Louisa Johanna SCHLICKER
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Birth: 15 Oct 1884
Death: 21 Dec 1979
Father: Wilhelm Christian August (AKA William) SCHLICKER (1858-)
Mother: Engel Fredericka WEGENER (1857-1931)
Spouse: Ernst Carl Henry (Heinrich) BEYER
Birth: 4 Mar 1874, Hackett Road Farm, Freeland, MI
Death: 21 Aug 1956
Burial: Beyer Family Plot at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Freeland, MI
Children:
Agnes
Esther
Anna
Luella
BIRTH : At the time of her birth Louisa must have been sickly, for she was baptized on the same day, perhaps because the people felt that she might not live.
CHILDREN : Since she was the oldest, she had to look after the other children. They were raised on a farm in Monitor (located north of the Tri:City Airport which is east of Freeland, Michigan.)
SCHOOL : She attended the Monitor School.
FAMILY HOME : The Schlicker farm was located on Hackett Road, very close to where the old Weber farm was. It was north of the Freeland Airport (Tri:City Airport), about 1 mile north of Amelith Road, the road on which Lois lived while married to Rudy. It was just past the corner on the right hand side of the road as you go north. The Weber farm was on the left hand side of the road about half mile further north.
GERMAN : Grandma was German, would speak it with Grandpa and her children, but with us grand: children she never made a point of it. She handled the English and had no problem with it. Her German was low German while Grandpa's was a high German. Their families came from different parts of Germany, but they seemed to be able to converse without much difficulty.
WORKING OUT AS A YOUNG WOMAN : She worked out helping with cleaning etc. for families. At one time she worked for the WEBER family, for the Webers (Jacob Weber).
MARRIAGE : She married Ernst Beyer on April 12, 1912. There was about 10 1/2 years difference in their ages. She was 27 and Ernst was 38. It was unique that about the same time they were getting married Louisa's brother, John Schlicker, married Ernst's sister, Bertha Beyer. Their weddings were only a couple of weeks apart. After their marriage they moved in with Ernst's parents. She lived with her in:laws until first her father:in:law died in 1914 and they her mother:in:law died in 1918.
HOME : Their home during most of their life was the old "Beyer Homestead" located on Hackett Road about five miles from Freeland, Michigan. It was a home that Grandpa Beyer's father built. It was a big home. It had a basement with about five or six rooms, one of which was a fruit cellar with one of those slanting doors to the outside. It had a big, dusty attic, reached by a rather narrow stairway from the second floor. The second floor was very big, with three huge bedrooms and one smaller bedroom. All of the children slept downstairs. At night they would change their clothes quickly especially in the winter's cold) and jump right into bed. The downstairs had the following: a big kitchen, which also became sort of a family room with a pantry just off it and a door leading to the basement; a big living room with a space heater for heating; a big parlor which was a good room and which was only used on Christmas and on special occasions; a big bedroom with a smaller bedroom just off it. It was not unusual for a number of members of the family to share a larger bedroom, even parents and children.
LITTLE HOME : Grandma lived on the farm from the time of her marriage until about 1952. Then she lived in a small home behind Uncle Herman's home (her son:in:law). This building had been a chicken coop. Uncle Herman Enser remodeled it and added a room and made it into a small home ( 1 bedroom for Grandpa, 1 bedroom for Grandma and Aunt Luella, and a kitchen. It had no bathroom. They had to go and use the one at Aunt Esther's'.) This home was on Kochville Road in what I call the "Beyer Complex". Grandma lived there for the rest of her life.
SMALL WOMAN : She was a small woman in size and stature. She had dark black, long hair, which she often wore in a bun for it was very, very long. She was however large in heart, stamina, and desire. She was hard working, very loving and giving. She was mild in temperament and very, very kind.
A HARD WORKER : Grandma was a very hard worked. She helped her daughters (Anna & Esther) with their housekeeping, washing and cleaning, on a regular basis.
A GOOD COOK : Grandma was a good cook and an excellent housekeeper. I remember that she regularly did the dishes right after the meal was over. We children would help by wiping the dishes. I don't remember if we had a schedule for this of some kind.
MY SPONSOR : Grandma Beyer was Richard’s sponsor. She was a big influence in his life. She was a faithful Christian, always sat in the back pew on the right side in church. She felt she was late if she was not there 30 minutes before the service started. Agnes’ family often walked to church with her. Church was always St. Matthew's Lutheran Church of Freeland, located about one and one half miles away on Hospital Road.
VISIT GRANDMA ON SUNDAYS : Her daughters and their families would regularly come to Grandma's home on Sunday afternoons. She was hurt if we did not come. Often supper would be a wiener roast or some type of picnic like lunch. These gathering kept the whole family close for a long time. It also kept the family gathering on "Christmas Day" for the Christmas celebration at Grandma's.
CANDY FOR THE KIDS : In her later years she kept candy in her closet for the kids. It was the great: grandchildren who took advantage of this. They grew to know where it was and to help themselves. She had 14 grandchildren : 7 boys and 7 girls.
OLD AGE : Grandma lived a long time. She was alert right up until the end. She slowed down a bit and had a little sugar in her blood, but was still active in her least years.
DIED : On December 21, 1979, at the age of 95 years. She was buried on the Beyer Family plot at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church Cemetery in Freeland, Michigan.
Research by Richard Weber
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