Gernenz Round-Up

A few things I missed from the last Gernenz summary, and some new items. (And the Gazette has now added "Gernanz" to its repertoire of variant spellings.)

● In August 1910, the Charles Gernenz family had a visit from Henry Lemke, Jr., of Chicago. Who he was to them, I don't know. Later that month, Mr. and Mrs. John Gernenz came out from Chicago to visit his brother Fred and family here — and also the John Springman family. If there was some family relation between the Gernenzes and the Springmans, I haven't come across it yet.

● "The neighbors of Mr. and Mrs. John Gernantz gave them a happy surprise Sunday [September 4, 1910], and so did Mr. and Mrs. John Ahrens of Hobart." We will hear about the Ahrens family again; either they were good friends or there was some family connection.

After September 1910, we entered a long dry spell for Gernenz news. In mid-summer 1911, things started happening again.

● On June 30, 1911, a hired hand working for Charles Gernenz fell backwards off a load of hay and struck his head on something sharp, which cut open his scalp. They took him to Dr. Friedrichs' office in Hobart. Fourteen stitches were required to close up the wound, but the hired man (whose name is not reported) was expected to recover fully.

● By September, Charles Gernenz was making improvements to his place — "building a cement porch, cement sidewalk and a cement water tank 6 by 26 feet, doing the work himself."

● Someone had a birthday party at the Charles Gernenz home on Sunday, September 17, 1911. John Ahrens and family came down from Hobart to attend.

● A couple of frightening accidents during October 1911. On the 7th, Charles' wife Amelia drove a horse and buggy to Ainsworth. Something caused the horse to take fright and run; it collided with several other rigs, then ran into a wire fence before it was finally got under control. That same month, Charles' 10-year-old son Johnnie was thrown from a colt he was riding. The colt kicked him in the head, causing a bad cut. They took Johnnie to Hobart for treatment. No bones were broken.


And that's it for now on the Gernenz front.


Sources:
♦ 1910 Census.
♦ "Ainsworth Pick-Ups." Hobart Gazette 5 Aug. 1910; 19 Aug. 1910; 9 Sept. 1910.
♦ "Local Drifts. Hobart Gazette 7 July 1911.
♦ "Ross Township Notes. Hobart Gazette 8 Sept. 1911; 22 Sept. 1911; 13 Oct. 1911.