Ahnentafel......Site Info
10. Anna Bertha[4] Wolf (Frederick, 21) (A11). Born, 29 Sep 1879, in Meesow, Kreis Regenwalde, Pommern (Prussia/Poland). Germany. Died, 24 Jun 1949, in St. Peter, Nicollet Co., MN. Census: 1885, in Faribault, Rice Co., MN. Occupation: Baker.
They were married by H. Schultz, M.G. (CoRec)
Annabelle Day: "Mom usually went to the store about 10 in the a.m. & helped make pies or 'frost' rolls-- got dinner for the workers at the bakery (we kids went there for dinner, too) and stayed till the dishes were washed, etc.
"I'm not sure what she really liked to do. We exchanged visits (often on Sunday afternoons) with the Faribault relatives & I know she enjoyed that. Because of all she did, she followed a pretty tight schedule- keeping the house clean, etc. "I don't know how far Mom went in school. She had no trouble adding or subtracting and was a good reader- always read the daily paper & really enjoyed some of the library books we brought home. "She was pleased when the kids did well in school etc., but was very nervous if she went to see them perform in a program." Elizabeth Langguth: "The family went to Park Rapids every summer for about 2 weeks; stayed at an unfurnished cabin and two uncle's families would come out--who lived in Park Rapids. Uncle E. was a carpenter and uncle W. rolled cigars---the W.L. Brand. "My family lived in Grandmother Langguth's house until Liz was about 9; Annabelle and Aunt Emma shared one room upstairs, Liz, Dorothy and Mom and Dad in the other. There was no indoor plumbing in the house. Elizabeth Langguth/ May 16,1997, letter: In 1881, my mother, along with her sister, four-year-old "Gusty" and her parents was shuffled through the noisy bewilderingg, and frantic lines of immigrants. Mom was two. Coming from a small village in eastern Germany, their destination was Faribault, Minesota, where friends and relatives were awaiting them. "I doubt that my mother had a carefree childhood. Being a girl and one of the oldest in the family I presume she was taught to help her mother with household tasks and to care for her brothers and sisters, each six of whom joined the family approximately two years apart. I know she attented school- taught in German- for a few years. "My grandfather found work in a local foundry so there was some income they could rely on. In addition the family had a large garden which supplied them with fresh fruit and vegetables. I believe they had chickens, a cow, and a pig, and they always had a cat or two. "Other income came from the children having to go to work as soon as they were able. I think Mom was about eleven when she started to work at Shattuck, a small military academy across the Cannon River. If I remember correctly, she was a maid, although she perhaps also learned other sorts of chores also.I can attest to her very immaculate housekeeping and skill in the kitchen! "As Mom matured she became what I suppose we'd call a nanny. I really don't know what she did during her teen years and early twenties. Somewhere along the way she moved to St. Peter to care for the two daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Farver. (The daughter's names were Elizabeth and Frances after whom I was named.) "Somewhere (actually St. Peter as far as I know) somehow, during those years she and my father, George Langguth met and eventually married. The Farvers had a bakery, and I think Dad worked for them before starting his own adter he decided to launch his own business Langguth's Ideal Bakery. Mom returned to Faribault for a time before their wedding. After she died we found a packet of letters Dad [had] written to her. Apparetnly they had planned to work together as his letters were full of every little detail about the building equipment, decorating, supplies, equipment, with any love matter definately minor! "They were married in faribault April 17, 1912. Dad had to take the train to Mankato and then to Faribault. All I know about the wedding is that Mom wore a white serge suit that my sister probably has in a box in her basement. I never saw Mom wear it, but I once tried it on when I was in my twenties and ouldn't button either the skirt or the jacket. Anyway, she and dad took the train to St. Peter that evening because Dad had to be to work very early the next morning!
This box was built to hold Annabelle's baby clothes
"I know my mother knew she would not have a house of her own to go to, not even a small apartment, and I know she must have been agreeable to living with Dad's mother and unmarried sister Emma. Money was tight so they all shared. "My parents were business partners as well as marriage partners. The sucess of the business was as much to Mom's credit as Dad's. Mom was up very early to help with housework before going to the store about 9-9:30. I remember form times I was with her that she always went by the meat market to buy meat for dinner. "Mom cooked dinner for the crew at the bakery. At first the crew was small: Dad, a helper (I think his name was Henry Carlson??), Mom, Emma, and the kids. Later she cooked for as many as a dozen each day. We as a family always had our noon meal at the store, Sundays included. "About 1:30- two Mom would go home to catch up on things that needed doing there. Dad would come home at five for supper, then both of them returned to the store to keep open till eight. "Wednesdays were very busy days as Mom got up extra early to wash clothes. There was no machine; scrub boards and human hands rubbed out the dire. She had a helper for many years and eventually accepted a machine/ Sunday night Dad delivered our linens to a neighber who took in washing. "My parents had three daughters. When we were babies, Mom left us with Grandma during the hours we were at the store. To keep up the home she had a schedule: Monday, wash; Tuesday, iron: Wednesday, clean upstairs; Thursday, clean part of downstairs; Friday, finish. My cousin Wilma stayed with us during the school week so Mom had a work schedule for us four girls:one prepared breakfast, one washed dishes, one dried dishes, and one- my older sister- made the beds before we went to school. Everything had to be neat and orderly. "We as a family of five did not live together by ourselves very long, only a few years. When Grandma died in 1930, Aunt Emma moved in with us. Later Dad's brother Henry- Heinie- also spent most of each year with us. I often thought my mother didn't get a fair shake in that regard. If she thought so, I never heard her raise a complaint. "While I was in college, Mom had to have her left eye removed. She knew something was wrong when she'd reach for something and either miss it or bump into it. An eye doctor in Mankato diagnosed a cataract not ready to be removed.The situation did not improve, and finally dad said 'Enough is enough,' and took her to a specialist in Minneapolis. He found a tumor- malignant- behind the eye. Obituary: "Anna Bertha Wolf was born on September 29, 1879 in Pommern, Germany, the daughter of Frederick and Amelia Wolf. She came with her parents to Faribault when she was a small child. She attended parochial grade school in Faribault. On April 17, 1912, she was united in marriage to George F. Langguth...She was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Peter."She married George Fredrick Marcus Langguth (9) (A10).