roger.pape Site Admin
Joined: 17 Mar 2009 Posts: 414 Location: Liverpool, NY
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 5:17 pm Post subject: Butchering hogs |
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(Originally posted January 1, 2009)
I had to include this letter that I recently received from Rev. Omar Stuenkel, Coeur d' Alene, ID.
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Roger, I was really surprised and pleased to get your recent email. I will check your web site as soon as 2009 is well underway. At present we have snowfall that has broken all records for this area for the month of December and the year. People have had to shovel roofs and some commercial buildings have collapsed, at least in part. We do a lot of shoveling and have had a commercial person to shovel the flatter part of our roof. All of this is unusual for Coeur d' Alene, ID.
Of course, I knew Uncle Jacob and Aunt Mary. Our families got together several times a year, so I knew the entire family well. Your Uncle Elmer, who was killed in World War II, and I were just one year apart. In school and otherwise he was good to me on the playground and otherwise. I was best man at his wedding to Concordia Runge when I was a seminary student. I remember your Dad, obviously. When I was of elementary school age I remember that he wrestled a tame bear during the Fall Festival. He was considered to be the strongest candidate available. When I went with my Dad, Edward, to deliver our cream I remember how impressed I was with the fact that Edwin was in charge (with Walter Reith as assistant). I also recall that when growing up I saw my Dad, Uncle Jacob and Uncle Henry Schumacher combine to butcher about 6 hogs and make sausages. It was an exciting event for us children to go outside when it was still dark and watch the blazing fire in the pit on which a long tank-pan would be placed to scald the hogs. Even more exciting was to witness the shooting of the pigs by one of my older brothers while my Dad cut the hog's throat and saved the blood in a pail for blood sausage. Of course, my Mother and the Aunts were deeply involved also. I remember also that when I was about 8 or 9 I heard at school one cold, snowy winter's day that Uncle Henry had died of a heart attack after breakfast when he had been out shoveling snow.
My time for now has run out. Other duties call. Thanks again for emailing. - - Omar P.S. Only my sister, Erna, (age 92 in January) and I are still alive of our family. I am 88.
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Note. The Pape/Runge wedding is a dark segment in the following movie clip St.Paul's Weddings. Elmer's burial site can be found at the American Battle Monuments Commission and following the instructions as listed, i.e. enter last name followed by first name, click 'Search' and then 'Go' on the next page. |
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