Frank & Rosalia Schuster

UNCLE FRANK by Mary Kaiser Conard 1988

Just 21, when his Father died, he seemed to be "the man of the family" (from stories Mom has told) until which time Uncle Paul was older ... he remained unmarried all his life, and seemed to look after Grandma's business interests, during my growing up years.

I'm told it was Uncle Frank who planned and built the addition to Grandma's house.

If you look at the photo of the house, the part to the left of the screened in porch seems to be an original, two rooms with a loft. Uncle Frank added the piece that "T's" the original. At first the porch was not enclosed with screen. From what I can gather, he and Aunt Rosey lived at Grandma's after their marriage, because Theresia had this to say about how you make money.

It seems Uncle Jake trapped skunks for their pelts, and as a result, he wasn't so great smelling all the time, and Aunt Rosey complained about "stink". All this Uncle Jake took without a word. (You know when you stink.) I would imagine that if he was home, he was needed to help with the work, and any money that was "made on the farm" had to stay with the farm, and skunk trapping was a way to make some pocket money for Jake. At any rate, when the mailman brought the check for the pelts, Uncle Jake waved it under Aunt Rosey's nose and asked, "Now does this stink?" Mom always said, "Never criticize how much a job "smells" for which you earn your daily bread. The people that you have to worry about are the "stinkers" who become rich on the backs of others."

I guess I would describe Uncle Frank as being rather aloof. Gad! How he and Dad could argue. . over nothings, as far as I could see, but then we didn't stick around much where the "old folks" were. Aunt Rosey was sweet. She always looked nice and she was a "town lady", as we kids called it. She didn't have a chicken house in the back yard, her front yard had flowers, trees and a lawn. I don't know just when they moved to Ellis, and think that Uncle Frank worked as a carpenter and finisher.

He and Aunt Rosey are Baptism Godparents to Freddie, Rose and I, as Nick and Theresia are to Bill, Theresa and Richard, three of their five children. The other two are Louis and Frederick.

He must have been a thoughtful person. When we were small children, he built Rose and I each a doll bed. I still have mine that I converted into a magazine rack.

We girls didn't hang around uncles much, and we didn't see Uncle Frank and Aunt Rosey much after we passed our early teens. I can't say, as I really know much about him.

Up until 1988, they are the only Schuster couple that I know of for sure that celebrated a Golden Anniversary. I am speaking in-terms of Mom's family here, and in the year of 1988 there is only one couple left that still may get to the "Golden" Uncle Englebert and Aunt Iva. They may have already, but no mention was made of it to me.

By Mary Kaiser Conard 1988

Frank Schuster applied to become a citizen of the United States in 1912.

Louis L. Schuster died August 29, 1995 at Leavenworth nursing home. Ruth (Allen) Schuster died October 13, 1996 in St. Joseph, MO.

William J. Schuster died July 23, 1995 in Hays, Kansas.

Rosalia (Aschenbrenner) Schuster died on Sunday, November 25, 1973. Frank Wenzel Schuster died on May 17, 1980. They both are buried at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Ellis, Kansas.