Name/Title
Letter, Sidonia Kuenzi Retz to Margaret Berg, Waupun Historical SocietyDescription
756 Irvine St., #315
Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
August 28, 1985
Mrs. Margaret Berg
Waupun Historical Society
Waupun, WI 53963
Dear Margaret:
Several years ago–in 1981, to be exact–I wrote you concerning the display at the museum of several articles which I thought might be of historical interest,.
My husband's health has failed and last fall we decided to time had come to give up our house on the beautiful White River in Arkansas–a sad decision. We moved to an apartment in Minneapolis near Reuben's brother, but I was not satisfied and continued to look for a more desirable home. On July 12 we moved into the Chippewa Manor Retirement Center. It is a small apartment (850 sq. ft.), but adequate, and we have emergency call service and eat our noon meal in the dining room. Reuben has two relatives (he grew up north of Menominie), including Mother and my sister, Margaret.
So I no longer have room for my treasures and decided it was time to turn them over to the Historical Society. I am giving you aq brief history of each, which I hope will make them more interesting to viewers.
1. The red "nursery rhyme" quilt was embroidered by me when I was 4 to years old (it took me two years). At that time all the women did embroidery, quilting, etc. and I had a grandmother, Mrs. Gottfried (Emilie) Kuenzi, and mother who enjoyed teaching me, especially since I was the first baby in our family. The quilt was put together and quilted by my mother, Mrs. Ben (Adeline) Kuenzi, who also lived with us. It won third prize when displayed at the Wisconsin State Fair; I'm sorry I don't have the ribbon. Since nursery rhymes are now completely outdated, I thought perhaps there should be a copy of the rhymes to explain the pictures, so I am enclosing a page with this information.
2. The small flat-irons were a Christmas gift to me when I was probably 5 or 6 years old. I think they are quite valuable because of their small size, although I learned to my dismay that the set would be more valuable if the cover were still on the box. Of course I had to have an ironing board, so my pare4nts had this one made for me. I not sure, but I think it was made by Mr. August (?) Erdman, Lizetter Erdman's father, who
Margaret Berg -2- 8/28/85
I believe lived on North Watertown Street. I spent many happy hours ironing my doll's clothes.
Can you imagine a child today playing at ironing?
3. The purple ribbon with my name and "Dodge County" at the top was my identification
tag when I represented Dodge County at the Achievement Contest at the State Fair in 1929. I'm sorry to say I didn't win at the state level!
4. The little jewelry box was part of a dresser set (mirror, comb, brush, etc.) which was a confirmation gift to me in 1929. This sort of accessories were very popular at that time.
If you can not use the two items, just discard them.
If my contributions are of any value, I would appreciate your sending me a receipt indication their monetary value which I can use for income tax purposes.
Mother and Margaret are visiting us just now, and I introduced them to another couple here, Gilbert and Florence Hogle, and added that the Hogles grew up in Brandon, Margaret said you were from Brandon, and when I asked if they knew you, of course they did, and asked to be remembered to you. It's a small world!
I hope my quilt, etc. will be a worthwhile addition to the museum. If you need any further information about them, let me know and I will do my best to help. Maybe some day I can get to Waupun again, but at present I don't leave my husband at all (except that I have a nurse with him 4 hours a week).
With warm best wishes to you and the Historical Society—
Sincerely,
Sidonia Kuenzi Retz
sr
P. S. I like your logo–The End of the Trail!
The nursery rhymes illustrated on the quilt are, beginning at the upper left corner:
1.
2. There was an old woman who lived in a shoe, She had so many children she didn't know
what to do, So she gave them some broth without any bread and whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.
3. Jack and Jill went up the hill to get a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.
4. Old King Cole was a merry old soul, A merry old soul was he; he called for his pipe and called for his bowl and called for his fiddlers three.
5. Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row.
6. Simple Simon went a-fishing for to catch a whale but all the water that he had was in his mother's pail.
7. Jack Sprat could eat no fat His wife could eat no lean, and so between the both, you see they licked the platter clean.
8. Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet eating her curd and whey. Along came a spider and sat down beside her and frightened Miss Muffet away.
9. Bye baby bunting Dadd's gone a-hunting to get a little rabbit skin to wrap his baby bunting in.
Nursery rhymes Page 2
10. Ride a cock horse to banbury cross to see a white lady upon a white horse. With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes She makes music wherever she goes.
11. Humty Dumty sat on a wall, Humty Dumpty had a great fall, all the kings horses and all the kings men couldn't but Humty Dmpty together again.
12. Jack, be nimble Jack, be quick Jack, jump over the candle stick
13. Little bo-Peep has lost her sheep and can't tell where to find them; Leave them alone and they'll come home bringing their tails behind them.
14, Rub-a-dub three men in a tub and who do you think they be? The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker turn the all out , knaves all three.
15. Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard to get her poor doggie a bone, but when she got there the cupboard was bare and so the poor doggie had none.
16. Rock-a-bye baby in the tree top when the wind blows the cradle with rock when the bow breaks the cradle will fall and down will come baby, bough, cradle, and all.
17. Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn the sheep are in the meadow, the cows in the corn where's the little boy that looks after the sheep? He's under the haystack fast asleep.
18. The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts all on a summer's day. The knave of Hearts he stole the tarts and took them all away.
Nursery Rhymes Page 3
19. Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater, had a wife and couldn't keep her. He put her in a pumkin shell and there he kept her very well.
20. Little Jak Horner sat in a corner eating his Christmas pie; he stuck in his thumb, pulled a plum and said, "What a good boy and I!"
Margaret,
I did these from memory, and after 60 years I just can't remember the first one or the last line of
#14, but I will try to find them and send them on when I do. Sorry!
This is a DVD intetview with Sidonia Boon filmed by James Laird at Eagles Wings Assisted Linving Center in Beaver Dam on July 20, 2009. Assisting Mrs. Boom are her neice Beverly Hanson and museum assistent Joyce Beier.Acquisition
Accession
2009.0016Source or Donor
Sidonia Retz BoomAcquisition Method
Donation
