Helon Ruth Viertel Knudson

Robert Rachuig sent me this very kind tribute to his cousin Helon Ruth Viertel Knudson, great-granddaughter of Tobias & Wilhelmina Hunger Schulz and August & Henrietta Bernhardt Rachuig.

My special cousin, Helon will speak to me about about sharing this.  -:)

Helon is one of the most giving persons that Joyce and I know.   She is available to help anyone at anytime.  Besides being a wonderful, loving and caring wife, she spends time as a Hospice nurse volunteer, a lot of time serving at the Sunset Home in so many different ways.  She visits. leads in the ladies organizations and gives a great deal of time to fund raising for the home.  She has been a faithful worker at the Pot of Gold helping to sell products that provide help to meet the needs of folks in the Sunset home by helping resell donated products.  She spends more than one full day each week doing this.  They raise close to $100,000 each year.  She helps with a large quilt auction that raises another near $50,000 or more. 

She and Trent are very faithful and involved with their church work At Our Savior's Lutheran Church at Norse about 7 miles out in the country.  They travel all over the state and more to represent their church.  They have served in almost every position of leadership in the church, including (Helon) being on the call team for their  present pastor.  They are full time servants and always available.  They have given up many things for themselves to help others.

Joyce and I are so very proud to be family with them.  They have done many personal things for us and made our life in Clifton more wonderful.  They are one of the main reasons we love living here.
They are the busiest retired couple that I know!
We love them very much and want you to know some of the things about them that make them very special!  The story could go on and on about them!

Love,
Robert & Joyce
 

A Photo of the Extended Schulz Family in 1906

This may be a repeater, but I'm not sure everyone has seen it.  The location is the Tobias & Wilhelmina Schulz home west of Clifton.  The Schulz brothers are standing on the ground to the left.  With them are nephew, Walter Rachuig, Sr., and niece, Hilda Rachuig Krueger.  The children are the son and daughter of their sister, Selma Schulz Rachuig.  

I'm not certain of the women and children in the middle of the porch, but Tobias and Wilhelmina stand on the left.  Selma and her husband Julius Rachuig are standing on the right of the porch.  Selma is holding their son Edgar, whom I've used to date this picture.

 

Tobias & Wilhelmina Hunger Schulz 50th Wedding Anniversary in 1923

I had forgotten that Wilhelmina Hunger and Tobias Schulz were married 140 years ago this month in Crottendorf, Saxony, Germany.

I have better pictures of their 50th anniversary celebration in Clifton.  I'll post them soon, but this is the best I can do on short notice.  This photo was taken at their oldest daughter's in-laws home on Hackberry Street in Clifton.  Their children, grandchildren, and a few of their great-grandchildren appear in this picture.

Here is a newspaper article (plus family history added later) from the Clifton paper.

Click here to view transcription.
 

Anna Schulz & Hugo Viertel Family Tree Diagram

The link below will take you to a family tree diagram for the Anna Schulz & Hugo Viertel family.

Link to family tree diagram.

Hugo Victor Schulz Family History by Wilma Schulz Dean

Here's a history of the Hugo Victor Schulz Family written by Wilma Schulz Dean, daughter of Hugo & Camilla Olson Schulz. Maybe someone in that branch of the family will continue it through later generations.

Link to Hugo Schulz family history.

Selma Schulz Rachuig, 1934

I have good reason to think this photo was taken sometime in 1934, probably just before Selma was to travel to a tuberculosis sanitarium in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. This photo was probably taken as her family gathered to say good-bye. Notice how sickly she looks. She died in January, 1935 of tuberculosis.

The location is her home on Hackberry Street in Clifton. The two little girls are my mother, Sally Rachuig Kelly (left) & Mayme Rachuig Hause (right). The standing adults from left-to-right are Evelyn Rachuig Belcher, Herbert Rachuig (my grandfather), Mamie Adams Rachuig (my grandmother), Julius Herman Rachuig (my great-grandfather), Hildegard Rachuig Krueger, Tobias Schulz, Alvina Beyerstedt Rachuig, Walter Rachuig (Sr.), Wilhelmina Schulz (in front of Walter) and Edgar Rachuig. Selma is the seated woman.

4-Generation Photo of Schulz Women

This photo shows Wilhelmina Schulz, her daughter Selma Schulz Rachuig, her granddaughter Hilda Rachuig Krueger and great-granddaughter Dorothy Krueger Mansur. I'm not certain of the exact date, but it must be around 1923. The location may be the Schulz home north of Clifton. I don't have any good guesses on the identity of the boy in the background.

Tobias & Wilhemina Schulz's 50th Wedding Anniversary in 1923

This photo shows the extended Schulz family celebrating Tobias & Wilhelmina's 50th wedding anniversary on June 8, 1923. The location for this photo is the home of Julius & Selma Rachuig. It still stands on Hackberry Street in Clifton. Selma was the couple's oldest daughter. I have a newspaper account of the celebration which I'll post later.

Herbert Schulz, oldest attendee at the recent family reunion, is one of the little guys in the front. I'll bet he's the one next to his grandfather's left knee.

Schulz Family Picnic About 1919

The first picture shows some of the Schulz family enjoying a picnic in the woods. I can identify just a few people. The third man from the left on the far side of the table (looking down) is Uncle Ben (Bernhardt) Schulz. (He's wearing a vest.) The man to his right may be his nephew Walter Rachuig, but I'm not sure. (He's wearing a dark shirt and vest.) Selma Schulz Rachuig is the woman near the back of the car on the far side of the table. She's looking to her left. Her daughter Evelyn Rachuig Belcher is on her left and wearing a dark hat. The man on this side of the table with his back to the camera (and almost in front of Uncle Ben) is Bruno Schulz. He's wearing suspenders.

I can't be sure of anyone else.



The following picture was taken on the same day. Uncle Bruno is wearing the same clothes. (Note the suspenders.)



This photograph was also taken on the same day. Aunt Evelyn is sitting on her mother's lap. Note the black hat. Julius Herman Rachuig (Selma's husband) is standing on the far right. I'm not sure who the others are, but I assume they are Viertel and Schulz children. The woman on Julius's right may be one of Selma's sisters and mother of some of the children in the picture.

Bruno George Schulz

Bruno George Schulz, 8th child and 4th son of Tobias Schulz and Wilhelmina Hunger Schulz. His grand-niece, Dorothy Krueger Mansur, gave me this picture. It shows her and her brother Willie Krueger, Jr. monkeying around in Uncle Bruno's car. Evelyn Rachuig Belcher (Bruno's niece and Dorothy's aunt) said Uncle Bruno liked to spoil his nieces, nephews, and grand-nieces and grand-nephews. He bought them candy all the time - to their parent's displeasure. Eventually, they learned to find Uncle Bruno when no parents were around.

Uncle Bruno had no children of his own. Apparently, he delighted in his sibling's kids.