New Life • German Roots

Stories of America

Gustave Haupt, Augusta Kontrowitz Haupt, and their eight children.

Decatur, Illinois, USA

Timeline 1914-1980

Stories of Haupt life in East Prussia: Tales From the Land of the Moose

This Tale is filled with tiny bits and pieces of the Haupt family's daily life, where they lived, and how they gathered together.

Click on images to see better detail.

Constable

Somewhere in the family lore I remember being told that Gustav was a constable in Germany. Bochum, maybe? I have never been able to verify that. If you can, please let us know in the comments below!

Finding a Home

The Haupt family was sponsored by the Erdmanns, who had come to America earlier and were already living on Charles Street in Decatur, Illinois. Gottliebe (Kantrowitz) Erdmann was Augusta's sister. They stayed with the Erdmanns for a short while in 1914, then moved to 1605 E. Eldorado (a Subway sandwich shop is there now), then to 732 N. Charles St. (torn down), and finally settling in by 1918 to the house at 1568 E. Sangamon (torn down), next to the railroad tracks. You can see the train in the background of the next photo.

The Haupt Sisters' Children 1939

Decatur's "Little Germany"

New German immigrants to Decatur settled near the German speaking St. John's church and school. The Haupts remained a close knit family throughout the years. All of the siblings chose a home located just a short walk away from their parents.

Her daughter Mart used to say that Augusta was known for her beautiful smile and sweet disposition - loved by everyone who knew her.

Hit By Car

In 1928, Gustav was hit by a car on his way to work early on a January morning. He was seriously injured and had skull fractures.

Gustave's Life After Augusta

After Augusta died in 1940, Gustav lived with Sonny and his family at 1246 N. Woodford. He made beer in the basement. There was a small room behind the kitchen with a bed for him. He used to call his granddaughter Jeannie his "angel" but he always used a hard "g" when he pronounced it.

He would walk Jeannie to Torrence Park where she would play. She was part of a kid’s program there called “Kotlock” but one day she got kicked out because she had misbehaved. Opa walked her home and thought that the whole thing was funny. Verna did not find it amusing. She and Gustav had butted heads another time when he was teaching baby Jeannie to speak German before she knew English. Of course, this was during WWII so that makes sense.

Gustav died on October 16, 1948 when Jeannie was six years old. She remembered waking up one morning and all of her Haupt aunts were crying in the living room. They told her that Opa was dead. She ran to his little room where he lay and threw herself across his round belly and cried and cried, not wanting him to leave her.

Sonny, Verna, and Jeannie Haupt 1944

Honeymooning in Florida

Haupt spouses ------------>

Tubercuosis

This reverse glass painting was created by Frieda's husband Steve around 1940 during his stay at the Macon County Tuberculosis Sanitorium (near today's Memorial Hospital). Helen always had it hanging on the east wall of her Walnut Street basement. I have had it above my bed for the last 30 years.

1933 Marble Champion

Louise Dies in 1964

Gustave and Augusta's oldest child Louise died in 1964. She was 62. I have very few memories of her. My grandmother Helen and my grandpa Fred lived with Louise and John during Helen's pregnancy in 1930.

Parties

The Haupt siblings brought their families together often for weekend parties. There would be beer, dancing, food, and poker games. Every Christmas and every New Year's Eve one of them would host a big celebration for the whole family. The snow mounds would serve as an outdoor cooler for beer. Everybody brought their own six-pack and set it out in the snow. When an adult needed another bottle, they would send one of the kids out to retrieve it.

New Year's Eve 1948

Christmas 1958

Kitchen Ladies

Sometimes the men would congregate in the basement with a penny ante poker game that lasted all night, with cigarette smoke clouding the air. The ladies would tend to the food and washing the dishes, chattering the whole time. Much beer was consumed.

Poker Game

About 1950

1. Ken Wikowski

2. Ken Wikowski Jr

3. Fredy Koprek

4. Fred Koprek

5. Steve Kalinoski

6. Helen Haupt Koprek

7. Bobby Baker

8. Frieda Haupt Kalinoski

9. Roy Baker

10. Tillie Haupt Gordy

11. Dick Baker

12. Mart Haupt Wikowski

13. Hilda Haupt Baker

14. Ken Wikowski III ?

15. ?

PLEASE comment below if you know the name of number 14 or 15.

Fun with Tillie and Wayne

Five Sisters

Dick and Carol Baker, Roy and Hilda Baker, Hattie Lischewski, Fred and Helen Koprek, Wayne and Tillie Gordy, Ken and Mart Wikowsky

Summer Reunion

Every summer everyone came to the Haupt picnic in Fairview Park. It was a time when even the cousins from far away would come home to reconnect with family.

Mart and Tillie

Fishing Together

The Haupt family were poor immigrants. The depression era was difficult and they fished the river often to put food on the table. Fredy talked about using bacon grease to "butter" his toast when he was a child because they could not afford butter.

Years later, Hilda and Roy Baker bought a cabin on the Sangamon River. Summer brought the Haupt siblings together for fishing fun in the 1960s and 1970s.

Helen and Hilda 1973

Helen and Hattie 1972

Music and Dancing

Sometime in the 1970s

Helen and Sonny at the bar. Dianne, Joyce, Hattie, Avis in background.

Polka

When I was a young girl, I was taught to polka by my Aunt Hilda during one of the Christmas parties. We were in my grandparent's basement, everyone was listening to music and suddenly she grabbed my shoulders and off we went, whirling around to the music. It is a fond memory.

Singing

And there was singing. Always. The sisters loved to sing together. One of the songs that I remember is a silly one that was sung after a few drinks. "In Heaven There Is No Beer".

CELEBRATIONS

Confirmation

Living the Lutheran faith was important. Many of Gustav's children dated non-Lutherans but once they married, their spouse studied the catechism and were confirmed into the Lutheran faith. Except Frieda, who converted to Catholicism when she married Steve Kalinoski.

The whole family would gather to celebrate on the Sunday afternoon of a church confirmation. During the 1960s, the parents of a 13 year old confirmand would provide a keg of beer and each family would bring a pot luck dish.

1970 Confirmation Celebration

Adrienne, Carol (Billy's wife), Helen, Dianne, Annette. Sherry is the cutie-pie in front.

Doug, Carol, and Scott

Mart and Ken's 50th Anniversary

Impromptu Sandwich Party

One of Tillie's granddaughters told me, "I remember Uncle Fred would cook a ham in Schnapps. Then he and Aunt Helen invited the whole family over for ham sandwiches and beer. Great memories!!!"

Other snippets about the Haupts can be found in Tales From the Land of the Moose and Ellis Island Immigrant and A Bit About Helen.

Have I misidentified anyone? Please comment below.

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