The Generation of the Great-Grandparents: Edward and Alma Froelich
This is a branch of the family that I have very little information on. I will update later if I find more.
Edward W. Froelich: 7-19-1907 to 2-1-1971
Alma Roemisch: 1907 or 1908 to ?
Edward W. Froelich and Alma Roemisch lived in Comal County. Edward was descended from German ancestors, while Alma's ancestry was German and Austrian. They had two children, Valeska R. Froelich, born ca. 1930, and Leroy Melvin Froelich, born August 4, 1931. Valeska R. Froelich died of a rattlesnake bite when she was 7 or 8. On Leroy Froelich's birth certificate, his father is listed as "Eddie Froelich."
Edward and Alma were divorced on 12-15-69. Alma married Edwin J. Glatzert on April 24, 1975.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The Generation of the Great-Grandparents Pt. 1
The Generation of the Great-Grandparents: Olaf and Tomena Johnson
It has been a while since my last posting on family history. This generation represents a big jump. This is the first generation I have profiled who are no longer with us. Their stories go back a century to a time much different than today. Two-thirds of Americans lived on farms or small towns when they were born. New technologies such as the airplane and the automobile would change their world. They would live through two World Wars and the Great Depression, suffering hardship difficult to imagine. Here are their stories, beginning with Olaf and Tomena Johnson.
Olaf Johnson: August 19, 1905-July 4, 1966
Olaf was:
Kristen and Stephanie’s Great-Grandfather
Valeska’s Grandfather
Jackie’s Father
Olaf Johnson was born on August 19, 1905 in Norse, Texas in Bosque County. He was the son of Norwegian immigrants. He married Tomena Sigrid Knudson on May 31, 1927. They had two children, Jacqueline Charlotte Johnson and Derwood Johnson. Olaf moved to Waco in 1943, where he was a builder and developer. He built the Viking Hills development in Waco, which includes Valeska Drive, which he named after his grand-daughter. He died on July 4, 1966 in Waco, Texas.
Tomena Sigrid Knudson: March 18, 1905-September 25, 1973
Tomena was:
Kristen and Stephanie’s Great-Grandmother
Valeska’s Grandmother
Jackie’s Mother
Tomena was born on March 18, 1905 in Mustang, Bosque County, Texas. She married Olaf Johnson on May 31, 1927. They had two children, Jacqueline Charlotte Johnson and Gene Derwood Johnson. They moved to Waco in 1943. She died in Waco on September 25, 1973. Her first name “Tomena” is Valeska’s middle name.
The following family history of Olaf and Tomena was prepared by Matthew Eric Johnson, who is now a District Judge in Waco, Texas.
Olaf Johnson was born on August 19, 1905 in the Norse Community in Bosque County. He was the son of Matthias Johnson (1867-1952) and wife, Marthe Hanson (1865-1940). He was baptized in Our Savior’s Lutheran Church at Norse on Oct. 15, 1905. While he was still a child, his parents moved to Cranfills Gap and transferred their membership to St. Olaf Lutheran Church, where he was confirmed on Sept. 4, 1921.
After graduating from the Cranfills Gap public schools, Olaf attended Draughon’s Business College in Abilene. He and Sigrid Tomena Knudson were married on May 31, 1927 in Clifton by Rev. O.T. Boe, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church. Their lifelong friends, William B. Bertelson and Johanna “Jennie” Christensen, were witnesses to the ceremony.
Tomena was born in the Mustang community on March 18, 1905. She was the daughter of George Andrew Knudson (1869-1957) and wife, Oline Hanson (1875-1909). When Tomena was baptized at St. Olaf Lutheran Church on May 21, 1905, she was named after her aunt and baptismal sponsor, Mrs. Ole O. Jermstad nee Asborg Tomena Knudson. She was confirmed in the same congregation on June 6, 1920.
When Tomena was four years old, her mother died and Tomena lived near Clifton for a short time with her uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. John Christenson. Tomena attended and completed the Mustang public school and Clifton Junior College. She was employed as a teacher in the Live Oak public school prior to her marriage.
After their marriage, Olaf and Tomena made their home in Cranfills Gap, were two children were born to them, Gene Derwood on July 22, 1929 and Jacqueline Charlotte on May 10, 1932. Olaf was self-employed first as a café operator and later as a grocer in Cranfills Gap.
In the Spring of 1943, the Johnson family moved to Waco and became members of First Lutheran Church. Olaf was first engaged in the small loan business in Waco, and later became a home builder and real estate developer. He built hundreds of homes in Waco and developed several subdivisions including Viking Hills and Sharondale. He was associated with William B. Bertelson and J.L. Broadway in many of his business activities.
Olaf died July 4, 1966 and Tomena died Sept. 25, 1973. They were buried in Waco Memorial Park.
It has been a while since my last posting on family history. This generation represents a big jump. This is the first generation I have profiled who are no longer with us. Their stories go back a century to a time much different than today. Two-thirds of Americans lived on farms or small towns when they were born. New technologies such as the airplane and the automobile would change their world. They would live through two World Wars and the Great Depression, suffering hardship difficult to imagine. Here are their stories, beginning with Olaf and Tomena Johnson.
Olaf Johnson: August 19, 1905-July 4, 1966
Olaf was:
Kristen and Stephanie’s Great-Grandfather
Valeska’s Grandfather
Jackie’s Father
Olaf Johnson was born on August 19, 1905 in Norse, Texas in Bosque County. He was the son of Norwegian immigrants. He married Tomena Sigrid Knudson on May 31, 1927. They had two children, Jacqueline Charlotte Johnson and Derwood Johnson. Olaf moved to Waco in 1943, where he was a builder and developer. He built the Viking Hills development in Waco, which includes Valeska Drive, which he named after his grand-daughter. He died on July 4, 1966 in Waco, Texas.
Tomena Sigrid Knudson: March 18, 1905-September 25, 1973
Tomena was:
Kristen and Stephanie’s Great-Grandmother
Valeska’s Grandmother
Jackie’s Mother
Tomena was born on March 18, 1905 in Mustang, Bosque County, Texas. She married Olaf Johnson on May 31, 1927. They had two children, Jacqueline Charlotte Johnson and Gene Derwood Johnson. They moved to Waco in 1943. She died in Waco on September 25, 1973. Her first name “Tomena” is Valeska’s middle name.
The following family history of Olaf and Tomena was prepared by Matthew Eric Johnson, who is now a District Judge in Waco, Texas.
Olaf Johnson was born on August 19, 1905 in the Norse Community in Bosque County. He was the son of Matthias Johnson (1867-1952) and wife, Marthe Hanson (1865-1940). He was baptized in Our Savior’s Lutheran Church at Norse on Oct. 15, 1905. While he was still a child, his parents moved to Cranfills Gap and transferred their membership to St. Olaf Lutheran Church, where he was confirmed on Sept. 4, 1921.
After graduating from the Cranfills Gap public schools, Olaf attended Draughon’s Business College in Abilene. He and Sigrid Tomena Knudson were married on May 31, 1927 in Clifton by Rev. O.T. Boe, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church. Their lifelong friends, William B. Bertelson and Johanna “Jennie” Christensen, were witnesses to the ceremony.
Tomena was born in the Mustang community on March 18, 1905. She was the daughter of George Andrew Knudson (1869-1957) and wife, Oline Hanson (1875-1909). When Tomena was baptized at St. Olaf Lutheran Church on May 21, 1905, she was named after her aunt and baptismal sponsor, Mrs. Ole O. Jermstad nee Asborg Tomena Knudson. She was confirmed in the same congregation on June 6, 1920.
When Tomena was four years old, her mother died and Tomena lived near Clifton for a short time with her uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. John Christenson. Tomena attended and completed the Mustang public school and Clifton Junior College. She was employed as a teacher in the Live Oak public school prior to her marriage.
After their marriage, Olaf and Tomena made their home in Cranfills Gap, were two children were born to them, Gene Derwood on July 22, 1929 and Jacqueline Charlotte on May 10, 1932. Olaf was self-employed first as a café operator and later as a grocer in Cranfills Gap.
In the Spring of 1943, the Johnson family moved to Waco and became members of First Lutheran Church. Olaf was first engaged in the small loan business in Waco, and later became a home builder and real estate developer. He built hundreds of homes in Waco and developed several subdivisions including Viking Hills and Sharondale. He was associated with William B. Bertelson and J.L. Broadway in many of his business activities.
Olaf died July 4, 1966 and Tomena died Sept. 25, 1973. They were buried in Waco Memorial Park.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Didn't See That Coming
Today I was having lunch at Rudy's Barbecue in Northwest Austin up near the Williamson County line. You have to realize that Williamson County is pretty conservative. As a matter of fact, if Central Texas was a family, Travis County would be the long-haired brother who staggered in bleary-eyed in the early hours of Sunday morning to find his straight-laced brother Williamson County shining his shoes for church.
As I was refilling my glass of tea, I noticed a young woman who worked there squealing in delight. I remarked to her that she seemed very happy. She explained to me that she had been talking to one of her co-workers about religion. I was pretty sure that I knew what was coming next. I expected to hear that her friend had made a decision for the Lord. No, that wasn't it.
The reason this young lady was--I kid you not--squealing for delight was that her co-worker had brought her Hamantaschen. Fortunately, I am partially bi-lingual. I speak Christian and a bit of Jewish, so I caught the reference. Hamantaschen are three-cornered pastries served in connection with the Jewish holiday of Purim. Purim celebrates the victory of Jewish Queen Esther who prevented the evil Haman, vizier to the Persian emperor, from killing the Jews. The Hamantaschen represent Haman's three-cornered hat.
I had to smile because I really didn't see that coming. In a barbecue joint in the land of the Baptists, a young girl was publicly gleeful over Jewish pastries. Now there is nothing wrong with Baptists or people making a decision for the Lord. However, there is something priceless about being caught by surprise.
As I was refilling my glass of tea, I noticed a young woman who worked there squealing in delight. I remarked to her that she seemed very happy. She explained to me that she had been talking to one of her co-workers about religion. I was pretty sure that I knew what was coming next. I expected to hear that her friend had made a decision for the Lord. No, that wasn't it.
The reason this young lady was--I kid you not--squealing for delight was that her co-worker had brought her Hamantaschen. Fortunately, I am partially bi-lingual. I speak Christian and a bit of Jewish, so I caught the reference. Hamantaschen are three-cornered pastries served in connection with the Jewish holiday of Purim. Purim celebrates the victory of Jewish Queen Esther who prevented the evil Haman, vizier to the Persian emperor, from killing the Jews. The Hamantaschen represent Haman's three-cornered hat.
I had to smile because I really didn't see that coming. In a barbecue joint in the land of the Baptists, a young girl was publicly gleeful over Jewish pastries. Now there is nothing wrong with Baptists or people making a decision for the Lord. However, there is something priceless about being caught by surprise.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Appalling Spectacle of Victim Suing Victim
Tragedies bring out the best in people. When an angry man crashed a plane into the offices of the Internal Revenue Service in Northwest Austin, many people responded heroically, such as the glass company employee who used his ladder to rescue people and the county fire departments who were first on the scene. However, tragedy can also bring out the worst in people, as evidenced by the lawsuit brought by Valerie Hunter against Sheryl Mann Stack, Case No. D-1-GN-10-000559 in the District Court of Travis County, Texas.
You would think that Valerie Hunter and Sheryl Stack would have a lot in common. Both lost their husbands on February 18, 2010. On that day, Andrew Joseph Stack, III burned down his own house and then crashed his plane into the offices of the Internal Revenue Service. His grievances were somewhere between borderline and ridiculous. Both women were directly affected by the misguided acts of Andrew Joseph Stack, III. However, in the bizarre world of insurance coverage and litigation, Sheryl Stack now finds herself being sued for failure to prevent an insane act.
According to the allegations of the Original Petition filed on February 22, 2010, some four days after the tragedy:
Let's summarize here. The lawsuit claims that just because a woman had enough sense to take her daughter away from a threatening situation but did not stop him from carrying out his ultimate plan, she is just as responsible as the crazed pilot.
This is insane on two levels. On a strictly legal level, the law of negligence is based on the existence of a duty and the foreseeability of harm. If you drive a car, you have a duty to exercise reasonable care not to crash into someone else. If you drive drunk, it is foreseeable that your judgment might be impaired to the point where you injured someone. Applying that standard to the present case, if you are fearful for the safety of yourself and your child, does that mean that you have a duty to prevent your husband from committing an act of terrorism against someeone you have never met? It seems a stretch. If you are afraid that your husband might hurt you or your child, should you be expected to know that he would take off in an airplane and attack a governmental office? Again, it seems a mighty stretch.
This is troubling on a moral level as well. Sheryl Stack is being sued for failure to prevent an insane act. Why? Insurance policies do not provide coverage for intentional, criminal acts. However, they often cover negligent acts. Thus, by accusing the widow of negligently failing to stop her husband, Valerie Hunter has a possibility of making an insurance company pay for her loss. Of course, to do that, she must accuse a fellow widow of culpability. Putting it bluntly, Valerie Hunter is seeking to blame Sheryl Stack so that she can get a payoff from an insurance company. That is just wrong.
The loss that Valerie Hunter suffered cannot be calculated. Her husband was a good man. He died a hero. However, heroes, or the families of heroes, shouldn't beat up on other victims. By seeking to profit from her husband's death, Valerie Hunter cheapens his sacrifice. She also seeks to punish a woman who did the right thing. Sheryl Stack got her daughter and herself out of harm's way. Sheryl Stack should be commended for recognizing a clear and present danger. However, she should not be punished for failing to anticipate an unthinkable act against someone she had never met. This lawsuit is disturbing in its cold pursuit of insurance company dollars despite the human cost. Two women who should be united in a common tragedy are now cast as adversaries. That is wrong.
You would think that Valerie Hunter and Sheryl Stack would have a lot in common. Both lost their husbands on February 18, 2010. On that day, Andrew Joseph Stack, III burned down his own house and then crashed his plane into the offices of the Internal Revenue Service. His grievances were somewhere between borderline and ridiculous. Both women were directly affected by the misguided acts of Andrew Joseph Stack, III. However, in the bizarre world of insurance coverage and litigation, Sheryl Stack now finds herself being sued for failure to prevent an insane act.
According to the allegations of the Original Petition filed on February 22, 2010, some four days after the tragedy:
Defendant Stack was threatened enough by Joseph Stack that she took her daughter and stayed at a hotel the night before the plane crash. Defendant Stack owed a duty to exercise reasonable care to avoid a foreseeable risk of injury to others including the decedent. Defendant Stack breached that duty resulting in the death of Vernon Hunter. As a result, Plaintiffs are entitled to actual damages, exemplary damages, interest and court costs.
Let's summarize here. The lawsuit claims that just because a woman had enough sense to take her daughter away from a threatening situation but did not stop him from carrying out his ultimate plan, she is just as responsible as the crazed pilot.
This is insane on two levels. On a strictly legal level, the law of negligence is based on the existence of a duty and the foreseeability of harm. If you drive a car, you have a duty to exercise reasonable care not to crash into someone else. If you drive drunk, it is foreseeable that your judgment might be impaired to the point where you injured someone. Applying that standard to the present case, if you are fearful for the safety of yourself and your child, does that mean that you have a duty to prevent your husband from committing an act of terrorism against someeone you have never met? It seems a stretch. If you are afraid that your husband might hurt you or your child, should you be expected to know that he would take off in an airplane and attack a governmental office? Again, it seems a mighty stretch.
This is troubling on a moral level as well. Sheryl Stack is being sued for failure to prevent an insane act. Why? Insurance policies do not provide coverage for intentional, criminal acts. However, they often cover negligent acts. Thus, by accusing the widow of negligently failing to stop her husband, Valerie Hunter has a possibility of making an insurance company pay for her loss. Of course, to do that, she must accuse a fellow widow of culpability. Putting it bluntly, Valerie Hunter is seeking to blame Sheryl Stack so that she can get a payoff from an insurance company. That is just wrong.
The loss that Valerie Hunter suffered cannot be calculated. Her husband was a good man. He died a hero. However, heroes, or the families of heroes, shouldn't beat up on other victims. By seeking to profit from her husband's death, Valerie Hunter cheapens his sacrifice. She also seeks to punish a woman who did the right thing. Sheryl Stack got her daughter and herself out of harm's way. Sheryl Stack should be commended for recognizing a clear and present danger. However, she should not be punished for failing to anticipate an unthinkable act against someone she had never met. This lawsuit is disturbing in its cold pursuit of insurance company dollars despite the human cost. Two women who should be united in a common tragedy are now cast as adversaries. That is wrong.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Taylor Swift Continues Passive Trend, But This Is a Healthier Outlook
Taylor Swift is America's sweetheart. The 19 year old country crossover singer has gathered a lot of attention from being upstaged by Kanye West to dating the Werewolf from Twilight (also named Taylor) to hosting Saturday Night Live. Her songs are really catchy and hard not to love. However, her first single, "Love Story," really bothered me. It was about a girl who passively waits to be rescued like a Disney princess, while the men in her life sort things out.
Her latest song, "You Belong With Me" also features a girl who passively pines away about her situation. However, this is a passivity born of wisdom rather than weakness. "You Belong With Me" is about a girl who wants to move up from being the best friend to the girlfriend. Unfortunately, her buddy has a flashy cheerleader girlfriend and she's not sure that she can compete. Taylor sings, "She wears short skirts/I wear tshirts/She's cheer captain/And I'm on the bleachers."
However, this is not merely a case of jealousy. The best friend has to sit back and watch as the other girl rips into her guy about everything from his sense of humor to his choice of music. So what's a girl to do? She could go confront the cheerleader and have a cat fight. She could tell her guy friend why this girl is poison. Or she could retire to her room and sing, "Why can't you see-e-e?/You belong with me-e-e."
However, I think the message of this song is markedly different from "Love Story." In this song, the girl dutifully plays the role of best friend, being there to support her guy even when he makes poor choices. Rather than force a confrontation and risk losing the friendship, she continues to hang out with the guy and be supportive. Being a friend is hard when you hope to be more. However, in this case, it is what the guy needs. So, in a passive sort of a way, Taylor's character is the one doing the saving instead of being saved this time around.
Her latest song, "You Belong With Me" also features a girl who passively pines away about her situation. However, this is a passivity born of wisdom rather than weakness. "You Belong With Me" is about a girl who wants to move up from being the best friend to the girlfriend. Unfortunately, her buddy has a flashy cheerleader girlfriend and she's not sure that she can compete. Taylor sings, "She wears short skirts/I wear tshirts/She's cheer captain/And I'm on the bleachers."
However, this is not merely a case of jealousy. The best friend has to sit back and watch as the other girl rips into her guy about everything from his sense of humor to his choice of music. So what's a girl to do? She could go confront the cheerleader and have a cat fight. She could tell her guy friend why this girl is poison. Or she could retire to her room and sing, "Why can't you see-e-e?/You belong with me-e-e."
However, I think the message of this song is markedly different from "Love Story." In this song, the girl dutifully plays the role of best friend, being there to support her guy even when he makes poor choices. Rather than force a confrontation and risk losing the friendship, she continues to hang out with the guy and be supportive. Being a friend is hard when you hope to be more. However, in this case, it is what the guy needs. So, in a passive sort of a way, Taylor's character is the one doing the saving instead of being saved this time around.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
You Can't Hurt the Government Without Hurting Real People
We had a real scare this week when an angry person crashed a plane into an IRS office in Northwest Austin. I was out of town when I heard about it. My wife works for the IRS, but it was not her office that was hit. As a result of heroics by first responders and volunteers, good training and a well-designed building, only two people died.
The perpetrator had a list of grievances against the IRS that went back 20 years. He was upset that he couldn't deduct his home as a church, that a change in the tax laws allowed him to be treated as an independent contractor and that he had to pay taxes and penalties on funds prematurely withdrawn from a retirement account. There was also something about his wife's undeclared income. He finally decided that "nothing changes unless there is a body count" according to his final statement.
While Andrew Joseph Stack III only managed to create a body count of two, it is important to remember his victim. Vernon Hunter was a 68 year old African American man. He served 20 years in the military and had worked at the IRS for 20 years. After his second retirement, he planned to work with children with learning disabilities. He was active in his church. He had three children, three step-children and seven grand-children. In short, Vernon Hunter was a good man. Joe Stack tried to strike a blow against the government. Instead, he killed a good man.
There has been angry rhetoric against the government for as long as I can remember. We have had the militia movement and tax protestors. More recently we have the Tea Party activists who refer to the "usurper" in the White House and rail about how we are being turned into an unconsitutional, totalitarian, socialist state. On the left we had protestors who brought Molotov cocktails to the Republican National Convention.
To those who are angry, I say this: Use your First Amendment freedoms to protest, organize and demonstrate. Rail against injustice. Speak out. However, when you cross the line into violence, be aware that you are hurting real people with real faces and real families. If the plane had struck a different IRS office at a different time of day, my wife could have been a victim. If doesn't do any good to rail against Andrew Joseph Stack, III because he is gone. I just hope that other angry souls will realize that you can't hurt the government without hurting real people, people like Vernon Hunter.
The perpetrator had a list of grievances against the IRS that went back 20 years. He was upset that he couldn't deduct his home as a church, that a change in the tax laws allowed him to be treated as an independent contractor and that he had to pay taxes and penalties on funds prematurely withdrawn from a retirement account. There was also something about his wife's undeclared income. He finally decided that "nothing changes unless there is a body count" according to his final statement.
While Andrew Joseph Stack III only managed to create a body count of two, it is important to remember his victim. Vernon Hunter was a 68 year old African American man. He served 20 years in the military and had worked at the IRS for 20 years. After his second retirement, he planned to work with children with learning disabilities. He was active in his church. He had three children, three step-children and seven grand-children. In short, Vernon Hunter was a good man. Joe Stack tried to strike a blow against the government. Instead, he killed a good man.
There has been angry rhetoric against the government for as long as I can remember. We have had the militia movement and tax protestors. More recently we have the Tea Party activists who refer to the "usurper" in the White House and rail about how we are being turned into an unconsitutional, totalitarian, socialist state. On the left we had protestors who brought Molotov cocktails to the Republican National Convention.
To those who are angry, I say this: Use your First Amendment freedoms to protest, organize and demonstrate. Rail against injustice. Speak out. However, when you cross the line into violence, be aware that you are hurting real people with real faces and real families. If the plane had struck a different IRS office at a different time of day, my wife could have been a victim. If doesn't do any good to rail against Andrew Joseph Stack, III because he is gone. I just hope that other angry souls will realize that you can't hurt the government without hurting real people, people like Vernon Hunter.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The Rancid Smell
This is the time of year that strains my sanity. Valeska works nights at the IRS from February through April. That means that I get to leave work early to ferry kids to religious ed and math tutoring, fix dinner and help with homework.
Last night I was trying less than successfully to multitask, simultaneously helping Stephanie with her math, working on a brief and fixing dinner when I noticed a strange smell in the kitchen. Actually I had noticed it earlier as I was running out the door to take Kristen to math tutoring. It was a strange rancid smell. I sniffed around the kitchen and determined that it was not coming with the stack of dishes in the sink. I thought I identified the smell as coming from the grease drippings we had stored in a can, but the smell continued. Finally, I tracked it down to the steamer. Last week I had steamed some brocolli for dinner. I forgot to pour out the water from the steamer. After a few days the leftover brocolli water had taken on the consistency and smell of a fetid marsh. Who would have guessed that brocolli water could go rancid?
Last night I was trying less than successfully to multitask, simultaneously helping Stephanie with her math, working on a brief and fixing dinner when I noticed a strange smell in the kitchen. Actually I had noticed it earlier as I was running out the door to take Kristen to math tutoring. It was a strange rancid smell. I sniffed around the kitchen and determined that it was not coming with the stack of dishes in the sink. I thought I identified the smell as coming from the grease drippings we had stored in a can, but the smell continued. Finally, I tracked it down to the steamer. Last week I had steamed some brocolli for dinner. I forgot to pour out the water from the steamer. After a few days the leftover brocolli water had taken on the consistency and smell of a fetid marsh. Who would have guessed that brocolli water could go rancid?
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