The Goldendale Sentinel, Goldendale, WA., February 3, 1955, page 7
Includes portraits of Anna Avery and Bertha Fraiser
DAUGHTERS OF A. WELLENBROCK LISTED WITH COUNTY'S PIONEERS
Among the early day settlers in the Glenwood Valley were Antone and Louise Wellenbrock who came to the United States from Germany in 1865. Mr. Wellenbrock followed his trade, that of a brick layer, working in Cincinnati, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Norfolk, Virginia, Cleveland, Ohio and Topeka, Kansas. His work was repeatedly interrupted by strikes during much of their time in the East which necessitated their moving from place to place. They later moved to California where they learned, through a German newspaper, of homestead opportunities offered in the Camas Prairie Valley. They left San Francisco by vessel, going to Portland and from there up the Columbia River to Bingen and on into Glenwood. At the time of their arrival in Glenwood, April 20, 1880, the Wellenbrocks had two sons, Ernest and Harry, who have continued to make their home there. We have chosen two daughters of the Wellenbrock family for this week's interview. They are Anna (Avery) and Bertha (Frazier).
ANNA AVERY
A popular member of the Antone Wellenbrock family is
their daughter, Anna, born April 22, 1890, in Glenwood. With the exception
of a few years, which was spent in Goldendale and Portland, Anna has been
a resident of Glenwood.
She received her early schooling in Glenwood. On May
3, 1912 she was married to Matt Gilmer at Lewiston, Idaho. Mr. Gilmer passed
away in 1934 and in 1938 she was married to Roy Avery, who was engaged in
the logging and lumber business in this county for several years. Mr. Avery
passed away in 1946.
Anna is known for her ability to concoct a tasty meal
. whether it was for a few or a large group. Her reputation in the
culinary line is known to many, as along with her cooking ability she has
the knack of making friends wherever she goes.
When Anna was a young girl she, along with the rest of
her brothers and sisters, had to assume the responsibility of helping her
mother finance the household expenses
as they had no father to provide
the necessities of life (her father died in May, 1897).
One of the sources of income, for the Wellenbrock family
was the annual hop harvest in the Yakima valley. The family started going
to the Yakima hop fields in 1898 and returned there each fall for seven
consecutive years.
It was while working in Yakima that Anna had what she
termed her greatest thrill. "I was sitting on a rock fishing on one of my
days off and the first thing I knew the earth gave away from under the rock
and I followed it into the river. Fortunately for me Gus Schultz, a friend
of our family, was nearby and dove in after me. It was an experience that
I will never forget," Anna recalled.
Anna has two children, Matt Gilmore, who now lives in
Florence, Oregon, and a daughter, Mrs. Bertha Bobcock of Glenwood. There
are four grandchildren who delight in sitting down to a table prepared by
their grandmother.
BERTHA FRAISER
One of the greatest enjoyments of Bertha Frazier Wellenbrock
is to reminisce about early days in the Glenwood valley. Bertha was born
April 8, 1884, four years after her parents settled in the Glenwood area.
Mrs. Frazier, like the rest of her brothers and sisters,
did her part in helping her mother feed and clothe the family of six children.
She was married in Glenwood December 25, 1905, to Frank
Frasier. With her husband she farmed 160 acres in the Glenwood valley until
1918 when they moved to Yakima, purchasing a 40-acre tract. Since the death
of Mr. Frasier on November 12, 1935, she has made her home at Yakima.
Mrs. Frasier, a member of the Camas Prairie Pioneer
Association, tries to always make it a point to return to her native home
to attend the annual pioneer meeting and Glenwood rodeo, as these events
provide her an opportunity to renew old acquaintance and talk about by-gone
days.
Mrs. Frasier's greatest experience occurred when she
was seven years of age. It seems as she was returning home from school one
afternoon, and like all kids not paying much attention as to just where she
was heading, she became lost. The "highlight" of the rescue, as far as she
is concerned is the fact that the man who found her was riding a white horse.
"I thought I was all alone, but after my rescuer fired a shot from his six-gun
we were surrounded by men and horses," she smilingly said.
The Frasiers had two children. Isabel, who was born June
29, 1909, died December 18, 1918. The son, William A., was born July 16,
1907 and is now living in Seattle. While Mrs. Frasier enjoys visiting her
son, there are also three grandchildren who have a lot to do in attracting
her to Seattle.
In addition to Anna and Bertha there are three brothers
and one sister of the Wellenbrock family still living. They are Harry, Robert
and George, all of Glenwood and Louise McKinny of Chico, California.
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© Jeffrey L. Elmer