Page 109

Page 111
Picture

Gertrude Hartwig

     Gertrude Hartwig was born in 1905 on a farm 3 miles north of Clarence. Her parents were John and Ida Ibsen. She had two brothers, George and Chester. She started country school in that neighborhood.

     When the family moved to a farm two miles east on the Clarence-Oxford Junction road, about half a mile north of the Valley Cemetery, Gertrude was enrolled in the Lutheran Parochial School in Lowden. Her father would take her into Clarence every Monday morning where she would board the train and travel to Lowden. She would return to Clarence on Friday evening During the week she would live with her grandparents in Lowden.

     During the summer and on weekends, she helped on the family farm. To supplement the farm income, the family would churn butter and raise chickens. Gertrude would deliver eggs and butter to customers in town, first with horse and buggy and later with a Model T. What they did not sell directly they would sell to or would trade with local grocery stores in exchange for groceries. A lot of eggs were shipped via train to Chicago and sold to relatives and friends in that area. The wooden crates would be returned to Clarence to be used for the next shipment.

     After parochial school, Gertrude worked on the family farm, helping her mother who struggled with health issues. She was married to Walter Hartwig in 1926. They started farming on a farm about three miles north of Clarence on the Clarence-Oxford Junction road. During this time, they had a son, Gene Hartwig.

     They farmed at this location until 1946 when they quit farming and moved into Clarence where Walter started an electrical and plumbing business. In 1949 Walter and Gertrude expanded the business and opened Hartwig Electric in a store on main street. The store started out as an appliance store. When television came to the area, about 1950, they added television to their business. They later expanded into light hardware and paint. Many people relied on Gertrude’s ability to mix paint colors to match their specific drapery or wallpaper colors.

     Gertrude and Walter sold Hartwig Electric in 1971 and retired. They enjoyed their retirement together until Walter passed away in 1985.

     Gertrude loved crafting and quilting. She also enjoys her family, grandchildren, and her recent great-granddaughter. She quipped that she had to live to be 102 to become a great-grandmother.

     Gertrude maintained her home until she was 95 at which time she moved to the Clarence Nursing Home. Gertrude has been a member of the Stanwood Lutheran Church for almost 70 years. She was a loyal church worker up to the time she moved to the nursing home.

Page 112
Picture

Marjorie Miles

     Marjorie Luella Horn Miles was born on April 28, 1907 in Clark, South Dakota. She moved to Clarence Iowa when she was 4 or 5 years old. The following article is a reprint of one that appeared in the Sun News on the occasion of Marjorie’s 100th birthday (May 2007). Mrs. Linda MIngst’s third graders had submitted questions to Marjorie. Marjorie is the aunt of Mrs. Mingst’s husband, Bob.

What was your first school house like? My first school house was wood. I went to town school, the lower grades were on the first floor, and the high school was on the upper floor. My school was about the same place that the middle school is now.

What were your clothes like? They had warm clothing. In large families they wore hand me downs. People knitted a lot so they would knit scarves and sweaters. There were pretty feed sacks, so they made dresses, aprons, for the girls, and shirts for the boys. The colors were tan, blue (dark and light), yellow, white and ivory. There were not the bright colors like there is today.

What did you and your family enjoy doing together when you were little? We went fishing out at the Massillon Park, and would take a picnic lunch. We would do this about once a month We would take the car and park under the bridge. The bridge was wooden, so when you went across the bridge it would make a lot of noise.

Were there any special items in your home that you remember? We listened to music on something called an Edison Phonograph. It played music from a round cylinder and the music came out through a horn that is shaped like a tuba end.

What was your first job? My first job was working in Miller’s Café in Clarence. I had to learn a lot, like how to make ice cream sundaes and malted milks. I had to know the price of everything and how to operate the cash register and to make change. I had to have a smile on my face to try and please customers so they would come back.

What were some prices of things then? A loaf of bread was 26 cents, quart of milk was 20 cents, gallon of gas was about 15 cents, candy was 1-2 cents.

Who was the first President that you remember? Woodrow Wilson. When WWI was on, we learned to knit. If we wanted to, we would knit scarves for the men in Service. That’s all of the knitting I did. When the war was over, school was out, bells were ringing, whistles were blowing and people were in the streets celebrating.

What is the one thing you most want people to remember about you? I care about others and I happy to be this age, and still enjoy being here.

     (Note: Unfortunately Marjorie died before this book was printed.)

Page 113
Picture
Picture: This truck was used by Grover Penningroth to deliver Penny’s meat products.

Beatrice Penningroth

     Beatrice Penningroth was born May 30, 1909 southeast of Clarence. She was the daughter of Frank Albert and Amelia Weih Albert. She graduated from Clarence High School in 1927 and attended Coe College. She married Grover Penningroth of Lowden. They resided in Clarence nearly their entire life. Grover was the owner-operator of Penny’s Meat Market in Clarence.

     “Bea” was an active member of the United Church of Christ, serving in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and as Secretary of Women’s Fellowship, also participating in both Regional and Synodical Guild. She was president of the Women’s Literary Club, and presided as Worthy Matron of the Order of the Easter Star, receiving her 50 year membership in that organization.

     After residing some 50 years in their home in Clarence they decided to retire to Cedar Rapids and lived in the Meth-Wick Retirement Community. While there, they celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.

     Bea and Grover experienced a life of happiness with many friends they made on their many vacations. After retiring in 1970, they spent many winters in Florida. In the summer months, they toured all 50 states. They especially enjoyed their four tours to Europe, finding the varied culture of each country most interesting.

     Bea and Grover returned to the Clarence Nursing Home in 2003. In 2004, they celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary there. Grover died in 2005.

     Bea currently resides at the Clarence Nursing Home.

Page 114
Picture

Ruth Marie Mueller Ruprecht

     Ruth was born July 8, 1908 in Chicago, Illinois. She graduated there in 1926 as valedictorian of her class. In high school, she participated in many musical organizations and operettas, and won many awards for ice skating and basketball. She also enjoyed playing tennis.

     She married George (Jack) Ruprecht from Lowden in 1934. George and Ruth met at Jehovah Lutheran Church while he was in Chicago to attend Northwestern University and pursue job opportunities there. They moved to Clarence in 1940 where George was a partner in Ruprecht Lumber Co. with his brothers. George ran the Clarence yard. She was always a homemaker.

     They had one child, Gar, born in 1941.

     Ruth had a lifetime dedication to St. Paul’s Lutheran church in Stanwood where she was active in Vacation Bible School and a past president, treasurer, and secretary of the Lutheran Woman’s Ladies Aid. She served as a Cub Scout Den Mother and was a member of Loyal Workers. She participated in Cultus Club and two bridge clubs.

     Ruth and George loved going to Elderhostel classes at many colleges for several years. They traveled quite extensively within Europe, Mexico and to every state, including Alaska and Hawaii.

     She enjoyed crafts, making hundreds of pretty things including attractive Christmas ornaments. She also enjoyed arranging flowers and collecting blue glassware. Ruth was a fabulous cook and baker. She baked and decorated many angel food cakes and made numerous kinds of fancy Christmas cookies.

     From 1955 to 1970 she helped out with George’s Clarence Ready Mix Concrete business by answering the phone from her home.

     Ruth has always been an active woman. Even in her late 80’s, she walked more than 12 blocks to the Clarence Nursing home or to go downtown. Until nearly 101 years of age, she lived alone in her home, preparing her own meals, doing her own banking, and pursuing her personal interests. She is very alert with a sharp mind and has a 110% quality of life. Ruth currently resides at the Mechanicville Nursing Home.