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The Spanish Flu - 1918
A young wife and mother with two children ages 2 & 10 months, has
been fighting the flu for days. She starts to feel better as she
struggles to take care of her family and home. Caring for her own
sick children makes the simplest task a major undertaking. After a
few days she has a relapse, her lungs fill up with fluids and she dies.
A young soldier has just completed training camp and set sail for
Europe to assist in the campaign against Germany. He takes ill on the
trip over and dies before he reaches foreign shores. His body is
shipped back to his parents.
A recent graduate of the University of Michigan signs up to assist in
the war effort. His knowledge of radios helps him to assist in the
effort of testing new radio types used on aircraft. He catches the
flu and appears to have a mild case. A short time later he has
a relapse that severely weakens him. He leaves for the family cottage
with his twin sister to recuperate. He never came home alive.
A 12-year-old girl and her 10-year-old sister look through a frosty
window and sing a song all the kids are singing.
I had a little bird
Its name was Enza
I opened the window,
And in-flu-enza
They wonder when school will start again, as it has been several
weeks since they were last able to attend.
In December 1918 the Wisconsin State Board of health declared that
the Spanish Flu would "forever be remembered as the most
disastrous calamity that had ever been visited upon the people of
Wisconsin or any other states." The damage done by the flu was
staggering. Between September and the end of the year, 8,459
Wisconsin residents died of the flu. Another 103,000 flu related
disabilities were reported. More Wisconsin residences died in four
months of the flu than were killed in World War 1, the Korean
Conflict and the Vietnam Conflict combined.
The epidemic was not limited to Wisconsin. Globally over 20 million
people died from the pandemic. That's more than the total number of
soldiers killed in the 4 years of the World War 1. It is estimated
that as many as 800,000 Americans died. Some experts believe that the
total death rate may even be as high as 60 million. Many of the
deaths were never reported in third world countries.
Strangely the epidemic never received much notoriety. No great
disaster such as the Titanic sinking or armies clashing on a French
beach. The flu was a silent and deadly killer. It was spread by means
of coughs, sneezes and human contact. The fact that the flu struck at
the close of World War 1 made it take back seat in the headlines of
the newspapers. The majority of the flu reporting was in the
obituaries. It is believed that the flu was named "The Spanish
Flu" because Spain, being neutral during the war; first started
reporting about its deadly spread.
What made the Spanish Flu different and deadly was the rapid onset
and the dire complications. In a matter of mere hours, a perfectly
healthy person would become so weak they could not walk. They
complained of severe aches in their muscles, joints and head. Fevers
reached 105 degrees. Victims laid bedridden and exhausted. For many
the symptoms passed in 4 or 5 days, although the cough persisted for
several weeks. The disease was highly contagious. It was spread by
contact with sick individuals. It was unique in that it was an
airborne virus and could live for several hours if not exposed to sunlight.
While most flu takes their toll on the very young and the very old,
the Spanish Flu did it biggest damage on the men and women in their
prime - between the ages of 25 and 40. There was no cure. The only
effective treatment was 2 weeks of bed rest. That is why so many of
the young people died from the flu. After several days they would
feel better and try to resume their normal daily lives of working or
caring for family. This was what was expected of them. In many homes,
exhausted mothers struggled to care for sick children; while in
others, not one adult was well enough to cook, clean or tend to sick
& dying. Not fully recuperated, they would develop pneumonia and
cyanosis. A condition where the lungs fill up with a thick blackish
liquid and would usually kill within 48 hours.
Wisconsin tried to be proactive in preventing the spread of the
deadly disease. On October 10, the State Health Officer ordered all
boards of health to close all schools, theaters, and any other places
where people gathered. Many schools were closed for 6 to 8 weeks.
Even Catholic churches were closed. A rare event to not be able to
attend church, even on Sunday.
The flu took it toll on the economy as well. Stores, saloons,
theaters, and even some factories were forced to close. For months
profits did not exist. Churches suffered from the lack of 7 weeks
without collections.
It is strange that even today very little is known about the flu. In
the last couple of years through DNA improvements, much more is being
found out about the deadly flu.
I believe the Spanish Flu had a great impact on our family. The young
mother of two and wife to my grandfather Peter Bartelme was Julia
Neumann Bartelme. She died at the age of 24 on October 30, 1918. She
left behind my father Claude, age 2 years. The young soldier that
died on his way to serving our country was George Simonis, Grandma
Becker's brother. He was 24 years old when he died on October 22,
1918. The young engineer that died by his twin sister's side was
Eugene Alfred Bartelme, one of our many cousins. He was 24 years old.
The young girls captive in their own house are Evelyn and Dolores
Becker. Neither of them came down with the flu.
Picture of Julia Bartelme
Printable copy of this story (pdf)
References:Wisconsin and the Great Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918;
Steven Burg
Various Internet Sites
Photo courtesy of Kate Neumann
Any additions, corrections or changes; please contact pete@bartelme.com
Evelyn Becker Vert 95th Birthday
I have known Aunt Evelyn all my life. I remember all the trips to
Wolf Lake and the great times we had at Evelyn & Joe's cottage.
We spent many long hours playing in the water and taking speedboat
rides with Cousin Dick. Those are time that many of the Becker clan
will never forget. I moved to Fond du Lac 32 years ago and will
always remember the advice I received from Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Joe
about where to live and things to do. After Uncle Joe's death, I
became closer to Aunt Evelyn with each passing year. Vince, Greg and
Angie grew up calling her Grandma Evelyn. She is always there when we
need her. For many years we celebrated her birthday at Lake
Ellen. Last year, we moved the celebration to Fond du Lac with a
quiet dinner at one of her favorite restaurants. I am so happy that
this year we were able to do it on a grand scale for her 95th birthday.
The party took place, Sunday the 15 of July, at her parish hall.
Despite the fact that it was in the 90's and the hall was not air
conditioned, the party was a great success. I never thought so many
of the Becker family would attend. There were a total of 95
people at the party; with 90 of us related. Evelyn was joined by her
Brother Frank, sisters Dolores and Margaret, her Grandson Patrick
Vert from Texas and 28 nieces, nephews, and the rest from the next generations.
It was a great time and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. It was,
however, too short on time for everyone to kindle old and new
relationships. I hope that this web site and the attached photos will
help to keep the family connected.
For those of the family that could not attend, we missed you
and hope that this information will help you feel like you were there.
Please visit the photo pages.
Take your time. There are a lot of them, but they're worth it. I
added the names to all of the family group pictures and to the group
of cousins. If you want to download the complete set of photos, click
here (3.5 MB).
Here is a copy of the guest
book. I took the liberty of re-typing it, as it didn't scan in
very well. It's in pdf format, so you need Acrobat Reader free from Adobe.(Get
Adobe Acrobat Reader)
The following is a tribute to Evelyn Becker Vert that Uncle Frank wrote.
Born July 16, 1906, probably at home, then at 1317 16th St.
Attended St. Luke's school and Washington High.
Vice-president of Sophomore Class, known as Evey. 1922 year
book Neshotah lists her chief occupation as speaking in declamation
contest. "Aim to be - minister's wife".
In senior year was president of Twin River Players.
Was Senior class representative in a declamatory contest, describing
"The Finish of Patsy Barnes". Alas! No record
of her winning.
Senior Class Play, "Turn to the Right", had Evelyn playing
Jessie Strong, reported as a "leading part to which she proved equal".
Meanwhile, Dolores was involved in instrumental competition playing
the trombone solo, "The Call of the Sea". What!
No piano?
Was among 48 graduates from Washington High School on June 17,
1924. Her Neshotah for 1924 is in the museum at St. Luke's
convent. She graciously donated it when cousin Marie
Gruman/Goedjen reported that year missing from the collection.
Look it up to find what good things her classmates had to say when
they signed it.
After high school went to Chicago for training as a beautician.
Opened her own shop at 10th & Washington in Manitowoc and
operated it until her marriage.
Married Joseph Vert, a baker and widower, March 30, 1940. She
helped raise his son, Richard, who was four when they married.
Worked in bakeries with Joe when he began to run his own
establishments. Joe died in 1970 of an apparent heart attack
while fishing. Evelyn has lived alone in the Fond du Lac home
ever sine. Some 31 years!
Printable copy of
Uncle Frank's Tribute (pdf)
Special Thanks to Frank Becker, Margaret Bartelme, Joe Bartelme &
all the rest that helped to make this a memorable day.
Special Thanks to my friend Leo Stephany for taking pictures.
Any additions, corrections or changes; please contact pete@bartelme.com
Sara Adler & Dustin Bartelme Graduate from High School
Sara Adler is daughter to Mary Bartelme & Wayne Adler.
Sara graduated from South High in Sheboygan WI on June 3. She
was accepted to several college/universities but has enrolled at
Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa which is close to Cedar Rapids.
She did get a partial scholarship to Cornell. She wants to double
major in Creative Writing and Illustration. She was a member of
Art Scream an art club through school. Her outside interests
are the environment, drawing and writing.
Dustin Bartelme is son to Richard and Carla Bartelme. Dustin
graduated from High School in Verona WI. Dustin is still
contemplating his career. He is currently working for Felly's
Greenhouse. His interest include ceramics. He has done a number of
unique pieces. Hopefully we'll have some pictures to post in the near future.
Info From Carla (4 July 2001)
Pierced, tattooed, and buzzed (buzz-cut, that is), Dustin is ready
for the world. "Don't expect too much, and you won't be
disappointed," is the philosophy he recently expressed. "Am
I glad that high school is almost over?!? Oh, yeah! Instead of having
to go to school everyday, I have to go to work everyday!!! Real fun.
Leave me alone!."
We're just back from vacation in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area,
where Dustin exhibited a great deal of strength and agility, as he
hoisted a canoe overhead for portages, lugged coolers and crates to
and from the car; as he leaped effortlessly over fences and other
obstacles--he amazed me often. Dustin brought along a guest on our
trip, Andrea, a foreign exchange student from Chile. They became good
friends at school and share interests in art and music. He's been
learning Spanish, and they've been planning a rendezvous in Chile
some day. We've even been invited!
And, speaking of rendezvous, Dustin just loved his recent trip with
Angie, Pete, Greg. He has shared many stories, and now has his own
slab of oak for hawk throwing. He's been speaking of skinning
animals. We repeatedly tell him that he may not skin our cat!!
Last semester, Dustin worked lots of hours at Felly's Greenhouse.
He's had retail customer service, and production experience, and is
happiest when he can listen to his tunes. He likes rock and roll,
reggae, and hip hop music best.
There is no mistaking when Dustin is home--the heavy boomp-a-boomp-a
of the heavy base, throbbing it's vibrations throughout the house,
shaking pictures off the walls. Dustin! DUSTIN!! DUSTIN!!! Richard
and I often joke about the radar Dustin's friends must have. As soon
as Dustin arrives home from anywhere, the phone rings, and keeps
ringing. He has an endless array of friends who come and go at all
hours. Obviously, he is well-liked.
Sculpting a Life
The one thing that Dustin has found as a valuable-take-it-with-me
experience from high school is working with clay. It has become his
passion--so much so that he is taking a summer course offered through
the high school! He has had some of his work displayed at school and
recently in a gallery in Oshkosh.
Dustin has always had an artistic/creative ability, drawing all kinds
of things from Ninja Turtles in his early years, to skeletons and
chameleons today. He has designed many table top fountains. A
favorite theme of his is his pet chameleon, Chen Zen, who has
appeared on several fountains so far. He has been working with a
buddy of his, Jerry--they hope to develop a business together.
Dustin has a quick wit, a wry sense of humor, and a great deal of
talent. We love him and know you do, too. Let's wish him a "Happy
Graduation!"
We added a page of pictures
of Sara & Dustin. Check it out!!
Any additions, corrections or changes; please contact pete@bartelme.com
A good portion of our lives were spent in Milwaukee. Here is a little
history of the city that so many of us grew up in and call it
our Home Town
The Making of Milwaukee
Milwaukee like all early Wisconsin cities was a by-product from the
fur trade. It's network of rivers, access to the Great Lakes and
abundance of diverse geography, made it a perfect location for the
fur trade. Although it was not among the earliest cities such as
Green Bay and Prairie du Chien, several European fur traders were in
the area by the early 1800s.
Milwaukee got its name from the Algonquin Indians that lived in the
area and used the network of rivers for food and furs. The rich
legacy that nature bestowed on this area caused the natives to name
the region "Man-na-wah-kie" meaning the good land.
In 1817, a British census reported that 1,000 people were in the
Milwaukee area, It was describes as a land of marsh, tamarack, swamp
and extensive stands of timbers. Indeed, it was a land of marsh and
tamaracks. The tamarack is a conifer (evergreen) that likes damp
sites. It is unique in that it loses its needles in the fall. The
mouth of the Milwaukee River supported huge stands of tamaracks. The
tannic acid found in its bark is used for tanning furs and
hides. The tamarack became an important part of the history of
the city. When settlers first started arriving in the area around
1830, an active tanning business sprung up. The abundance of furs in
the area and the availability of tanning supplies made a great
combination. By 1879, Milwaukee was the largest tanning center in the
world and exported $4.3 million worth of tanned hides. It was also
the 4th largest meat packer in the US.
Water also played an important role in the making of Milwaukee. The
network of the Milwaukee, Menominee, Root Rivers and Oak Creek made
the area perfect for early water travel. The mouth of the Milwaukee
River made an ideal harbor. Much of the success of the city may be
traced to an early settler's impractical dream. Byron Kilbourn had a
vision of linking a canal between Milwaukee and the Mississippi
River. He started his project in 1838, but was forced to abandon it 4
years later, having dug only 1 mile. However, the canal may have been
the key to an active seaport. The dam at the start of the canal also
provides a handy source of waterpower. Industries sprung up along the
mile stretch. Grain became one of the key exports from the city. By
1863, Milwaukee was the leading grain shipping port in the world.
That year it shipped 140,771 tons of wheat, corn and barley. This
also points out that farming to the north, south and west was very
productive. (Picture of the
The Milwaukee River 1909)
The bluffs along the Milwaukee River were full of cool clear spring
water that early residence used for drinking and cooking. This water
along with the abundance of grain spurred a new brewing industry from
the heavy influx of German immigrants. By 1850 more than 1/3 of
20,000 residence were from Germany. The first beer made in Milwaukee
was produced by 3 Welshmen in 1840. The first lager brewery was
opened by Herman Reuthlisberger in 1841. In 1889 the Phillip Best
Company changed its name to the Pabst Brewing Company. It was now
under the leadership of Captain Frederick Pabst and was the nations
largest brewery. By 1902, the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company
surpassed Pabst to become the largest brewer in America. Frederick
Miller had the third largest brewery. Together the breweries led
Milwaukee to US dominance of the beer industry for many decades.
The same bluffs along the river that provided clean water provided
hand dug caves that were used to store the many kegs of beer. Ice cut
from the river in winter and stored in the caves allowed the beer to
be shipped long distances. A byproduct of the caves was magnesium and
calcium rich clay that was used to make the bricks that went into
many of the buildings. The light colored clay produced a distinctive
brick that was described as the color of the September clouds - they
were called "cream" and gave birth to the cities nickname
"Cream City".
Milwaukee started out as 3 villages. In 1818 Solomon Juneau
established an American Fur trading post on the east side of the
Milwaukee river (Juneautown). In 1834 Byron Kilbourn settled the west
side (Kilbourntown) and George Walker settled the south side
(Walker's Point). By 1842 the population soared to 2,700, with 800
building, 12 inns and 50 stores. Competition for business and
settlers was fierce between the villages. In 1845 the bridges between
the 3 villages were destroyed. War was about to break out but cooler
heads prevailed and the leaders concluded that few outsiders would
come to their location if such a feud were under way. A truce was
declared and in 1846 the 3 villages joined to become the City of
Milwaukee. Solomon Juneau was elected the first mayor of the city,
which now was 7.3 sq. mile large. When Grandpa Frank and Grandma
Louise Becker moved to Milwaukee in 1900 there were 285,000
residence. A strong sense of work and abundance of jobs brought
thousands of immigrants to the city. The original German and Irish
settlers were joined by the Poles, Serbs, Hungarians, Italians
Greeks, Czechs and Hispanics. Milwaukee was always know as the city
that works and for many decades was well known for its global
business importance. (Milwaukee
Poster 1903)
Was it the tamaracks, the bricks, the water or the beer that made
Milwaukee? It was a combination of them all along with a deep
heritage of working people that made Milwaukee.
References:
Lakeside Legacy - Eric Lucas
Milwaukee: At the Gathering of the
Waters - Harry Anderson & Frederick Olson
(Printable
copy of this story)
I found a Gazetteer of Wisconsin from 1853. You can learn a lot about
the people and the times from reading it. See
an excerpt from it on Milwaukee - 4 pages
Any comment, corrections or additions to this story; please let me
know. Pete@bartelme.com
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02/22/01 (Updated 15 March 2001)
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Frank T Becker is the father to Margaret (Mom) Bartelme
Grandpa Frank T Becker - The life of a foundry man
Frank Theodore Becker (picture
of Grandpa Becker) was born on Nov 9 1873 in Manitowoc WI. Frank
was the middle of 7 children to Frank X Becker and Catherine Ramian.
After attending St. Boniface School and later public school in
Manitowoc, Frank began learning the foundry man's trade by accepting
a 4 year apprenticeship at the Richard's Iron Works in Manitowoc at
the age of 17 in 1890. His starting wage was 3 cents an hour for a
60-hour week. Overtime was at the same rate. (Grandpa's
apprenticeship contract)
Frank completed his apprenticeship in Dec. 1894. He then pursued a
career as a moulder; working for companies in Geneva IL, Port
Washington and Milwaukee. He must have kept ties with Manitowoc / Two
Rivers for on Nov 14 1900 he married Louise Simonis, a member of a
prominent early Two Rivers family.
Frank & Louise lived in Milwaukee for the next 4 years and had
two boys during that time.
In 1904, Frank and his brother Michael started a business named the
Becker Manufacturing Company. It is believed that Michael had the up
front money and Frank had the technology and foundry skills.
Michael's background was that of cigar manufacturer. They rented the
building of the former Conrad Werra foundry at 1701 12th street (map).
The Werra foundry was started in 1894 but was discontinued four
years later. Frank and Michael purchased the building in 1905. At
that time the building was 110' X 70' and had one furnace. Shortly
after that they added an additional 45' X 45' to the building, a
traveling crane and a second furnace. It was reported that they
turned out first class work.
On Jan. 1 1919, the Becker Manufacturing Company was incorporated
with a capital stock of $25,000. Frank was president and Grandma
Louise was Vice President and Michael was Secretary - Treasurer. A
few years later Michael left the business and became Post Master
General of Brillion. It is said that Becker Lake is named after him.
Frank bought his brother out in 1945.
Over the years the business grew. In 1911 an addition to the plant
was made and in 1923 it was again enlarged, this time being
practically rebuilt. The business started off making general castings
and as an iron job shop. Over the years they made products for many
of the area businesses. They did work for the Mirror Co. and Hamilton
Industries. For Hamilton they made the cast iron tables that were
used for printing in the early 1900's. They also made pistons and
engine blocks for the Kahlenberg Brothers Company, who made marine
engines for many years in Two Rivers. Kahlenberg has been located
directly across the street from the Becker Manufacturing Co. since
1907. (Kahlenberg Bros. now produces horns for boats and yachts and
propellers for larger boats.)
During World War 2, the Becker Manufacturing Co. was 100% dedicated
to the war effort and at that time had 11 employees.
I know they made some toys including cast iron banks. Both Aunt
Evelyn and Aunt Dolores have cast iron animals and a miniature wood
stove made in the foundry.
Uncles' Hugo, Roland, Clarence, Edward & Paul all worked for some
time in the business. Uncle Frank says that he occasionally worked
there on summer breaks, but it was only to keep him out of trouble.
Many of the cousins, especially Uncle Hugo's boys worked in the
foundry. Some are still in the trade today.
Grandpa Frank Becker died March 17, 1959 at the age of 85.
The foundry closed in the early 1970's due to changes in the
environmental laws that made keeping the operations open not feasible.
(Printable
copy of this story) Any comment, corrections or additions to
this story; please let me know. pete@bartelme.com
Special thanks to Uncle Frank & Steve Becker.
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1/12/01
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Hello to the Bartelme Family. I have added the pictures
from our family outing on September 3, 2000 held at the Bartelme
Resort on beautiful Lake Ellen. It was a great day. It was partly
sunny and warm with a high temperature of 82. The following day
(Labor Day) was cloudy and only 65 deg. There were 30 adults and 12
young adults. As usual; there was more than enough food. It was great
to see as many of the family as that together. We missed all of you
that could not make it.
Side note: it was the Packers opening game and they lost to the Jets!!! |
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1/4/01 |
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Happy New Year from Pete (Eastman). I'll be helping Phil
maintain this site with new and hopefully interesting family news. It
will be my goal to provide something new every month (we'll see!!).
Of course I will be enlisting every one of the Bartelme family
to contribute by providing any and all news & information to me.
I can be reached at pete@bartelme.com.
One of my objectives is to promote our family history. As months
unfold; I will occasionally insert stories about the family. Some
will be current and some will be about our history. Stay tuned. I
will be e-mailing the Bartelme Family after every up-date.
Stay connected. |
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