Dad's First Communion.

A very happy day in every young Catholic's life is their First Communion. Usually happening around the age of 7 years old. Believe it or not, up until the reign of Pius X, who passed away in 1914, the typical age of First Communion and Confirmation was 14 yrs. old! Dad would have received his first communion in the days prior to Vatican II when only the host was received kneeling at the railing on the tongue only. Grandma Rita saved several pictures and memoralbilia from the day, so thought I'd share with you. 

Dad's First Holy Communion. May 22, 1960. Dad is in first row, first boy standing to the left. His first cousin, Janet Kreiser is little girl in second row, third from right. Parish priest is Rev. Fr. Francis Karl. Fr. Karl was a very well liked pastor at St. Mary's. Served as principal, drove the school bus, did a lot of handyman work and maintenance himself as to save money for the parish.

Dad kneeling after receiving Communion.

Confirmation would follow a year or two later by Bishop Allen J. Babcock of Grand Rapids. Dad took the Confirmation name, Francis, as did I when I was Confirmed in 1996, although I seriously was considering the name Patrick. 

Grandma's Memories. Alva Lou Harkins-Pearson 1933-2017

My Grandmother, Alva Lou Harkins-Pearson passed away on Feb. 26, 2017. As a surprise for Christmas 2014 while I was living in Colorado, my mother sent me five handwritten pages of my grandmother's memories that she sat down and wrote as Grandma told stories about her childhood. Grandma was the daughter of Daniel and Carrie (Dixon) Harkins. She lived across the road from her aunt and uncle, John and Goldie (Dixon) Harkins. Two Harkins brothers married two Dixon sisters. The families were extremely close. Alva Lou played basketball in High School and had a life long love of sports. In her later years, she would sit and watch the birds come to her feeders, and really enjoyed seeing and identifying the different ones. An avid reader, even when her eyesight was poor in later life, she enjoyed listening to audio books. One Christmas she crotcheted every grandchild an afghan blanket. I still have mine. It could easily fit over a King sized bed. Her response was that she "might have gotten a little carried away with that one!" 

Grandma's Memories (Alva Lou Harkins Pearson 1933-2017)

Harkins Family circa 1950

Alva Lou, Jim, Carrie, Dan.

We lived in a tarpaper shack across the road from Aunt Goldie and Uncle John. Rural Rte. #1 Buckley, MI. A dirt trail. It had 2 bedrooms and one large room. My brother, Jim slept on a cot in the one large room which was our kitchen, living room, and dining room. I used to go across the road to have coffee with Aunt Goldie. She let me put sugar and cream in it, Mom wouldn't allow that at home. Aunt Goldie had a mulberry tree in their front yard. I used to love to go over there and pick them. I also used to love to go over when Uncle John was seperating cream and milk. He used to sing Red River Valley.

I can't ever remember my parents singing at home. I remember going to the (Grant) Town Hall and there would be square dances. They made beds for the kids with chairs and overcoats, in a row. Dad and Uncle John would call the square dances. I remember Mr. Middaugh dancing with me.

Grandma Ida Dixon

We lived in the shack until I was about 4 yrs. old. We moved using horses and a backboard. I think Dad borrowed 1 thousand dollars from Aunt Lou to pay for the house. Aunt Lou made the best doughnuts. Grandma Dixon moved with us to the farm house. She also lived with us in the shack. Grandma lived with us because mom was the oldest girl.I used to sleep with one leg wrapped around Grandma's waist. She was heavy set. Every night they would wrap my hair in rags to make the curls. I hated it!

Alva Lou with curls! 

We used to have to walk to school. Canada School House. Everybody walked.

When we moved to the farm, we raised string beans and pickles. We sold pickles. I hated picking them. They were good money. The best crop my dad had was radishes. They would thrash the seeds out of them. I think we went and sold them in Ionia. They thrashed oats and wheat also. We put that in the granary.

When we moved to the farm, mom planted a quarter of an acre of raspberries. She made good money selling them. She made pies too but they made her stop because she didn't have a permit. She could still sell the berries though.

Mom also took care of Ruth Moyer (neighbor lady) every time she had a baby. She would babysit the kids also. Back then you had to stay in bed 10 days for your ograns to go back in place. 

When we first moved to the farm, we didn't have electricity. We did not have running water in the house. We had to use wood heat because we didn't have a furnace. We also didn't have a refrigerator. The basement and the well pit was our refrigerator. 

My mom used to can at least 150 quarts of fruits and vegetables every year. Mom used to buy drops (fruit that fell from the trees) and pay 75 cents for a bushel. Picking cherries was a nightmare too! Aunt Lou could pick 29 lugs of cherries a day (mom could only pick 8!) She was fast! She did it by slipping (running your hand down the branch). She learned that trick when she was younger. Aunt Lou always picked cherries or worked in cherry factories. 

Grandma (mom) and I always rode the truck to town when Ferris Ramsey use to sell his cream. Mom would go to the A&P and go shopping to get her tea. She was a teetotaller! We used to have to walk across wooden bridge to get there. I was terrified! I remember going to the basement of JC Penny and you could get a dress for $2.95. Mostly, Ma bought materials and things were homemade.

My brother, Jim joined the service in his senior year of High School. He and 2 others were gone before graduation. They had 3 empty chairs in front with flags on them to represent them. Jim was wounded in Iwo Jima. He had training in California. He was sent home after being shot but was still on the active list. Has was home about 3 years before being called back in. (Note: Jim Harkins made a career out of the Marines and lived for many years in North Carolina. He fought in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He was awarded the Purple Heart. In the year 2000, he was honored as the Traverse City Cherry Festival's Grand Marshall). 

After Jim left, mom and dad moved to Muskegon for work, Continental Aviation, where they were making war planes. We rented a house- 2 rooms also. I slept on a cot. We always had company. 

Aunt Goldie and Uncle John had a huge farm house. It even had a wine cellar. It had 5 bedrooms up stairs. It caught on fire and burnt up while we were in Muskegon. They lived in their granary for awhile and then moved into our farm house. Eventually they also moved to Muskegon for work. They lived in "the projects"- I hated the projects! They were full of cockroaches! 

Grandma Ella Harkins

Grandma, Ella Harkins remarried after Grandpa died. She married a man with the last name of Davis (they later divorced). She always wore her hair in a bun on the back of her head. She had big old hair pins! She had very fine features and was frail. They lived on Garfield in Traverse City. Grandma Harkins used to be a school teacher. I used to like to go over there because you could see the airplanes landing at the airport from her house. 

St. Mary's of Hannah

Images of the old stomping grounds: St. Mary's parish, Hannah, Michigan.

 High Altar 1940. Below Wedding of Jim and Rita Youker 1947.
(My Grandparents)

 German Immigrant ancestor: Joseph Steinebach

Son of Phoebe Ebare. Gordon Yeomans. Grandma Rita's Uncle. 

St. Mary's as it appears today.

Original Statues. Many were in storage up until about 2006.

Statue of Our Lady has been upfront from the beginning. 

Parish cemetery. MANY ancestors and relation buried here.

 Collage: Then and Now

Church Bell: Michael. Note name of Joseph Steinebach.

Our Dominican Sisters who were with us from the beginning teaching in the school. 6 to 8 Sisters living in the convent at one time. Last sisters to leave us were Sister Dorena Gonzalez and Sister Geneva Marie Schaub  (Below) a few years ago for retirement at the Mother House.

While many girls from Hannah entered various religious orders as Nuns, we had one man, Father Albin Gietzen who came from St. Mary's. He was even Hannah's parish priest from 1993 to 2001. Ordained in 1956 by Cardinal Mooney in Detroit. Passed away, Sept. 2017. Buried in parish cemetery.

Kreiser and Miller (Mueller). Ancestors of Fritz.

Ya know, when tracing my Grandma Rita's ancestors, I quite often think about these little backwood villages in Germany and the Netherlands that they came from and don't think too much of them. They were poor farmers. BUT...then you come across Great-Grandpa Fritz's maternal Grandma, Helena Bendle Miller's birth place, and you're awestruck. Eguisheim, Alsace, France (at one time, Germany!) is probably the most beautiful, picturesque village I think I've ever seen. When you read Brothers Grimm fairy tales, your imagination quite often wanders to this make believe village in your mind, and then you discover that this make believe place really does exist...and it's Eguisheim. Hold on. I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start with Fritz and go from there.

Above are my Grandma Rita Youker's parents: Francis Rudolph Kreiser and Mary Louise Steinebach. Fritz and Louise to everybody else. Both born, raised, and buried at St. Mary's of Hannah. I call Hannah "The Little Rhineland" because 95% of it's founders were from Western Germany. Yes. There were Irish, Italian, and Polish in the mix but they were in the minority.  I'm lucky to have French and Dutch blood out of these two, as so many of the families married other Germans.

Behold! Beautiful Immaculate Conception in Ottoville, Ohio. Home parish of Fritz's mother.

Fritz was born January 23, 1900 to Ralph Kreiser and Mary Catherine Mueller (Miller). Ralph grew up at St. Mary's, New Salem (near Grand Rapids), and Mary was born and raised at Immaculate Conception parish, in Ottoville, Ohio. Many of the Germans in Hannah were in Grand Rapids prior to migrating north to Hannah, and those Grand Rapids Germans, many were in Ohio before coming to Grand Rapids. The Millers bypassed Grand Rapids all together, and came straight to Hannah.
Fritz was a very witty, upbeat guy. Loved his wife, children, and grandchildren. Enjoyed being the trickster, and telling jokes. He was the Grandpa that would have you pull his finger and then farted. No Kidding!

The only family photo I have of Ralph and Mary Kreiser!! 

Fritz spent his whole life farming, growing primarily potatoes. In fact, all of the rural, southern Grand Traverse County, Michigan kids got two weeks off every October to harvest potatoes. It was called "Potato Vacation"! Whoo-hoo! Sign me up! Ironically, the VanDyke side of this family, when they lived in the Netherlands, were also potato farmers.
Fritz and Louise married in June of 1923. They eloped to the Grand Traverse County Courthouse in Traverse City and were married before a Justice of the Peace. When the family was told, they were immediately drug before Father John Grinzinger at St. Mary's, Hannah who married them. Little harm done. They were young. Fritz 22 and Louise 17. Ralph Kreiser was not very fond of the situation. He apparently scowled through the entire church ceremony and afterwards, went off to plow a field, while the rest of the family members had refreshments.
Fritz and Louise were living with Ralph and Mary Kreiser afer they married. Little conversation passed between Louise and her inlaws, lots of slamming doors, and dirty looks. My Grandma, being a little girl remembers this. Not very nice memories for a child!
Both Fritz and Louise were practicing Catholics. Louise would take a close pin and string it full of holy medals and wear it attached to her bra. During severe storms she would burn blessed palm branches. Fritz made sure the family was in church a half hour or more before Mass started in order to get in five decades of the rosary.
 Back to Fritz's parents: Ralph Kreiser was apparently a very stubborn fellow. Grandma Rita said that her grandfather had relocated from Hannah to Grand Rapids (New Salem) after the death of his wife. He had a stroke, the entire family gathered around his death bed. He recooped and lived another decade. Grandma said he spent his golden years "peddling onions" and had a veggie stand. Her Grandma Mary was tall and skinny. Grandma Rita remembers her making delicious little cakes for the Grandkids, and when she attended Mass on Sundays as an old woman, she sat with her sister, Susan Bartz. Ironically, I have a picture of Susan but not one of my own Great-Great Grandmother. I assume they looked similar.
Fritz's sister, Anna had caught TB. Their mother, Mary nursed her back to health, caught TB herself and died shortly afterwards. When Anna caught TB her husband up and left her and the children. At the deaths of Anna and Grandma Mary Kreiser, Fritz's other sister, Lena took in and raised the children in Grand Rapids. With Mary's death, Ralph Kreiser eventually remarried, and in order to get the farm back, the Kreisers had to take their stepmother to court. Fritz and Louise ended up with house and property in the end.

Fritz's Aunt Susan Miller Bartz and family.

While Ralph Kreiser's parents, Mathias and Martha (VanDyke) Kreiser stayed in New Salem. Mary Kreiser's parents, Jacob and Helena (Bendle) Miller were at Hannah. I'm not sure if the couple lived with the family, or had their own place? Fritz was close with Grandma Helena and she was full of fairy tales, Bible Stories, stories of the "old country" etc.. Perhaps my Grandmother inherited this love of story telling from her?
Jacob was born in Gerhsheim, Saarland, Germany. If you've never heard of the Saarland, it's no big deal. It's Germany's smallest province and borders France. Gersheim was a part of the bigger, neighboring province of Bavaria at the time the Millers immigrated to Ohio. Jacob's parents, and Grandparents all immigrated together on the same boat. Jacob lost his leg in a farming accident. I'm not sure if this is before or after immigration. He did little jobs such as repairman, shoemaker, etc.. He ended up leaving Hannah and returning to Ohio (Not sure the specifics, possibly for work?) and after death, was buried at St. Mary's, Hannah. His wife, Helena also buried in Hannah cemetery but at the complete opposite end! Yikes.
Also, I never heard my Grandmother refer to this family ever as the Enlgish: Miller. She always pronounced it as the German: Mueller.

Obit and tombstone of Fritz's grandfather: Jacob Mueller/Miller.

Helena. Started life in Eguishheim and passed away in Hannah, south of Traverse City, Michigan. Here are some images of Eguisheim. Click on link for history of village: Wiki Info. on Eguisheim.

Not forgetting to mention, we have this unique traditional dress of Alsace.

See what I mean? Isn't that a charming village?! It's been voted most beautiful village in France, and for good reason. I'm amazed I have connections to such a place! Lucky me!

And I'm ending with a photo of Helena's grave. May she rest in peace. I'm sure wherever she is, she continues to tell stories. 

Martha VanDyke Kreiser 1838-1914

In all my years of doing genealogy, one of my favorite people to research has been my 3rd great-grandmother, Martha VanDyke Kreiser. My great-grandfather, Fritz Kreiser stated he was sauerkraut and pea soup. German and Dutch. His grandmother, Martha was born January 15, 1838 in Usquert, Groningen, The Netherlands to Paul VanDijk and Catharine Slot.

Martha's Birth Certificate (right). Signed by parents and Burgermeister of Usquert.

The family was Roman Catholic and attended the (at that time) clandestine church of St. James, the Great in neighboring village of Uithuizen. Groningen was a very Protestant province, and Catholics, as well as Jews worshipped in buildings that looked like a private home or shop but once you entered looked very much like a beautiful church or synagogue. Only the Dutch Reformed Church had the church buildings in Groningen. Minority religions were granted complete freedom shortly after the VanDykes immigrated to the United States.

In the northern Netherlands, surnames were not adopted until about 1812 when Napoleon forced them to. All surnames up until that point were patronymic. Therefore, your father's first name would have been your last name. My father's name is Bradley, so in those times, my name would be Adam Bradley, as an example. So, any information prior to 1812 is very hard to trace for these people.

Traditional dress of Groningen Province. 

In 1845, Martha's father, Paul passes away at age 42. He was a farm hand, working for wealthy Protestant farmers. Martha is only seven years old at the passing of her father. She has older brothers: Ralph, Paul, Martin who immigrate to Michigan soon afterwards. They were living in Grand Rapids and attending St. Andrew's cathedral. Martha, her brother, Albert, and their mother Catharine immigrate to Michigan in 1854, when she is 16, and resided in Bowne (near Caledonia, MI) and attending the very Irish parish of St. Patrick's, Bowne. Albert fights in the Civil War and marries a fellow Dutch immigrant, Elizabeth Boddema. Note that the names Paul, Ralph, and Albert are still common in the Kreiser line even today! Martha's mother, Catharine passes away in 1865 and is buried at St. Patrick's in Bowne. Her husband, Paul, while buried in the Netherlands, is memorialized on her tombstone.

VanDyke family cottage still standing in village of Usquert.

Martha somehow meets German immigrant, Mathias Kreiser, who was born 1835 in Buchel, Eifel, Rhineland who has already settled at St. Mary's, New Salem, MI with his brother, Nicholas. Mathias and Martha marry in 1858. Mathias could not read or write, signing his name with an X. Martha learned to read and write as a child in Holland, and this was always a source of jealousy for Mathias. The family was very active in St. Mary's, New Salem. I have visited this parish three times, and it is probably one of the most beautiful Catholic Churches I have ever seen. The statues and stained glass windows are breath taking. It's so neat to visit the cemetery and see all those surnames you also find walking through the cemetery at St. Mary's of Hannah. 

St. Mary church and cemetery, New Salem, MI

Martha VanDyke Kreiser passed away 01 February 1914 and is buried in St. Mary cemetery, New Salem beside her husband, Mathias. Her stone is in English, while her husband's is entirely in German. Immigrant Pioneers of New Salem! 

Find A Grave Memorial for Martha.  (Click link!)

Fairy Tales told by Grandma Rita

My Grandma Rita told me some old "fairy tales" that she heard growing up. Both a bit dark. Grandma's ancestry was heavily German, with family coming from Rhineland, primarily. These stories mimic the style of the Brothers Grimm a bit and I sometimes wonder if there is any connection. I'm including them here while I still remember them. Here they are:

There used to be a very beautiful lady. Day after day, she'd sit at the vanity, staring into the mirror. She'd comb her hair, put on her make up, etc.. One day, the devil was staring back at her in the mirror, pulled her in, and she was never heard from again! The End.

One dark, cold night in the middle of winter there was a terrible blizzard. An old man came knocking at the door. He was poor, cold, and hungry. Being fed promptly, he was offered the couch to sleep on. The old man fell asleep, and while he was sleeping soundly, the door came swinging open. The devil came walking in, threw the old man over his shoulder, and walked out with him. The End.

Holy Cow! Talk about dark stories to be telling children! ...and why is the devil included in both of them?! Ha-Ha!

Grandma Rita

So, my Grandma, Rita Louise Kreiser Youker, passed away this last November, a day before her and my grandfather's 70th Wedding Anniversary. She had a rough few years toward the end. December 2013, while I was living in Colorado, she had a perforated bowel, emergency surgery (which they weren't sure she'd get through!), and ended up with a colostomy bag. A few years of in home health aides, and then into a few Assisted Living facilities up until the end. I know in those last years, she enjoyed playing Bingo, received Holy Communion weekly out of St. Patrick's Church by a dear lady, Maxine Steinmiller, whom she knew growing up at St. Mary's, Hannah. Grandma developed Lewy Body dementia, and it was very hard for me to follow a conversation with her and she could be a bit mean at times. I do remember her telling me about a year before she passed on that she missed my Grandfather very much.
Grandma was born on Feb. 15, 1925 on Miller Rd. a few miles west of Hannah, to Fritz and Louise (Steinebach) Kreiser. A brother, Paul was born in March 1924 that passed away of SIDS. A picture was taken of Grandma as an infant, as her parents never had one of Paul.
Grandma's earliest memory, she said, was of her brother, Ralph. He was a baby, and she was about 2 and a half years old. One day, she picked Ralph up out of the crib, and was carrying him out to everyone. "Rita, bring me the baby, bring me the baby!" stated very calmly by her mother, was her earliest memory.

Patricia, Rita, and Vonnie.

Brothers, Carl and Jerry followed. Grandma stated the boys were always getting into fights, and her mother was always having to get in between them and brake it up.  A sister (finally) when she was 9 years old, Patricia, and 13 years old, her baby sister, Vonnie. Aunt Vonnie doesn't remember Grandma being at home. Grandma was out of the house and living and working in the Nurse's dorms at the Traverse City State Hospital at the age of 19.
Grandma attend St. Mary's school at Hannah. Attended Daily Mass throughout her school years, and sang in the choir at the High Mass every Sunday morning. Dances were held at the school, and the Dominican Sisters actually taught the students how to dance! Waltzes, Polkas, two steps, etc.. During WWII years, parish priest, was Father Louis Flohe, and he was very loved by the people of Hannah. Grandma talked fondly about him for years. She had a little bit of trouble with Algebra in school, and Father tutored her in the evening at the rectory. When my Grandpa Jim was taking instructions to become a Catholic in High School, Father Flohe taught him and received him into the Church.
Grandma first met Grandpa, while she was active in her local 4H. Her leader, was Mrs. Frances Youker, my grandfather's mother. She was a woman my grandmother admired greatly. Frances was fun, giggly, social, and very active in many societies, groups, etc. She was also a school teacher. Grandma said that Frances "was always looking to better the lives of children." Unfortunately, Frances passed away in 1946, at the age of 52, from a heart attack. My Grandpa Jim was overseas in the Army at the time, she never met any of her grandchildren.
Grandpa and Grandma were married Thanksgiving Day, 1947 in St. Mary's Church at Hannah. The church that was helped built by both sets of her grandparents. A High Mass was said by Fr. Clement Sigmund (who also baptized my father). Grandma made her own wedding gown, but said "because of the war" she was not able to get the material she wanted for it. Her bridesmaids were her sister, Pat, cousin, Mary Kreiser, and best friend, Mary Ellen Schetek, from Cedar. It was a VERY cold day, so cold that people had trouble starting their cars after the ceremony. The wedding reception consisted of your usual Thanksgiving meal fixings, several raisin pies made by Grandma Louise Kreiser, and a two tiered wedding cake.

Grandma enjoyed all things music: dancing, polka, country western (Jim Reeves), Lawrence Welk, Elvis, Bobby Vinton. She enjoyed traveling, and seemed to really enjoy trips that they made to Mexico, particularly Cozumel. She was quite proud of the fact that while in New Orleans, she walked up and down Bourbon Street, which she was warned was "very dangerous".
Grandma Rita was a great cook. Delicious coleslaw, chicken, pork roasts, baked apples, scalloped potatoes, raisin pie, sticky buns, etc..
She told me once that as a teenager, she dreamed of running off to New York City and becoming an interior decorator. She enjoyed art, and many flashy, colorful things. She loved the color red.
A meticulous housekeeper (much like her mother), everything was neat, clean, and had its place. Everything smelled clean and fresh.
She was also a talker. She'd tell you everything you'd ever want to know about her parents, grandparents, great-grandparents. Old stories about Hannah, and surrounding area, she had several.
She was also always giving. She'd give you advice, sometimes it wasn't always what you wanted to hear or would agree with, but she was more than willing to give it!
As I said, her last few years on this earth were rough, but glad that she's finally at rest.