Who's who in Grandma Nora's 1913 world

Anna, Nora, Mamie

I'll keep adding to this as stuff pops up. 

At the beginning of 1913: 

Eleanor - Nora - Bauer was 18 years old. 

    - she was living at home with her parents and sisters, 525 Helm Street, Logansport, Indiana
    - working for Barnes Construction as the bookkeeper. 

Parents: 
Felix Benedict Bauer (1862-1945), owner and proprietor of a tavern
Barbara Rosfeld (1863-1934)

Siblings: 
William Francis Bauer (1888-1971)
Mamie E. Bauer (1890-1984)
Anna M. Bauer (1891-1956)
* Nora - (1894-1951)
Gertrude Bauer (1898-1992) twin
Herman Bauer (1989-1986) twin

Paternal aunts and uncles: 

1. 1855: Maria, lived two months. 
2. 1856: Twin A stillborn
3. 1856 Twin stillborn 
4. 1856: John Jacob (the Uncle John of this post)
5. 1859: Valentine
6. 1860: Elizabeth
7. 1862: Felix - twin (Nora's papa)
8. 1862 Suzannah - twin (I think it's funny that their parents gave the twins their first names)
9. 1864: Anna
10. 1865: Lana (who I suspect is really named Helena...therefore Aunt Lena!) 
11. 1867: Frank
12: 1868: Joseph - twin
13. 1868: Mary - twin (I giggled at Joseph and Mary as twin names)
14. 1869: Nicholas
15. 1872: Bernard - twin (died at birth)
16. 1872: Philomena - twin
? 1872: Minnie (born nine months after the twins, but I suspect IS one of the twins, Philomena) 
17. 1874: Francis - twin (died at birth)
18. 1874: Adam - twin (died at birth)
19. 1876: Clara 

Two Noras: January 1, 1919 and January 1, 2025

Nora Bauer: Wednesday, January 1, 1919

Raining this morning but turned in to snow and very cold by evening. Went to 9 oclock Mass and worked the rest of the day. Aunt Minnie was over for dinner. Went to the Colonial tonight and saw Mary Pickford in "Johanna Enlists" It was fine. 

Nora Spitznogle: Wednesday, January 1, 2025

It snowed a touch last night and cold today. I was EME at 10:00 Mass at Saint Joan of Arc. Schaun and Chris helped me move a new-to-me washer and dryer to the basement. Aaron and I went to dinner at Pawn Shop Pub. 

I enjoy the challenge of recounting my day in the same number of words as Grandma Nora described her day, but it makes for some awkward sentences. 

Today is holy day in the Roman Catholic Church, the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. 

Grandma Nora would have attended Saint Joseph's Church in Logansport, Indiana and the Mass would have been said in Latin. The Bauer's had a long history with the parish and Nora's dad, Felix B. Bauer was part of the team that produced the bricks used to build the church. More on all of that later...

I lit the three candles on the right in honor of my two grandmothers and my mama. 

Unfathomable to Grandma Nora would have been the thought that her granddaughter would not only be attending Mass said in English, but would be serving as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist - helping to distribute communion.   

Aunt Minnie was one of Nora's papa's younger sisters. 

Here's a little bit about the film that Nora went to see. 

In 1919 the film would have been silent. You can watch it by clicking here if you like. 

My day was exciting in a different way. I got a new-to-me washer and dryer from my friend Kassie. 

Only I wasn't too excited about giving up my 29 year old washer even though my clothes often came out of the wash cycle with rust stains from the crumbling drum. The washer was a from a set that my parents gifted me when I moved in the house - here is a recounting of that day. https://nora-leona.blogspot.com/2016/11/dont-look-gift-horse-in-mouth.html 

Saying goodbye to the old washer - it was picked up from the curb by a metal scrapper in no time. 

My friend Schaun (his truck), Chris (my Red Key co-worker and Schuan's nephew) took care of the whole thing, with a little help from Aaron (my beau and player in the story of my old washer getting hooked up) and me. 

Aaron and I went to dinner at the Pawn Shop Pub and ran into some of my Red Key co-workers. It was a nice start to 2025.

Grandma Nora's cash account entry for this day shows: 

1-1    Cash on Hand        3.52
         Cash in Bank   1365.97
                                                     Show                       .25   
                                                     Car Fare                  .30  

Two Noras: September 10, 1914 and September 10, 2021

Nora Bauer: Thursday, September 10, 1914

Gertrude and I went to singing class tonight and afterwards went down to Uncle John's. Aunt Minnie and Uncle John are going home tomorrow. 

Nora Spitznogle: Friday, September 10, 2021

Today was a typical Second Helpings work day, followed by a reception for retiring CEO, Jennifer Vigran - it was lovely and the Mayor attended. 

Grandma Nora's Uncle John and Aunt Minnie have been visiting for a whole month. Wouldn't that be lovely? I assume that John and Minnie were living in Saint Peters, Franklin County, Indiana. 

We hosted a reception for our retiring CEO. The parking lot/garage party went well. With the current surge of COVID-19 cases, we wanted to make it as safe is possible. The Mayor, Joe Hogsett, attended and gave Jennifer well-deserved praise. 

Michelle Woodruff (manager of Second Helpings volunteer services), Lisa Harris (board member and CEO Eskenazi Health), Jennifer (CEO Second Helpings), Kathy Jones (executive chef Second Helpings)

Two Noras: August 21, 1914 and August 21, 2021

Nora Bauer: Friday, August 21, 1914

Clara went home this afternoon. Aunt Minnie and Uncle John went back with her. Anna went out riding with Carl this evening. 

Nora Spitznogle: Saturday, August 21, 2021

Indiana State Fair - today was the Pioneer Village Farm Auction. Bought
1920's Purdue suitcase and wildly impractical ironing contraption. Worked at Key. 

I'm not sure where Grandma Nora's Aunt Minnie (Philomena) and her husband John were living at the time. Aunt Minnie lived several places, including southern Indiana where we was born, Logansport, Denver, and Iowa. She and her husband are buried in the Bauer cemetery, in  Marion County, Iowa. Another place to visit! 

It's fun that Nora noted that her sister, Anna, when out with Carl this evening. Anna and Carl Gingrich would marry 6.5 years later, on May 19, 1921. I would be born 40 years after that on May 19, 1961. 

I had another fun day - I love the Farm Auction in the Pioneer Village. All of the money goes to Purdue Ag Alumni to help fund Pioneer Village. 

I purchased a beautiful suitcase owned by Helen Edmonson from Clayton, Indiana (Hendrick's County) - she attended Purdue in the mid-1920s. Another person to research! 

I also purchased this crazy ironing cabinet. I opened the bidding assuming I'd get outbid....ha! 

I made it all the way around the Fairgrounds. I had an unsettling conversation on the Tractor Tram. I woman was chiding me for wearing a mask (we're all sitting shoulder-to-shoulder) and told me that God is disappointed with me. I started with a flip reply, that wearing a mask can't hurt...and it went downhill from here. She told me that God will cure everyone on his own time. I replied that I think that God has given us the tools and we need to use them. She then told me that I wasn't a good person. I hopped off the Tram at the next stop and had a good cry in the cow barn bathroom. Uggh. 

I worked at the Red Key tonight. Nice and busy! 

Two Noras: August 16, 1914 and August 16, 2021

Nora Bauer: Sunday, August 16, 1914

Was to 7 o'clock & 10 o'clock Mass today. Also went to Vespers. The whole bunch of us kids went down to the office tonight. Uncle John & Aunt Minnie were over today. 

Nora Spitznogle: Monday, August 16, 2021

Worked today, the usual mix of meetings and emails. Grocery shopping after work. Dinner with Kassie and Schaun at a chicken salad place - I love that the calories were listed on the menu. 

This is an intriguing post....how many kids is a bunch of kids? Did they go to her work office? I think that Aunt Minnie was visiting from somewhere else. Now that I'm convinced that she's Philomena I can dig deeper. 

This was a Monday of my every-other Monday that I have dinner with Kassie and Schaun. Chicken Salad Chick is delicious - and they made it easy to eat within my calorie goal. The free cookie they tossed in was a problem....

The new-this-year Indiana State Fair schedule of being closed on Mondays and Tuesdays is a little odd, but it is nice to have a night "off." 

Two Noras: August 13, 1914 and August 13, 2021

Nora Bauer: Thursday, August 13, 1914

Had another nice rain this afternoon. Went to singing class this evening. Uncle John and Aunt Minnie were over too. 

Nora Spitznogle: Friday, August 13, 2021

Worked today, met friends at Indiana State Fair this evening, followed by beautiful chamber music at the Propylaeum with Kassie. 

I've been thinking about this all day and I'm almost positive that Grandma Nora's Aunt Minnie's real name is Philomena. That said, I have two different birth years in my Ancestry.com tree. I'll add it to the long list of things I want to research. 

I've also been thinking about how Nora has only mentioned her mom once in 7.5 months and hasn't mentioned her dad at all. I assume that Felix works a lot at the tavern, but I still think it's odd. Since so many of her Dad's family visit, I'm guessing they all get along. Anyway, those are my deep thoughts for the day. 

I had another fun-filled day. I went straight from work the Fairgrounds. I met up with a woman that I met at the last Fair (2019). Lisa was the judge for my cake that won a giant Best of Show ribbon. She found me on social media - with the name Nora Spitznogle, it's pretty hard to hide - and stopped me on opening day of the 2019 to introduce her self. 

Since she's not a judge this year, Lisa entered several things in the culinary open show and did quite well. I did do better than her in one category...ugly lamps! Her's got an honorable mention.

I walked out of the Agriculture-Horticulture building just in time for the parade and literally bumped in to Tammy - what a happy surprise!  We watched the parade and decided that we now officially had a State Fair Happy Hour tradition. 

Sun King brewed a special beer for the State Fair. The State Fair Funnel Cake beer was brewed with actual funnel cakes. I liked it, although I think I would enjoy it more as a winter beer - it didn't have that drinking in the hot sun vibe. 

Tammy and I solved all of the world's problems - again. 

I went home long enough to toss my fold-up chair in the car and headed back downtown to the Propylaeum to meet Kassie.  This edition of the summer porch series featured newly composted classic music pieces. It was a beautiful end to the evening. 

Two Noras: August 12, 1914 and August 12, 2021

Nora Bauer: Wednesday, August 12, 1914

Was down to Uncle John's tonight. Uncle John and Aunt Minnie are here. We played the spelling game. Had a real good time. 

Nora Spitznogle: Thursday, August 12, 2021

Worked this morning. Went to the State Fair with Kassie this afternoon. I entered the Heirloom Recipe Contest. Had a pineapple whip in Dad's honor. 

The time I spent in this entry! At least I had a breakthrough....Grandma Nora's Uncle John is her papa, Felix's brother. I was stumped about who Aunt Minnie was. Uncle John's wife, Anna Kunz, died in 1910. I thought that maybe John had remarried....then it dawned on me that another way Minnie could be Nora's aunt is if she was her dad's and John's sister. Bingo! And I suspect that Minnie is a nickname for Philomena. That said, I've found two different birthdates for Minnie and Philomena, both in 1872. It's clear that I need to dive deeper. 

In my defense, Great-Great-Grandpa Felix and his wife, Suzannah had NINETEEN (or twenty) children. You read that right. 19 (or 20). Even if I've miscounted, that's a boatload of kids. 

Actually, let's count....

1. 1855: Maria, lived two months. 
2. 1856: Twin A stillborn
3. 1856 Twin stillborn 
4. 1856: John Jacob (the Uncle John of this post)
5. 1859: Valentine
6. 1860: Elizabeth
7. 1862: Felix - twin (Nora's papa)
8. 1862 Suzannah - twin (I think it's funny that their parents gave the twins their first names)
9. 1864: Anna
10. 1865: Lana (who I suspect is really named Helena...therefore Aunt Lena!) 
11. 1867: Frank
12: 1868: Joseph - twin
13. 1868: Mary - twin (I giggled at Joseph and Mary as twin names)
14. 1869: Nicholas
15. 1872: Bernard - twin (died at birth)
16. 1872: Philomena - twin
? 1872: Minnie (born nine months after the twins, but I suspect IS one of the twins) 
17. 1874: Francis - twin (died at birth)
18. 1874: Adam - twin (died at birth)
19. 1876: Clara 

That's five sets of twins.
Six children that either died at birth or didn't live to be more than a year old. 
Thirteen (or fourteen) times being pregnant. 
Twenty-one years of pregnancy. 

God bless Suzanna Senior. 

I had a nice day at the Indiana State Fair. My favorite contest was today. The Heirloom Recipe contest sponsored by the Greater Midways Food Alliance, working to preserve family recipes.  The contest is judged 50% on the recipe and the rest is on the history and story. I got second place - with a recipe and story about the Gremelspacher side of the family in 2013. Here is my story and Irish Soda Bread recipe from 2014. 

Even if I didn't enter Dad really enjoyed the contest. I would press him for a favorite Spitznogle recipe, but he could never come up with one. He would always talk about what good cooks his sisters were, but not a favorite family family meal...and that always made me sad. I'm guessing that as the youngest of 10, not a lot of time was spent making food beyond the basics. 

I have an idea of what to enter next year, Mom found a recipe card with a recipe for ice cream written in Dad's hand - and we know how Grandma Nora felt about the frozen treat. 

Anyway, I wanted to enter something in Dad's honor, but I didn't have a lot of time and am still feeling pretty raw. I'll share the recipe and what I wrote another time...this post is getting pretty long. 

Kassie and I stopped for a Pineapple Whip on the way out. It was a State Fair must-have treat for Dad. It was my first one ever - it was delightful!