Benson Schaub, who has been carrying the mail to rural folks of this community since April 16, 1919, formally retired from this very important branch of government service on November 30th of this years. He is only retiring from the service, but expects to keep actively engaged in farming after a good rest and learning how to enjoy a little more sleep in the morning after so many years of early rising.
He was appointed to carry mail on rural route 2, on the retirement of the late Frank O’Neill, out of Oconto Falls in 1919 and served this route for seven years. During these early years he had to drive horses and “used up” twelve of this kind of motivation before he got his first Model T Ford. It would be interesting to compare this first automobile with Benson’s twentieth horseless carriage he has owned. His first route was 27 miles long with 120 patrons, and his last route 62 miles with 320 families to serve. Even after he had a car, it took some time before the roads were plowed out and it still called for horses and an enclosed mail rig in the winter months—Schaub had two of them—one on runners and one on wheels. The latter was for the muddy seasons.
The life of a mail carrier as Schaub knew them was made up of long hard days. Up long before daylight and often it was impossible to get home before dark. Many days he would have to leave his rig and horses with some farmer, then hire the farmer with a bobsled and a team of heavy draft horses to bring him home. Then the next morning, they would pick up the mail, go back to the farmers place and from there his rested team would take him the rest of the route.
In October they were the honored guests of the city of Kewaunee at its annual homecoming festival. They enjoyed every minute of the trip. Mr. Volk spoke to the assembled folks over a microphone, and this fact calls to mind the progress these folks have been privileged to witness during their lives. Both came to this community when Oconto Falls was just a group of shacks at the Falls on the Oconto River and have seen it grow to a modern city.
They have come to know the wonders of radio, air mail
and travel, transportation from the oxcart to the new model cars, lighting
from tallow candles to electricity and so on and on down the list that
is too long to print. However, the Volks have played an important
part in the life of the community and should feel an honest pride in its
best features. Except for a three-year sojourn in Kansas, they have
lived here continuously. Anyone interested in the history of the
community, should visit with the Volks, as they are the holders of many
incidents of true historical value. The seven children born to Mr.
and Mrs. Volk are all living. Wm. E. Fr., Harry, Miss Ina and Ruth,
Mrs. E.C. Lee, are all of this vicinity, but their other son and two daughters
are residents of California. They are Edwin Volk, Mrs. Mary Lindstrom
and Mrs. Bertha Gower.
We are in receipt of the following news item from Mark H. Hansen of Manly, Iowa. Mark is the son of H.P. Hansen, a resident of Oconto Falls from 1902 to 1916. The senior Mr. Hansen worked in the paper mill and was well known for his baseball ability in this area. Mr. Hansen was a faithful subscriber to the Times-Herald until the time of his death and his friends in this area mourn his passing. Manly, Iowa—Funeral services for H.P. Hansen, 81, who died Saturday at the Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines, were held Tuesday, June 26 at 9 am at Sacred Heart Church here. The Rev. Leo E. Derga officiated. Burial was at Sacred Heart Cemetery with Bride’s Funeral Home of Manly, in charge. Mr. Hansen was born at Falster, Denmark, and came to the United States with his parents when a small child. The family settled at Oconto, Wis. He was married in 1902 to Annie Ryan at Oconto Falls. The family moved to Manly in 1916. He had been in bridge construction work for the Milwaukee road in Wisconsin. He was a carpenter and served for 11 years a custodian of the Manly Public School. He was preceded in death by his wife and two daughters. Surviving are three sons, Mark, Manly; Kenneth, Des Moines and Eugene, Tacoma, Wash.; three daughters, Ms. Arnold (Dorothy) Hanson; Mrs. Richard (Jean) Geissinger and Loretta Bowman, all of Des Moines; two brothers, Charles, Tuczon, Ariz. And William, Milwaukee.
Mrs. Ellen Howland, 100 year-old pioneer of Oconto
Falls, but now a resident of
Prichard, La. And born during the time when “Old Hickory”
Jackson was president, has taken a
deep interest in each of the 25 presidents who have
served during her lifetime and she has not
yet seen anybody, unless it is this Mr. Roosevelt,
with the makings of a Lincoln. I’ve seen three
presidents personally in my time and could have seen
more if I’d wanted to, but I wasn’t
impressed by any of them but Mr. Lincoln. He
was a powerful man. I saw him in Brandon, Vt.,
long after I was a grown woman. “He was truly
a great man. I only wish we had him in the
White House today. This Mr. Roosevelt might
get us out of the crisis—I only hope he will—but,
so far, Mr. Lincoln is the only man I’ve seen would
could do it. It’s the most difficult period the
country’s been through in my lifetime. “ “I
can tell you, even the Civil war doesn’t seem as bad,
as I look at it now.” Mrs. Howland celebrated
her 100th birthday last June 11, at the home of
her daughter, Mrs. John Temple here, and she has every
intention of celebrating her 101st
birthday and a number of others. There are far
too many interesting things to occupy her time
for Mrs. Howland to contemplate giving them up.
She has a little white cottage in Prichard,
where she lives with her grandson, Evan Schaal, to
keep her pets and flowers, the world news to
keep up with through the newspapers and the radio,
her church work, and innumerable friends
who call on her all afternoon long. “Of course
I do all my own housework,” she laughed at the
question. “There’s just us two and the work
is almost nothing to do. I cook our meals and take
care of our clothes and would do all my own washing
and ironing. But my grandson insists on
having a darkie come in once a week to do that and
the heavy cleaning. He says white women in
the south don’t do their washing, and I guess they
don’t. “They’re such a friendly lot,” she
declared. “ I sat down this afternoon to catch
u with my patching and darning and I’ve just had
more callers. They’re lovely to me, inviting
me about and all. “My two kittens, Maggie and Baby,
were given to me by one of my neighbors,”she went
on, pointing out two playful calico cats who
frisked together in the shrubbery. Mrs. Howland
scoffed at the idea of being ill. “I haven’t really
been sick for five years.” She declared. “In fact,
I don’t think I’ve felt better in my life than I do
right now. This is such a good climate.”
When her work is done in the evening, Mrs. Howland
enjoys reading the newspapers, and discussing the
happenings of the day with her grandson.
She also enjoys her radio. “You know,” she said,
“I’ve never heard a better speaker than
President Roosevelt. I’ve had a little trouble
hearing, but I could hear every work of his speech
the other night, and I thought it was wonderful.
He certainly sounds like a fine young man to
me.” Mrs. Howland has three children living.
Mrs. Lucy Schall, Negaunee, Mich; Mrs. May
Schaal, Oconto Falls; Mrs. John Temple, Oconto Falls;
15 grandchildren, 23 great
grandchildren.
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