Schuster, John

Other Events:

• 1910 Census: 1910, Glencoe, Trego, Kansas, USA
• 1940 Census: 1940, Laramie, Albany, Wyoming, USA
• Residence: 1942, Saint Louis, St. Louis (City), Missouri, USA

Notes:

Biography:
UNCLE JOHN, We never called him that. We had another Uncle John, and this man was alw ays "Big John". In our family there was Uncle John (Dad's brother), Big John (Mom's brother) Johnnie (our brother) Little Johnnie (Uncle John's first grandson), John Clare (Big John's oldest son), and of course there's "Freddie's Johnnie" (our brother Fred's oldest son).
Big John had the most wives ... four. Margaret, Delores, Audry and Ann a. One son John Clare by Margaret, and three children by Delores ... Rich ard, Sonya and Sandra (twins) He stayed the least "put" of the famil y. He told me that early in the lean years of the 1930's it became appare nt that though he, Paul and Engelbert were all bachelors working on Grandma's place, money was short and one of them was going to have to seek outside employment and he went. Some of the places that he had addresses were Denver, Colo. Casper, Wyo., Billings and Great Falls, Mt. Brother Joh nnie once called him, "The best diesel mechanic in the State of Colorado ." Aunt Clara described him as a man who made something of himself in spite of only an 8th grade education.
Little kids are pretty aware about things around them, and one Easter, "Everybody was there." But then a big man (to me) walked out of Paul's bedroom. Mom was the first to explain that he wasn't a stranger, the man was our Uncle, but we would call him, "Big John".
His daughter Sandra once said, "As a father, he wasn't much" I asked her why, and she said she got into trouble once in her teens, and when he got back off the road (he travelers alot, and the territory he covered was Eastern Montana . ..and vast) when she should have had a good tongue lashing, at least, all he asked her when he walked out of the Police station with her was, "Did you learn anything?" She said, Mom was an "alcholie" and we kids just "grew".
We saw him most often of any of the relatives, as he lived in Great Falls, and a neighbor had a Wagner tractor with a Cummins engine, and when he stopped to service that engine, he would stop in for a few minutes. During the latter part of his life and into retirement, we visited often with him and his fourth wife Anna, a native Pennsylvanian who had a whopping talent for cookery and a friendly warm heart. She worked at night supervisor of the kitchen at the Heritage Inn, one of Great Falls' convention centers.
I think in a way too, Uncle John was an introvert, For he enjoyed hunting and Fishing a lot. Perhaps that was because it was a way to get back into nature, for all ourpeople seemed to be drawn to the land. He once told me that rabbit, squir rel and coonwere fairly decent eating, but I nearly urped my uppers when he said, "Por cupine ain't bad, but I'd have to be pretty hard up to want a steady di et of that." This leads me to think that he didn't kill anything just f or "kicks".
He and Anna took Bob and I to bars where she enjoyed the poker machines. ( With her own money, and she had a little purse separate for just "play mon ey.") He enjoyed teasing the waitresses,and he always proudly introduced me to all his friends. . ."This is my niece." He'd get guffaws and comments like, "You're too mean to have a niece ." or "How come she's so cute and you're so ugly." His buddies were all jovial, laughing accepting people, and he had lots of friends.
He must have been a peaceable husband, for Richard, his son said that he o nly heard his parents argue once. . and that was over what to get Grand ma Klara for Christmas. She wanted to get Grandma a box of chocolate cove red cherries and some peppermint that she knew Grandma liked. He opted f or a Fifth of good whiskey. (I was told that in the old country that oft en times whiskey was used to give you a good appetite and to doctor a co ld ... with toddies.) He told Aunt Delores. "With the candy, she'll ju st treat the kids and if we get a good fifth of whiskey, she'll use it for herself" Richard said that they each went shopping, and Grandma got both.
When Anna called and said he'd suffered a kidney aneurysm, and that the prognosis wasn't good, I kept in touch every day. She called then and told me he was gone, and when the services were to be. We had a raging blizzard out the window that morning, but we dressed in long johns and wool pants (for that miserable time in the cemetery) and ventured forth).
His services were very beautiful. He had requested cremation. There was no casket, no miserable stand in a snowy cemetery, just beautiful flowers, a spotlighted crucifix and Father Malee conducting a meaningful service.... all this on Ascension Thursday.
By Mary Kaiser Conard, 1988

1910 Census:
Fred Schuster 43
Clara Schuster 39
Frank Schuster 19
Resi Schuster 15
Barbara Schuster 14
Stefanis Schuster 11
Paul Schuster 9
Jacob Schuster 7
Clara Schuster 4
John Schuster 0

1940 Census:
John Schuster 30
Margaret Schuster 24
John C Schuster 11/12

Residence:
Name: John Schuster
Race: White
Relationship to Draftee: Self (Head)
Birth Place: Ellis, Kansas, USA
Birth Date: 3 Sep 1909
Residence: St Louis, Missouri, USA
Registration Date: 1940
Occupation: Mauring And Martin
Weight: 152
Complexion: Light
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
Height: 5 9
Next of Kin: Paul Schuster
Relationship to Draftee: Brother

John married Unknown, Audry Aft 1927. Audry was born Abt 1909; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

John married Dreiling, Margo 13 Nov 1934. Margo was born 13 Mar 1916, Victoria, Ellis, Kansas, USA; died 26 Sep 1998; was buried , Larned Cemetery, Larned, Kansas. [Group Sheet]

John married Farmer, Delores Bef 1944. Delores was born Abt 1909; died Yes, date unknown. [Group Sheet]

John married Earnharth, Anna Catherine Eckhardt [Group Sheet]

Sandra — Unknown, David. [Group Sheet]

Sonja married Moore, Unknown [Group Sheet]