Machs, Manuels, and Krugers, Oh My!

On my mom’s mom’s side of the family, the Manuel side, family photographs have been passed down from generation to generation to the point where photos are familiar, but no one knows the history of who this woman really was.

My mom’s aunt Irene Ahrens said this was HER great-aunt who worked hard on the family farm in southern Minnesota where family settled around Brewster.

I am intrigued with this image as her face is not clearly seen due to the large bonnet shading her from the sun as she worked.  I love that the family dog is seen in the field with her as she dug potatoes to stock the farm’s root cellar for the long Minnesota winter months ahead.

 

Mom’s guest room!

These precious family photos are hung in groupings all along the guestroom wall at mom’s. You can see I made myself right at home by putting the Garden Party quilt on my bed!

Being surrounded by family who have passed on is important to me and I took these photos with my phone and then sat with mom to get the history behind each photo so I would have it here as part of my history.  

This blog is my journal so I hope you will find this interesting as well.

My mom's maiden name is Mach.  Her mother's maiden name is Manuel.  So we have the Mach's the Manuel's and the Krugers.

My great grandmother and her sisters

My great grandmother Frances Kruger Manuel is on the right next to her two sisters.  LOVE the outfits!  I did know her when I was a little girl.  Seeing her like this is so fun for me!

More family!

Left to right: The Manuel Family: Morva (Wildanger), My great grandpa George Manuel, My Grandma Verna Fern Manuel Mach, My great grandma Frances Kruger Manuel, My Great uncle Arthur Manuel, My great aunt Irene Manuel Ahrens.  Auntie Irene was also a quilter and I have inherited some of her pieces.

My Great Grandma Frances Kruger Manuel

This is the photo that always hung in our home as far back as I can remember.  This is what I think of when I remember my great grandma.

My grandfather George Manuel was a barber!

He worked in this barbershop in Brewster, MN for many years.

Great Grandpa’s barber shears!

(And my grandpa’s dental tools!)

My great grandma Martha Ronish Mach and great grandpa Adolph Mach  on their wedding day.

They are my mom’s dad’s parents. They were married on June 19th, 1912 in Rapid City, South Dakota.The frizzy fabric on the bottom left of the photo is a piece of her wedding dress.

Mom’s great grandfather, August Ferdinand Kruger

and great grandmother Emilie Sophia Theise Kruger

From Kruger Family History:

Emilie Sophia Theise was born July 15, 1859.  The story has some date conflicts as it has been passed through generations, but as far as I can surmise, after Emilie’s mother died in childbirth, Emilie was left in the hands of the Theise family while her father served in the civil war. The Theise family had no children, and took on Emilie as their own.

After the war, her father came back to reclaim Emilie as his daughter, bringing along a woman he was to marry. He asked the Theises to have Emilie ready to travel the next day.

According to the story, the Theises could not bear to part with her so they gathered up their belongings and left with Emilie in the middle of the night.  Emilie never heard of  or saw her father again.  She grew up as the Theises daughter, taking their name.

She knew they were not her “real” parents and lived with the promise she would be told her name and about her parents some day.  Dorthie Theise became ill suddenly and passed away before she told Emilie what she knew about her parents.

Emilie knew she was of French descent and came from the Louisiana Territory.  The name Stillet is written in her daughter Freda Kruger Philpott’s family bible.  Freda related this name to her mother, believing it to be her mother’s birth name.

Interesting story, right?  We are still searching for more information on Emilie (Stillet) Theise Kruger.

My great aunt Irene Manuel Ahrens and great uncle Roy Ahrens

Love the hat!

Great Uncle Roy and mom’s cousin Carol

((He looks like James Taylor to me!!))

Mom’s cousins Carol and Gaylord Ahrens

Mom says that Carol was about 6 years older than she was and she idolized her so much!

My grandma Verna Fern Manuel Mach

My mom’s mom.

We lost my grandma when I was only 5 years old but I remember her so clearly!

When I was little she gave me a little poodle pin that had rabbit fur for fluff and green crystal eyes.  Oh, how I loved that pin. It’s wonderful to have photos to see what she was like through the years.  Such a beautiful lady with a winning smile.  I was her first grandchild.

This is the Grandma Mach I remember.

My grandpa – mom’s dad.

Alvin Kenneth Mach.

It’s been wonderful to write this with mom sitting right beside me giving me once again the background on these photos so I don’t forget.

I’m on my way back home to North Carolina in the morning.  It was way too short of a trip, really, but we fit in time whenever we can wherever we can.

I’ll be back, Garden Valley –catch you next time!

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