A kind reader sent Dusty D a truly amazing artifact: a scan of an 8-page letter written by a servant working at 118 S. Huron, Henry P. Glover's home. Glover was at various times the mayor of Ypsilanti, the vice president of the Ypsilanti Savings Bank, president of the local Scharf Tag Label and Box Company, a founder of the Dress Stay Company, and a director of the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Street Railway Co. Ypsilanti was his oyster, and in his exquisite home this powerful and wealthy man likely enjoyed the finest of clothing, entertainments, and rare and rich foods.
In contrast, up in Glover's dormer-room servant's quarters, his
domestic servant Bertha Charlotte Wiederhoft looked forward to her widowed mom's dinner of potato pancakes.Bertha wrote her friend Emma in Canton, "I cant hardly wait till supper as mother is baking potato pan cakes I can taste them now you probably know how they taste so I won’t have to tell you." Later in the letter, Bertha added, "Say Emma I have just got through with my supper + the Pototas Pan Cakes were fine + ate so much that I can hardly write."
Bertha's widowed German mother Eva had lost 2 of her 10 children when they were under 1 year old. Eva's handsome German husband Frederick died in 1903.
Bertha's sisters also worked as domestics, including her school-aged younger sister Mary. 
Bertha's spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, handwriting, and extremely limited interests hint that she, perhaps like Mary, was forced to leave school in order to help support her mom and siblings. Judge for yourself: here is the letter's transcription:My dearest Emma-
Ypsilanti Mich
No 1 06
It is with pleasure I am answering your dear letter which I received yesterday + were more than pleased to hear from you. We are all well at the present writing + hope you are the sameAnna [Bertha's older sister] and I are having our vacation this week + think It quite nice to have a rest for a week. But are having it quiet cold for our vacation. Although it is real pleasant + don’t mind the cold. We went to Ann Arbor Tuesday to Ida’s + had a very pleasant time
had much fun with the baby. + yesterday we went out in the country to my Cousins on the Smith farm + spent the day there + had a nice time + today we stayed at home as I wanted to do some sewing. I made a waist for myself Monday + finished it today so you see I am quiet smart I wish you were here just this minute Mary is just acting up terrible I cant hardly wait till supper as mother is baking potato pan cakes I can taste them now you probably know how they taste so
I won’t have to tell you. Minnie [Bertha's younger sister] + I did not go to Dearborn Sunday as the weather was very unpleasant + thought it best to stay at home I went to Church in the morning + the wind all most blew my head off. You probably wont be able to read this letter as the boys & Anne are bothering me so I can hardly write. Say Emma I have just got through with my supper + the Pototas Pan Cakes were fine + ate so much that I can hardly writeYou wrote about having a mother with five children + we think they must be Bunnies But perhaps the boys may be mistaken. We looked for your Father + Mother last Sunday + thought they would come But Mother thought they wouldn’t come as it was so terrible windy + quiet cold + hope they can come Sunday. Emma two Doctors died here last week Dr. Mc. Andrew + Dr. Fraser was our family doctor both died. + Dr. Willcoxon is not expected to live as he has quick Consumption Well Emma my news are getting short so must close looking for a welcome letter from you in the near future. Love + kisses from us all.
I remain as ever
Your friend
Bertha
Bertha Wiederhoft
118 South Huron Ypsilanti
Mich
Back of envelope: stamp with “CANTON / N/ 2 / MICH.”
Front of envelope: Miss Emma King [?]
Canton
Wayne Co.
Michigan
R. F. D. #.1.
Though probably one of the poorer people in Ypsilanti in 1906, lacking even a father, working a menial job, and likely from a financially straitened home, Bertha sounds ebullient, loving, and outgoing. She teasingly boasts to Emma about her completed waist, seems concerned about the death of her family doctor, and had fun on her simple outing of a trip to her cousin's farm.
Bertha's good qualities were recognized by Herman Kruger. They married two years after Bertha wrote this letter.
Bertha and Herman celebrated their golden anniversary on July 22, 1958 with their son Frederick and daughters Rosena and Carol.Bertha almost made it to her 60th anniversary with Herman. She died in the spring of 1968.
She is buried in Denton Cemetery.
Many appreciative thanks to the kind reader who sent this letter! Truly amazing.
References:
1. 1910 Census, showing Bertha's mom widowed status and her siblings' ages and occupations.
2. 1905 Glen Mills directory of Ypsilanti & Ann Arbor (snippet shown), showing Bertha's and her sisters' occupations.
3. Holding-Wiederhoft family genealogy page.
4. Ancestry.com McCullough pages
YOU are amazing! Thank you so much for providing the history on Bertha! Knowing some history on the house and its prior owners, I figured she must be a servant and I wondered if there would be any way to find out more about her. I never imagined you would find out so much. Thank you again for doing this and SO quickly!
ReplyDeleteThe letter is interesting, but learning about the author's later life was icing on the cake. There are been many occassions when I've seen a document in the archives and thought, "I wonder what happened to that person." Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw your question as to Emma's last name, then saw the photo of the wedding party (Emma Kruger) I looked at the horribly stained envelope again and it's Emma Kruger! Sweet!
ReplyDeleteBob: Thank you for your kind comment! There is so much information coded into those old census documents--I've spent hours poring over different Ypsi census pages since starting this blog. Fascinating stuff. So informative about individuals and, even if you look at only one page as a whole, the society of the time: occupations, literacy levels, &c.
ReplyDeleteK.P.: You are most welcome; it was a real thrill to see this old letter.
ReplyDeleteKruger, not King, is the name on the envelope! That means that, if Herman is Emma's brother, Emma went from being Bertha's friend to her sister-in-law. Nice.
For what it's worth, my take on the "mother with five children...Bunnies" remark was a reference to a riddle Emma had previously written Bertha.
ReplyDeleteSomething like, "Bertha, you'll never guess who moved in to share our property! It's a mother with five children...can you guess who it is?"
One more tidbit: acc'ing to the 1930 census, the 45-y.o. Herman was working as a press operator in a stove factory and Bertha's 20-year-old son Frederick was a printer.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely Kruger! Again, so fun to see all of these photos. I am so amazed that such great records existed back then and have been preserved.
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful to see Bertha's letter posted and I'd like to thank volunteer Laura Bien for pointing this out to me. I see someone found the pictures and information on Bertha that I had posted to my on-line family tree at Ancestry. It's great to see someone took the time to research Bertha's history. I will pass this link on to her grand-daughter Diane and daughter Carol. I'm sure they will enjoy seeing this as well. Emma Kruger was a sister of Herman Kruger. Herman was one of six children who all grew up in the Ypsilanti and Denton area. Herman and Bertha have many descendants still living in the area. What a joy to see this preserved! Thank you! Karen Mills
ReplyDeleteDear Ms. Mills:
ReplyDeleteWhat a thrill that someone visited here who knows actual relatives of Bertha! Thank you, Ms. Mills, for confirming that Emma was Herman's sister, and for being very nice about my borrowing your wonderful pictures of her.
Thanks for the letter, however, are due only to reader K.P., a former owner of 118 S. Huron in Ypsilanti, who shared this wonderful and valuable letter.
p.s. for any relatives of Bertha kindly visiting: you can click on each letter's page to enlarge them for downloading/reading.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful way to start the day! I just loved reading my Grandma's letter. She was a wonderful person. I spent a lot of time with her when I was growing up.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for posting this!
Dear Diane:
ReplyDeleteWhat a real pleasure and delight to know that K.P.'s sharing of the letter led to Bertha's granddaughter's ability to read it. That really makes my day. I am so glad you had a chance to see it! You are very welcome, and thank you for visiting!
Hi Diane. I'm so that you found this and I'm so thrilled to see your post! I never imagined that DD would find out so much about your grandmother from just a letter - she's amazingly talented and dedicated! And it reminds me of the importance of recording the history of our families as Karen did (such an amazing job also!). I have been wondering who Bertha was and just can't believe that it was pieced together so quickly and that an actual granddaughter of Bertha is posting here now!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I would love to know so much more! Did you know Emma also? How did Bertha and Herman meet? It was probably a speck of time in a wonderful long life, but did she ever talk about the Glovers or the house at 118 S. Huron? Anything else you can tell us about her?!
Otherwise, I'm just speechless :)
Me too. And I would also respectfully ask Diane if she might share a story or two, especially an Ypsilanti story, if she is comfortable doing that.
ReplyDeleteThat would be a rare and special treat and a wonderful contribution to Ypsilanti history. I would be spellbound to read it, after becoming acquainted with Bertha W. via her wonderfully preserved letter!
Diane, as a stranger, I hope you don't feel I'm overstepping the bounds of politeness by asking...I'm just completely fascinated by this letter and the wonderful personality it reveals.
Thanks again for visiting!
So many thoughts and memories come to mind when I think about my Grandma Kruger. She was a very special person. I spent a lot of time at their house in Ypsilanti. (208 North Prospect) The house is gone now. (I did build a miniature of that house, right down to the swing on the front porch!) Grandma and I would sit on the swing in the afternoon and then head across the street to the dairy for an ice cream cone.
ReplyDeleteThe 1906 letter brought to mind Grandma's sisters too. When Grandma and the "Aunties" would come to visit, it was non-stop talking. Everyone talked at once! It was quite an experience to have Grandma, Aunt Minnie, Aunt Anna and Aunt Selma (a sister not mentioned in the letter) all talking to you at the same time and, of course, about different topics!!
Aunt Anna and Aunt Minnie lived in the upper left side apartment in what is now the Historical Museum in Ypsilanti. I loved going to visit them, because of getting to climb that curving stairway. I believe both Aunt Anna and Aunt Minnie worked in the underwear factory. They were very proper ladies. Nothing in their apartment was ever out of place. When you went to visit you could not touch anything and I remember that I had to sit very still, which was very hard for me!
Grandma's house was fascinating. Sometimes she would have baby chickens in the kitchen. She kept them in a cardboard box in the corner. I was so intrigued watching the little babies. When they got bigger she moved them outside to the chicken yard, just off the lean-to garage in the back. I remember going with Grandma to gather eggs, something I did not like to do. Grandpa like to keep his chickens mean and they were always pecking me. It has taken me years to begin to appreciate chickens!
You asked if I knew Emma. Yes, she was my Aunt Emma Brown. That was another house where I enjoyed visiting as a little girl. One time she gave me my mom's old dollhouse. Oh, was I thrilled. It is still in the family and I made a miniature of it for the miniature of my Grandma's house. Aunt Emma lived on a farm, so there were always lots of animals to see and places to explore.
Bertha's widowed mother, my Great Grandmother and I share the same birthday in December. I still have one of her Sunday blouses (black) and this fancy lacy thing that she wore on her blouse. I am not sure what you call it.
I don't remember Aunt Mary. She died when I was about 6 years old. She fell off the back porch and broke her neck. Aunt Mary, Aunt Anna, Aunt Minnie and Aunt Selma are all buried in Highland Cemetery.
Diane: Thank you SO much for sharing those wonderful recollections. I was so thrilled to see you visiting here again. I really enjoyed your comments above--so vivid and evocative! You have helped bring this lady and former Ypsilantian to life for me.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Carol: Bertha's Daughter,
ReplyDeleteThe roosters name was Hermi that would peck at people. "I believe both Aunt Anna and Aunt Minnie worked in the underwear factory" the Trojan laundry is where they worked. I remember walking down the street and could see them by the windows ironing sheets. I agree with Diane that my Mom was a very special person and very fun loving. I have fond Memories of the dairy across the street. Ice cream cones and the day I was sent across the street to get a quart of milk and I was tossing it up in the air and then I dropped it. Mom came over and cleaned it up and she didn't even scold me or it.
My Mother was a great cook I can still taste her potato pancakes and oatmeal vookies. When my daughter Christine was born in 1962 she baked a chocolate cake for me. My parents were very good to my children, they played with them, held them on their laps to watch tv and gave them goodies.
Bertha was the peace maker between her sisters, when they had an argument each one would call her and give their point of view.
My sister Rosena would make me crepe paper costumes for the school plays at Prospect school.
I was an Aunt at the age of three when my brother Fred and Elnora (Smith) had a baby boy Leroy Kruger. I would go to stay at there house on Tuttle Hill rd. and I always had a lot of fun there. Aunt Elnora always made the best fudge.
I still have my Mother's Wedding veil and engagement rings. The wedding dress was used to make clothes for my sister Rosena.
They had a beautiful yard and when I was naughty I would get locked in the attic. My sister Rosena would sneak up and let me out.
I have a lot more great memories of my Mom and Dad living in Ypsilanti.
Thanks a lot for posting the letter it brought back lots of great memories!!!
I also have some pictures I would like to share if that would be ok?
What wonderful recollections--I could just picture the shattered milk bottle!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kindest generosity in sharing your memories of Bertha Wiederhoft!
Yes, pictures would be absolutely fantastic! If you like you can mail them to dustydiary (at) gmail.com. I would love to make a special entry just for the pictures--the least I could do for your kindness in your sharing so much!
Thank you!
I went in search of the house at 118 South Huron today so I could take some pictures of it. Was surprised when I saw it as I would not have called this a mansion. The Glover family must have live in this house firsy before they moved into a real Glover mansion at the corner of Washington and ?. I think that Bertha must have went home each night after working for the Glovers, because of her comment about her mom's potato pancakes. They only lived a shart distance away at that time (111 Catherine Street). Those pancakes must have been special because my mother would talk abou them often, even up into her 80's. Bertha's mother of course was my mom's grandmother Eva. Anna was my Grandma.
ReplyDeleteEva, Anna, Minnie, Mary & my mom Marie all lived on Catherine Street together.
Susan M.
I wanted to correct myself as I see as I went back through this original posting that Eva and her daughters address was still on Race Street so now I must peg down when they moved from Race to Catherine Street.
ReplyDeleteSusan M.
Susan M.: You are contributing so much valuable and fascinating information here--I really want to thank you!
ReplyDeleteThat is such a touching and poignant detail about the potato pancakes. They must have been the best in Ypsilanti.
Regarding visiting 118 S. Huron, there's a new post up about it with more detail and some photos; I hope you enjoy it.
Susan: Race and Catherine were two parts of the same street as you know--the part that bent southeast at the river and followed along the millrace was called Race, and, for part of its history, "Race or Pierce" (nice of them to give you a choice). :)
ReplyDeleteI was wondering who has this original letter and where was it found?
ReplyDeleteSusan Metler
Hi Ms. Metler,
ReplyDeleteI believe the KP commenting in this thread knows where the letter is. I think elsewhere on the blog she commented that it was given to her by a neighbor.
I love the letter you have published from my Great Grandmother Bertha, Her husband Herman, also worked for the City street department and was working a the L.Z Foerster Brewing Co. Ypsilanti Mi. There are photos of him as a late teen boy with other workers from the brewery. Thank you for publishing Great-grandma's letter.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to visit this thread again to see if anyone had commented since...
ReplyDeleteTo Susan Melter - My now ex-husband (Andre) and I purchased 118 S. Huron in 1996 and he now lives there. A few years ago, someone came to the house and gave him the letter. That person had found the letter in the wall of his house during renovation. I wish my Andre had asked the man for contact info or whether or not his house was the address of Emma Kruger on the envelope, but who could know that so much information about the people involved would be uncovered! The person just told Andre that the letter came from 118 S. Huron and should come back to that house. So Andre treasures the letter and keeps it as an artifact of the house. He was kind enough to lend it to me so that I could share it with Dusty Diary.
To Chris Kruger. It is so wonderful to hear from relatives of Bertha and Herman! Thank you for sharing more information.
Kristin Perkins