Matrilineal Monday - Hengel

This weekend I was presented with a treasure trove of photos and documents that will undoubtedly be the focus of many a post to come.  This time I'll start with my wife's mother's family, in keeping with the Matrilineal Monday theme. 

My wife's mother's maiden name is Hengel.  I've been relatively unsuccessful in tracking them very many generations back, nor very much detail on the individuals I did know about.  Thus I was tickled pink to get my hands on my mother-in-law's old photos and documents!  Part of the aggregation (I can't call it a collection, it's almost totally unorganized, a problem I shall have to attempt to correct) is an old photo album from my mother-in-law's mother, with many photos dated 1920!  Regrettably few have names or places associated with them.  I'm hoping my mother-in-law can assist with some names.  Another major item is a scrapbook from my wife's great aunt, with literally dozens of obituaries, anniversaries, engagements and weddings from the local newspaper.  Much of this is documentation I've never seen before.  This is the one part of this treasure that contains a lot of useful dates and names along with the faces!  I find myself wishing I had one of those new portable scanners the bloggers are all raving about.  Most of the scrapbook is articles glued in place, difficult to scan on  flatbed.

Another treasure in the group is a set of World War II Ration Books.  They look like this:

World War II Ration Book circa 1943

As you can see, I get a lot of useful data from just this one piece.  A name and address, and even physical description and occupation!  The folder of ration books included one for each member of the family at that point.  Even as historical artifacts, these ration books are of interest, but throw in the personal data and they become very valuable in telling the family story.








Another item found in the box is a heavily laminated copy of the obituary of Wilhelmine C. (Lommel) Hengel, the owner of the ration book above.  It gives the names of many family members, birth and death dates as expected, and a marriage date.  Funeral location and time and burial place are included as well.  Unfortunately, it doesn't include first names of female family members, instead opting for Mrs. Husband Name. 

A Tribute

published in the pages of

The St. Cloud Daily Times

ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA

APR 20 1972

Memorial Obituary

Entered Into Eternal Rest

Thursday, April 20, 1972

MRS. VICTOR HENGEL

  Mrs. Victor (Wilhelmine)hengel Sr. 71, 707 14th Ave. S., died today.  She was born here Wilhelmine Lommel Sept. 29, 1900, and married Victor Hengel Nov. 24, 1927.  He died Nov. 24, 1965.  She lived here all her life.

  She was a member of St. Ann's Christian mothers and St. Margaret's Society.

  Mrs. Hengel is survived by sons and daughters, Victor Jr., Virgil and Mrs.Marvin Theisen, St. Cloud; Eugene, Red Wing, Minn.; 18 grandchildren; and brothers and sisters, Mrs. August Meyer, St. Paul; Mrs. Raymond Weismann, Minneapolis; Mrs. Raymond Uberecken, Denver, Color.; Mrs. Betty Stewart, Walnut Creek, Calif.; Mrs. Herschel Hieberg, Wallace, Idaho; Gilbert Lommel, Kimball, Minn.; Ed and Sally Lommel, St. Cloud; and Jerome Lommel, Modesta, Calif.  She was preceded in death by a daughter and a brother.

  Funeral Services are at 10a.m. Saturday at St. Mary's Cathedral with burial in Assumption Cemetery.

  Pallbearers will be Donald, Robert and Karl Lommel, Robert and Michael Hengel and James Meyer.

  Friends may call at the Daniel Funeral Home after 2 p. m. Friday.

  St. Ann's Christian Mothers will say the rosary at the funeral home at 3 p. m. Friday and St. Mary's Cathedral parish will say the parish prayers at 8 p.m. Friday.

Watch this space for further treasures to be revealed!