#52 Ancestors: My great grandfather Carl Sternitzky

Hello everyone!  I am back!!!  Sorry for the long delay in posts -- things have been crazy around here.  Awhile ago I had read a post or a tweet about great grandparents and it got me thinking.  I was so lucky to know six of my eight grandparents.  My younger cousins aren't as lucky and so I wanted to pass to them and future generations some of the fun memories that my parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and I have of them.  So I set off gathering stories -- and it was so much fun.  People say they don't have any good stories, but with a few prompts or questions, they are off to the races.  So without further ado, my first story infused biography on my great grandfather Carl Heinrich Sternitzky.....

            My great-grandfather, Carl Heinrich Sternitzky, was born on 13 January 1896 in the town of Lynn in Clark County, Wisconsin.  He was the fifth of six sons born to Albert Carl Sternitzky and Louise Garbisch.  

            Carl attended school in Clark County and finished the seventh grade.  His family farmed and Carl followed suit.  The 1920 United States Census for Lynn, Clark, Wisconsin, shows Carl living by himself on his own farm.  He had struck out on his own by 23. 

            On 14 May 1924, Carl married Blanche Ethel Wittke at the Mapleworks Lutheran Church in Granton, Clark, Wisconsin.  Blanche’s family thought Carl would be a successful match for Blanche as he had his own farm.  Between 1925 and 1937, Carl and Blanche had six children:  Duane, Arlene, Shirley, Douglas, Patty (my grandmother), and Donald.  A few months after Donald was born, Blanche left the family.  Probably suffering from post-partum depression, she said she was just overwhelmed being so young with six children – she was not yet 30 years old. 

            The 1940 U.S. Census has Carl living in Lynn, Clark, Wisconsin.  He is divorced (he filed and received custody of the children – Blanche did seek custody of the two youngest, but did not receive it).  He lists his occupation as a farmer.  According to daughter Patty (Sternitzky) Farnsworth, not long after she was born in 1936, Carl also began selling insurance for Lynn Mutual (a company his grandfather founded).  She said that he rode with the milkman to sell his first policy which was for life insurance.  Listed in the household are the four oldest children, but the two youngest (including my grandmother) were missing.  I asked my grandmother about this and she said that maybe they were hiding.  Apparently when anyone official-looking came to the house, the younger children would hide because they were afraid they would be taken away from their father.  However, after a little more searching, I did find the two younger children staying with their maternal grandparents (they would sometimes visit for a week or two at a time). 

            My grandmother said that her father made sure his children went to school and church.  Even if the kids were out the night before, they were expected to be up for church and Sunday school every weekend.  Though they didn’t have much money when she was little (late 1930s-early 1940s), he always made sure they had new clothes for school and for the church Christmas program.  He instilled in them the importance of family and they spent nearly every weekend with his brothers and their children. 

            After the kids were grown, Carl remarried in 1962.  He and his new wife Elizabeth Buchsteiner had no children together.

            As part of this biography and the others of my great grandparents, I wanted to speak with my aunts, uncles, parents, etc to get stories and recollections about their grandparents.  Everyone I spoke to remembered Carl as a kind, gentle man who loved his family dearly.  He didn’t yell at people and he didn’t talk poorly of anyone.  Everyone talked about how he would take anyone who wanted to a Milwaukee Braves/Brewers game.  He would buy everyone tickets and once everyone got there, he would buy whatever snacks you wanted.  He loved Leinenkugel’s beer in bottles (which he told me was root beer), Copenhagen (which he would tell his grandchildren was candy), and telling stories.  He had an amazing memory for not only people’s names but also for stories and poems.  My uncle remembers him telling stories in German when they were camping and everyone remembers him reciting a clock poem (which has been recorded).  All of his children would come together every year for his birthday and enjoy his favorite dishes:  oyster stew, potato dumplings and poppy seed dumplings (or as they are known in our family:  zee zee zee zee zum zums).  My mom said that every Christmas Eve, after they finished their church program, they would take a present out to their grandpa.  He always had oranges, peanuts, candy and money for the kids.  Carl never wore blue jeans instead opting for slacks, a button up shirt, tie, jacket and a nice hat.  Religion was very important to him.  My aunt remembers her and her mom taking Carl to a special church service that was conducted in German.  He remembered all the old German songs and prayers and he really enjoyed that. 

            Carl Heinrich Sternitzky passed away on 24 January 1985 at Neillsville Memorial Hospital in Neillsville, Clark, Wisconsin.  His cause of death was a stroke.  He was buried in Neillsville.  I think my great grandpa would be proud that a lot of what he instilled in his children has passed down to my generation and beyond.  Our family is our number one priority, we try to be compassionate, hard working people, and we contribute to our communities…..and just like Great Grandpa Carl we love to tell stories, laugh, and eat a lot of potato dumplings.