#TBT Fritz Schuster and Family
My Grandma Raines kept all of the Schuster family photos in a box marked “trophies” on the top shelf of the linen closet. She would often get it out and show me photos of long lost relatives that were completely foreign to me. To her, however, they were memories of childhood and stories of the past. We would sit for hours as she told me story after story. I was fascinated but much too young to appreciate or even remember most of what she said.
I remember the day we actually labeled all of the photos, however. I was a teenager then, but still much less aware of the importance of the labeling activity. I am thankful now, however, that we took the time that day to name everyone. I now know faces and names together, even though I have to sometime check the family tree for timelines. A year or so after MPG and I married, she got the box out one last time and simply handed it to me. She said, “This is yours now. I know you will keep it well.”
The box edges are beaten and a few seams are ripped, but the box and all of it treasured contents are intact. I’m keeping it well.
I hadn’t looked through the photos in several years until this afternoon. I pulled out the photo below, recognizing the faces. On the back is the list of Schuster names and “Schuster Family”. Grandma had a bad habit of labeling her parents as “Mom” and “Dad” and each grandparent accordingly, without names. I had to connect “Grandpa” and “Grandma” in this case … Fritz and Louisa Schuster in the middle. The were both American born from German parents. They lived in St. Clair County, Illinois.
The photo was taken around 1913 judging from the children’s apparent ages. It’s amazing to me how much faster women aged in this era. Louisa is roughly 10-12 years older that I am now … and she simply looks much older. I guess raising all those Schuster boys might do that to a woman!
Grandma had her grandma’s smile.
Top Row: Arthur (1890-1977), Walter (1888-1928), Ed (1896-1974), Bill (1892-1973), Fred (1886-1960)
Bottom Row: Henry (b.1895), Phillip (1883-1973), ‘Grandpa’ Fritz (1859-1947), Alfred (1899-1979), Ella (1903-1990), ‘Grandma’ Louisa (1861-1933), Lena (1885-1980), George (1893-1967)
