Audio 757A
Tape/Side
1/1
Time
00:00
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Introduction
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
00:30
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Pomeranian Wedding Customs : Mr. Hilgendorf talks about the day he served as Hochzeits Bitter (wedding inviter) for his sister. He describes his pay, his clothing, the horse's decoration, and the concertina player who often accompanied the inviter and played a wedding song in front of each house.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
4:15
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The Wedding Day & Celebration : Three meals were prepared by the neighborhood women for the wedding celebration: fish soup in the morning, chicken in the afternoon, and ham at midnight. There was a barn dance for the young people, with square dances, waltzes, German and American songs. The older men stayed in the house and played cards: “66,” “Sheepshead,” and “31.” Women gathered and visited in a seperate room.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
9:10
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The Polterabend : Friends of the bride gathered at her home, had a meal with wine, and played tricks on the bride afterwards. Mr. Hilgendorf's parents played the same kind of tricks when they were young.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
10:55
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The Charivari : Charivaris were held on the night of the wedding. Friends of the bride and groom gathered in front of the house and played loud music on washboilers, kettles, and other instruments. The new couple had to pay the music players enough money to leave them alone. The players used the money for dinner and beer, and shook dice for drinks.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
13:10
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Dice Games : Mr. Hilgendorf describes other dice games. One was held at a tavern on the way to visit a nephew in northern Wisconsin, others were held in a nursing home where Mr. Hilgendorf lived for a while.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
14:05
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Wedding Celebrations : Weddings were a three-day celebration. Invitations were in either German or English, printed by a company in Milwaukee who could also print in Polish for the Polish people.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
15:35
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Language Difficulties : Mr. Hilgendorf talks about his difficulty in understanding Swedish-Americans, and one phrase in particular.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
16:25
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Language Difficulties with Other Germans : Mr. Hilgendorf recalls the trouble Germans from different regions had in understanding one another. He describes the Darmstadters as fast talkers, the Hunsrickers as speaking in half words, and the Pomeranians (himself) in low German (half-German, half-English). The problem existed despite the fact that these people lived in close proximity, and had been born in America.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
18:20
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Low German in Freistadt : Some people in Freistadt can still speak low German.
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Tape/Side
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Time
18:50
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Problems with the English Language : Mr. Hilgendorf's father and his Irish neighbor could understand one another, but they had trouble with other people's English.
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Tape/Side
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Time
19:50
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Parents' 25th Wedding Anniversary : Mr. Hilgendorf describes a picture of his parents on their anniversary, when they received gifts of flowers and silver spoons.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
20:35
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Parents' 40th Wedding Anniversary : Parents received a surprise party from their neighbors; meal of sausage and ham served.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
21:55
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Anniversary Ham : Mother soaked ham in sweet milk overnight to draw the salt out, then rolled it in flour, and baked it in the oven. When the ham was done, she cut off the flour crust and threw it to the dog. The crust kept the ham juicy, and drew the salt out.
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Tape/Side
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Time
24:25
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Barley Coffee : Mother washed and dried the barley, browned it in the oven, and roasted it into coffee, which was served with cream.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
25:25
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Home-Made Beer : Mother made beer every summer. She spread the barley on the floor, watered it until it sprouted, then cooked it with hops, and stored it in crocks. The beer was stronger than 4 percent.
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Tape/Side
1/1
Time
27:05
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End of Tape
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
00:00
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Introduction
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
00:30
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St. Nicholaus Day : Mr. Hilgendorf describes St. Nicholaus Day (December 6), when they hung stockings outside the door for gifts, sung carols, and received presents at school.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
2:10
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The Christmas Tree : The Hilgendorf family had a Christmas tree in the parlor. The parents and older sister decorated the tree with religious pictures, tinsel, ribbons, candlelights, and a star. They decorated the tree in secret, and would not let the younger children watch.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
3:55
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Christmas Presents : The family exchanged ties, sweaters, stockings, and other clothing.
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Tape/Side
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Time
4:10
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Three Day Celebration of Christmas : People attended Church every morning, and visited one another in the afternoons. During the three days, the baptismal god-parents bestowed gifts upon their godchildren. This custom was known as the Patenfest. Children received gifts from their godparents until they were age 12, the time of 6th grade and confirmation.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
5:55
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Christmas Foods : Mr. Hilgendorf's mother slaughtered and prepared a goose for Christmas. She cooked it with apples, apricots, oranges and prunes, and basted it with butter and brandy.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
6:45
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Christmas Visitors : The women had their own conversations, while the men played cards, usually Sheepshead, in a seperate room. Visitors stayed for supper, and didn't leave until 9 or 10 p.m. The children stayed home to do chores while the parents went visiting.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
7:45
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Ice Skating : Boys and girls skated together. Mr. Hilgendorf's parents did not skate because they did not know how. Otto learned to skate at school.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
9:20
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Geese : Mr. Hilgendorf's mother took care of the geese from hatch to slaughter. He remembers how a thunder and lightning storm once trembled the earth and broke the goose eggs, which were ready to hatch.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
10:20
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Care of Geese : Goslings fed oatmeal and dandelions. Four weeks before slaughter, fed corn to fatten. Mother butchered and dressed geese for market and private customers. She gave the geese to her husband to take to market, and never went herself. She also prepared sweet-sour for market and home. She cooked the wings, gizzards, blood, prunes, and apples together.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
12:50
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Butchering Geese : Neighbor women worked together to butcher the geese and ducks. They cut the neck, bled the bird, then steamed the feathers loose for plucking. Feathers saved for bed stuffing or sold at market. Mr. Hilgendorf's paternal grandmother also raised geese and ducks.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
15:15
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Shelter for the Geese : Geese kept in small shed near the house.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
15:25
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Children's Work : As a boy, Mr. Hilgendorf took care of the calves and sheep. He fed and watered them daily.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
16:40
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Wool : Sheared wool taken to woolen mills in Cedarburg. Some wool kept for quilts. Women worked together to clean and comb the wool, and to make the quilts.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
17:30
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Shearing : Sheep sheared in the spring with hand clippers. Both men and women sheared. Mr. Hilgendorf explains how they sheared the sheep.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
19:15
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Care of Sheep : Sheep turned loose in pasture during the summer, and they grazed with the cows. In winter, sheep kept in a shed, protected from the cold. While the sheep were in pasture, they were in danger of an attack from dogs. Cows offered protection.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
20:24
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Butchering Sheep : Sheep raised from spring to fall butcher. Mr. Hilgendorf's father did not butcher sheep because he did not know how. Instead, he had a neighbor help him with the job. The fat had to be carefully trimmed. Mother put meat in sweet milk to soften and draw out the 'cattle life.'
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
23:00
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Racoons : Mother trimmed fat off meat, soaked it in sweet milk to draw out the tough taste. Racoon meat tasted as good as steak, and fooled the neighbor who couldn't believe he had eaten wild racoon.
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Tape/Side
2/1
Time
23:55
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End of Tape
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
00:00
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Introduction
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
00:30
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Hog Butchering : Mr. Hilgendorf describes the entire hog butchering process, beginning with the slaughter. He goes on to explain how the hog was cleaned, quartered, and made into hams, bacon, and sausage. He remembers what tools were used, the cooperative work of his family, and how every part of the hog was used for food.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
6:15
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Making Sausage : Mr. Hilgendorf's father bought hindquarter beef from the butcher for use in the sausage. He also smoked some of the beef in the smokehouse.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
6:50
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Butchering Time : The Hilgendorf family butchered every fall before Christmas, and sometimes in the spring as well.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
7:10
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Smoking Sausage : Sausage smoked by maple wood fires. Meat had to be smoked slowly and evenly.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
7:35
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Making Sausage : To prepare the pork for sausage, Mr. Hilgendorf's mother heated the meat by the oven to make it warm and greasy, then pounded the air out of the meat with her hands. As a boy, Mr. Hilgendorf turned the crank to grind the meat, while his father held the casings open, then tied them shut with the help of another person.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
8:35
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Preperation and Storage of Sausage : Beef, ham, bacon, and shoulders put in brine for six weeks before smoking. Meat smoked in smoke house until brown then put in flour bags and stored in barrels with salt on top to keep worms and flies out. If the meat became too salty, mother soaked it in sweet milk overnight.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
10:05
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Pig's Feet : Hooves taken off, shanks mixed with sweet-sour, and stored in jars.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
10:50
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Squabs : Family raised and dressed squabs for market.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
11:45
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Other Farm Animals : Farm had cattle, calves, and horses. Mr. Hilgendorf remembers how he fed and trained the horses.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
14:20
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Planting Signs : A neighbor of the Hilgendorf family planted crops that grew above ground by the full moon, and those that grew below ground by the new moon. Other neighbors used almanacs to plant by, but Mr. Hilgendorf's father used neither moon nor almanac. Instead, he planted “when the land was fit.” People commented on the neighbor who used the moon: “He should go with his moon, The moon is in the sky, not on the ground.”
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
16:10
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Weather Signs : Mr. Hilgendorf's father knew when the weather was changing by whether he could see the stars in the early morning or not. Moisture in the air made clouds which obscured the stars, and then he knew a storm was coming. He also knew a storm was coming if the steam was rising off Lake Michigan when he was in Milwaukee for market. If the southeast wind blew, it was another sign of stormy weather, and if there was a “blackeye” (thunderstorm) in the northwest in the morning, a storm would arrive “by 3 o'clock in the noon.”
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
19:05
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Other Weather Signs : One could tell if it would be a good day in the morning, but if the sun was too bright, the weather would turn bad. People used weather signs in the rainy season; in the dry season, it really didn't matter.
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Tape/Side
3/1
Time
19:35
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End of Interview
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