William Kemp Essig & Angeline Martha Gusk

William Essig was described as being "dapper" and was a friendly and talkative man, the son of a German immigrant.  He was born in Bally, Pennsylvania and was raised in the German Catholic community there.  As a boy, he would go to the Priest's house at the local Church with his friends for Latin instruction and prayer; the Pastor of the Church would entertain the boys by setting up a game where they would knock pieces of crackers out of a circle with a marble, winner take all.  Such was the life of a boy in the 19th Century.  William and his brother Augustine attended the Catholic School in the small town.  Later, when William was just 14 year old, he was already on his own living as a hosteler at a local Physician's house.

At some point in his young adult life, William left his hometown in Bally and moved to Reading, Pennsylvania presumably in search of work. Sometime during that time he met Angeline M. Gusk who was a servant at a local Minister's house. Angeline had immigrated from her homeland in Baden, Germany, coming alone to America in 1889.  Her sister Anna had later followed her two years later, their parent's thinking that it would be best for her to "look after Angeline".  They left behind in Germany at least two siblings, Anna's twin sister and a brother William. The two sisters had gotten work in Reading as housekeepers for the Lutheran minister, Reverend Huntzinger, on South 4th street.  Reverend Huntzinger was a good friend of Father Bornemann at St. Paul's and it is likely that the Church was instrumental in getting the girls settled.    

William was 41 years old and Angeline was 30 when they were married at St. Paul's Church in the summer of 1897.  The local newspaper announced the wedding and contained a drawing of the newlyweds.  They traveled to Bally to William's parent's home for their honeymoon trip and they were greeted by a gathering of well wishers there, complete with an orchestra playing music.  It was a festive event.  

The couple lived in Reading and William worked as a baker for at least the first three years of their married life; the newlyweds living right above the bakery at 425 South 6th Street.  Eventually William would become an Insurance Agent for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, making this his life long career.

William and Angeline had six children in the time period around the first decade of the 20th Century.  These children were Raymond, Carl, Gertrude, Paul, Leonard and Mary.  The last child, Mary died in infancy.  The family came to live in one of the many row homes in Reading at 936 Elm Street.  Angeline's sister, who had married a man named George Siegfried lived on the same block at 919 Elm Street.  The Siegfried's had six children.  Their son, Andy, was best friend's with Raymond Essig and their daughter Mary and Gertrude Essig were also best friends and remained so for life.  There were many visits back and forth between the two families with shared dinners, birthdays, and holidays.  Ray and Andy often slept at each other's houses.  Angeline enjoyed going to the movie house and sometimes would keep her young son Paul home from school to attend with her because she often became disoriented when she went out. Raymond, also, often spent time with his mother in the 1920's, going to movies or taking long trolley rides.  Sometime around 1924 Angeline became chronically ill and in October of 1927 she passed away at her son Carl's home in Oley, Pennsylvania. On that day, Raymond Essig made the following entry in his diary:

"Mother died this morning at fifteen minutes past midnight, falling quietly into her last sleep, this ending her three years of suffering"

After Angeline's death, William continued to spend time with his children at their various homes, a picture in 1930 shows the group enjoying each other's company probably at Carl Essig's farm.  During the Depression many of William's children experienced financial hardships.  William wrote a letter to his son Ray and daughter-in-law Helen at this time:

"Work don't seem to pick up fast.  Herman Henry is working on the hill in Reading.  So is my son, Paul.  But they [are] only working 24 hours a week, 50 cents an hour, $12 a week.  That is very little for a man with three children."

Eventually, William came to live with his daughter Gertrude and her husband Herman at 1342 Locust Street in Reading.  He sent the following letter to his son Raymond at that time:

							Reading, January 24th, 1938

Dear Son Raymond,

Received your letter, seems you received your money all  from me which I sent you.  Not living on Elm Street anymore, [I] moved to Gertrude's again, [on]1342 Locust Street, Reading.  Am getting up in years and more helpless, so I came to think that it would be about the best place.  She always waits good on me if I get sick.  I would not have moved yet this winter, but George Bauer moved in a small house only 2 rooms on second floor.  His house got sold by Sheriff.  I was to Philadelphia on Jan. 14th, to a dinner for old veterans of Metropolitan Agents.  Superintendent and a few agents took care of me all night. 


My father got to know his grandfather quite well at that time, and "Pop" Essig often told the grandchildren that he remembered when Abraham Lincoln was shot.  He was a Pennsylvania German through and through and my father recalled his grandfather's exclamation to the children at bedtime, "Up the Golden Stairs to Bethlehem!"

William was a kindly Grandfather and enjoyed his grandchildren.  When my father joined the Merchant Marines in the 1940's during World War II, the elderly William wondered aloud, "Why does Robert have to go?"

William K. Essig, like his father enjoyed a long life, living until nearly 90 years of age.  He passed away in his sleep in 1947.