The 1960s

1960 Willems sisters Anna Marie and Margaret 
with their children Jimmy Bub and Linda Grathwohl

Hank Bub worked as a truck driver and chauffeur when he, Anna Marie and their sons lived in Albany, NY.  Then, with a huge labor force being hired to build the St. Lawrence Seaway, Hank found a job in its construction. The family went with him from one boom town after another, always living in trailer houses since there was a housing shortage. They lived in towns called Messina, and Elbridge, NY until the job was finished.  Christmas vacation of 1959 the Bubs visited family in Milwaukee.  During the stay Hank was offered a job as a construction supervisor.  The family returned at the end of March 1960 for Hank to start his new job only to find that there was a labor strike lasting several months postponing Hank's first day of work.

John Albert Schwartz drowned while fishing on June 24, 1960.  He and Catherine Willems Schwartz had been married 36 years.   In addition to Catherine, John was survived by their children Bill, Jim, Charles, Stella Mae, and Barbara.  Barbara would suffer yet another tragic loss November 14  of that same year when her husband Girard "Jerry" Falleur died in a hunting accident leaving her with a young son.
Both John and his young son-in-law Jerry were laid to rest at Saint Joseph Cemetery outside Paris.  



Matt, Tince and their family continued to farm near Paris.  Matt was one of those men who took to farming naturally as if he was a man born of the earth, seeming always to know the best time to plant, cultivate, and harvest.  In addition to farming mostly cotton and a variety of grains, they had a dairy. Matt, always one to keep busy, also cut and sold wood, and made charcoal. 

Matt and Tince celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary November 26, 1960

Frank and Regina, Circa 1960

Circa 1960- Happy New Year! Revelers Mike Bub, Dolores 
and Zola Mae Willems, Anna Marie Bub, Ruth and Phyllis Willems

In 1960 John S. Willems began designing and building homes in the Milwaukee suburbs in addition to being a realtor and broker.  He hired talented professionals and learned the job quickly, soon incorporating his new business into John Willems, Inc.  Two years later he had built several model homes, moving his family into one of them  after taking orders to build similar homes, in Elm Grove. Business was good.












Zola Mae married the widower Frank Xaver Classen about 1960.  He was a native of Charleston, Arkansas, and a retired farmer.  After the wedding Zola Mae and Frank Classen lived at his home in Charleston. Though she was raised a Baptist, and converted to Catholicism when married to John M. Willems even serving as president of the Catholic Women's Union, she adjusted her religion to match that of her new spouse.

At the age of 60, Herman Werner had been working at the smelter in Fort Smith since he left the farm.  Suddenly he found himself without work when the smelter closed.  At the urging of his in-laws in Milwaukee, Herman traveled there and got hired at Falk Corporation.  He and Elizabeth moved to Milwaukee during the summer of 1962.  Not intending to make Milwaukee their home, they rented an apartment, and four or five years later following Herman's retirement, they moved back to Fort Smith.

1960-1961 Catherine Willems Schwartz holding nephew,
 Gerald Grathwohl, Linda Grathwohl sits on right

1962 Party girl, Anna Marie Bub

Suddenly there was quite a community of Willems families in Milwaukee with Irene and family, Ollie and Anne and family, Elizabeth and Herman, Anna Marie and Hank and family, and John and Dolores and family all living in the area.  It was great to have family to visit with on weekends and special occasions.

Mike and Anna Marie Bub, Sister Mary Alice (Hedy Willems) and Irene Willems, circa 1961.
Ollie and Anne's eldest child Hedwig decided to dedicate her life to God and entered the convent 

following her  high school graduation.

While Ollie's nieces and nephews in Arkansas remember him for his jovial nature and always having Juicy Fruit chewing gum to share with them, his nieces and nephews in Milwaukee remember him as Santa Claus--at least during the holiday season.  I, yes, the little cutie on the right, learned who Santa was at the age of six or seven.  'Santa' asked if I'd been a good little girl.  Of course I recognized his voice and told my Mom who cautioned me to not spoil it for my younger brothers.  As much as it killed me, I kept mum.

Christmas Eve 1961-Santa (Aloys Willems) 
visits John and Dolores Willems 
home to see Steve, Susan, baby Dan, and Kathy

1960 Ollie Willems 'Santa' with
nephew Jimmy Bub

December 1962,  Dolores with baby Paul, 
John holding Daniel, Steve, Kathy, and Susan
in front

1963 Herman Werner, Anna Marie Bub, 
Elizabeth Werner, and Hank Bub

August 1962 at Subiaco- 

Fred Willems finds a bottle in his trunk

1962 Hank and Anna Marie Bub

A massive heart attack while working in a trench on a construction site took Hank Bub's life on Aug 5, 1964.  His son, Chuck, had a summer job and was working nearby.  Just 43 years of age, Hank, was laid to rest at Holy Cross Cemetery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Anna Marie, who was in the hospital for a hysterectomy at the time of this tragedy, was grief stricken and unable to attend the funeral of her husband of 20 years. In addition to Anna Marie, their sons Chuck, Michael and Jimmy were left to grieve their loss.  

1966, Abe, Julia, Theresa. Martin-standing in back
Geneva, Harry, Linda, and Justin Willems- seated in front

On April 16, 1966 Anna Marie Willems Bub married Henry "Bud" Kloke in Milwaukee.  They'd met at a Catholic dance for widows and widowers over 35. The couple moved to Campbellsport and operated Kloke Readymix.

April 16, 1966- Jimmy Bub smiles broadly 
with his mom AnnaMarie and new stepdad Henry "Bud" Kloke

1966 Frank Willems 

Six of John M. and Anna Marie Willems grandchildren were born after Papa's death.  The last of these was in 1966 when Linus and Margaret's son Norman was born.

1967 Anne and Aloys Willems with their children Bill,
Mary, and Hedy (Sister Mary Alice)

Frank Classen, Zola Mae's husband died on August 6, 1968, leaving the seventy four year old a widow for the third time.  Zola Mae eventually wound up leaving Charleston to live in Anderson, Missouri, a small town near the Arkansas and Oklahoma state lines.  

1969 Irene Willems

March 26, 1968 Aloys Willems. Bob and Elizabeth Werner

By 1968 John S. Willems was feeling the stress of his building business.  He needed to get away so went on a fishing vacation on Lake Norfork outside Mountain Home, Arkansas with a buddy.  They stayed at the Fish & Fiddle Resort.  After lodging the family there in a trip combined with a Paris visit he and Dolores decided to buy the resort.  So on June 10, 1969, once the schools  were out for summer, John, Dolores and their five children left Wisconsin for Mountain Home, AR. 

Sadly, on Oct 9, 1969 Margaret Grathwohl, the youngest daughter of John Martin and Anna Marie Willems, died.  She left  a grieving husband of thirteen years, Linus, and their four children: Linda, whose 12th birthday was the day before her mother's funeral, Jerry, 9, David, age 4, and Norman, 3. Margaret's brother Ollie and his wife Anne took in the two youngest boys for a time, raising them in their home in Milwaukee, since Linus couldn't both work his hog farm and keep up with four young children.

November 1969 Frank and Regina celebrate 25 years of marriage

Send suggestions, questions, and corrections to mhlady31@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you!