A Lovely Lunch with Aunts and Uncles

Originally, this post appeared on the Elling Family Blog on May 22, 2010. Since that time, we have lost some of these very special folks, but the memories remain.

Don, Jane, Dianne

At lunch today...
Alfred, Ginny, Don, Jane, Dianne

Alma and Lorna

Louise, Eleonore and Ron

Alfred and Ginny Elling

I thank God that I have been blessed with such loving, sharing aunts and uncles. This week we met for lunch, along with visiting cousins, Jane and Don, for a tasty lunch and then a "show and tell" of family heirlooms.

Louise Miller Fahringer

  






Each daughter or daughter-in-law brought something that they now have that was once owned by parents, Albert and Ida Elling. It was such a good time, and my pen was working constantly as I tried to record the stories surrounding each item. 

Those stories led to other stories...well, all I can say is, "Stay Tuned" for a series on their family treasures.

Alma Hicksted and Lorna Hausch

Eleonore and Ron Glanz

Automobile Photos from Aunt Alma Hicksted

While cleaning through some boxes this week, I came across some other photos Aunt Alma had sent, along with a newsy letter.  The quality of the first photo is poor, but the auto is identifiable.

Aunt Alma wrote, "Now this was many years ago, too, at Paul and Hildegarde's house and it was our 1938 Ford convertible, and it's your Dad "Rudy" standing beside it.  It think it was in summer of 1942 or 1943."

The year of the vehicle below was in question for awhile until another photo of the same car was found with information on the back.

Aunt Alma wrote, " This was your Dad and Mom's car and they lived in an apt. in this house in Toledo, Ohio after they were married."

Rudy Elling and Donna Ordway were married in October, 1943, and began jobs at Willys Jeep in Toledo.  It was the war years and they had good jobs there; however, not good enough to buy a brand new car.  This was a 1934 Chevrolet with the suicide door, as one reader commented on Facebook.  It's easy to see how it was given that name.

Grandma Ida Spoering Elling

Ida Anna Katharine Spoering was born on February 5, 1890 in Monroe Township, Henry County, Ohio, to Herman Heinrich and Katherine (Floke) Spoering.    She married Albert Louis Johann Elling at the Spoering home near Deshler on March 13, 1913.  English was her second language, and it was told by the family that she learned English by reading the Toledo Blade. She spoke Low German (Plattdeutsch), but she helped her children learn formal German so they could do well in German school.

By June of 1914, the first of her nine children was born - Paul Herman.  Of the nine children, two died as infants.  Arthur, who was born in October, 1916, died of pneumonia when he was eight months old.  Later, the ninth child, a daughter, would be stillborn in September, 1932. She was a housewife all her life, caring for her big family, even as they moved from place to place in Henry County.

Her love for her children was shown in a letter I have from her that was saved by my parents, Rudolph and Donna Elling, and received when they lived in Toledo, Ohio.  The letter is postmarked Napoleon, May 21, 1945, and from the content, it must have been sent right before Eleonore's high school graduation and Alfred's release from the Army following World War II.  

I have transcribed it as written -
"Dear children
It is 12 oclock Sunday night and Alma and Allyn just left.  we had a little party here tonight but they didn't come all.  we thought about it Saterday morning and so it was to late to let you know so we just let the sponsors know, but non of them came, only Loudons, Ted Lange, Alma Allyn were here.  Paul Hildagard were up to her folks  they have baptising over there.  Arthur Bolkman Baby was Baptised this afternon and Hildagard was one of the sponsors.  it was sure nice here tonight in the chool house.  I wish you could benn here.  hope that you can come wednesday night for granation.  it starts 8:15 slow time.

what was you dooing today  did you see Alfred  they went back in the Brisa(?) again at 4.10  Alfred feels pretty sure that he gets out now.  Fryday or else nex week some time.  boy are we glad and i bet you arn't you

Eldor and Maria Loudon Plassman came home today for a week or so.

well doun't work to hard and hope to see you soon.  I am tiyed and ready to go to sleep and so write when ever you can and will close now.

your dearest Mother

Come whenever you can

Eleonora sure would like to have you come for her grnation.  try your best.  good night." 

Ida died on August 31, 1951, at the age of 60 from stomach cancer. She had raised all her children to adulthood when she was called to rest.

 
 Ida was buried in Forest Hill 
Cemetery, Napoleon. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Wedding photo - Albert and Ida (Spoering) Elling

*This post originally appeared on Elling Family News on December 9, 2009.  It was 
revised on March 17, 2020.