who was her teacher, made fun of her for making an alphabet backwards, (she was up at the blackboard) It humiliated her so much, she refused to go back to school. That was when they moved to town on Dunklin St. They took care of Aunt and Uncle Misel until they died. (Who ever they were.) They got to keep the house for taking care of these family members. Our Grandparents lived in Jeff. City until mother was confirmed. then moved back out to the farm on Honey Creek Dr. Mother was married in that house. Her dad and mom died there. Aunt Nora and Uncle Henry bought the farm after that.
I have the Meisels name in my records but I don’t want to search for it. Our grandpa and grandma Ehrhardt moved to Jefferson City to care for his aging sponsor and wife until they died and he inherited that place when they died. It was on Dunklin street on the south side of the street. They lived with them and took care of them and grandpa also took a job working as a janitor at the school across the street. He came home at noon for lunch and helped with turning and what ever needed to be done. Told to me by my momma
Strange doctor…. the river was unhealthful so they move a mile away? I would have fit right in with that pastor. To bad, so much more is expected of pastors these days in terms of behavior… but then again, he was probably paid with chickens.
I think the moral of the story of mothers childhood was that she was very spoiled. Everyone catered to her she was the baby. I think they lost a couple babies who were born before mother. One was Christopher and I don’t. Know if the other one lived long enough to get a name. Mother knew she was spoiled by her family. One of the babies was buried on the idler farm. If he had a tomb stone it was removed and that field was plowed in later years.
Cleo–I too have been told a baby was buried on the Ehrhardt farm and Augie plowed over the grave for his garden. There is a listing for a Henry Herman but nothing in the Honey Creek book–The other is Christian N. with a stone in Honey Creek cemetery.
Cedar row was like living on top of a mountain compared to living down in the bottom, on Buffalo road. I think he was a very smart doctor compared to what we have around here.
I think Christopher was around three years old when he died, and was buried there on the farm. He must have not had a tombstone because Eddie never found one. The other baby was a miscarriage,and was also buried there.
Thanks for jogging my memory Nancy. I do remember now, Mother calling him Christian. Can you tell me where his head stone is? I always thought Mother said he was buried there on the farm. I would like to go look for it. Good to hear from you.
After Uncle Herbert got out of business College,he worked in Jeff, City, at a bank. I don’t know how long he worked there. Does anyone know? He was a smart man I think. He also played the violin. He gave it to Lillian. (His Godchild) Since Teddie’s Debbie plays one, I hope she will bring it to Heit’s Point next year and play it for us. Would love to see and hear it.
Andy was mothers oldest brother. Andy was Nancy Simmons grandfather. Andrew was the father of Gladys And Selma Ehrhardt. Him and his wife both died when the two girls were very young. They were raised by Aunt Tillies and Aunt Nora and uncle Henry. When Gladys married she married Haskell Simmons. That marriage didn’t last a long time. She later married Something Ihler. He owned the farm that Grandpa Ehrhardt built the house on that he moved from when he was told to get out of that spot because of his health. Andrew was mothers oldest brother Aunt Julie was her oldest sister.
Wasen’t his name Auggie Ahlers? I always thought his last name started with an A? Would be August Ahlers, I think. He and Glady’s sold the farm to Eddie after they moved to town. They were nice people.
Cleo where does Mother’s brother Otto fit in the line up? He is the one who moved to California, and never came home again. Is that right? I remember his son George kept in touch with the family. I remember reading Mother his letters. I wonder what he looked like.
Cleopha E-mailed me that I may be able to help with some answers to some questions–Hope I can help–Otto Ehrhardt was third child of Edwin & Elizabeth, he ended up living and dying in Brady, TX, it was his son George that lived in Long Beach, California. I do have pictures of Otto, have to dig for them–he and uncle Theadore looked pretty much alike. My mother Gladys was married to Augie Ahlers. That picture of your mother & father’s is their 50th anniversary, someone should have copies–my guess is that Uncle Gus & Aunt Tillie were in their wedding party. One of you should have that info, I do not have that. Uncle Gus & Aunt Alice were married in 1947, I think Aunt Alice is in one of the anniversary photos. Hope this clears up some of your questions–let me know–Pretty busy right now but will look for those pics Nancy
There was only one other couple in Mother and Daddy’s wedding. His best man was Uncle Herbert, and maid of honor was Clara Meyer I think. Was Clara one of Aunt Julie’s girls Cleo?
It is really nice having this information on the website. Thank you Cleo and Lolly for ‘edjumacating’ us, and we can always refer to this information anytime we need to. I want to ask you to put the names of Mother’s siblings in birth order here, if you would please. Also Daddy’s.
I wish we could get Margie and Vernon’s versions of all the subjects we discuss on here. Vernon has a very good memory and he was older then we were and could tell so much. Mahlon also. When I find my census records I will put them on here. I will start. With the 1850 census. I have to find them first.
Seven score and seven years ago, Mom & Daddy brought forth on this great family, a cute little blond-headed girl named Lolly!!! Happy Birthday, dear, dear sister!!!
When I spoke with Margie a few weeks ago, she said something that I thought I would share with the Family. She said one of Daddy’s “sayings” was, “We are not put on this earth to be served, but to serve.” I was wondering who else ever heard Daddy say this. I love old sayings. One I remember Mother saying all the time is, “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” She said that every time I tried to fix her hair. Does anyone else have any “sayings” of Mother and Daddy’s to share with the family?
One time when Felix was home on furlough he thought he was joking with mother, and he said this to mother and she was very hurt. I don’t think she had ever heard this before. She was very hurt and I am surprised she would ever repeate it to anyone. Maybe later in life she realized he was trying to joke with her.
All I can remember Daddy saying is, walk with your toes turned out, not in. and when you meet or pass by an older person speak to them. Use your manners. I don’t remember him ever saying anything about what we were put here for. Mother was all the time quoting proverbs to us. If I heard any of them I would remember maybe.
I don’t know why aunt Alice isn’t on this picture. If I am wrong let me know,but I think she was part of the family then. There was a young girl who came to work at the telephone, her aunt Carolyn brought her to Jefferson City, and found her an apt. And took her to look for a job. I don’t know where else Carolyn took her but one of the places was the Capitol City telephone co. Where I was working. Her name was Jane Harwood. She was hired and she also was I rolled in classes at Lincoln Univ. I am not sure when Lloyd took off for Chicago . I don’t remember if they met before he left or after he was gone. I am only sorry their romance hadn’t progressed far enough that Jane wasn’t part of the 50 wedding anniv.
I remember one day Lloyd took a beautiful young lady to work at that telephone office. I was riding along and then Lloyd and I went to a gas station.
Was that the service station Lloyd ran on Heritage highway? I wonder how long he had that station. I wish someone would write a article on Lloyd’s life from after grade school to the time they moved back to missouri from Ill. I feel like I was must have been to occupied with my own life. I think he went to Lincoln but how long? HE worked at VonHoffman press. Was that before he married or after? I know he gave Julie a set of encyclopedias when he worked there.
Was this the service station that Lloyd ran? I think it was on heritage highway. I still wish someone would write the story of Lloyd’s life. I think he was 8 when I left home. I would like to know what high school was like for him. I would like to know what jobs he had when he went to Illnoise . I know he worked at a pizza place I think he lived at the YMCA. I think he worked for Allison chambers( I did not write Allison) why do thes iPads do this? I think he worked at another auto factory. Can’t remember the name. I want a day to day account of his growing up rears after I left home. H
Lloyd said this is a family picture, brothers and sisters so he thought it was right that Aunt Alice was not on the picture. Thank you to everyone for the nice thoughts they had for me I the posts. Lloyd remembers Johnny taking him for a tractor ride as a young kid. The tractor was brand new.
This was most likely a brother sister photo. Daddy’s brother, Uncle Herbert, and Mother’s sister Tillie, and brother Gus. I love the look on Mother’s face! Wonder what she’s thinking. We have been blessed to have such a fine sister-in-law as Jane. We love you girl!
Happy 99th wedding anniversary Grandma and Grandpa!
Wow! Ninety-ninth! I was wondering…thanks for figuring that out Lloyd. Next year, on their 100th (the year our entire family began) we should have an extra celebration! It’s weird to think that none of us would be here (what? about 180 of us?) if they did not get married.
Gives you something to think about. I bet it would be more then that.
That is a grand idea but don’t we have 4 weddings and Heits Point lined up for 2016??
Besides Tom and his Tracy and Leanne and Drew, who else is getting married? I think I heard of another one of Dan’s kids? Who is the 4th couple? I thought I heard there was another engagement, but didn’t know there was a date yet? Somebody e-mail me, I’m kind of out of the loop without Facebook ( getting that is on my New Years Resolution list, if I can find someone who has the time and patience to teach me how to use my tablet).
Joshua and Tiffany are getting married in September, and Chance and Emily are getting married in Oct. The 22nd I think.
Good idea Danny. Maybe this could become a family rule.
Sorry, some how I must have missed a post from Danny. What rule were you talking about?
Cleo, thank you for thinking of me. Did you forget you were the matchmaker? One hundred years is a long time. We put my Mom in hospital this week. Pls keep her in your prayers.
Correction to upcoming events Adolph died on Nov 13, 1970. Birthday was August 30, 1892. This year he would have been 123 years old.
Note the color highlight of the item posted on upcoming events. The Pink is for birthdays, the Yellow is for deceased and the Green for anniversaries. No corrections needed.
Duh! Thanks Naomi.
What does this weather remind you of? It is cold and raining and not good for working on the farm today, except the livestock has to be taken care of, no matter what the weather is. Today is a good day to find a little Christmas tree to decorate. The last time I went with my younger sisters looking for a tree or hunting rabbits, not sure. Lolly got caught in a trap Mahlon had set to catch something. Naomi and I were not able to get her out of that trap. Thank god it wasen’t two far away. Naomi stayed with lolly while I went home to get Mahlon. Mother and father never were told what happened.
Do you remember? Did I cry and scream until Mahlon came? It must have been the first time I ever seen a trap, and didn’t know what it would do. This rain reminds me of us all running to the barn loft with a jar of peaches, or pickles. We lay in the soft hay, looked for baby kittens, and had to poke or noses in the pigeon nests, to see if there were any eggs or little ones. Is there anyone out there who collects Cherished Teddies or precious moments? We have a lot of them at Calvary’s Gift that are very cheap right now. Trying to get rid of them. Also lots of beautiful Christmas decorations and wreaths, ornaments, and just about anything you could think of.
This poem reminds me of today.
The day is cold and dark and dreary
It rains, and the wind is never weary
The vine still grows up the moldering wall
With each gust, the dead leaves fall.
and the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary,
It rains, and the wind is never weary,
My thoughts still cling to the moldering past,
The hope’s of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.
Alas, my soul and cease repining,
Above the clouds is the sun still shinning.
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary. Longfellow
I don’t remember Lolly getting her hand in the trap. Do you still have scars? Was it just your fingers or what??? I wish I could remember all the things you two remember. I love that poem and I love this weather. The only thing that could make it better would be if it was snow instead of rain!
All I remember about it was the stump that held the trap. The stump had a hole in the center that was filled with water. The trap was on top of the hole. I know that I got my hand caught in the trap, but I don’t remember it happening. I don’t remember Mahlon getting me out of it either.
Aunt Lolly, I asked Marjorie about you getting your hand caught in the trap and she didn’t remember that story. She left home to live and work in town when she was 17. Did that happen after she moved into town? Do you remember how old you were? That must have really been frightening for you. You were lucky you didn’t break any bones in your hand.
Was that the huge stump just down a bit from the junkyard? I remember getting stump water from it to put on my wart. Somebody told me that would get rid of it.
That was probably the same stump. It just looked big to you because you were so little. I was probably 6 or 7 years old and you would have been 4 or 5 years old. I don’t remember living at home with Margie. She was probably gone from home by the time I was 2 1/2 years old. I can remember Bea. She kept me warm at night, held me in her arms and told us stories. and taught me to pray. She was only about 10 years older then I was, but she always took care of me. Every day she made a cake for dinner. We called it “the same ole cake” I would love to have a piece of it today!!
During the war sugar was rationed. Every day in the summer time we would have a snack between dinner and supper time. We carried the lunch out to the field where the men were working. We also had a light lunch because don’t forget we were working hard also. Up in the attic over the kitchen is where many of the Stroessner things were store . I don’t know if they were put there by the stroesserners before they moved out or my family after we moved in. One day we found some cookbooks in in that place over the kitchen (you got there through a small door in the girls room.) one cook book Beatrice found a recipe for a cake that only called for a half cup of sugar. But it did call for a lot of eggs. Well we had eggs. That turned out to be our same old cake. She told me years later that it should have been baked in a angel food cake pan but at that time we didn’t have a angle food cake pan. The batter was poured into a 9 by 13 flat pan like you would use for any cake
That’s cool, you sharing that story about you and Bea. We don’t hear enough about her. I guess you were her “baby” growing up, like Mahlon was Margie’s “baby” to take care of. I think Margie was the one Elizabeth took care of.
Kathy your mom Margie raised me but you know what? Mother depended on Margie a lot because when we lived at Schuberts I think that we survived on the money they made selling(peddling) in Jeff City they sold fresh baked bread, dressed chickens, whatever vegetables were to be had at the time, your Mom can fill in the rest. Margie and Vernon were their main workers after Elizabeth and Lillian, Bud, and Felix left home.
Did the cake use all the egg or only the yellow? Thanks for giving us this information Cleo. Do you remember what kind of icing she put on it?
If we had anything it was probably whipped cream
Nov. 21 2015 It is snowing like crazy this morning. I am enjoying it but I hope it stops soon.
When we were little, we always looked forward to the first snow, and hoped it would happen on a high number rather then a low date. I don’t know who told us this. but we always were told, that if it snowed on the 21st or first of the month, that was how many times it would snow that winter. Boy it is really coming down here too. I guess we will have 21 snows this winter. The ground is almost covered. I am trying to put up my hundred plus nut crackers. They are a big pain. I just carry a few up the stairs at a time. The sun is suppose to shine by 2 pm!
I hope you are right and we have 21 snows! I lost faith in the persimmon seed, since last year the seed revealed a lot of snow and we had very, very little. We had a little blowing snow hear for about an hour, but nothing stuck to the ground…bummer!
It is 1:15 and the sun is really really shinning. I hope is is that bright tomorrow when we go to church and the trinity fall dinner at 1pm
Anyone know Rollie and Marcia Sommerer? They are my grandparents. I live in Illinois my parents moved from Omaha Nebraska.
There are people in this family who will be able to answer your question, so stick with us. Some of our people went to Nebraska early on and in the last 15 years or so some more of our sommerer men went to Nebraska to teach in Lutheran schools. In fact one of them runs this website. Did you ever hear of the last name “kerl” Do you still have family there? Who are they?
Hello Everett! Most of the people who post on this website would be your second cousins (twice removed) or third cousins. At least I think I have that right.
Rollie stopped by my Dad’s farm a few years ago, and we generally see them at the Sommerer family reunion in Fremont, NE. I live in Seward, NE. It’s not such a trip for us, but my parents generally come up from Missouri for it. We’ve only been doing that for the last 5 years or so.
Hello Everett
Rollie and Marcia are so nice. Part of the Nebraska Sommerers. They are related. One of brothers that left Honey Creek and went to Nebraska had children.
Hello Everett
This might be a second attempt. We enjoyed visiting with your grandparents. Lloyd took Rollie to see the original farm here that the Mo Sommerers left from when they went to Nebraska.
How close are you to Carlyle, IL. Everette? I have a son who is a pastor there.
My girls ask me this question and I do not know the answer. Does anyone ever remember hearing Mom and/or Dad say how the met?
Grandpa Sommerer was not a stranger to the Ehrhardts. His first wife was a Erhardt.He had 2 girls by her before she died. Aunt Yetta and aunt Rosie. Were fathers 2 half sisters.I can’t say for sure but I am guessing they knew each other as children.
I want to add also that mother was very pretty. I think that she had bad teeth because her mouth was always closed in all her pictures. Mother had 2 older sisters who worked and had money to spend I guess, they made a lot of dresses for her and had her pictures taken often. There was a photographer who lived in the neighborhood and I can’t remember his name. This photographer was married to a Sommerer girl. Another clue.
To continue the Sommerers were considered rich farmers. I am guessing that anyone would have been happy to have their daughter marry a rich mans son. So I think things went well until the depression in1929 the day that Bea was born. It wasn’t her fault. , I just remember it that way.
Correct me if I’m wrong…. Daddy grew up on the farm on Tanner Bridge Road (that we refer to as the ‘first place’ after they were married). And Mother grew up first in Jefferson City on Dunklin Street and then later on the house our Grandpa Erhardt built on Honey Creek Road…is that right? Is it okay to assume they may have both gone to Immanuel Lutheran Church?
I had checked the census and your mother and Aunt Tillie did live on Dunklin St. for a time–have to check the dates again.
Did anyone ever figure out where Everette was from in IL? How do you mean they were rich before Aunt Bea’s Bday/the Great Depression? Were they land rich or did they have lots of other assets? I’ve always heard they lost their wealth signing on to someone else’s mortgage. Is that true? If so, did they ever speak to the one who impoverished them? Love to you all. Steven
Ok I am going to try to tell you what I was told by my uncle Gus. My grandfather sommerer who I never met, he died about a week before I was born. He had 2 sons. The youngest son was playing in the hayloft and fell out of the hayloft and as a result became a cripple with a hunchback. Grandpa decides to educate that son and the other son would get the farm and take care of him for the rest of his life. He sent uncle Herbert to a business school ( well when uncle Herbert got out of business school he wanted to farm. Isn’t that just like a kid. SO mother and father and Dora (his sister who married mothers brother Theodore). I guess were obligated to sign their john Henry to papers to help uncle Herbert get his farm. I think up until now things were fine. They all planted their crops and the depression came and they were all in deep shit. No one could sell their crops. The farm was sold on the court house steps . Aunt Yetta s husband bought the farm instead trying to help them. The farm became theirs. Father hated him most of his life until I guess he realized he really did him a favor. I forgot what the question was I was answering
Mother was born on the farm on Buffalo Rd. The place where Eddie Ehrhardt now lives. She was the last of the 12 children our Grandparents had. Grampa Erhardt built that house. They then moved up to Honey Creek Drive, shortly after mother was born, because the doctor said for Grampa to get away from the bottom, the river was not good for his health. Mother was almost 5 years old when she helped Uncle Gus and her Daddy plant the cedars on cedar row that she was so proud of. They lived there for a short time after that, Mother started school at Immanuel at Honey Creek for the first grade. She said her Daddy carried her all the way to and from school. Then one day the preacher, who was her teacher, made fun of her for making an alphabet backwards, (she was up at the blackboard) It humiliated her so much, she refused to go back to school. That was when they moved to town on Dunklin St. They took care of Aunt and Uncle Misel until they died. (Who ever they were.) They got to keep the house for taking care of these family members. Our Grandparents lived in Jeff. City until mother was confirmed. then moved back out to the farm on Honey Creek Dr. Mother was married in that house. Her dad and mom died there. Aunt Nora and Uncle Henry bought the farm after that.
Thank you Lolly. You did a good job in telling that story.
I have the Meisels name in my records but I don’t want to search for it. Our grandpa and grandma Ehrhardt moved to Jefferson City to care for his aging sponsor and wife until they died and he inherited that place when they died. It was on Dunklin street on the south side of the street. They lived with them and took care of them and grandpa also took a job working as a janitor at the school across the street. He came home at noon for lunch and helped with turning and what ever needed to be done. Told to me by my momma
Aunt Selma told me her’s and mother’s father Andreas,( his proper name) also helped plant the ceders.
Strange doctor…. the river was unhealthful so they move a mile away? I would have fit right in with that pastor. To bad, so much more is expected of pastors these days in terms of behavior… but then again, he was probably paid with chickens.
I think the moral of the story of mothers childhood was that she was very spoiled. Everyone catered to her she was the baby. I think they lost a couple babies who were born before mother. One was Christopher and I don’t. Know if the other one lived long enough to get a name. Mother knew she was spoiled by her family. One of the babies was buried on the idler farm. If he had a tomb stone it was removed and that field was plowed in later years.
Cleo–I too have been told a baby was buried on the Ehrhardt farm and Augie plowed over the grave for his garden. There is a listing for a Henry Herman but nothing in the Honey Creek book–The other is Christian N. with a stone in Honey Creek cemetery.
Cedar row was like living on top of a mountain compared to living down in the bottom, on Buffalo road. I think he was a very smart doctor compared to what we have around here.
I think Christopher was around three years old when he died, and was buried there on the farm. He must have not had a tombstone because Eddie never found one. The other baby was a miscarriage,and was also buried there.
Lolly–Christian N. not Christopher–has a stone in HoneyCreek cemetery, I remember Aunt Tillie mentioning him.
You are right Nancy . I knew that but forgot. I am glad you caught that mistake.
Thanks for jogging my memory Nancy. I do remember now, Mother calling him Christian. Can you tell me where his head stone is? I always thought Mother said he was buried there on the farm. I would like to go look for it. Good to hear from you.
After Uncle Herbert got out of business College,he worked in Jeff, City, at a bank. I don’t know how long he worked there. Does anyone know? He was a smart man I think. He also played the violin. He gave it to Lillian. (His Godchild) Since Teddie’s Debbie plays one, I hope she will bring it to Heit’s Point next year and play it for us. Would love to see and hear it.
Who was the brother Andy? She was happy when Andrew was born?
Andy was mothers oldest brother. Andy was Nancy Simmons grandfather. Andrew was the father of Gladys And Selma Ehrhardt. Him and his wife both died when the two girls were very young. They were raised by Aunt Tillies and Aunt Nora and uncle Henry. When Gladys married she married Haskell Simmons. That marriage didn’t last a long time. She later married Something Ihler. He owned the farm that Grandpa Ehrhardt built the house on that he moved from when he was told to get out of that spot because of his health. Andrew was mothers oldest brother Aunt Julie was her oldest sister.
Wasen’t his name Auggie Ahlers? I always thought his last name started with an A? Would be August Ahlers, I think. He and Glady’s sold the farm to Eddie after they moved to town. They were nice people.
Thanks Lolly
Cleo where does Mother’s brother Otto fit in the line up? He is the one who moved to California, and never came home again. Is that right? I remember his son George kept in touch with the family. I remember reading Mother his letters. I wonder what he looked like.
Cleopha E-mailed me that I may be able to help with some answers to some questions–Hope I can help–Otto Ehrhardt was third child of Edwin & Elizabeth, he ended up living and dying in Brady, TX, it was his son George that lived in Long Beach, California. I do have pictures of Otto, have to dig for them–he and uncle Theadore looked pretty much alike. My mother Gladys was married to Augie Ahlers. That picture of your mother & father’s is their 50th anniversary, someone should have copies–my guess is that Uncle Gus & Aunt Tillie were in their wedding party. One of you should have that info, I do not have that. Uncle Gus & Aunt Alice were married in 1947, I think Aunt Alice is in one of the anniversary photos. Hope this clears up some of your questions–let me know–Pretty busy right now but will look for those pics Nancy
There was only one other couple in Mother and Daddy’s wedding. His best man was Uncle Herbert, and maid of honor was Clara Meyer I think. Was Clara one of Aunt Julie’s girls Cleo?
Yes, I think Clara Meier was the closest to Mothers age of all aunt Julie’s girls.
Andy–Given name Andreas John was actually the 4th child born, and the second boy, Otto being the first living boy.
It is really nice having this information on the website. Thank you Cleo and Lolly for ‘edjumacating’ us, and we can always refer to this information anytime we need to. I want to ask you to put the names of Mother’s siblings in birth order here, if you would please. Also Daddy’s.
I wish we could get Margie and Vernon’s versions of all the subjects we discuss on here. Vernon has a very good memory and he was older then we were and could tell so much. Mahlon also. When I find my census records I will put them on here. I will start. With the 1850 census. I have to find them first.
Seven score and seven years ago, Mom & Daddy brought forth on this great family, a cute little blond-headed girl named Lolly!!! Happy Birthday, dear, dear sister!!!
Thank you Naomi, for your birthday wishes. I love you.
When I spoke with Margie a few weeks ago, she said something that I thought I would share with the Family. She said one of Daddy’s “sayings” was, “We are not put on this earth to be served, but to serve.” I was wondering who else ever heard Daddy say this. I love old sayings. One I remember Mother saying all the time is, “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” She said that every time I tried to fix her hair. Does anyone else have any “sayings” of Mother and Daddy’s to share with the family?
One time when Felix was home on furlough he thought he was joking with mother, and he said this to mother and she was very hurt. I don’t think she had ever heard this before. She was very hurt and I am surprised she would ever repeate it to anyone. Maybe later in life she realized he was trying to joke with her.
All I can remember Daddy saying is, walk with your toes turned out, not in. and when you meet or pass by an older person speak to them. Use your manners. I don’t remember him ever saying anything about what we were put here for. Mother was all the time quoting proverbs to us. If I heard any of them I would remember maybe.
Merry Christmas to the whole Sommerer Family. We love each of you so much.