About April 1909 - Aug 1910
First Trip Back
Sometime after Eva was born, the
Berweiler family returned to Mercydorf, Hungary. Joseph
hoped to establish a woodworking trade or buy land but was not
successful.
September 8, 1910 Return to America
The Berweiler family (Joseph, Eva,
Rose and Eva) arrives back in New York City onboard the SS.
President Lincoln and processed through Ellis Island.
October
2, 1911 Joe is Born
My uncle Joseph Berweiler, Jr. was
born in New York City at 1572 Vysebor. I have not been
able to determine from his birth certificate what borough the
address was located in or find the address on today’s maps.
About
November 1913 Second Trip Back
The Berweiler family made a second
visit to Mercydorf, Hungary. Joseph was again trying to
establish a woodworking trade and/or buy land. He was told
by the Mercydorf mayor to return to America because war was
coming in Europe.
1915-17
Working For Ford
Joe, and a friend Jack Slabik,
initially worked at the Ford plant located on Oakland Avenue
near McNichols Road in Detroit. Because they were both
skilled cabinet-makers, they were soon recruited by Ford to work
on the Henry Ford #1 Farm near Springwells making furniture.
1917
The Move to Allenton
The Berweiler family moved from
Springwells, Michigan to a rented house in Allenton, Berlin
Township, St. Clair County, Michigan. Joseph already knew
someone in the Allenton area and believing he had TB, the
country air would cure him. As it turned out, he did not
have TB. Joseph ran a milk pickup route taking milk cans
from local farms to the cooling station in Almont, Michigan.
The milk was then shipped via the Interurban Street Car to
Detroit. He also hired-out to tend the sugar beet crop on
local farms.
May 30,
1921 Eva Dies
Eva Berweiler died at 7:00 pm at
the family’s Allenton, Michigan home. She was 12 years
ago. The death certificate stated she died from heart
disease caused by Rheumatic Fever 3 months earlier. The
viewing was held in the front room of their home in Allenton.
Burial was June 1, 1921 at the West Berlin Cemetery about .5
mile northwest of Allenton.
1921 Mid to Late First
Car
Joseph bought the family it’s
first car after a neighbor charged then $50 to drive Eva into
Detroit to see Dr. Adolph Gronow when she was sick with
Rheumatic Fever.
Jun
1922 Grade School Graduation
Rose Berweiler graduated from the
Allenton Grade School which was located a few 100 yards away
along the Almont Road. The school was later remodeled into
a private home and still exists today (2005). However, the
rental house that the family lived in was torn down long ago.
Early
1925 Farming in Allenton
Berweiler family moved from the
rented house in Allenton to a 40 acre farm a short distance
away. Joseph believed that by owning a farm he could make
a better living. He also leased and worked two additional
40 acre plots from nearby farms. At that time most of the
farms in the area raise ‘sugar beets’ which require a lot of
stoop labor and work on the knees.
Jun
1925 Joe Jr. Grade School Graduation
Joe Berweiler, Jr. graduates from
the Allenton Grade School.
June
18, 1926 High School Graduation
Rose Berweiler graduated from
Almont High School, Almont, Lapeer County, Michigan. The
senior class had 12 members and after graduation the class took
a camping trip to Niagara Fall.
April
19, 1927 Rose Completes Secretarial Course
After high school graduation my
mother Rose completed a secretarial course at the Detroit
Business University, 411 West Grand River Avenue in Detroit and
received her diploma.
1927
Rose’s First Job
After
receiving her secretarial diploma, Rose got a position with
Kurth & Knapp Manufacturing Company located in the rear of 3527
East Canfield Ave., Detroit. The company did steel
fabrication and had the following officers:
Murray V.
Knapp: President; William J. Kurth: Vice President;
Glen E. Couse: Secretary-Treasurer.
Shortly
after starting work at Kurth & Knapp, Rose met Cyril D. Paquette
(my father) a young draftsman and estimator with the company.
They started dating shortly thereafter..
June 4,
1929 Rose & Cyril Marry
Rose Berweiler and Cyril Paquette
were married at St. John’s Catholic Church, Allenton, St. Clair
County, Michigan. The marriage ceremony was said by Pastor
John R. Pakes(?) with Louise Paquette and Joe Berweiler Jr. as
witnesses.
Jun
1929 Kate’s Grade School Graduation
Kate Berweiler graduates from the
Allenton Grade School.
Jun
1929 Joe Jr.’s High School Graduation
Joe Berweiler, Jr. graduates from
Almont High School, Almont, Michigan.
1930-1931 Detroit Directory
R. L. Polk’s 1930-31 Detroit City
Directory lists:
Paquette,
Cyril D. (Rose) Sheet Metal Estimator
h
4674 Ashland Ave
(The ‘h’ indicates a house.)
8 Jun
1930 Albert Paquette is Born
Albert
Paquette is born in Detroit to Rose and Cyril.
March
16, 1932 Joseph Dies
At age 47 years and 23 days, my
grandfather Joseph Berweiler died on the Berweiler farm.
Burial was March 18, 1932 at the West Berlin Cemetery about .5
mile northwest of Allenton. The Michigan death certificate
states the principle causes of death were:
Coronary
Embolism (Duration 15 hrs)
Chronic
Myocarditis (Duration 10 yrs)
10 May
1932 Donald Paquette is Born
My brother
Donald Paquette is born in Detroit to Rose and Cyril.
With the death of my grandfather,
it was decided that the family would move to the city.
Being in the middle of the Great Depression, there were no
buyers for the farm and the farm was finally traded for a
multi-family house located in Highland Park, Michigan.
February 12, 1935 Joe and
Neva Are Married
Joseph
Berweiler, Jr. and Neva Graham (d/o Earl Clifford Graham and
Gena Belle Ornsby) are married in Highland Park, Michigan with
James Thomson and ___ Thomson as witnesses.
December 12, 1935 Richard is
Born
Richard
Berweiler is born to Joe and Neva.
December 5, 1936 Kate & Joe
Are Married
Katherine
Berweiler and Joseph Sabo (s/o Charles Sabo and Barbara Kanyasi)
are married in Highland Park, Michigan with Rose and Cyril
Paquette as witnesses.
