Selma Cornelia Aschbrenner, known as Sally, grew up in Marathon County, Wisconsin. As an adult she spent a short time working in Washington D.C. before returning to Wausau to marry and raise a family. This series of posts takes us page by page through the photo album of her teen years and young adulthood. She was an active and vibrant gal. These photos show her doing things she could no long do when her mobility became limited in the following decades.

She collected photographs. Lots and lots of photographs. She took most of them and posed in many. This series gives us a glimpse of Sally’s young life, through her own pictures.

Costumed, Water, and Winter Hiking

The 19th page of Sally’s photo album featured photos of Sally dressed up for some special occasion, a couple water scenes, and photos from a winter outing. The photos were likely taken between 1923 and 1925, as a couple of the photos feature Sally in front of their temporary Wausau family home.

Costumed or Dressed Up?

Sally is especially dressed up in these photos. Her clothing is unusual. Was it a costume? Was it normal, but special-occasion attire? Where was she going dressed like this?

Pictured: Selma Cornelia Aschbrenner.

Location: 1215 South Eighth Avenue, Wausau, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Date: circa 1924-25.

The River in Winter

This photo is a view of the river in winter. The Big Rib River meets the Wisconsin River in Wausau.

Location: Wausau, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Date: circa 1924-25.

Boating

This photo seems misplaced. It may have fallen out of the album and been stuff into a random page. It shows two unidentified women and an unidentified man boating on an unidentified body of water.

Pictured: Unidentified.

Location: Unknown location in Wisconsin.

Date: Unknown.

Winter Outing

The next photos may have been from a Live Y’Ers hike. Since the photos are not labeled, we cannot be sure of the year. But, as an example, on January 30, 1924, the Wausau Daily Record-Herald reported, “The Live Y’Ers met at the home of their advisor, Mrs. Robert Altman, 522 Adams street, last evening, and made plans for taking a hike Sunday morning. The girls will leave the Y.W.C.A. building at half past ten o’clock and hike to the C.G. Krueger cottage. All who wish to go are asked to telephone Miss Elizabeth Lemke.”

There was mention of a Live Y’ers hike in 1925 as well. The group didn’t just hike, but it seems to be one of their chosen activities.

A very enjoyable meeting of the Live Y’ers was held last evening beginning with a 6:30 o’clock supper at the Y.W.C.A. After a short business meeting, at which plans were made for a hike to Krueger’s cottage on Maple Hill March 22, the girls went to the rooms of Miss Constance Harger and Miss Caroline Churm, interior decorators at 612 1/2 Third street, where a most pleasant and profitable evening was spent. The Misses Churm and Harger illustrated their talks with their materials and showed the value and relation of color combinations in their use in the home. The making and use of drapes with harmonizing pillows was very interesting, and their discussion of the old-fashioned hooked rugs, the American orientals, was unusually educational.

– Wausau Daily Record-Herald, Tuesday, March 10, 1925.

The Live Y’ers pose during a stop on their hike. A list of names is found on the back of the photo. An assumption can be made that these were ladies in the photo who wanted a copy of the picture. The names were Selma, Olga, Erna, Anna, Natalie, Ruth, and Mabel. We know that Selma is our Sally. She is found wearing a light colored hat, in the middle group of ladies, with her face partially hidden.

Pictured: Selma Cornelia Aschbrenner and friends from the Y.W.C.A. Live Y’ers group.

Location: Wausau, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Date: circa 1924-25.

This photo of Live Y’ers had the following names written on the back: Selma, Erna, Anna, and Martha. Sally isn’t in this picture, so guessing the list of names were just of those who wanted a copy of the photo.

Pictured: Members of the Y.W.C.A. Live Y’ers.

Location: C.G. Krueger cabin on Maple Hill, Wausau, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Date: circa 1924-25.

The Live Y’ers, having reached their destination, were setting up for lunch. Sally is found in the photo, the smiley lady, fifth from the left. Others listed on the back of the photograph were, Ruth Zastrow, Erna, Anna, and Erna D.

Pictured: Selma Cornelia Aschbrenner (5th from left) and members of the Y.W.C.A. Live Y’ers.

Location: C.G. Krueger cottage on Maple Hill, Wausau, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Date: circa 1924-25.

Another Hike?

The last photo on this page of Sally’s album featured some other hikers. These folks do not look like the rest of the Live Y’ers. Perhaps they were others visiting the area that same day?

Pictured: Unidentified.

Location: Wausau, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Date: circa 1924-25.

Many thanks to Uncle Chuck Krueger for gifting Sally’s photo albums to me. I suppose I’m the only one who is obsessed enough with family history to spend hours and hours doing something with them. Of course, I thought I should find a way to share.

I didn’t join the Krueger family soon enough to meet Sally. She died 15 May 1983, just two weeks after I started dating her grandson (now my husband). I’m sad that I missed getting to know her. I’m glad that she left a legacy of photos that help me see a side of her that maybe even her own family didn’t get to see.

Many of the faces and places in the photographs are not labeled. If you can help identify someone or someplace, correct any mistake I may have made, or otherwise add to the story, please contact me, for example by submitting a comment. Thanks.

Who is Who?

Fred and Alice Aschbrenner family

Sally Aschbrenner, the subject of this series of posts, was the daughter of Alice Rosalie Fehlhaber and Frederick A. Helmut Aschbrenner. She had one brother named Freddy.

Three-generation pedigree chart

Selected Sources:

“News of Society,” [Live Y’ers] Wausau Daily Record-Herald (Wausau, Wisconsin), 30 Jan 1924, page 5 (https://www.newspapers.com/image/272635032/ : accessed 02 Aug 2020).

“News of Society,” [Live Y’ers] Wausau Daily Record-Herald (Wausau, Wisconsin), 10 Mar 1925, page 5 (https://www.newspapers.com/image/272539659/ : accessed 02 Aug 2020).

The Aschbrenner Family