By Mary Jane Grenzow
editor@ themonroetimes.com
Ray Thomann has one clock in his house. His grandfather, Gottfried Thomann, purchased it from the L.A. Rossing store in Argyle in 1907, the year his second oldest child, Klara, was born.
That baby, Klara (thats the Swiss spelling) Talmage, turned 104 Thursday.
The Monroe Times featured Klara a year ago, when she turned 103. And like last year, Klaras family gathered at Community Living Home Options in Monroe, where she now resides, to commemorate the milestone. They brought the traditional birthday tidings a decorated birthday cake, gifts and cards to honor Klara and a long life marked by hard work, service to others and love and devotion of family.
Its always a pleasure to meet ordinary people who do remarkable things people like Klara. Before the party, Ray filled me in on some of the details of his aunt Klaras life.
Her story, like so many other first- and second-generation Swiss in the area, really began in the late 1800s when a young man journeyed from Switzerland to make a new life in America. Gottfried had followed his brother to this area; he then went back to Switzerland and claimed his bride, Susanna. The couple returned to Wisconsin and began making cheese: Klara was born in their cheese factory in Wiota.
Gottfried and Susanna started farming in Albany in 1909. In 1914, they bought a farm north of Attica, where Ray still lives.
They had five children: Hilda, the oldest, died of appendicitis when she was 15. After Klara came Paul, Ella and baby George, who died at four months of croup.
Klara attended high school in Monticello. Because there was no transportation to and from school, she stayed with a family in town. That family operated the phone switchboard; Klara helped run the switchboard and babysat to earn her keep.
She also worked for her room and board when she attended the Green County Normal School in Monroe for a year. Here she babysat for the Tuttles who owned a drugstore downtown Ray thinks it was on the southeast corner of the Square.
Klara taught school at the Ross School between Dayton and New Glarus on County W, then later at Ferguson School, south of Dayton. She married Raymond Talmage on June 2, 1927.
Raymond was a farmer, and he and Klara farmed on whats now Silver Road in Monticello for 34 years. The couples only child, Betty, was killed when she was 12 years old a horse accident, Ray said.
They built a new house south of Belleville and moved there in 1972.
Ray said he was always close to his aunt. He lived with them for several months when Raymond had health problems, and helped the couple build their house.
Ray continued to spend a lot of time helping his aunt after Raymond passed away in 1974. He cut her lawn and planted her garden. In later years, he vacuumed and did other household chores Klara could no longer do, usually stopping by several times a month to help out.
He remembers his aunts interest in domestic things: gardening, baking, working in the kitchen.
She was always sharp as a tack and kept up with current events.
And she enjoyed people. She would visit with everyone and go out of her way to help someone out, Ray said.
As she got older, Klara needed more help to stay in her home: Meals on Wheels brought in food, and helpful neighbors fetched her groceries, Ray said.
Klara was able to stay living in her own home far longer than most people can imagine to the age of 102. Ray said a bout with pneumonia two years ago in August took its toll on Klara and she had to go to a nursing home. She was able to return home, with family staying with her, but Ray said it just wasnt meant to be: Klara could no longer live by herself.
It hasnt been the same for Klara since, he said.
Now, some days are better for Klara than others, he said. She no longer keeps up with the news, and she was in hospice earlier this year. Everyone thought the end was near.
But she got better, and stronger. She fooled them, Ray said.
Good days and not-so-good days, Klara keeps going. Just like the clock her parents bought the year she was born.
Its still accurate, Ray said of the clock. And its never been in the shop.
Mary Jane Grenzow is the editor of The Monroe Times.
editor@ themonroetimes.com
Ray Thomann has one clock in his house. His grandfather, Gottfried Thomann, purchased it from the L.A. Rossing store in Argyle in 1907, the year his second oldest child, Klara, was born.
That baby, Klara (thats the Swiss spelling) Talmage, turned 104 Thursday.
The Monroe Times featured Klara a year ago, when she turned 103. And like last year, Klaras family gathered at Community Living Home Options in Monroe, where she now resides, to commemorate the milestone. They brought the traditional birthday tidings a decorated birthday cake, gifts and cards to honor Klara and a long life marked by hard work, service to others and love and devotion of family.
Its always a pleasure to meet ordinary people who do remarkable things people like Klara. Before the party, Ray filled me in on some of the details of his aunt Klaras life.
Her story, like so many other first- and second-generation Swiss in the area, really began in the late 1800s when a young man journeyed from Switzerland to make a new life in America. Gottfried had followed his brother to this area; he then went back to Switzerland and claimed his bride, Susanna. The couple returned to Wisconsin and began making cheese: Klara was born in their cheese factory in Wiota.
Gottfried and Susanna started farming in Albany in 1909. In 1914, they bought a farm north of Attica, where Ray still lives.
They had five children: Hilda, the oldest, died of appendicitis when she was 15. After Klara came Paul, Ella and baby George, who died at four months of croup.
Klara attended high school in Monticello. Because there was no transportation to and from school, she stayed with a family in town. That family operated the phone switchboard; Klara helped run the switchboard and babysat to earn her keep.
She also worked for her room and board when she attended the Green County Normal School in Monroe for a year. Here she babysat for the Tuttles who owned a drugstore downtown Ray thinks it was on the southeast corner of the Square.
Klara taught school at the Ross School between Dayton and New Glarus on County W, then later at Ferguson School, south of Dayton. She married Raymond Talmage on June 2, 1927.
Raymond was a farmer, and he and Klara farmed on whats now Silver Road in Monticello for 34 years. The couples only child, Betty, was killed when she was 12 years old a horse accident, Ray said.
They built a new house south of Belleville and moved there in 1972.
Ray said he was always close to his aunt. He lived with them for several months when Raymond had health problems, and helped the couple build their house.
Ray continued to spend a lot of time helping his aunt after Raymond passed away in 1974. He cut her lawn and planted her garden. In later years, he vacuumed and did other household chores Klara could no longer do, usually stopping by several times a month to help out.
He remembers his aunts interest in domestic things: gardening, baking, working in the kitchen.
She was always sharp as a tack and kept up with current events.
And she enjoyed people. She would visit with everyone and go out of her way to help someone out, Ray said.
As she got older, Klara needed more help to stay in her home: Meals on Wheels brought in food, and helpful neighbors fetched her groceries, Ray said.
Klara was able to stay living in her own home far longer than most people can imagine to the age of 102. Ray said a bout with pneumonia two years ago in August took its toll on Klara and she had to go to a nursing home. She was able to return home, with family staying with her, but Ray said it just wasnt meant to be: Klara could no longer live by herself.
It hasnt been the same for Klara since, he said.
Now, some days are better for Klara than others, he said. She no longer keeps up with the news, and she was in hospice earlier this year. Everyone thought the end was near.
But she got better, and stronger. She fooled them, Ray said.
Good days and not-so-good days, Klara keeps going. Just like the clock her parents bought the year she was born.
Its still accurate, Ray said of the clock. And its never been in the shop.
Mary Jane Grenzow is the editor of The Monroe Times.
