The James/Hougardy Family of Jersey City, N.J.:Information about Fr. Adalbert Unruhe, O.S.B.
Fr. Adalbert Unruhe, O.S.B. (b. June 11, 1882, d. February 20, 1965)
Notes for Fr. Adalbert Unruhe, O.S.B.:LETTER FROM FR. ADALBERT UNRUHE, O.S.B.
January 25, 1961
Dear Bertille & Leo,
Thank you for your nice letter. Its a long time, since I received one from you, but I suppose you can say that for me too.Yes that was a surprise telephone call around Christmas.Shortly after that call, I received a letter from Sister Bertille telling me that Sr.Fulgence had arrived safely at St. Louis Airport.I imagine you had a pleasant visit together.Sr. Fugence has to leave next month.How the time flies.And Cousin Joseph could not understand.Well may be.It was the same with Henry Walz Leo's uncle, when I called him up from Conception Abbey.
After I gave him the history of his family then it dawned on him.So I asked him if he could come to St. Benedict's Abbey, Atchison one Sunday afternoon and he replied, yes I will be there.We met around 4:00 o'clock and his wife Dora said, well I have asked Henry several times if he had yet some other relatives and he didn't know.Now we find out that we have even a priest in our relationship.But you have to come to pay us a visit in Kansas City, and so I went there the next day.And after we had dinner together, Ray who is down in Florida drove us to Brunswick and Salisbury.However, Leo's father was not home nor his wife because they were gone to Ipswich, South Dakota to visit Fred's family.Just think I have been in this Country already for 34 years and never had meet any of my cousins, nor my aunt Elizabeth since she had died.Before I came to this country we received often a letter from Leo's grandmother and when I wrote to her that I was coming over to America, she wrote me a long letter and asked me to visit her by all means.She wrote in detail, how I could get to her place, gave the Railroads, etc.And when I was studying in St. John's University I received a letter from her from Ipswich, S. Dakota.But I lost that letter.However, Fred told me afterward all about it.From Oxford, Worth County, the family had moved to Ipswich, S.D. but they stayed there not so very long, because they did not like S.D. and so they moved back, except Fred, he stayed.He was a contractor and built houses.The Benedictine Fathers at Conception knew the famiy well.I met one Father in 1916 in the Sacred Heart Sanitarium and I inquired about my aunt Elizabeth's family and he answered he knew the family well.When I was still in Germany, Aunt Elizabeth wrote once her Parish Priests were Benedictine Fathers from Conception.And this was the reason, why I visit to Conception first in 1939.I celebrated my Silver Jubilee as priest.Mr. & Mrs. Valentine Kretz and daughter Agnes from Indiana visited me at that time.I had asked my Abbot to give me a couple weeks off so I could go to Missouri and find my cousins there.He allowed then two weeks.However my cousins from Indiana insisted that I should first go with them to Chicago and Indiana.When we were there some of the other cousins asked me to stay there.They said we don't think there is anyone alive yet, we did not hear from them for a long, long time.However I said well I have permission to look them up, and if don't go now, the Abbot may not grant me another permission later on. So I went as I said to Conception and then I got the stone rolling.And I was glad and happy that I went.One of Leo's aunts, I don't know anymore who it was, the one in Brunswick, she said to Henry don't you remember that mother sometimes mentioned one of her nephews was studying for priest and he answered No.When I visited there in 1939 Leo's parents were in Dakota to visit Fred Walz's family.When they returned and heard that I had been there, Leo's father Joseph wrote me a letter and asked me to try that over and he would come up some day.And he informed Fred in Ipswich and so after afew days I received a letter from Margaret and shortly afterwards Margaret and Helen visited me.We were only about 250 or 260 miles apart.And in 1940 or 41 when ever it was, when Sr. Fulgence or was it Sr. Bertille made her soleum vows I was down there and then stayed in Salisbutry for a couple of days and Louis served my mass.Now to the second part.My mother, who died in 1903 only 48 years old, had two sisters who left Germany and went to Unied States.She wanted to go along too but she had cold feet at the depot before the train came and returned home of course my mother had 2 more sisters, one had died.She had one brother.The two sisters Agnes and Elizabeth arrived in Indiana.There Leo's grandmother must have married a man by the nameof Rascher.The cousins there are talking often about Rascher, and I met there in Cedar Lake, Lake County, Indiana some years ago. a Franciscan Father Rascher, we met there after.I said Mass and this Father had said mass there to.Aunt Elizabeth after she was married moved away to Missouri.Aunt Agnes who had married a certain Fetsch stayed in IndianaShe also wrote often, when I was still in Germany.When I came over here I think it was July 31st 1905 when we landed in New York.A Benedictine Priest from St. John's Abbey brought me along.He had a brother in our Parish and since I was working for a Lawyer at that time, I met the priests brother often, since he was in the Courthouse and I had to take over there ever so often, lawsuit material.This Priest knew a Pastor at St. Martins Parish in Chicago and there we stayed for a few days.But it was already the second day after our arrive that the priest wanted to go to a Barbershop.So the temporary Assistant took us to a Barbershop, but he himself stayed outside, there was a bench where he sat down. Then I told him that I had two aunts here in the United States and one was living not so very far from Chicago.He asked where?I told him Hanover Center, Lake Co., Ind.Oh he said, that is not so far from here about 50 miles.Why don't you visit here since you are so close, if you go to Minnesota you may not get an opportunity to see for a long time.So when the Father came out of the Barbershop he told him, what I said to him.They decided then to take me immediately to the Train.They wrote everything down and told the Conductor where to let me off, since I could not talk the English Language yet.Everything went fine, but I got lost at first.Finally I found the right road to that place.And just before the town I met a workmen and asked him, if he could understand German.He said yes and then he took me through the town to a farm house and there I met my aunt Agnes and was she excited and happy to see me.But the next day I had to leave again.When I made my solemn vows in 1912 two of my cousins; Frank Fetsch and his brother-in-law, the husband of his sister Theresa came to St. John's to visit me and be present at the ceremonies.Then in 1914 after I had said my first mass in Duluth, I made a trip to Indiana, Cedar Lake as the place is called now and Chicago.I believe in 1917 my aunt died and I got permission to go and have the Funeral services.In 1919 the oldest girl Agnes got married and I was asked to have the marriage ceremonies.She is the aunt of that young priest, because her sister Mary married a Peplanski.His grandmother Theresa Kretz is my first cousin and his mother is my second cousin.And this Theresa is first cousin to Leo's father like myself.I wasat his ordination in Christ the King Church, Chicago, and I was also present at his first mass at the St. Joseph and St. Ann's Church.The young priest's mother is also second cousin to Leo.Iam sending you a number of pictures on which you find some of these cousins.I had the wedding mass and ceremonies of Patty Frame too last July 2.But I did not yet pictures yet, she wrote to me some time ago I would get them before the year would be over but so far I did not get anything.Are you far from Helen?I received a letter from her some time ago too.And also from Margaret who is not well, she was in the hospital, whether she is still there or not I don't know.I suppose I will get a letter one of these days she write me often.
Well, dear Bertille, I have to close now.My eyes need a rest you know I have always sinus and brochical trouble. In November I had sinus trouble and headache over my left eye and before I knew I had all kinds of pictures before my eyes.Then I went to a doctor and he looked at my eyes and then said a small blood vessel ruptured in your left eye.Don't ever strain them.I know they are not normal yet and I have to close now with love and greetings to all of you.
Fr. Adalbert
P.S.What about your music"Do your children take music lessons?
More About Fr. Adalbert Unruhe, O.S.B.:
Burial: Minnesota, U.S.A..
Ordained: August 10, 1914.