Martha Amanda Scheer

b. Sept 1 1893, d. Jan. 15 1986

Green Lake and Metomen, Wisconsin, 1893-1919

Martha Amanda Scheer, or "Grandma Martha" was born in Green Lake, Wisconsin in 1893 to Ferdinand Scheer and Albertine (Koeller) Scheer.

Martha was the youngest of nine children. Her siblings include:

Bertha Louise b. 1879
Frank W. b. 1882
Emma Louisa b. 1883
Charles H. b. 1885
Anne b. 1887
Albert Ernest b. 1888
Ella M. b. 1890
Ida b. 1891

Martha’s oldest sister Bertha, was married with a family of her own, and lived in Mobridge So. Dak. at the time, but was present at Martha’s birth and signed as a witness on Martha’s affidavit of birth.

Martha’s Baptism certificate indicates that she was baptized in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ripon Wisconsin, on Jan. 1st, 1894. The seal on the original certificate is difficult to read, but the Pastor who signed the certificate, C. Dalies, was the pastor at First Evangelical in Ripon. This church is now Our Savior’s United Church of Christ. The history of the church can be found in their 1938 75th Anniversary publication. In 1908, Martha was confirmed in the same First Evangelical Church in Ripon.

Martha lived on the farm in Green Lake from her birth until she married in 1920. Census reports document this over the years. See the Map of Green Lake Area for a glimpse of where the Tolls and Scheers lived.

Marriage to Albert F. Toll

On September 27th 1916, Martha married Albert Fredrich Toll at St. John's Lutheran Church in Markesan, Wisconsin. Albert was the son of Elizabeth (Schroeder) Toll who was married to William Toll. Martha’s sister Ida Scheer and Albert’s brother Edward Toll signed the marriage certificate as witnesses.

Martha and Albert moved onto the farm in Metomen, Wisconsin owned by Elizabeth and William Toll. They rented the farm from Elizabeth and William, who moved in to the town of Ripon. The farm is described as being located 1.5 miles northeast of Fairwater.

According to the 1920 Census, some of Martha and Albert’s neighbors were (last names): Erdman, Hopp, Wilke, Witzke, Ehrenberg, Berg, Yerk, Daehn, Hazen, Theil, Watson, Voght, Schoeffel.

St. John's Lutheran Church Albert and Martha on the Farm at Green Lake

Martha and Albert's Children

Lorraine Everdine Toll

On September 8, 1919, Lorraine Everdine Toll was born. She was baptized on September 12, 1919, and died shortly thereafter. She suffered from what is called "blue baby" syndrome. The baptism certificate is issued from the same church in which Martha was baptized, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ripon Wisconsin.

Lloyd William Toll

On August 29, 1921, Lloyd William Toll was born. Hard to think of the infant and toddler below as our "dear old Dad" or Daddy-o, or Grandpa.

Albert died in 1923, possibly of Bright's disease and/or pneumonia contracted while being outdoors in winter without adequate outerwear. After Albert’s death in 1923, Martha sold the farm in Metomen. The 1924 Ripon City Directory shows Martha (widowed) living at 229 E. Fond du Lac. This is located near her mother-in-law Elizabeth who lived on Blackburn Ave, and must have been where Martha moved after the farm was sold.

References

North Dakota, 1927 - 1933

Martha Outside the Linton Cafe with Ruth Hoyer, Employee and Minister’s Daughter

Martha moved to North Dakota, initially living with her sister Annie (Brusch) in Temvig, North Dakota. Her oldest sister, Bertha (Dahlke- Pfaff) was not far away in Mobridge, South Dakota. She must have moved to be near her family. As a single mother in the Great Depression, she was a woman ahead of her time, striking out on her own in search of a way to make a living.

In 1930, the Census shows Martha as head of household at a residence in Linton. She had 3 renters: Pauline Garman (19), Helen Kapp (18), and Alfred Pfeifer (18). These three also worked at the cafe as cook, waitress, and helper, respectively. Originally, Martha ran a small restaurant in Linton, and eventually she took over the larger Linton Cafe (105 N. Broadway Street), about two block away. Rooms in the basement provided a home, and the restaurant above provided a livelihood.

Minneapolis, MN 1930-1934

In Linton, Martha meets Maxwell H. Ziehlke, a local carpenter who presumably patronized the Linton Cafe. How and where he proposed to Martha is not known, but on August 10, 1930, they were married in Minneapolis, MN by a Methodist minister, Herbert Parish. Witnesses were Martha’s sister Ella (Scheer) Johns, and Henry Prins.

Minneapolis city records show that in 1932 Martha and Max lived at 1501 Lyndale Ave No., two blocks north of Plymouth Ave. Lloyd recalls a large house with the upstairs being rented to boarders. They also owned the house next door, which was rented to a family by the name of Beaucamp.

Lloyd remembered the Malones, of the Malones Funeral Home, living across the street. The Malones were in business for many years in the north Minneapolis neighborhood.

Max was an inventor, and developed the Max Fastener for closing and locking granary doors. He was not able to compete against bigger businesses which overtook Max in the marketplace. In 1933 Max committed suicide, perhaps feeling despair about his failed business.

References

Joliet, Illinois 1934-1938

With the Great Depression still gripping the country, Martha packs up Lloyd and their possessions and moves to Joliet, Illinois. Initially, they moved in with Martha’s sister Ella and husband Herman Johns, where they lived in one half of the Johns’ duplex. Eventually, Martha bought a large house at 413 Bluff Street in Joliet near the Des Plaines river, and took in boarders to help pay the bills. According to city records, boarders in this home include:

Nicholas T. Bohler
Mrs. Gerturde Scalza
Mrs. Grace E. Dano
Mrs. Ethel L. Siddon
Ward Stevens

During this time, Lloyd attended school in Joliet. He graduated from Farragut Jr. High School in 1935 and Joliet High School in 1938.

References

Joliet City Directory, 1938

Linton, North Dakota 1939-1944

In 1939, Martha gets word that the owner/operator of the Linton Cafe has died in an accident. Martha decides to return to run the restaurant again. At this point, Lloyd has graduated from Joliet High School and is 18 years old. Back in Linton, Martha enlists his help in the restaurant.

Click here for more Linton photos from this era

In 1941, Lloyd joins the U.S. Army and is assigned a troop assembled in Bismarck, North Dakota. At some point during Lloyd’s basic training (abt. 1942), Martha visits him at Fort Lewis, Washington near Tacoma with a friend.

References

Minneapolis, 1944

The 1944 Minneapolis City Directory lists Martha Toll (now age 50) as the apartment manager and resident of the Reynold’s Apartments, at 302 South 11th St (not far from the present-day convention center). She also worked in housekeeping at the Curtis Hotel (10th St and 3rd Ave). Why she moved to Minneapolis and when she did so is unknown.

References

Minneapolis, MN 1946 - 1986

After Lloyd returned from the Army, Martha and Lloyd bought the house at 2400 Portland Ave S. Martha first appears in the Minneapolis City Directory at 2400 Portland in 1948 where her occupation is listed as Cook at Donaldson’s. She also took in boarders at the house on Portland: Hugo, Miss Leno, and Gus Henstrum. After Miss Leno left, Betty Traun and two others moved into her room. Lloyd’s room was the upstairs porch, where many years later, we kids spotted pigeons out the windows.

Martha lived in this home for 24 years. As kids we visited, stayed overnight, played 31, and raided her candy dish. In the winter of 1969, Martha fell and broke her hip. Parkinson’s disease along with her age began to chip away at her lifetime of independence. In 1970, she moved to Trevilla of Golden Valley, a senior care facility. She sold the house on Portland Ave. to the Ebeneezer Society. All proceeds went to finance her care at Trevilla.

In 1986 at age 92, Martha succumbed to Parkinsons, among other age-related illnesses. She is buried next to her first husband Albert Toll in Hillside Cemetery in Ripon,Wisconsin.

Martha & Albert's Headstone at Hillside Cemetery in Ripon, Wisconsin