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A Few of FR's Finest.....
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Posted on 09/27/2002 7:13:22 AM PDT by Billie
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09-23-02 Hall of Fame
09-24-02 n.y.muggs
09-25-02 Jeff Head
09-26-02 RedWing9
 1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar. 2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up. 3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit. 4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it. 5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer |
I'm not staying. But remember ru's never far away. :)
I need to marinate the steaks - or something. ;-)
Or in some cases, Good Morning! or Afternoon!
I'm feeling a little better tonight, thanks for the well wishes and the flowers and soup.
I may need to do another profile on the First Lady as in my opinoin, I didn't do a good enough job and I feel there could have been more I could've said about her. Maybe I'll do the First Lady agian on another time, maybe even on her birthday.
Well, Tonight, I'm going back into my family history a little for my profile tonight.
On September 27, 1888. My maternal grandmother, Clara Suzanne Kirchner, was born in Lake Henry, Minnesota. She was the first child of my great grandfather, Joseph Kirchner's second marriage. Not much is known of his first wife except that they had two sons in that marriage, wich ended when she died.
My great grandfather then met and married a young woman from Wisconsin named Katherine Schneider. Together they had several children, Including Clara.
When Clara was about 12 or 13, Joseph Kirchner moved with his family north to what is now thwe province of Saskatchewan, Canada, in the land rush of 1903.
Some years later Clara met a young man who was also from Minnesote. His family, too, came to Canada afterthe untimely death of his mother. His name was Balthasar Fuchs.
Both Clara and Balthasar were of German descent.
They were married in November of 1911. A year later thier first child, a daughter named Mary was born. They lived in a small farm community of Humbolt, Sask. In 1914, my oldest uncle was born, his name was John. then in 1916, they had another boy, Casimer. But in 1917 tragedy struck the growing family. While Balthasar was away on business with his brother, father and father in law, Claras was alone at home with the three children and her mother and one of her sisters.
No one knows excatly what happened or how the fire started. There are only speculation of what might have happened, some say it was arson perpetrated by a former boyfriend of Clara's. But there is no one alive today to confirm or deny this story.
I wished I could've posted a pocture of Clara here as she was a very tall and beautiful woman. as well as a strong person.
But I digress!
However the fire started, the house was destroyed and on that same day Clara lost her sister, Helen, her mother, Katherine. And two of her children, Mary and Casimer. Only John and Clara escaped.
In spite of this setback and tragic loss, Balthasar and Clara continued to build thier family, although a son born in 1919 died a month soon after his birth.
Clara continued to stand by her husband and to work with him as they moved from place to place, wherever the jobs were for Balthasar, who had a carpentry shop and was a good hunter and guide. five more children were born to them in the persuing years. First there was Hilda in 1920; Raymond in 1922; Cecilia in 1924;Louie in 1925 or 26; Then in 1932, thier youngest child was born, a daughter, Gertrude, was born. She would later marry a young American serviceman from Tennessee and become my mother.
The family finally settled more permantly in ST. Walburg, Sask. They did what they could to raise thier six children in spite of impoverished conditions, this was the 1930's after all. There is so much more I could tell you about the strength and the faith of these good people held together by one strong woman, Clara Suzanne Fuchs.
In 1943, Balthasar died, leaving Clara with an 11 year old daughter to take care of. Fortunately my mother's older siblings were old enough to help out.
Clara was a good woman and she could be stern when she needed to be. She was kind to others less fortunate than her.
When she was only in her sixties, Altheimers came into her life and she was soon no longer able to care for herself. Her daughter, Cecilia, came to live with her and take care of her.
In 1981, just 6 months shy of her 93rd birthday, Clara died in her own home with some of her children around.
Eight months later that same year, my aunt Cecilia also died.
My uncle John died in 1999.
But It is Clara's faith and her sense of humor and sense of right from wrong that had made her an honorable and admired person to me , Today she would have been 114 years old.
Happy Birthday Grandma Fuchs!
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