Fredrick and Engler Burial Place, North Shore Memory Gardens

North Shore Memory Gardens, Front Entrance

The North Shore Memory Gardens located at 5027 Michigan (Rt.63) in Columa, Michigan was started in 1952-53.  The site had been an orchard and farmland.   Source: North Shore Memory Gardens Office.

Herman and Katherine (Batke) Fredrick and Arthur and Mary (Batke) Engler are buried here.  Both sets of graves are in the Garden of Devotion section behind a beautifully crafted stone Bible monument.

Garden of Devotion monument

Fredrick

Katherine Batke Fredrick (November 30, 1911 - August 10, 1997), the oldest child of Henry and Anna Batke, is buried here along side her husband, Herman Fredrick (September 20, 1906 - April 19, 1977).

They are buried in the Devotion Section, Lot 15C, Graves 1 and 2.  The GPS coordinates for the graves are: N 42° 12' 12.0"; W 086° 23' 33'.

Herman Fredrick Obituary
Herman Fredrick, 70, of 1322 Wolcott, St. Joseph, died at 11:30 A.M. Tuesday in Mercy hospital.  He was born Sept. 20, 1906, in Esk, Saskatchewan, Canada.  Mr. Fredrick was a member of Trinity Lutheran church, St. Joseph and retired in 1971 from Whirlpool corporation, where he had been employed 44 years.  He was a member of Whirlpool Old Timers club.

Surviving are his widow, Katherine; two sons, Donald W. Ypsilanti and Robert L., Salt Lake City, Utah; a daughter, Mrs. Robert (Jeanne) Hartman, Stevensville; two sisters, Mrs. Olga Schultz, Benton Harbor and Mrs. Ida Noack, Niles; a step brother, Adolph Lockman, Benton Heights and eight grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday in Trinity Lutheran church.  Burial will be in North Shore Memory Gardens.  Memorials may be made to the church.  Friends may call at the Front funeral home, Benton Harbor.

The Herald-Palladium, Benton Harbor-St. Joseph, Michigan, April 20, 1977

Katherine Batke Fredrick Obituary
See Children of Henry and Katherine Batke - Obituaries

Engler

Also in the Garden of Devotion Section of the North Shore Memory Gardens, Arthur L. Engler (May 1, 1911 - July 12, 2006) and his wife Mary Batke Engler (June 22, 1914 - July 25, 2008) are buried.  Their graves are about 50 feet away from the Fredrick graves.   

They are buried side-by-side in the Devotion Section, Lot 92C, Graves 1and 2.  The GPS coordinates for the graves are: N 42° 12' 12.7"; W 086° 23' 32.9".

Arthur L. Engler Obituary

Arthur L. Engler, 95 of St. Joseph died Wednesday morning, July 12, 2006, at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph.

Services will be held 10 a.m. Tuesday at Dey-Florin Chapel, Florin Funeral Services, St. Joseph, where visitation will be Monday from 5 to 8 p.m.  Burial will be in North Shore Memory Gardens.  Memorial donations in memory of Mr. Engler may be made to Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Joseph.

Mr. Engler was born May 1, 1911, in Stevensville to Lorenz and Louise (Heyn) Engler.  He retired in 1976 after 26 years of service as a security guard for Whirlpool Corporation.  He was also a member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Joseph.

Survivors include his wife of 71 years, Mary (Batke), whom he married June 22, 1935, in St. Joseph; one daughter, Elaine Bush of St. Joseph; one son, Kenneth (Nok) Engler of Woodbridge, Va., and one brother charles Engler of St. Joseph.  Also surviving are five grand-children and three great-grand-children.  He was proceeded in death by a son, Charles Engler; five brothers and one sister.

The Herald Palladium, Benton Harbor-St. Joseph, MI, July 14, 2006, p. 5A, col. 5.

Mary Batke Engler Obituary

See Children of Henry and Katherine Batke - Obituaries

The Story of Jacob and Maria Link - Part 6 of 9

YELLOW PINE, ALABAMA

Frieda’s memories of Alabama

Yellow Pine, Washington Co., Alabama is where Theodore was born.  Uncle Ray told Cousin Bonnie that Grandpa bought land and a house, sight unseen, and when he got there it was on stilts and seasonally under water.  They also lived in a tent while there.  They lived in Alabama for only about six months.  Grandma killed a snake that was crawling under the tent by clubbing it to death.  Mom said that she really disliked Alabama as it was very hot!!  We can assume tent life for the Batke family as well!  Update:  Picture have recently been found that we are reasonably certain are from Yellow Pine showing their living conditions!  (Bonnie Link Fago).

Theodore Link in casket, 1922

It is here that little Theodore died under unusual circumstances, (by a parasitic worm), and is buried somewhere near Yellow Pine, Alabama.  Mom describes being told by her mother and being shown by lifting his diaper, how he died, (quite gross).  Grandpa made his casket, which by the picture, could have been a drawer.  Grandma decorated it with a cloth that her mother had embroidered, that she had brought from Russia, which looked to me like Hardanger embroidery.  It looks quite pretty, with its tassels around  the edge.  There is a picture of Theodore in his little casket, with the family around him. But she didn’t know who took it. 

It was here in Yellow Pine that Mom saw a black person for the first time.  They sang, and carried their clothes on their heads and sang and sang, but she was afraid of them.  The men had taken stumps out of the fields, and then they sat in the holes and sang! 

She most enjoyed getting up in the morning, and playing make believe, by going out and covering her "hens." She made nests in the ground, putting a bit of straw in the nest, and then put in little stones, and put a big stone on top.  That was her hen!  She would do this every morning to see if there were any chicks!
 

The Link children in Yellow Pine Alabama, 1922

She tells of not having shoes, and stepping on what she called "prickers."  They had such strong barbs on them, that you couldn't pull them out without a tool! 

Maria Link left, and Jacob Link with cap,
housing in Yellow Pine Alabama, 1922
Photo courtesy: Bonnie Fago

Some recruiters came to their area trying to find men to work in the factories of St. Joe, Michigan.  It was quite an industrial city at that time, and the country was gearing up for war!  So Grandpa and Mr. Batke made their way north  to St. Joe. by train to find jobs to make enough money to bring their families there.  The families were left behind.  Grandpa and Mr. Batke met up with the Lutheran minister of the Trinity Lutheran Church, Rev. Louis Nuechterlein.  He mentioned in his Sunday service that the families needed help.  A woman anonymously donated the train fare for the families to get to Michigan.  They never found out who this dear woman was! 

Mom and Grandma were walking along a path going into the village, (probably Yellow Pine), when a rider on horseback came along with a letter for Grandma, and it had money in it!  That was the first time Mom had seen her mother smile in a long time!  After all, when Grandpa left, she could not know how long he would be gone, or whether she would ever see him again!  How could she raise her children alone in a strange land?  These things had to have been heavy on her mind, causing her great worry!!

So Grandma, the children, Mrs. Batke and her family, including John Batke and Anna Batke (Mr. Batke’s brother and mother) according to the Immigration Border Crossing records of 1921, took the train on July 3, 1922 to Michigan.  They didn’t have any trunks or suitcases, so they wrapped everything in sheets or whatever they had.

The train kept getting switched from one end to the other, but they stayed on the train.  Mom told of getting locked in the bathroom, because she couldn’t open the door.  She screamed for her mother, but Grandma couldn’t hear her.  Finally a man opened the door for her!  She says that the kids really enjoyed the train ride!  There were five Batke children at that time, and the five Link children!

The Story of Jacob and Maria Link - Part 7 of 9

HEAVEN ON EARTH

Mom told my sister that the women and children started to get off at the wrong stop, but managed to get back on the train, and then did get off at their destination of St. Joe, Michigan!!  When they arrived, someone took them to a church and fed them bread and milk.  The Batke family stayed for a time, perhaps only weeks, in the parish house of Rev. Louis Nuechterlein.  The Links were given a place to stay on the St. Joe River front.  Both Grandpa and Mr. Batke had found work at Auto Specialties.   I conclude that Grandpa’s experience working at the Rempel Factory in Russia, may have been of help in his getting that job!
 

View toward the Link and Batke homes on Vine Street. Photo: c1970s

St. Joseph, Michigan must have seemed like “Heaven on earth to them”!  St. Joseph is a beautiful place!  They lived just below the “Bluff”, and about 2 blocks from Lake Michigan.  There was so much in a small area, such as the once famous “Silver Beach”, which was an amusement park with a wooden roller coaster, a merry-go-round, and the Shadow-land Ballroom, which is where our parents met!  It was also a port where big cruise ships docked, the St Joe River emptied into Lake Michigan,  factories, and beautiful shopping area, the park above the Bluff, and a pier and lighthouse!

My dad once pointed out a small house to me on the west side of Vine St. as being the first house that the family had lived in.  There was a bigger house in the yard where a family named Yetski lived.  They lived in the little house for quite some time.  Mom told of Grandma making a tree of paper roses (thought to be made of crepe paper) on stems, of all colors!  She was sent to buy the paper for the roses for Grandma.  The rose tree was used in place of a real Christmas tree one year, while in the little house.

They later moved to house next to 626 Vine St.  This is where the family spent their first real Christmas, with a real tree with candles, which  they could only light on Christmas Eve.

626 VINE ST.

They eventually moved to 626 Vine St. and this was their final move!  They were home!!  It took them ten long years, from 1912 to 1922, and so much hardship and suffering, and the loss of three children!!  Think of it – if they had not done this, none of would have ever had the privilege of living in this wonderful country! 

Auto-Specialties in upper left hand corner;
Whirlpool in forefront where Henry Batke also worked.  Photo: 1984.
Click on photo to enlarge.

Grandpa and Mr. Batke both became machinists (tool and die) for Auto-Specialties.  Grandpa worked there for nineteen years.   At some point, he was also a night-watchman for the Nylon Products Co. which made parts for refrigerators.  The name may have been changed, because I remember it as the Bendix Corp.  His hobby was woodworking, and he became an excellent cabinetmaker, having a woodworking shop beside his garage.  Our grandpa Jacob also played an instrument much like an accordion, but smaller with buttons instead of keys, by ear.  How we loved to hear him play!  Now I realize that it was probably Russian music!

Maria and Joseph Link, St. Joseph, Michigan, c1925

Grandma was an accomplished seamstress!  When I was a young girl, Mom told me about Grandma making her own patterns, and sewing for others.  But it got so she couldn’t see well enough to sew anymore.  Mom said that Grandma made all of her clothes, and I would guess that she also made the boys clothes.

The boys spent much of their time outdoors sledding and fishing!  By this time Grandma was beginning to be in poor health, so Mom often stayed inside to help her mother.  She did the laundry by hand and did the cooking!  She was 11 years old, or less!  It was Uncle Ray’s job to cut wood and keep the fires going!  They had big responsibilities for children so young!

She tells the story of she, and the boys cutting creosoted wood railroad ties, which are hard to saw!  They had a saw and a sawhorse and they would show off for the train engineers!  Uncle Fred would say, “come on Frieda”, and they would run and go cut the wood!  The engineers would yell, “don’t work too hard!”

They all attended the Trinity Lutheran School.  There was a teacher named Schleter who was quite mean or very strict!  She says, “we all had to go to a room to take German”! (Kids who spoke German had to study German!!!)  Everyone was segregated, girls on one side of the classroom, and the boys on the other side.  They were told to be quiet, but some boys made a noise and then Fred whispered.  She came running with a stick and hit him, and hit him, over and over on his back!!  Fred never cried out or said a word, until it was over, then he cried quietly.  The teacher didn’t last long!  She got in trouble that day and was soon gone!  Mom guesses that Grandpa may have complained to the school. 

At one time a tornado must have been very close to St. Joe, as the school got very black during broad daylight and children were very frightened with all the wind and rain.  Grandma met them at the school to get them home!

She tells of playing marbles after she had her work done, which she called, “Kimmies”, of having lots of friends, and a 9:00 curfew!  They often played “Hide and Seek and Run sheep, Run”!

She tells the story of she, and her friend Florence making fudge that didn’t harden.  They gave it to Jake, and he ate all of it, and didn’t even get sick!!

Raymond did a lot of fishing on the pier and brought the fish home to Mom.  She loved fish, so she cleaned and fried them!  She soon got to just fry them!!

She did go wading in Lake Michigan, but the boys learned to swim in the St. Joe River.  Their friends would just throw them into the river, and it was swim or drown!

The Story of Jacob and Maria Link - Part 9 of 9

GRANDPA REMARRIES

Grandpa was a widower for thirteen years.  He married Grandma Ethel on March 26, 1938, in St. Joseph, Mi.  She was born in Veedersburg, Indiana on October 13, 1896. 

I never knew that she was not my real grandmother until I was about fourteen or fifteen years old.  I was so shocked to learn of this!  She was a wonderful grandma to me!  We lived in the house two doors down from Grandpa’s house until I was nearly four years old, and even at that young age, I have some memories of her there, and we often visited St. Joe after moving to Allegan. 

I will never forget the last time I saw her, I was told that, “Grandma wanted to see me.”  She was lying in bed.  I know now that she was saying good-by to me.  They only told me that she was “sick”.  She died of breast cancer a short time later on January 24, 1948.  I was 8 l/2 years old.

Grandpa married a third time to Clara Leek.  According to his death certificate, Grandpa passed away at the age of eighty-two, but he was actually 83, not quite 84.  He suffered for a long time with heart disease and emphysema, even having to have oxygen in the home.  I have recently learned that Mr. Batke also had emphysema, from his granddaughter Elaine.  We feel they were exposed to pollutants while working at Auto Specialties.

Mr. Batke died at his home at 714 Vine St. St. Joseph, Michigan on April 7^th, 1949.  Grandpa was a pallbearer for his funeral.

Grandpa Link died January 14, 1970, and Grandma Maria Link died in 1929.  All are buried in Riverview Cemetery, St. Joseph, Mi.  His death certificate says that he was born in 1888, and his headstone states 1886. 1886 is the correct year.  It also gives his birth date as 3-6/5-1888.  His birthday was actually on March 5, 1886.  Mom was born on his birthday, Mar. 5^th.

           

SUMMARY

It seems that this has become a story of two families that formed a lifelong friendship, experiencing so much together!!  The people of St. Joseph, Michigan were so good to the German Russians!  It was here that they found what they had fled Russia for – Freedom!  Freedom to live their lives without fear or repression!  They were certainly free in Canada, but they did not escape the poverty until they came to Michigan!  Could they have found this anywhere else?  They were given so much help by kind, loving people!  Perhaps there were others who were helped to settle in the area during the 20’s, despite the stigma attached to Germans before, during, and in some cases, after WWI!  More than likely, there are many stories yet to be discovered!

TIME FRAME

• Friedrich Link  B. May 1852, fled Steegan, W. Prussia for Russia
• Elizabeth Hopp, B. 1854,   married 1874
• Jacob Link   B. Mar. 5, 1886  Maria Phillips, B. Mar. 5, 1895
• Three Years in Russian Military
• Married on September 9, 1911
• Batke’s flee Russia June 25, 1912  Arrived in Canada
• Fredrich Link family flees Russia after August 9, 1912, or as soon as mother and baby could travel.
• Jacob and Maria Link flee Russia November 24, 1912
• Jacob and Maria depart Netherlands on the S.S. Ryndam, January 18, 1913
• Peter Link flees Russia actual date unknown, along with Maria Knack Link’s brother, sister-in-law, infant Elizabeth, and Maria’s sister, Catherina Knack.  They depart on the Barcelona, Bremen, Germany on March 15, 1913.
• The Russian Revolution
• Infant Maria born on ship, buried at sea.  Arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia January 27, 1913  (8 days to cross Atlantic) Boarded Canadian Pacific Rail Road  January 28, 1913 (next day) Destination Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada (Swift Current)  Stayed 6 years.
• WWI  1914 
• Six children born over six years.  First little Jacob found dead.  1919
• Border Crossing at Portal, North Dakota December 7, 1921
• Arrived in Yellow Pine, Alabama
• Deceived
• Theodore born, dies about 2 months later 1922
• Recruiters
• Grandpa and Mr. Batke make their way to St. Joseph, Mich
• Anonymous donor
• Train to St. Joe  July 3, 1922 (6 mos. Later)
• Grandma dies January 14, 1929  Age 34  (6 ½ yrs. in Michigan)
• Grandpa remarries to Ethel Steffy  March 26, 1938  (13 yrs. later)
• Mr. Batke died April 7, 1949
• Grandma Ethel dies January 24, 1948  Age 51  (10 yrs. later)
• Grandpa remarries a third time to Clara Leek
• Grandpa dies January 14, 1970  Age 83  (48 l/2 yrs after arriving in Michigan)

Ich been klein

My hearst ist kleen,

Da sol niemond drin bonen,

Jesus aline,

English Translation:

I am small,

My heart is clean,

No one should live in it, but

Jesus alone.

As given to us by our mother Frieda Link Byron   Easter April 12, 1998.

Note:

At this time, little has been learned about how the families got from their home, across Russia and up to the ports on the North Sea.  This still has to be explored.  One possibility has recently been found that was used in 1875, but of course things could have certainly changed by the year 1912!  Even at that time, because of new restrictions put out by the Russian Government, immigration to Canada and parts of the United States began.  Most of the immigrants from Chorititza and other South Russian colonies traveled down the Dneiper River by boat, to the Black Sea, across to Odessa, then overland by train to Hamburg, because shipping lines were not allowed to pick up travelers from Russian Ports. Five shipping lines transported the immigrants by different routes, depending on their destinations. Of course, this is only one possibility as other railroads must have been built by that time!

Our mother, Frieda said that little Maria was buried at sea, was buried in the Baltic Sea!  This seems unlikely, because they would have had to travel up and around Denmark!  But Sharon and I both remember that that is what she said! 

Since undertaking this project, I have learned that the story may never be finished! As more information comes in all the time, things are made clear that were once unclear, but I wanted to get what we do have down on paper now, realizing that the story of “Jacob and Maria” is not complete!

Special Note:

On June 25, 2010 the daughter of Henry and Katharine Batke, named Anna Batke Pesko, who was born in Yellow Pine, Alabama, their grandson Don Fredrick and his wife, and their great granddaughter Heidi Fredrick, granddaughters Jeannie Hartman, and Elaine Engler Bush,  along with myself, granddaughter of Jacob and Maria, all met for the first time, or for the first time in about 60 years to have lunch at the Depot at Silver Beach, in St Joseph, Michigan!!  Wouldn’t that be a surprise to our Grandparents!!!  
 

Daughter and Grandchildren of the immigrant Links and Batkes
near where the Link and Batke homes were located on Vine Street.
  Don Fredrick, Linda Pesko Van Hoedt, Anna Batke Pesko,
Darlene Byron Milbocker, Elaine Engler Bush
and Jeannie Fredrick Hartman, 2010

On August 20, 2010, four of us met again at the Depot.  There was Sharon Byron Lampros, Elaine Engler Bush, Anna Batke Pesko, and myself.   Sharon and I had a few questions for Anna, which she graciously answered.  She told us that she remembers our Grandmother, and that Grandma and Grandpa were her Godparents!   She also confirmed that our Uncle Jake did stand up at her wedding!   It was quite amazing to us to meet someone who actually knew our Grandmother!     And the friendship goes on!

Darlene Byron Milbocker 2010
Unless otherwise noted, photos courtesy of Dee Milbocker. Homestead maps/passenger lists courtesy of Elaine Beaudoin

Eddie Batke Remembered, 2010

Eddie Batke Remembered by his Nephew
(In Response to the "Making life-long friend on the baseball diamond " Post on Eddie Batke)

 
Uncle Eddie Batke to me was also special. Between my 5th and 10th birthday a few memories.  He was only about 5 years older than I so he was more of a "beach kids" mentor than an uncle.  I played baseball with his permission and encouragement at his sandlot location near the Engler home and Lake Michigan on many occasions. In the winter he would loan me his ice skates (you wouldn't believe how primitive they were - I think I still have them) and we would go down to Lake Michigan to walk the ice hills, find smooth patches, and skate. The smooth ice patches were about 3 feet thick and the ice crystal clear. The ice hills were something else. They were always rough, jagged, and at the edges where we encountered lake spray, slippery and dangerous on rough and windy days.  I still shiver just a bit as I consider the possibilities for tragedy on those ventures.  It was not unlike Uncle Eddie to bring his 22 rifle along for extra adventure. 

On several occasions during my visits to Grandma Batke's house on Vine Street and for entertainment during the other three seasons of the year we would walk the rails near 714 Vine and away from the train station in St. Joe.  Imagine me at age 7 or 8 standing on the bridge over the train tracks near Vine street while a freight train with two or three smoking engines went beneath that bridge pulling 60-70 freight cars.  I would get chewed at grandma Batke's house afterwards by parents for being covered with smoke and soot from the train, and he for taking me on this kind of a jaunt. I remember Brother Bob involved in some of all of this, but he was too small for baseball and often not allowed to go along for the ice hill trips.

This type of excitement, if known by parents, would certainly not have been permitted.  Uncle Eddie was officially guilty in all this but it was my own mischief that usually got these kinds of things going as well.  

I was too small to remember Bob Rennick's face, but his tribute to Eddie Batke was right on. I do remember some of the ball players on that sandlot -- Strohscheins and Licks, perhaps Bob Rennick was one of the faces I saw but did not know.  Others were classmates at Trinity Lutheran School in the earlier grades. Only after many years of being away from St. Joe and occasional trips back home did I occasionally see Uncle Eddie as a mechanic at a Benton Harbor gas station on duty by himself. I remember the drinking.  After that time, two or three encounters with him and his wife made me realize he successfully and by the grace of God made me proud of his change to a new found faith. His wife was the prime instrument in his change, and I did not see Eddie after he moved to live with her.  I heard and appreciated greatly the rumors of his happiness and felt the distress while away from home at the news of his death. 

Don Fredrick, July 10, 2010

Batkes and Links Gather in 1942

In c1942, Karl Batke and his wife, Freiderike, were visiting Michigan from California.  Pictured in photo are: Henry Batke, Ruth Batke, Jacob Link, Anna Batke Metzler (daughter of Karl), Frieda Byron, Darlene Byron (child), Freiderike Batke, Mary Engler, Mrs. Jacob Link, Katherine Reck Batke, Don Fredrick (profile), Arthur Engler with Elaine Engler (child) and Selma Batke Smith.  Photo Courtesy: Don Fredrick

The parents of Catharine Reck Batke

On July 14, 1937, Catharine Reck Batke filled out an application for a Social Security Number. She was living at 714 Vine Street in St. Joseph, Michigan and working at the Berrien Packing Company, also in St. Joseph. She stated her birthday as October 14, 1891 on the typed copy, however in the section which reads: "subject to later verification" the year is corrected to 1890. This later date is consistent with Catharine's other documents. She also notes she was born in Russia. The SS# provided her is: 367-12-0849.

Best of all, she lists her father as John Reck (you can see the correction from Rek to Reck) and her mother as Renata Shirk.

An email note received from Don Fredrick, grandson of Catherine Reck Batke, shared the following information on March 11, 2011 to Elaine Beaudoin:

In a note recently discovered from a visit to my grandmother Catherine Batke, wife of Henry Batke, by the Don Fredrick family before she died and while she was in the nursing home, we find that Renata Scherk, Shierk, Shirk was mentioned by her as the wife of her father John Reck.  We assumed at the time of the visit that John and Renata, according to Catherine, did not leave Germany to come to Canada or the US.  We wrote down on our note at the time that the spelling was Scherk, not Shirk.   Are you sure about the spelling of Renata "Shirk"?

Until more proof is provided, all the spellings -- Scherk, Shierk and Shirk -- should be researched.   Thanks Don for the note.

Fredrick House, 1937

 

Taken March 14, 1937 at the Fredrick House in Benton Harbor, Michigan. From left to right: Katherine Batke Frederick, Frieda Byron, Mary Batke Engler, Lydia Lachman, Adolf Lachman, Selma Batke Smith, Ida Noack, Katherine Reck Batke, Fred Link, Arthur Engler, Glen Noack with baby Gordon Noack, Bill Batke (in back of Glen), Henry Batke Jr. (to Glen's left). On the steps in back: Eddie Fredrick and Henry Batke Sr. Photo courtesy: Don Fredrick

Henry Batke & Family, 1930 US Census

 

In 1930, the Batkes were renting at 914 Vine Street, St. Joseph, Michigan. Their six children were living with them. Note the census states the older children were "speaking German at home". This may be because the mother, Katherine, states that she does not speak English, even though the rest of the household does. The census also shows that those not born in the US are listed as "Al" or alien. They had not yet applied for citizenship even though they had been in the US for 9 years at this time.

The Nineteen Hundred Corporation

In 1908, Lou Upton invested his savings in a venture to manufacture household equipment.  When the company failed to materialized, Upton was offered the opportunity to select something of value from the failed venture as a return on his investment.  He chose the patents on a hand washing machine that he thought might be electrified.  Upton brought the patents and his innovative vision home to St. Joseph, Michigan.  In 1911, Lou with other family members, produced motor-driven wringer washers as the Upton Machine Company.  In 1929 it merged with the Nineteen Hundred Washer Company of New York.  Together they formed the Nineteen Hundred Corporation.  World War II halted washer production, as factories were modified to provide components for the P-40 Warhawk aircrafts and military equipment.  In the summer of 1945, the 1900 Corporation began producing washers again.  In 1949, the company changed its name to the Whirlpool Corporation in recognition of the huge success of one of its product brand names.  Source: Whirlpool corporate history

Henry Batke states in the 1930 census that he was a "bench worker in a washing machine factory." In 1939, his occupation is listed in the city directory as a "machine operator."  And, on his death certificate, in 1949, it says he was a laborer in the 1900 Corporation.  If he worked at the 1900 Corporation from about 1930 to his retirement, he saw a lot of activity at the plant.

Katherine Reck Batke Schmeichel death certificate, 1979

Katherine Schmeichel died on October 28, 1979.  Her daughter, Katherine Fredrick was the informant on her death certificate.  Unfortunately, Mrs. Fredrick did not know the names of Katherine Reck Batke Schmeichel's parents.  However, she supplied Mrs. Schmeichel's Social Security number: 367-12-0849.

Henry Batke Declaration of Intention to become a US Citizen, 1939

Henry Batke prepared and signed Declaration of Intention paperwork to become a US Citizen on February 18, 1939. Completed citizenship papers have not been located.

Henry Batke Death Certificate, 1949

Henry Batke died in St. Joseph, Michigan at the age of 71.  His death certificate states that he was a laborer at the 1900 Corporation.  The cause of death was acute cardiac failure.