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.

Camp Wakanda and more

The 14th page of Sally’s photo album featured a collection of photos taken during her stay at Camp Wakanda on Clear Lake (north of Wausau, near Tomahawk, Wisconsin). A few other assorted photos filled the page as well.

Sally was involved with the Y.W.C.A. The Girl Reserves were set up for younger girls and there groups including the Live Y’ers for older girls.

Camp Wakanda

In the Wausau Daily Herald on 06 July 1923, an article was published titled, “Y.W.C.A. Girls To Camp Next Week – Will Spend Week at Camp Wa-Kan-da on Clear Lake – Have Good Program.” Sally was listed among those who would leave for camp on Thursday, July 12th for a week at camp. Others listed were Sarah Marie Alexander, Clara Bachman, Loretta Butenhoff, Emily Crocker, Flora Flatter, Esther Hamler, Natalie Heinzen, Lydia Henkleman, Arleen Kickhoefer, Irene Kronenbugle, Elizabeth Lemke, Ethel Luedtke, Emma Lyon, Gertrude Olson, Clara Pagel, Gladys Pearson, Emily Sickler, Florence Swartz, and Elsie Thompson. Several of those girls were or would become close friends of Sally and can be found on other pages in her photo album.

Camp days began at 6:30 a.m. and ended with lights out at 9:30 p.m. The schedule was full with a regular routine of setting-up exercises, morning dip, flag raising ceremonies, camp work, Bible class, nature study, handicraft, group discussions, supervised recreation, swimming, games, and an evening filled with a campfire with songs, stories and stunts.

Pictured: Clear Lake.

Location: Camp Wakanda, near Tomahawk, Lincoln County, Wisconsin.

Date: July 1923.

Miss Alma Blandlin, Camp Executive

Miss Alma Blandin was the 33-year-old camp executive at Camp Wakanda. She was born in Nebraska and gained employment with the Young Women’s Christian Association – the YWCA. Her career took her to Wausau, Wisconsin when the YWCA was started there in 1920. The Ladies Literary Society in Wausau had done a study to determine which organization might most benefit the community. They chose the YWCA and established a local organization. Miss Alma Blandin served as the first general secretary from 1920 until her death in 1942.

Pictured: Alma C. Blandlin

Location: Camp Wakanda, near Tomahawk, Lincoln County, Wisconsin.

Date: July 1923.

Exploring

Sally (in dark hat and dark top) and two friends enjoying camp life.

Pictured: Selma Cornelia Aschbrenner and two friends.

Location: Camp Wakanda, near Tomahawk, Lincoln County, Wisconsin.

Date: July 1923.

Lake Life

Two camp friends perching by the lake.

Pictured: Unidentified.

Location: Camp Wakanda, near Tomahawk, Lincoln County, Wisconsin.

Date: July 1923.

Swimming in Clear Lake

Activities at camp included nature study, handicraft, and swimming. There were also many books available so that the Girl Reserves could work on earning reading credits while at camp.

The leaders were all women except for two young men who worked as swimming supervisors and lifeguards.

Pictured: Selma Cornelia Aschbrenner (center) and two friends.

Location: Camp Wakanda, near Tomahawk, Lincoln County, Wisconsin.

Date: July 1923.

Indian School?

Sally poses with Native American boys. It’s not known whether this photo was from her days at Camp Wakanda or another time in her life. It seems more likely, given how she is dressed, that the photo was taken years later when she was involved with Indian schools. The photo, perhaps fell out of the album and was inserted in the wrong spot.

Pictured: Selma Cornelia Aschbrenner.

Location: Unknown.

Date: Unknown.

In the car

While this photo wasn’t labeled, it appears to be Sally’s Aunt Laura, with her young daughter Evelyn on the running board with older daughter, Elsie, far left, and an unidentified girl inside the car.

Pictured: Possibly, From top left, Elsie Edna Aschbrenner, unidentified, Evelyn Ruth Aschbrenner, and Laura Fehlhaber Aschbrenner.

Location: Possibly Wausau, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Date: circa 1923.

Big House

Sally (third from left) poses outside a big house. Whose house? Where was this?

Pictured: Selma Cornelia Aschbrenner, third from left. Remainder unidentified.

Location: Unidentified.

Date: circa 1923.

Child and dog

This is probably Sally’s young cousin Evelyn playing with a dog on Sally’s parents’ farm.

Pictured: Probably Evelyn Ruth Aschbrenner.

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

Date: circa 1923.

Snow in Wausau

This photo shows two unidentified friends posing with their car in the aftermath of a snowstorm.

Pictured: Unidentified.

Location: Wausau, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Date: circa 1923.

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

Aunt Laura

Laura Fehlhaber Aschbrenner was one of Sally’s maternal aunts. She was married to Sally’s uncle Ed.

Elsie Aschbrenner

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

Evelyn Ruth Aschbrenner

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

Selected sources:

“Y.W.C.A. Girls To Camp Next Week,” Wausau Daily Herald (Wausau, Wisconsin) 06 Jul 1923, page 7 (https://www.newspapers.com/image/272515506/ : accessed 05 Jul 2020).

“The YWCA Was First Started Here in 1920,” Wausau Daily Record-Herald, 17 Apr 1967, page 4 (https://www.newspapers.com/image/272866363/ : accessed 25 Jul 2020).

The Aschbrenner Family