Notizen zu dieser Person
FAMILY HISTORY In 2000, Wilma Weisenburger shared a work in progress entitled "GrampsRemembers (or Harry told me)" which is a history of the HarryWeisenburger family. Following are excerpts from the third chapter,"Growing up in Bismarck, North Dakota 1915-1938": "Harry's father, Philip Weisenburger, built a seven-room houseinBismarck, North Dakota, for his family . He built another houseadjacent to it which provided rental income. As his family grew, hisfather built a larger house over the original home. The familycontinued to live in the s even rooms while construction was going on.The enlarged home had 41 windows. Much of the work was done at nightso that Harry and his siblings could hold a light, giving Philipbetter visibility. Philip was a good carpenter, an electrician, aplumber and was able to read blue prints. Harry says he could build ahouse from 'the ground up.' "His mother, Frieda, was energetic and enterprising as well. Besideshaving given birth to 12 children, she worked as a cleaning woman inoffice buildings and homes in Bismarck, taking some of her childrenwith her to help. Harry remembers that he helped clean the Christia nScience Reading Room and a doctor's office. His mother also broughtlaundry home to do for other folk. He recalls that his brother,Johnny, became quite good at ironing. During the times when money wasscarce, some of the wealthier families gave his mother good usedclothing for use for her growing family. Harry doesn't remember atime when his family was 'deprived.' "His father and mother were German Baptists....He says there is nogroup as Baptist as German Baptists....His grandfather, JacobSchweigert, lived with his wife, Katharina Harr Schweigert, inBismarck also. If he happened to drop by the Weisenburger home andsaw a deck of cards around, he would throw the cards in the fire. Tohim, playing cards was a sin. His wife and the Harr family wereLutherans. Katharina Harr played the accordion and played for dancesin Russia. Dancing was thought to be a sin by German Baptists so thatwhen she married Jacob Schweigert she gave up playing the accordionand also joined the German Baptist Church. [ NOTE: the blosbalglewas a small accordion that was a popular instrument at dances; it costabout 30 rubles.] "The church services attended by Harry's family were in German. Thechildren went to school on Saturday to learn German so that they couldparticipate in the church service. Prejudice ran so high during WorldWar I that German classes for children were stopped....Harry'sgrandfather, Jacob, sold advertising for a German newspaper publishedin Bismarck. When he was in the hospital dying of prostate cance,Harry sat by his bedside at times. "He remembers that his parents sent packages of clothes and food tosome of his father's relatives in Siberia. When his father no longerheard from Siberia, the relatives were presumed dead, so they stoppedsending 'care' packages... "He says the location of Bismarck on the Northern Pacific Railroadbrought many events that would not have been available to residentsotherwise--Bismarck was a 'stopover.' The largest circus of its day,'The One O One Ranch', came to Bismarck when Harry was about nineyears old. He got a job helping to set up tents, etc., for a freepass to the circus. When he returned in the evening with his pass tosee the show, he was told that someone else had already been admittedwith his pass. Fortunately, the man with whom he had workedidentified him and he was allowed in. He discovered later that hisbrother, Henry, had duplicated his pass and used it earlier. "If Harry loitered on the way home from school to play and realized hewould be questioned conceerning his whereabouts, he would stop by hisgrandmother Schweigert's, who always gave him a warm welcome and keptlemon drops on hand just for him. (He still likes lemon drops.) Hesometimes helped her mop the kitchen or he might make an 'EnglishCake' for her using Swans down flour. At any rate, when he reachedhome and was questioned about the lateness of his arrival, when hesaid he had been 'at Grandma's' it was all right... "While in high school, Harry had a job shoveling snow on the sidewalksaround the high school under one of President Roosevelt's Youth Corpsprograms. During the summer, he worked for a dairy in Bismarckdelivering milk. It was his second summer working for Yegen's Dairythat the milk truck in which he was riding was involved in an accidentwith another vehicle. It overturned and Harry was thrown from thepassenger side. The truck and its contents fell on top of him.Fortunately, most of the milk had been delivered and the milk crateswere of heavy wire sectioned off. His life was saved by a milk cratepropping up the load. He was dragged from the wreckage, havingsustained a dislocated left hip and a broken right leg below the knee.Again, fortunately, North Dakota was one of the first states to haveWorker's Compensation so his hospital and medical bills were paid infull. His father, Philip Weisenburger, was hospitalized at the sametime as Harry from injuries sustained in an automobile accident causedby a drunken driver. "...after graduation from Bismarck High School, Harry enrolled atNorth Dakota State College at Fargo. He chose Animal Husbandry as hismajor. His brother, Henry, had instructed him in some of the finerpoints of cribbage and poker. College was a good place to put intopractice his skills. At any rate, he dropped out of college beforethe end of the first term. "His family home in Bismarck was near the hospital. Cousins andfriends who were nurses, or in training, were often in and out of theWeisenburger house. Among this group was a beautiful girl from GoldenValley, North Dakota, by the name of Erna Weigum." BISMARCK DITY DIRECTORY Harry is found in the 1938-39 directory as a driver for the YegenDairy Co. and living at his parents' home. SAN JOSE CITY DIRECTORIES Harry can be found as follows: 1940 laborer, living at 759 1/2 Coleman Ave. 1941 salesman for Singer Sewing Machine Co., living at 190 N. 31st 1943 electrician OCCUPATION Harry worked in construction for Otis Elevator Co. CAUSE OF DEATH Respiratory failure OBITUARY From the San Francisco Chronicle of March 21, 2002: "Weisenburger, Harry---Age 86. On March 15 in Burlingame. Lovinghusband of Wilma Adams Weisenburger, and beloved father of Paul (Lita)Weisenburger, John (Diane) Weisenburger, Tom (Diane) Weisenburger,Janet (Ron) Giannini, and Richard (Thais) Weisenburger; belovedbrother of Marcella Abraham, also survived by twelve grandchildren andeight great-grandchildren. Born Sept. 25, 1915 in Bismarck, NorthDakota, he lived and worked in San Francisco in construction for OtisElevator Co. and later as the Business Agent for Local 8 of theInternational Union of Elevator Constructors. He will be rememberedfor his hard work, and his ready wit. "Friends are invited to attenda Memorial Service at Miraloma Community Church, 480 Teresita Blvd. atArroyo in San Francisco on Saturday March 30 at 2:00PM. In lieu offlowers, donations may be made to the Parkinson's Institute, 1170Morse Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94089." REMEMBRANCE In an April 1 letter from Harry's wife, Wilma, she says: "My husband,Harry Weisenburger, had been in poor health for several months. Hedied March 15, 2002, at the age of 86 1/2 of re spiratory failure. Hehad been hospitalized with double pneumonia since March 12. On March30, church and family friends, elevator constructors and over 30 ofhis descendants attended a memorial service at Miraloma CommunityChurch in San Francisco where he had been a member for 50 years."
Roger
Engelken
