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.

Transportation, Scenery, Extended Family, and School

The second page of Sally’s photo album featured a collection of photos taken in and around 1920.

The dear old …

The Aschbrenner family’s first Ford was photographed. Sally captioned it, “The dear old ____, 1920.” Sure wish I could read that last word. Can anyone tell what it says?

Update: Thanks to Jim again! The missing word was “flivver.” Not a word that I’ve ever heard before, but now I know. According to the dictionary, a flivver is a cheap car or aircraft, especially one in bad condition. It was a nickname for the Ford Model T.

Location: Highway A, Town of Berlin, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Date: 1920.

Don’t Look!

Sally’s brother, Freddy, was photographed riding a horse. The caption was, “Don’t Look!”

Pictured: Frederick Carl Aschbrenner.

Location: Highway A, Town of Berlin, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Date: 1920.

Pals

In this photograph labeled, “Pals,” Freddy (the taller boy) and a friend are pictured with a bicycle.

Pictured: ? and Frederick Carl Aschbrenner.

Location: Town of Berlin, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Date: 1920.

Prim little mother

As a teenager, Sally lived with her aunt Laura Fehlhaber and uncle Edward Albert Reinhart Aschbrenner in the city of Wausau so that she could attend high school. She was recorded with them when the 1920 Federal Census was taken. The family lived at 922 4th Avenue South. This photograph, of a child with her doll and pram, may have been taken when Sally lived there. Note the house number “922” above the front door. While previously a guess was made, and written in the album by someone other than Sally, that the photo was of Laura and Edward’s youngest daughter, Evelyn Ruth Aschbrenner, it is probably more likely a picture of their older daughter, Elsie Edna Aschbrenner. Most of the photos on this page are from 1920. Elsie was born in 1913. Evelyn wasn’t born until late 1921.

Pictured: Elsie Edna Aschbrenner.

Location: 922 4th Avenue South, Wausau, Marathon, Wisconsin.

Date: 1920.

Apple Blossoms, 1920

The next photo was titled, “Apple Blossoms, 1920.” Our first reaction may be, “oh, I wish that was in color.” But, it was just being able to take any candid photo was a treat in 1920.

Location: Town of Berlin, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Date: 1920.

Henry Aschbrenner’s residence — Iowa

Did Fred, Alice and the kids take a trip to Iowa? Or did the Iowa relatives mail a photo home to Wisconsin? The following titled, “Henry Aschbrenner’s residence — Iowa,” must have been the Bremer County, Iowa, home of Heinrich Friedrich August Aschbrenner – Henry for short. Henry was the 1st cousin of Sally’s dad, Fred. Note that Fred had a brother named Henry too, but that Henry remained in Wisconsin, so this house belonged to the cousin, who was about the same age as Fred.

Location: Leroy, Bremer County, Iowa.

Date: circa 1920.

Aren’t we pretty??

Well yes. Perhaps? But who are you? A toddler looks on as a group of women congregate. But the people aren’t labeled. Who are these beauties?

Pictured: Unknown.

Location: Unknown.

Date: circa 1920.

Gladys and William caught

Did these adorable little children run away from the adults? The caption makes you wonder. To whom did Gladys and William belong?

Pictured: Gladys ________ and William _________.

Location: Unknown.

Date: circa 1920.

Leona and Willie and their team

These cooperative farm dogs were all harnessed up to pull the dandy wagon for Willie and Leona Beilke. Leona Frieda Emma Beilke and William Martin Otto Beilke were first cousins of Sally. Their mother, Mathilde A. Emilie Fehlhaber Beilke was a sister to Sally’s mom, Alice. The Beilke’s like Sally’s family, lived in the Town of Berlin in Marathon County.

Pictured: William Martin Otto Beilke and Leona Freda Emma Beilke.

Location: Town of Berlin, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Date: circa 1920.

Grand View School, 1920

Grand View School was built in 1909. It was located in section 29 of Berlin Township (the Town of Berlin) in Marathon County. As was already mentioned, by 1920, Sally was living in Wausau attending the high school there. She may have been the photographer but was not in the photo. Her brother Freddy may be somewhere in the picture.

Pictured: Grand View school children and their teacher.

Location: Grand View School, Town of Berlin, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Date: 1920.

Coming and Going

This last photo is a real treasure from a family history perspective. It features Sally’s brother Freddy with their material grandfather, Carl F. Fehlhaber.

Pictured: Carl F. Fehlhaber and Frederick Carl Aschbrenner.

Location: Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Date: 1920.

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

Elsie Aschbrenner

Sally and Elsie were double 1st cousins. Their mothers were sisters and their fathers were brothers.

Heinrich Friedrich August Aschbrenner

Heinrich Friedrich August Aschbrenner, also known as Henry, was a first cousin to Sally’s dad.

Leona and Willie Beilke

Leona and Willie were Sally’s first cousins.

The Aschbrenner Family