Edward McKinley Wiedrich
On
September 27, 1896 Edward McKinley Wiedrich was born to John and Sarah in
Pembroke, Genesee County, New York.[i]
His middle name of McKinley is not verified. He would grow to 5’7” with blue
eyes and brown hair. He was their first born child. Although his children
claimed he had little formal education the 1910 Federal Census lists him as
attending school. Since his father was a farmer it could be he missed school
often to help on the farm. But he was an avid life-long reader and received
much of his knowledge from what he read. By 1915 he had left school and worked
in a mill.[ii]
Always
one who wished to wander the world, he left home and became a merchant sailor.
In October of 1918 he received his seaman’s certificate at the Port of Boston
that lists him as 5’7” and 165lbs – probably the heaviest in his life. Later he
would probably weigh 120lbs soaking wet. Two of the ships he worked on were the
Elizabeth and the Margaret.
Wiard Plow 1921
Once
home and went back to work at the Wiard Plow factory where he
worked as a fireman.[iv]
The family moved to 1 Pearl St, Batavia, Genesee County, New York. Also around
this time he also worked delivering ice whether as a side job or during a
layoff from the plow factory.[v]
This is how he met Hazel Bristol when he delivered ice to her house.
 |
| Wiard Plow |
Hazel
Bristol and Edward Wiedrich married on March 17, 1921. They were married by
Rev. Johnson in the Baptist parsonage in Batavia. After the wedding they lived
with
Their
first daughter, Yvonne was born on January 27, 1922, followed one year later by
Bonalyn on January 13, 1923. By 1925 Ed was a woodworker probably still at the
Wiard Plow. They continued to live with Mattie until 1933 when they lived at 12
Swan St. in Batavia. This was just up the street from the Wiard Plow. Hazel was
operating a Doll Hospital out of their house. This was where she repaired china
dolls.
In 1935 they moved to the outskirts of town to a farm on
Creek Rd. [viii]
While he continued to work at the Wiard Plow he also did some farming at their
house. Sometime in the 1930’s he also swept up at a bean factory. His daughter
Millicent related how he would bring home the sweepings and the kids would pick
out any beans that were in the dirt. Things were tough at this time and the
beans helped put food on the table. It also developed a lifelong love of beans
in Millicent. In the 1937 city directory Ed’s occupation is trucking. By the
1940 Census he had lost the farm on Creek Rd. and was back living with Mattie.
He was now a laborer in a farm implement factory (probably the
Within the year he moved his family to Gloucester City in
a trailer camp in Gloucester Heights. Someone had promised him a good job but
when he got here there was no job. He ended up cleaning out septic tanks and was
soon covered with boils. Around this time he signed on to a merchant ship
leaving his family to get by on their own. Yvonne who had graduated from high
school in Batavia took a job as a waitress. Millicent who was 12-yrs-old and in
school took a job bussing dishes at the diner. Ed never sent any money home and
when he returned a year later brought no money back with him. Meanwhile they
lived in a truck converted into a trailer home in Thorpe’s trailer park on
Marlboro Ave. Millicent told of sleeping in a tight dark space over the cab
that left her claustrophobic. Bonalyn graduated from Gloucester High went into
the Navy as soon as she turned 20-yrs-old, the minimum age to sign up for
women. Yvonne had a baby girl and continued to hone her skill as a
waitress. She was joined by Millicent in the waitress ranks. Millicent and
Constance continued attending Gloucester High where Constance played athletics.
Then in 1945 Ed decided to pack up the family and move to
Florida. Bonnie was still in the Navy and Midge (Millicent) who had just graduated
from
high school decided to stay in Gloucester and board with a friend’s family. Ed,
Hazel, Yvonne, Connie and Patsy moved to Tampa, Florida. They left just before
Christmas and had a journey like the Joad family in The Grapes of Wrath.
The truck and Yvonne’s ancient car made the trip. Vehicles broke down and took
a lot of tinkering to get going again. Bald tires went flat and needed sewing
(a desperate technique when tires are unavailable and expensive) and less
pressure to avoid more flats. At night they would stop by the side of the road
or in a parking lot. They spent Christmas in the truck. I can imagine a sad atmosphere
- Connie who would have to transfer schools and Hazel who endured so much in
her life. They eventually reached Jacksonville where they stayed with friends
for a few days until after the New Year. Then it was on to St. Petersburg.
Eventually
they settled in De Soto Park in Tampa on the bay. The park had its roots in the
20’s when Tampa set aside the park to accommodate people migrating to Florida
or just wintering and later in the 30’s during the Great Depression permanent
residents. These former “Tin Can Trailer Camps” became the trailer parks of the
post war era. Florida encouraged them to support the tourist industry. At De
Soto there were various trailers and cabins and some circus people. There were
circus acts practicing in the park green. Tampa had great resources for the children around
the city. Recreation directors were in all parts of the city including De Soto
Park all day during the summer and after school during the school year. In De
Soto Park it was Mochine Fernandez who worked there from just after WWII until
1969.[x]
I met her in 1969 when we rode over to see where my family lived during their
early years in Florida. One of Midge’s favorite pictures was of Hazel, Midge
and me (Arlene) making a walkway of upside down batteries in front of the cabin
in De Soto Park.
Ed found work on a farm and later in a Dawson fish camp
where he did carpentry work. He loved working on boats. Both he and Hazel were
active with the local Power Squadron. Anything about the sea found a place in
Ed’s heart.
The Wiedrich clan finally found a home on Interbay Blvd.
in Port Tampa. It was a large old Florida house built
in the late 1800s. It was large enough that they made apartments on the first
and second floors for some extra income. There was a wrap-around porch and a
large side yard. In 1964 a few years before Ed died he suffered a heart attack
and gave the family a scare. He recovered but on August 2, 1966 he died of
complications from pulmonary thrombosis, myocardial infarction and a ruptured
peptic ulcer.[xi]
[i]
Social
Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social
Security Administration.Original data: Social Security Administration. Social
Security D), Ancestry.com, Number: 140-12-8288; Issue State: New Jersey; Issue
Date: Before 1951. Birth date: 27 Sep
1896; United States, Selective Service System.
World War I Selective
Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National rchives
and Records Admini), Ancestry.com, Registration Location: Genesee County, New York;
Roll: 1753735; Draft Board: 0. Birth date:
27 Sep 1896 Birth place: New
York;United States of America; United States, Selective Service System.
Selective Service Registration Cards,
World War II: Fourth
Registration. National Archives and Records Administration Branch l),
Ancestry.com, Roll: ; Local board: Camden , New Jersey. Birth date: 27 Sep 1896 Birth place: Pembroke, New York
[ii]
State
population census schedules, 1915. Albany, New York: New York State
Archives.Original data: State population census schedules, 1915. Albany, New
York: New York S.
[iii]
Edward Wiedrich Citizen Seaman Identification record; New York, Passenger
Lists, 1820-1957 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010),
Ancestry.com, Year: 1920.
[iv]
1920;
Census Place: Batavia Ward 4, Genesee, New York; Roll: T625_1114; Page: 6A;
Enumeration District: 10; Image
[v]
Story told by Hazel Wiedrich about how she met Edward. Also a picture of him
driving the ice truck.
[vii]
Ancestry.com,
U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta) (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA:
1933 Batavia, NY
[ix]
Ancestry.com,
Year: 1940; Census Place: Batavia, Genesee, New York; Roll: T627_2538; Page:
2B; Enumeration District: 19-5.
