Saturday Night Fun 29 Aug 2009

Here is your challenge for tonight (or whenever you read this):

1) Write down which of your ancestors that you have met in person (yes, even if you were too young to remember them).

2) Tell us their names, where they lived, and their relationship to you in a blog post, or in comments to this post, or in comments on Facebook.

Clarabelle Inez Secor married Edward Martin Kratochvil 1914 Traverse City; My grandfather died in 1935 and grandma remarried in 1937 to Tom Kirt. I spent alot of time with my grandmother I don't recall Tom being around much but he did get TB and was gone for a long while. She died 6 months, 23 Feb 1964 Traverse City, Michigan, before her sister, Josephine. She is the mother of: Leo, Erma, Katherine Kratochvil mother

Bertha Inez "Birdie" Secor married Arthur J. Kratochvil 1920 Traverse City, Michigan d. in St. Petersburg, Florida and they died in the 90's. They traveled back and forth for many years up to a couple of years before death. I met her once when she was older and it did not register why she felt so familiar. After my mom and I left we were talking and it hit me! She is not just Aunt Birdie Kratochvil.. she was my grandmother's sister (Secor brothers married Kratochvil brothers) and bore a great resemblance and aura that reminded me of my grandmother.

Leona Nemechek Kratochvil, I don't recall much except going to the house and meeting her and sitting in the living room. She lived in East Jordan and boy the questions I could have for her! This was about 1956 or so I was 9-10 years old.

Ella (Elizabeth E.) Secor married Walter D. Garwick who died in 1952 and Ella remarried Elmer J. Braden 1953. Aunt Ella always looked like she walked out of a beauty parlor and maybe she did. Those were the days when many women did go weekly. I always felt like she was a queen (I will post a photo on the blog)

Josephine N. Kratochvil married Angus Forton in 1914 and in my memory she always lived on 11th St as did many of the Kratochvil family. She used to sit in the parlor and play solitaire by the hours as she lived alone after her husband died. She only had one child, Clifford whom was not there when I was. She died in Traverse City, Michigan d. 12 Aug 1964

Leo Kratochvil son of Edward M. Kratochvil and Clarabelle Inez Secor; I have many memories of Uncle Leo even though he died abt age 50. I spent alot of time at his farm on Gonder road and road with him in his Jeep after he worked as the No. 1 Taxi Cab company. He died of heart attack the 30 Dec 1957. It was rather traumatic for me as I was at their home on Garfield when he got so ill. He talked like he was dispatching cabs although he was in bed. He always told me my hair would be curly if I ate my carrots!

Julius E. Kratochvil was in real estate and used to make trips out west to buy cattle. He had an atlas in the RE office that I never got to see and now no one knows where it is. I recall him coming to my cousin Edward Kratochvil's funeral in a long black coat and top hat. He looked like he came out of the movies! He died 23 May 1988

Blanche Kratochvil Never married and I met her in the 70's only one time. She had arthritis and her hands were swollen terribly. She gave me several photos of the Kratochvil Brewery grounds that her father owned. She died 14 Feb 1973. At the same time I met her sister Julia. Now one of these women was blind but at the moment I am drawing a blank on which one. She too had the arthritis that resulted in swelling but in her feet. At the time I wondered if this was hereditary.

I have not had the privilege of meeting many on my father's side. But his sister, Ella born 1898 in Clarissa Minnesota came to visit and couple times and she was always a bit special. As a young child..lol... I remember her always plucking her eyebrows and she died her hair black as it was when she was a child.

My dad's brother, Emil R. Wolfgram (Uncle Sonny) was always jolly; he would play the harmonica and do a jig at the same time. I always thought that was very hard thing to do. I was able to stay at his house a few times but he died when I was about 8 or 9. I knew all of his children; Romayne, LaVern (MD), Emil (retired Navy), Marie, and Lyle.

My dad's last brother, Roy,, actually changed his name to Nelson. When younger he went out West (from MN) and for a time was known as Battlin' Nelson (not the same as the infamous one) he ended up living in Spokane Washington where my family lived for about 8-10 months in 1948. He had a daughter, whom I am not recalling the name... who had dolls and I loved to play with them. She was older than myself.

Now, are we counting phone conversations? As I did talk to a few of them when I started doing research but they lived in Iowa/Mn/Montana etc and I never got to meet them. Also Richard Hultgren of California was a phone conversation but he was the sweetest person and sent me many photographs of the family.