- AUNT BARBARA
I am guessing possibly this might be a silver anniversary picture. He re is another very special lady, Aunt Barbara. Married to Uncle Steve, ni ne years her senior, at aged 25, she took on a ready-made family of eigh t, then had four of her own.On the photocopy of the Manifest of Alien Passengers (included), it indica tes that daughter Barbara had a deformed hand and an eye infection causi ng the family's detention at Ellis Island for three days. At this poi nt in time, I question the wisdom of the bureaucracy of the immigration Se rvices. It is my understanding they weeded out the eye infections becau se this often led to blindness, thus eventually to non-productivity. (A th ought that has been disproved many times over in recent years.) What in Go d's name did these people think a family of seven would do? Dump a helple ss 8-year old on to society? People then took care of their own, and I mi ght add, very capably. Her deformity consisted of a misplaced finger on h er right hand. A finger grew from the area between forefinger and thum b. While that finger itself was useless, I understand, she accomplished e verything with the remaining Fingers. All the housewifly chores of a b ig family. She could crochet beautifully, and handled a needle and thre ad as easily as you or I.
Fate dumped on her once more in her lifetime. After they were in Ameri ca for about four years, diphtheria shots were to be given to those who h ad not had them, and she reacted to the serum. She spent a time ill, th en recuperating, and before the Family realized it, some muscle damage w as done to her ankle. Auntie wore "Granny boots" which were fashionable f or awhile, and when they were no longer available at stores, Aunt Clara te lls me that Uncle Steve had her buy an orthopedic type shoe. I could n ot see alot of difference in them, and what alot of women were wearing. S he had a limp.
Aunt Clara also told me that Dad's nephew, Gottleib Heinrich, took a shi ne to Aunt Barbara, but Aunt Martha (Kaiser) Heinrich put the "kibos h" on the romance, "Because she is a cripple." Oh how the Heinrichs miss ed out on that one. Also that another fellow from their neighborhood lik ed her (I think his name was Billy Bongartz). Grandma Klara quashed th at because Billy was not a Catholic. This says something to me: That s he must have been as charming in her youth, as I remember her in later lif e.
Married the some year as my folks, going to their house was a real blas t, as her kids were close in age to all of us. We played some in the hous e, but that didn't last too long. The dirt on the North side of the chick enhouse, where the hens "fluffed" was so perfect for making mudpies. Sund ays we were there, we must have frustrated her fat hens something awful . .. She also had some pretty ducks.
Her spotless home that I remember best was a newly built one, complete wi th running water. Their farm was north of WaKeeney. Aunt Clara tel ls me financially there were not the dread money worries as there we re in our family, as there were active oil wells on the property. A ll of their sons, that I know of, were farmers, which leads me to think th at Uncle Steve and Aunt Barbara were instrumental in helping set them u p. Both of Aunt Barbara's sons died in accidents; Leonard at ag ed 33 in a farm accident, and Stephen at 55 in a pickup-camper acciden t. Her youngest Dorothy died relatively young, also, from cancer, I was t old. Barbara, 59, (1988) presently lives in WaKeeney.
Aunt Barbara was my confirmation sponsor. There's something special abo ut the memory of her warm, protective hand on my shoulder as the Bishop ad ministered the Sacrament. . At which, I might add the confirmandi probab ly were all scared witless. We were drilled in the Baltimore #2 Catechi sm till our heads reeled. We were told if the Bishop asked a questi on to which we could not give the correct answer, we were going to ha ve to leave and not receive the sacrament for four more years, for th at is about as often as the Bishop came. We practiced, practiced, practic ed, the Confirmation procession and hymns and admonished, "Don't lose yo ur place or your sponsor won't find you when time comes."
Ridiculous! Our sponsors went into the pews right behind us, and the nu ns acted as thoughour sponsors were complete idiots. . that one could not step behind the ca ndidate they we're sponsoring.She was kind. She'd never back me up against her daughter, Barbara, and a sk, "Why don't you hurry up and grow?" like Aunt Rosey did sometimes wi th her daughter, Theresa.It was from Aunt Barbara and Uncle Steve that we got the little white d og that was such a big part of our growing up. That little dog sat und er the table at mealtimes and ate more of my "Schpeck " (fat) that I di d, and was admonished to eat, "So you grow."
I remember her best with beautiful, silky red-auburn hair. She smiled al ot and easily. She was a good cook and she came the day before Bob a nd I were married and helped prepare our wedding supper. We shared a b ed the last night I was single.
I think, from her I learned the truth that it's not what you have (a defor med hand or stiff ankle) that makes you what you are. I don't recall I ev er gave those things much thought. This I do know; she gave true meani ng to words like "good" and beautiful.
By Mary Kaiser Conard, 1988
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1896 - 1971 (74 years)
Immigration
