Genealogy Data Page 13 (Notes Pages)

For privacy reasons, Date of Birth and Date of Marriage for persons believed to still be living are not shown.

Freund Hilda Helena [Female] b. 28 JAN 1898 Andale, Sedgwick Co., KS - d. 11 MAY 1997 St. Anthony Cem., Garden Plain Twp., Sedgwick Co, KS

Source
Title: Nostarks.FTW

Article from the Times-Sentinel on 03/06/1997.

Local woman shares memories of her long life, history of Goddard, Garden Plain, Andale area.
By Sandie Kelsey

With more people living to be 100, Hilda Jaax, of the Andale-Goddard-Garden Plain area, could actually see her lifetime span three centuries!
With remarkable resilience, which has seen her bounce back from near-death during a childbirth to escaping the Andale tornado of 1917, this remarkable pioneer woman is not only alive and well, but quick witted and eager for visitors.
Jaax was born on January 28, 1898 in Andale to John and Elizabeth (Gorges) Freund. Her mother came by wagon train from Wisconsin and settled at a small place, formerly known as Germania (a few miles north of Goddard.) Her father also travelled with his family from Wisconsin and settled west of Wichita among the many German settlers, eventually moving to Andale.
As a child, she was always friendly and out-going nick-named "The Little Chatterbox" by an early Andale businessman. As a young girl, she was a great roller skater, often meeting friends at local ponds in the winter for ice-skating. She loved to dance at the local community dances. Youth in that generation found their own activities in the form of pasture baseball and softball games. Loving people, she worked as a clerk in the local general store. She was truly and early "liberated woman" as working in public was not common among teen girls in those days.
Some of her early childhood memories include making barrels of homemade sauerkraut, to be sold and candling the eggs brought in by the farmers. She will never forget the day she was visiting her best friend's home in Andale. Fortunately, she left only a few hours before a devastating tornado ripped through the area, destroying the home, and taking the life of her friend and friend's family. She bounced back from the trauma, and grew into an energetic young wife and mother.
Hilda met her husband Ed at a party when hew as visiting his first cousin, Charles Lies, who lived near Andale. They were married at St. Mary's Cathedral in Wichita on July 29, 1919, and lived near Garden Plain on three quarters of farm and pasture land, in which two of those quarters now encompasses Lake Afton. Cattle roamed the pasture-land (Lake Afton) and farming on a bigger scale than norm involved doing the work with horses and a one-bottom plow to till the soil. She was proud to be a farm wife and living in a strictly rural area was a transition for this city girl. She lived 5 1/2 miles from the nearest town, via dirt roads.
To this union, 5 children were born: In 1922, her first child, mervene Evelyn was born and died within a couple days. In 1924, Billie Scheer, of Wichita, was born, followed in 1928 by Sherley Weber of Goddard, and in 1931, Edward K. of Garden Plain, and in 1941, Jacqualine Weber of Wichita. When asked what it was like raising her teenagers, she readily admitted that youth did not have the pressures of today, nor the influences of television. Children walked, rode horses and later car-pooled to high school. Getting from here to there was a true community effort. According to Jaax, most families disciplined their children the same, so children respected their elders. The parents also supported the teachers discipline at school. Social concerns involved giving good advice to their children. Do not smoke; especially, don't sneak a smoke in the barn! Sex, and pregnancy was never discussed in front of children, and marrying at 16 and 17 was very common, according to Jaax.
Another adjustment was having to board and cook for hired hands early in her marriage. Her husband, due to illness, needed help with much of the farm work and it was left to Hilda to prepare food for as many as 20 men during a busy day. And ordinary breakfast would consist of eggs, meat, fried potatoes, toast, milk, coffee and home-canned fruit. Then to the garden for lunch, which required digging potatoes, picking and cleaning vegetables, catching and cleaning chickens, frying them and making homemade bread, and pies. This was served at "high noon." Supper was served and on occasion, the family was blessed with a bedtime treat of homemade ice cream, made from her eggs, milk and cream, topped with home-made chocolate syrup.
Billie Scheer, daughter of Jaax, recalls helping her mom milk the cows by hand, cooling the milk with well water, bottling it in glass bottles, sealing with cardboard lids and keeping it cool in a Coca-Cola cooler with ice (50 lb. blocks) delivered to the farm. She then delivered the cold bottled milk to the lake, in a wash tub, placed in the trunk of their '37 Ford at 10 a.m. break and lunch time, to the W.P.A. workers, who built Lake Afton. She sold the milk for 5 cents a pint.
Washday did not allow Jaax the luxury of throwing a load into the Maytag while watching a favorite TV show. The day began with pumping well water, transporting it by hand, and heating it on a wooden stove, which had to be stocked from the wood pile. She began with a wash board. A hired hand would pump the water for her. Her husband referred to this man as "an electric motor" because he could pump so fast. Hilda was thrilled the day her husband installed a one-cylinder engine, which sounded like a John Deere, to ease her wash day. Ironing included ironing everything, tea towels, bed sheets, and starched cottons. She began with a flat-ioron heated on a wood stove, then on to a gas iron, and eventually to an electric iron.
The highlight of her week was taking her home-produced eggs, sour cream, cream, and early-day home churned butter to Garden Plain or Wichita, to sell and purchase her groceries for the family and for entertaining. "Mom and Dad's door was always open for visitors," said daughter Jacquie. "Mom has always been such a giving person." As daughter Sherley Weber of Goddard recalls, "Mom was working when I woke up in the morning and she was still working, when I went to bed."
During her years in Garden Plain and surrounding communities, she took an active part in helping organize activities for the one-room school's box suppers, plays, and the "last day of school" picnic celebrations. She was active in Farm Bureau, Daughters of Isabella, Ladies VFW Auxiliary, and St. Anthony Church's Altar Society.
Hilda maintained her household until the fall of 1987 when she moved to Wichita. In October, 1994, the Catholic Care Center became her home. Now she enjoys the visits of family, including 15 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren. The same family values have been carried on from generation to generation: Closeness to and worshipping of God, respecting other's religious beliefs, maintaining high morals and practicing personal discipline, never poking fun or laughing at physically or mentally challenged people, and "If you can't say something nice about someone, say nothing."
When asked what was the secret of her longevity, Jaax replied, "I've always had as much fun as the kids have!" I still like to dance!
With nearly 1,000 people in this country at least 110 years old, Hilda Jaax, with her spontaneous sense of humor and jest for life could very likely become one of them.

Genealogy Data Page 13 (Notes Pages)

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