The Willems Family weathers the Great Depression-Part Two

Anna Marie and Ophelia circa 1937

The younger children began going to school at St. Joseph's Catholic School in Paris which now had a real school bus.  The seats in the bus were wooden and it was a bumpy ride over the dirt roads, but was too far to walk.  The walk to the bus stop was just over a mile so the children still got their exercise. Anna Marie later recalled the girls got three new school dresses every year, plus a pair of shoes, a new Easter hat and fall hat. 

With the six oldest Willems children grown and moved out of the house, the sleeping arrangements changed making room for the five Manus children.  The Manus boys didn't make this their home, however, as they were almost grown and most enlisted in the Navy.  Evan Sterling Manus, Zola Mae's eldest child was 19 when his mother married John M. Willems. Ophelia, the baby of the family was age ten as was Anna Marie Willems, Ophelia's new stepsister. The two became good friends, having much in common.  They shared a bedroom, and were constantly followed and pestered by Anna Marie's little sister Margaret who was feeling left out.  Zola Mae's mother, Mrs. Bettie Humble Stanley, a widow, eventually came to stay with her daughter and new son-in-law too. 
 The household with so many children wasn't a good place to grow up if you craved attention or sought constant parental approval or praise.  This made a lasting mark on several of the children who could have used a little encouragement or praise when the situation called for it.  Margaret had no luck getting attention from her new step mother, her older sister Anna Marie, and stepsister Ophelia either, or maybe she did.  One day Anna Marie and Ophelia were making fudge, and Margaret asked again and again if it was ready. They insisted it wasn't, though Margaret continued to protest that it should be.  Finally, it was ready, and to get back at Margaret, Ophelia held her while Anna Marie poured a big glob of fudge in her mouth.

1-10-1936 Streator Times Press

One night a great storm blew up.  It split the large oak at the front of the house sending part of it through the window into Anna Marie and Ophelia's room showering glass everywhere.  The loud crash brought in Papa to see the damage.  Poor Anna Marie thought she would get in trouble for this as she was frequently in hot water with her Papa.  The girls were cautioned to stay in bed until the glass was cleaned up lest they cut themselves.   




The Willems family received word of the death of Phillip's sister, Catherine Willems Wahl from Streator, Illinois. Her death on January 9, 1936 occurred after several years of dementia. Catherine was laid to rest at St. Anthony's Cemetery in Streator. She was 74.

1-11-1936 Streator Times Press

Catherine Willems Wahl's death certificate

Unrest was brewing in Europe making it unpopular once again to claim German ancestry, or speak the language publicly.  On one of Phillip's annual seasons long visits to his son John's farm in Logan County, some eyebrows were raised once at something Phillip said, or perhaps that he was speaking German, and he was cautioned by his son against speaking anything but English and to avoid political topics at all costs.  During the first and second World Wars people were arrested and jailed for "disloyal utterances" and that's the last thing John M. wanted to see happen. Subiaco still had a large German population so that was a safe place to visit.  The family would go to Sunday Mass and sometimes after visiting outside the church would, as Phillip Willems put it in his thick German accent--"Now that we've had food for the soul we go to the Frank Lux and get the food for the stomach".  Beer was the food for the stomach that Phillip wanted.  He'd go to Frank Lux tavern in Subiaco with his older grandsons for a beer.  If any of the younger ones were allowed to tag along they'd get a soda pop and feel quite special.  Phillip had led an interesting life, and seemed to cope well with things.  His grandchildren and great-grandchildren adored him.  Though hard of hearing as he aged he still could hear if any of his grandsons so much as whispered the desire to go to the cellar for wine. He was a humorous man, perhaps unintentionally, but was nevertheless.  While farming in Charleston he was intrigued by an ad in a local paper telling farmers to ship their potatoes by train to St. Louis and the railroad would sell them.  Phillip raised a good crop of Irish potatoes, and like many others who'd seen the ad, sent them via rail to be sold.  Weeks later a letter arrived from the railroad saying the price the potatoes brought was less than the shipping cost by some $35 and would he please remit what was owed.  Phillip thought on it and got out a piece of paper and pen and wrote how sorry he was that the shipping was more than what the potatoes brought.  He didn't have the $35, but he did however have plenty of potatoes!  The railroad company never contacted him again.  
Ollie and Frank shared a bedroom.  Early one morning Frank awoke to quite a banging. Frank opened his eyes to see his brother Aloys had nails and a hammer and was nailing the window closed.  Aloys had woke up after walking out the second floor window in his sleep landing in the yard below and was taking measures to be certain it wouldn't happen again!  
Frank who'd graduated from 8th grade about 1933 began reading his Papa's law books at the age of 14.  He was determined to learn what he could even though he could no longer go to school.   

Circa 1938 a Youth Study Club at St. Benedict's in Subiaco.
Aloys is the young man on far left in back, Anna Marie is in front row on right.

Matt Willems

In 1937  an article in the Paris Express focused on John Martin Willems growth of the relatively newly developed crop of youngberries on his farm.  Though he only had approximately an eighth of an acre in the blackberry, raspberry, dewberry hybrid, it made the news.  At the time John Willems claimed an acre of land growing youngberries could yield a crop worth $1200 with expenses of only $150.  At present these berries are rather unusual here in the US, and are more commonly grown in Australia and other locales around the world.  The article also mentioned the 3500 pounds of honey harvested at a tidy profit from John M. Willems numerous hives.  

The bottom land along Six Mile Creek flooded once again in early 1938.  An item in the Paris newspaper dated February 24, 1938 told of boats launched in search of flood victims.  John M. Willems sons, Aloys and Frank were aiding in the rescue with good friend Steed Kennedy when they themselves needed to be rescued as their boat was sinking.  

John S. Willems acquired typhoid fever when he was was about ten years old. While he was cared for, and the windows darkened, the rest of the family was vaccinated by Zola Mae after she bought the serum with which to administer the vaccines.  With her medical training, she knew how contagious the disease could be and was smart enough to want to protect her family. Mae also was proactive when it came to the children.  She dosed them every Spring with a tonic, and wormed them too, as hook worms were a problem among people who went barefoot.
In the mid 1930s, possibly related to young Johnny acquiring typhoid fever, the well near the barn was tested and deemed unfit for human consumption. A place nearer the house was chosen by a diviner with a forked peach limb.  Papa and his sons began digging.  After several days work on this project, Papa was down about 25 feet down in the well standing on a scaffold while handing up bucket after bucket of soil from where one of his son's dug below.  Old Jude, the mule was used along with a pulley to raise the numerous buckets.  Among those at the top was, Aloys, who while braced to hand the bucket down, lost his balance and landed on his Papa.   There were no lasting physical injuries, but every time I've heard that story it ends abruptly and quietly.  

Aloys Willems 

Willie Willems

Zola Mae's collies, Lassie and Brandy in the yard
near the well on John M. Willems farm

After four of his brother's left the farm, Aloys got restless.  The 22 year old had received letters from Willie and Fritz telling of life in Texas and he decided to go see if it suited him.  He got a job in Amarillo as a dishwasher in a restaurant earning a dollar a day plus meals.  The money didn't go far, but Aloys had a taste of what life away from the farm could be.  A studio or drugstore had a camera set up to photograph passersby in the hopes of selling a few photos.  They sold two!  Both were taken on November 28, 1938.  
Frank X. Willems and family move to California
About 1930 Frank X. Willems was so down on his luck he decided the family should move from their home in Beatrice, Nebraska and get a fresh start elsewhere.  This notion came out of the blue one day as far as daughter Eleanor was concerned.  After they loaded up the car, Frank put Eleanor behind the wheel though she could barely reach the pedals, and instructed her to drive.  Their destination wasn't anywhere in particular. Anywhere would treat them better than Nebraska had.  They wound up in the  Sacramento, California area.  In 1932 Eleanor was working as a stenographer at the Capital Dairy.  She had previous experience at secretarial work having been employed as a stenographer at United Fidelity Life Insurance in Dallas five years prior while living with her mother's siblings there. If anything Eleanor found both work and a husband in California.  By 1935 she was office manager at W.T. Grant and was married to Vernon Whelden, a native Californian, who worked at a local garage.  
On November 7, 1938 Frank died in Red Bluff, California.  The fifty five year old was laid to rest at St. Mary's Cemetery.  He left his wife Mary Louise and daughter Eleanor to mourn him.
Dorothy Willems Another funeral took place in Calvary Cemetery in Fort Smith, Arkansas.  This one in 1939 was for Dorothy Willems.   While I have no death record or obituary to back up this as "our" Dorothea/Dora, it seems very likely that it would be her especially since her and Math's daughter, Margaret, continued to live in the Fort Smith area after marrying Albert Henry.  The descendants of Math and Dora didn't recall where she had been buried, and though Mathias, who died first was buried in Mission, Texas, Dorothea wasn't laid to rest beside him.  The stone reads simply "Mother, Dorothy Willems, 1864-1939".
Phillip Willems dies in Canada

Phillip Willems in Canada with his grandson Norbert Loeffler

Then one day in the summer of 1939, John Martin and Zola Mae received a letter telling of John's father, Phillip's demise. Mae said later that she knew that letter would be bad news after seeing that it was edged in black.  Phillip  J. Willems was in Canada for his annual family visit when he died in Annaheim, Canada on June 29.  His funeral and burial at St. Ann's Cemetery went on without the knowledge of his son, John Martin in Arkansas.  He was remembered as a teddy bear of a man who enjoyed life. The family in Arkansas was upset especially that Phillip and Katherine were buried so far apart after having been married one day short of 49 years.  
There is a discrepancy between his tombstone birth year and the birth year on his border crossing, four census enumerations,  and the Sacred Heart Church Register leads a person to believe his year of birth was actually 1859.  If this is correct, Phillip would've been 80 years old at the time of his death.  It certainly wouldn't be the first tombstone to tell tales!
click to see Phillip Willems findagrave memorial












Another tragedy Then less than two months later the most awful news came to the family by way of a phone call.  Willie was dead.  The hardworking, popular, and talented twenty six year old was gone.  Willie's death, most likely a murder, was a sad and tragic end to a promising young life.

 

Alburquerque 

Journal 8-24-1939

William Willems remains were returned to Arkansas, his closed casket placed in the parlor of the homeplace where he was born and raised.  A rosary was said in the home with numerous neighboring Protestants participating.  William Mathew Willems was the first of the twelve Willems offspring to pass from this life into the next.  He was laid to rest at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Paris, Arkansas.

Circa 1939-1940 Margaret Willems in Fort Smith at St. Scholastica as Postulant

Margaret finished the 8th grade at St. Joseph's school in Paris, then went to Fort Smith to join the convent.  She continued her education there and eventually went on to teach.

Sources for this post are: John Willems, Roseanne Kennedy, Aloys Willems, Hermena Pinter, David Whelden, and Bill Korstick.