Alfred ULMER

Alfred's parents emigrated from Rohrbach, South Russia in 1884 andhomesteaded near Sutton, Nebraska. Alfred was born in rural Sutton,and lived there with his four sisters and seven brothers until thefamily moved to North Dakota in 1906. He received his educationthrough eighth grade in a country school near Sutton, then helped hisparents on the farm. The family arrived in North Dakota during ablizzard the day before Thanksgiving and lived at the north end ofFullerton while their farm was being built. Their home farm waslocated 4 1/2 miles eastan north of Fullerton and was completed inthe spring of 1907. Alfred continued to work on his parent's farmuntil manhood. He was called to serve in the US Army during WWI, butthe war ended before his induction. He met Martha, who was from ruralFredonia, North Dakota during church festivities and outings.

Alfred and Martha were married at his parents' home farm and continuedto live there until their own farm home was finished in the fallof1918. They raised seven children on that farm and lived there until1956 when they built a new house and moved to Ellendale, North Dakota. They later sold their farm to son, Milton. In 1968 Alfred and Marthacelebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the Fullerton Schoolgymnasium with their children, grandchildren and many, many friendsandrelatives. In 1978, they celebrated their 60th anniversary,althoughby then, Martha was in the Ellendale Nursing Home and passedaway later that same year.

Alfred continued to live alone in his home in Ellendale, then sold thehome and moved into a four-plex, then into the EllendaleApartmentsuntil his health deteriorated to the extent that he wasadmitted to the Nursing Home in Ellendale. He remained there untilhis death, having passed away three weeks shy of his 96th birthday.

A full history regarding the Alfred and Martha Munsch Ulmer family canbe found in the Fullerton Centennial Book published in 1987. Thisfamily history story was written by oldest son, Benjamin Ulmer. Allseven of their children also have individual histories in thispublication.

FAMILY MEMORIES:

Son, Benjamin Ulmer: "I remember my father as one who did not discusstopics much. Not much redundancy, to the point, and with sentences,not lengthy paragraphs. We did not communicate or connect well asIgrew up. This changed after I returned from the service. We hadagood relationship after that and many discussions and visits. Hepassed on a good work ethic, values and had a strong religious faith.Pastor Dietemeyer said it best when talking in private before hisfuneral. He said, "Alfred had a depth about him which was seldomperceived by me in earlier times. When I visited him in the nursinghome, everysentence he spoke was a complete sermon."

Of course, a virtue he passed on was what we now call the "Ulmer senseof humor." One could almost deduce that this is genetic in that hischildren, grandchildren and great grandchildren seem to have this"Ulmer sense of humor." I value humor very highly as a necessity oflife and am thankful for it. Dad loved his grandchildren and greatgrandchildren very much."

Son, Karl Ulmer: "I shall always remember harvest seasons when theday was ended and we'd be driving home with the wagon and horses. Dadwould begin to sing old revival hymns like, "The Old Rugged Cross","ILove to Tell the Story", "Shall We Gather at the River", "Let theLower Lights Be Burning", "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder", and"Bringing In the Sheaves". These all made a tremendous impression onme andalthough I don't recall Dad ever talking to us about religion, Ihavecome to believe that those songs were a real indication that hehad avery personal relationship with God.

Dad used to chew "Copenhagen" snuff. It came in a little round flatcontainer with a metal cover. He always carried it in his biboverallpocket - pull it out - look at me and say, "Dial, Copenhagen,"as he opened it. One time when he did this he offered me some and Itook a "chew". In about five minutes I turned yellow and green andsick to my stomach and felt awful! I think he knew he was making surethat I'd never be a tobacco chewer! People called it "snoose" inthose days- don't ask me how they spelled it."

Daughter, Anne Ulmer Stroh, Emde: " Dad was very strict and used hisrazor strap to punish us. When we had to stay after school we'd getawhipping. I had to stay often, but one time Ben had to stay afterschool but he caught up with us before we reached home and thought thefolks wouldn't know. We told on him anyway! We all learned how tomilkcows on the farm and had to help with all the chores. Dad lovedto make home made beer. When I had lunch with Mom and Dad the lasttime,I asked Dad if he remembered how he kicked me in the shins underthe table when I asked him if he remembered giving me a nickel forevery empty bottle of beer I washed."

Grandson, Thomas Stroh: "As I recall, Grandpa loved carpentry andfishing and did not talk a lot. He sure knew how to move a car bystarting it in high gear and never going very fast."

Granddaughter, Dianne Stroh Barilotti: "We were so young when we leftNorth Dakota so my memories come mostly from summer visits. Idistinctly remember the horse figurine collection that he had. He wasso proud to share that with the grandchildren. I also rememberhearing how active he was even in his later years. How he stillworked for thecity and had done carpentry work late in his life."

Granddaughter, Denice Stroh Hayashi: "It was so unfortunate that welived so far away from our grandparents. We only visited them everythree to four years so my memories are not very clear. I do rememberGrandpa having quite a few horse figurines and remember thinking itwasreally cool to play in the basement as there are no basements inCalifornia!"

Daughter, Mildred Ulmer Gebhardt: "Butchering Day was always aspecial time at home. I remember when Dad, Uncle Bill and Uncle Jakewouldcut and grind up meat to make sausages. The round wash tub wouldbe scoured and scalded, then filled with the ground meat. Uncle Billwould get into the sausage mixture up to his elbows to mix in theright amount of salt, pepper, garlic and onion. Then everyone wouldhave to take a taste to see if it was seasoned just right. Aftermeeting witheverybody's approval the sausage was packed into thesausage machine and Uncle Bill would start to fill the casings. Whatan art! He'd flip them in the middle and know just when to stopfilling so the sausage was even lengths on both ends. After they werefilled Dad would take them out to the smoke house and hang them onracks over the fire pit. They hung for several hours until they werecured. I can still see Dad taking out a full rack of smoked sausagesand carrying them to the cook car where they were hung and storeduntil they were eaten."

Granddaughter, Susan Gebhardt Meland: "When I think of Grandpa, Ithink of a highly self-disciplined individual who would consistentlysettle for no less than the pursuit of excellence and perhaps mostimportantly an individual who had the energy and strength of hisideals. Actually it has occurred to me that my memory of him may be acaricature conjured up by an impressionable child (and further shapedbystories)but then I think of my mother..and I can say with morecertainty thatshe truly had those characteristics. In fact I think Ihave probably
inherited a watered down version which has been both a blessing andacurse! I am deeply proud of my Ulmer heritage.

Grandpa had a really fun toy train engine. It was battery operated,had a whistle and its engine puffed smoke. It also had a headlight.It would back up and change course whenever it ran into somethingalong its path. I recall playing with it with Dan Ulmer. Theyactually still make these
engines and a few years ago I bought one for my son, Paul. Grandpakept a pack of Doublemint gum in his desk drawer. I think I used tosneak a piece now and then or maybe he offered it, I can't rememberfor sure. Grandpa used to help my dad with construction. I stillbrag about how he did
construction work well into his 80's. I was a bit scared ofGrandpa,but as I recall he never really did anything to warrant thatfear."

Great Granddaughter, Erin Kirmis: "Grandpa liked to play Bingo forcandy. My grandma, Millie would bring Beth, I and the candy so wecould play with him. I remember when he was in the hospital and wevisited him there. I colored him a picture out of a coloring book andgaveit to him."

Son, Milton Ulmer: "One of dad's enjoyable times was after a rainyday when it was too wet to work on the farm, we'd dig angleworms andspend the day bullhead fishing. Next best thing was eating the"catch". I also remember the days of butchering and making all thegood sausages and of course Uncle Bill & Aunt Carrie and Uncle Jake &Aunt Rosie being there to help Mom and Dad.

I'll also always remember Dad's intolerance to "horsing around". Idlehands were the Devil's tools! Work was the #1 priority, and when yougot it done, he would find some more! Oh, and how could anyone forgetthe big razor strap hanging behind the door on the east wall of theold house. This was used whenever Dad felt it was needed. Istillhave it and intend to restore it. I'll always remember the"strap" as the Ulmer family's "first educational tool"."

Daughter in law, Avelon Borgen Ulmer: "Alfred always knew when thechoke cherries were JUST RIGHT for picking, also when the corn wasready for harvest. He was not one to offer advice to "newlyweds" evenifwe probably needed it! It's interesting to me to note thedifferencein his attitude toward the grandchildren. He didn't seem tolike to have them be disciplined. If we happened to be doing that, hewould chime in and say, "That's enough now." I don't think he wouldhave allowed the STRAP!"

Granddaughter, Kathie Ulmer Hay: "Grandpa was hard working, even whenhe retired he stayed active as much as before. He was proud ofhisgrandchildren as well as his own children. He remained an avid fanof baseball! He was a true blue German and was the "authority" athome. Nobody ever questioned that!"

Grandson, John Ulmer: "My earliest memories of Grandpa involvedstaying at their house in Ellendale during the day. Grandpa and Iwould do "guy stuff" together. At 10:00 in the morning, we'd get inthe car, drive down to the post office, and get the mail. There wouldalways be buddies of Grandpa's there at the same time. Lots of times,we'd stop at the Nodak Cafe for coffee. I didn't drink coffee, ofcourse, but I'd usually get to eat a donut hole or two.

Returning home, I'd get to help with projects around the house.Helping generally consisted of holding some tool and handing it toGrandpawhen he asked for it. From time to time, we'd go fishing.Grandma would pack us a lunch for the day and we'd head out. If I gottired, I'd lay down in the back seat of the car and take a nap.Somehow, Grandpa always gave me credit for catching at least one ofthe fish.

Another recurring memory involves Christmas. We would be gathered fordinner somewhere (usually either at our farm or at the Gebhardt housein Monango) and Grandpa would make the rounds of all the grandchildrenwho were there. He'd take out his wallet, hand each of us a dollarbill, and say, "Here's your Christmas present." It was always abrand-new crisp bill. We always knew what was coming, but we stilllooked forward to it each year."

Grandson, Daniel Ulmer: "When I was very young, I remember thatGrandpa had a Zippo cigarette lighter. Whenever he lit up acigarette, hewould let me blow out the lighter. I now have thatlighter and whenever I see it, I can picture myself climbing on hislap to blow it out.

One holiday when we still lived in the old house on the farm,Grandpacame to our house for dinner. I must have been younger than 12years old as the new house was not yet built. A bunch of us sataround the table for quite some time while Grandpa related the storyof how he and his brothers migrated from Nebraska to North Dakota. Ienjoyed hearing his stories and now wish I had asked more questions.

I remember another holiday when Grandpa came to our house for dinnerat the new house. He came down in the basement where a few of uswereshooting pool and said, "I haven't played this game in 30 years."Hethen proceeded to beat everyone easily!"

Daughter, Monica Ulmer Hallerud: "I was born on Dad's 40th birthday.Over the years he established the tradition of adding our yearstogether and would say, "Monica, today we are ___ years old." We werequite poor and I did not always get a birthday present, but throughoutthe day he would say, " Happy Birthday, Monica" and I'd always reply,"Happy Birthday, Dad."
Whenever I had a loose tooth, Dad would ask to see it. When mymouthwas wide open, he would grab the offending tooth with his strong,tobacco stained fingers and it was gone! He was a strict, but lovingdad. He did not show his affections openly or freely, but I alwaysknewI was loved."

Granddaughter, Karen Hallerud Moore: "When I think back on GrandpaUlmer, he was a kind, soft spoken man. He always hugged us when wecame and departed. He also used to give each of us kids a silverdollaras we got in the car to drive back home. He always made sure ablessing was said at each meal. He worked hard and didn't stopworking even when he got old. I remember hearing about him climbingonto roofs and helping construct buildings when he was too old to bedoing such things. The last wonderful thing I remember about Grandpawas that he came to my wedding in 1981. He rode to Kansas City withUncle Albert and Aunt Millie and he commented that he didn't know ourcity had so many trees! I was honored that he was there for me and myfamily."

Grandson, Eric Hallerud: "I have memories of Grandpa starting inthemid 1960's from summer vacation trips when we would visit He andGrandma in Ellendale.

At Home:
I recall talking to Grandpa in the living room of their little whitehouse. I think he had a special chair that was his. It seemed likethe Twins were on TV or radio frequently when we'd visit.

There was a little basket full of various kinds of rocks andmineralsthat sat in a corner of the living room. Items that I guessGrandpa picked up here and there. I have that little basket today andam looking at it as I write this.

The Garage:
I loved the garage and the garden in the back yard. I rememberGrandpa had North Dakota license places from years past nailed up onthe wall in the back. For reasons I do not fully understand, I now dothe same in my garage. It just seems like the right thing to do.

I remember going fishing with Grandpa and coming back with bullheadsand cleaning them in the garage. An old garage is a wonderful placewhen you are a kid. Grandpa's was the best! Let's not forget the oldgreen 1959 Chevy - a car he drove for many years. He told me yearslater that he had been forced to reluctantly get rid of the car whentheframes around the headlights rusted out and the lights shonestraightdown toward the pavement!

Other Stuff:
I loved Grandpa's voice and accent. He spoke in sort of a clippedfashion and the words seemed to form in the back of his mouth. Tothis day, I can "play it back" and hear him speak.

The NoDak Cafe and coffee. Dad and I went there with Grandpa whenwewould visit. I think it may have been a regular daily stop for him.

Mom (Monica) and Grandpa had the same birthday - July 20th. I was dueon the very same date but arrived a week late. I understand that theodds of three generations sharing the same birth date are very remote. Grandpa was 40 years older than Mom and 65 years older than me.I liketo marvel at all the changes he saw in his lifetime.

I recall once hearing the story that Grandpa had to stop roofinghouses in Ellendale when his sons wanted to quit doing it themselvesbecause they didn't feel safe doing it anymore!

Grandpa came to Karen's wedding in Kansas City in June of 1981. Asidefrom a trip to California I wonder how many other trips he madeoutside of the Dakotas. I remember he loved all the trees and howgreen everything was in our part of the world.

Grandpa's 90th birthday celebration in Ellendale in 1982 was a specialoccasion. We had a picnic in the park and there was a big cake with a90 on it.

I was a pall bearer at his funeral in 1988. At the end of the serviceat the church, the funeral director put the pall bearers in the wrongorder - shorter guys in the front and the taller guys in the back.Aswe descended the front outside steps of the church with the casket,the folly of this quickly became apparent to all of us. The otherthought we all shared was that you do not drop your Grandpa! We didnot let him down..."

Grandson, Eric Hallerud's wife Diana: "I met Grandpa at his 90thbirthday party. I was amazed at how sharp he was. He made sure thathe acknowledged all the grandchildren and was still aware of personalinformation regarding each of them. I wish I could have been aroundhim more."

Daughter, Gertrude Ulmer Anderson: "Dad was an awesome figure. I wasalways a little afraid of him, but loved and respected him a lot.Ialways wanted to do chores and go fishing with Dad as I was a realoutdoor girl and wanted him to be proud of me. He was also ataskmaster and times were hard on the farm, so we all had to pitch into do our share of the work. Dad was a great sports fan and used toplay softball with his brothers in and around Fullerton when he wasyoung. I also remember going to baseball games with him, Albert andMillie when the Aberdeen Pheasants Team was playing. Dad followedthe games of the major league baseball teams until he was not able towatch TV anymore and I think I must have gotten my love of baseballfrom him. Dad was a 4-H leader for over 20 years and also served onthe local school board. He valued education and always pushed us kidsto go to school. He had a great educational influence on my life andencouraged me to go on to school after high school. I recall healways wished he would have been able to attend high school. Iremember He and Mom came to Jamestown when I was teaching there andthey visited my classroom.It was like a visit from the board ofeducation. I was nervous, but Istrived to do my best! Although Idon't really remember, he must have made some personal commentsregarding my teaching, either as praiseor criticism."

Grandson, Douglas Anderson: "I have these memories of Grandpa Ulmer:Cleaning Bullheads in the garage, Camel Cigarettes, his old green carand his horse collection."

Granddaughter, Gwen Anderson Struble: "I don't ever rememberGrandpacoming to my house, but I do remember going to his house inEllendale. It was a neat little house with red trim, and graveldriveway, andbeautiful flowers. We always knew we were at the righthouse becausethere sat Grandpa's old, green car with the "cat eye"tail lights.

Grandpa would often stand at the front door and watch us play andevery once in a while he would open the door and spit something browninto the bushes. I know now that he chewed snuff, but at that time Ialways wondered what he was doing, but was too afraid to ask. Thisgrandpa, who I loved, was not the kind to engage in frivolous childplay with us but one to revere. I don't remember "visiting" much withhim, but I felt his pride and his love.

My last "special" memory was in 1985 when my daughter, Jessica was oneyear old. We went to visit her Great Grandpa and even at the age of93, I was touched at how he had planned our visit. First church, thena program at church, then dinner at the Ranch Cafe, then watchthebaseball game on TV. He told us exactly how the day was going tounfold, and I've got pictures that captured the first meeting betweenJessica and her great grandpa, Alfred Ulmer."

Granddaughter, Sandra Anderson Bolduc: "Grandpa was a strong, quietman and was very respected. He loved his horse collection and usedtolet us play with some of them. I remember him driving downtown toget the mail in his green car and talking about still being on theCityCouncil at HIS age.

He loved grandma very much and he loved to see his grandchildren,butwe always knew not to horse around in grandpa's house. He wasstrict!"