John Krueger found this small wooden box and shared its contents on Facebook[1].

Wooden Box Containing Wilhelm Kirmse's Autobiography[1]
Wooden Box Containing Wilhelm Kirmse’s Autobiography[1]
Comparison of Size of Box to a Quarter[1]
Comparison of Size of Box to a Quarter[1]

Autobiography

Inside the box was the following autobiography by Wilhelm “William” Kirmse:
Page 1 Side 1[1]
Page 1 Side 1[1]
Page 1 Side 2[1]
Page 1 Side 2[1]
Page 2 Side 1[1]
Page 2 Side 1[1]
Page 2 Side 2[1]
Page 2 Side 2[1]

Transcription

The following is a transcribed transcript of the handwritten note found in the small wooden box [2]:

Feb. 1, 1957

Willhelm Kirmse son of Julius and Barbara Kirmse Was born May 21, 1875 at Farrar Mo. Was confarmt at the age of 14 years had my etucation at Farrar Christian day school, at the age of 18 years I took up the Carpenter trade, in 1901 I made a trip to Alva Okla, whith the entention to file on a clame, put got too late, in 1902 I mad a second trip too the Cherokee Strip to locate me a home, and worket a month at the carpenter trade, but failed agin to establish me a home, in 1904 

I got marriet to Miss Martha Cordes, daughter of Henry and Margaret Cordes, in March 1904 we took the steamboad to St Louis Mo. And by train to Woodward Okla. There contected a Land Egent takin us by horses and Tax Runkey out over the open Prairey to locade us ¼ section of land to estable us a home, finey after days driving he located a ¼ section where I could file on a relingusment South West of Shattuck Okla  all there was on it a sod house 12 X 18, that was all and only 2 miles from the Lutheran Church, so we became members there agin, 

after living there 7 years, in 1910 we decided to change location, we moved to Alva Okla, and establish us a home 4 miles Soth East of where we joyndeed the Lutheran Church again where we lived 35 years, after 40 years retired we Farming, in 1944 we end moved to Alva, and are now living at 912 Third st alva  

We were blest with 6 children 2 boys and 4 girls 1 girl 18 months and 1 boy 17 years old, past on to there eternley home.  All our children are marrit and are blest with 11 childre, and we are all members of the The Zions Lutheren Church of Alva Okla at this time. 

                                          Read this and keep it.

Notes

  1. John Krueger shared the autobiography and pictures on Facebook, March 2015.
  2. John’s wife, Ruth E. Krueger, painstakingly strived to transcribe as exact as possible the handwriting of Grandfather Kirmse as best she could and typed the transcribed autobiography to a Microsoft Word document. John recalls this was done more than 10 years ago while Ella Krueger was still living at Alva.
  3. John Krueger noted: “I love the “dovetail” corners and slot for sliding lid.  I am sure that Grandfather Kirmse crafted this box.  He enjoyed woodworking and spent hours at the workbench he had in the garage behind the house he and Grandmother lived in on Third Street, Alva, Oklahoma.” The wood used to make the box appears to be from explosive boxes discarded on the roadside by seismic survey crews at that time.

 

License

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My Kirmse Grandparents Copyright © 2018 by Dale William Kirmse is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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