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"All aboard for Dukes!"
"All aboard for Dukes!"
In the family of Francis H. Noecker and all the descendents thereafter, "All aboard for Duke's" means we are going somewhere - - anywhere - - as a family, and it's time to get everything loaded and ready to roll, including people.
"Duke" was a nice guy who owned and rented out 8 or 10 log cabins made out of real logs, on Brevoort Lake in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where we, as a family, spent several memorable week-long vacations, shared with the Jim Harbage family of Columbus, Ohio. Dad and Jim, both life-long bankers with the Ohio National Bank in Columbus, skimped, planned, and saved for the one big event of the year - a week at Duke's.
Remember Mom's story about "Picking eggs"? And Dad's expression "Drop the net!"? Dad's pride and joy, a '37 Buick sedan, color blue of course, looked very stylish there in the woods full of birch trees, and the Buick's big running boards provided a nice platform for me to play on. Brevoort Lake was good fishing, lots of pike and other eating fish, and it was so shallow we kids could wade out so far you could hardly see us. The bottom was soft fine sand, and we didn't know what pollution was. One evening Duke sent word to our cabin to come on down to the lodge because he had a wild deer fawn there - white spots and all - and we could come pet it. It looked just like the ones in "Bambi".
I think I'll have to re-visit Brevoort Lake some time. I'm sure nothing has changed - right?
The background photo you see is Dad and his '37 Buick at Dukes.
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June 21, 2002 |
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Gertrude Noecker
Gertrude Noecker, 98, of Lancaster passed away January 20, 2005, at her home. Born December 20, 1906, to the late G.O. and Maude Noecker, she grew up in Carroll OH, graduating from Carroll High School as class valedictorian in 1924. In 1925, she received a diploma from Bliss Business College. During WW II, she took evening accounting classes at Franklin University, Columbus. Her first career was 38 years with the U. S. Department of Agriculture, working in Boston MA, Columbus OH, and Indianapolis IN.
After retiring, she returned to Fairfield County, and in 1965, took coursework again at Franklin University in Income Tax Accounting. This launched her second career of preparing tax returns. She retired again in 2001 after 31 years of self-employment. In 2000, she was honored to appear in a feature article in the alumni publication of Franklin University. She was a member of Iota Tau Lambda, Alpha Chapter, since 1944.
In 2003, she was honored by Reber Chapter, #161, Lithopolis, Order of Eastern Star, at their 100th year celebration. At that time she had been a member for 78 years. She was also a member of Tarhe Ladies’ Club, Ladies’ Oriental Shrine, and Olivedale Senior Citizens.
A life-long member of Carroll Methodist Church, now Shalom Methodist, "Aunt Trudie", in her own words, had a wonderful life! Over the years, she enjoyed tennis, swimming, bowling, hiking, traveling extensively, and was an avid golfer into her 80’s. She loved to relate stories of Fairfield County and Carroll history.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers, Francis H. Noecker and Carl B. Noecker and their wives. She is survived by nieces Mary (William) Mirick, Worthington OH, Sandra (William) Schroer, Lancaster OH, Nadine Pederson, Pleasant Hill CA, and Karen (Scott) Holmes, Half Moon Bay CA; and nephews John (Martha) Noecker, Hudson NY, Daniel (Carol) Noecker, Concord CA, and Scott (Kathy) Simpson, Kent WA. She is also survived by many great and great-great nieces and nephews.
Caring cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held in the Spring at Shalom United Methodist Church, Carroll OH, with interment at Amanda Township Cemetery. Arrangements by Frank E. Smith Funeral Home, Lancaster. Memorials may be made to Shalom United Methodist Church Building Fund.
It's quite a comfort to know that Mom made it to age 97, and Aunt Trudy (on Dad's side of the family), will soon be writing her age in three digits! All our ancestors lived to a very old age except the ones who died of diseases that we have cures for now. They ate a lot of steaks and fatty foods - butchered right on the farm - and they felt obligated to eat every last bit of fat on their dinner plate. After all, it was hard times, and they didn't want to waste anything. One has to wonder how long they would have lived if today's healthy living life styles had been known back then. When you stop and think about it, we are a lot luckier than we usually think we are.
Oh, and one more thing. When the time comes, I want on my tombstone:
Jesus
Family
Country
Buckeyes
Buicks
