Dispatch from the Ruhsenberger Family--1937

Ann Hart Stewart was one of the first contributors to this blog. Her grandparents, Charles and Hattie Ruhsenberger, resided at 5930 East Washington Street. Other relatives lived nearby on Burgess Avenue. Ann's photos and stories have chronicled life near the corner of East Washington Street and Arlington Avenue. She contributed a fun story about a famous cat, who lived across street.  You may read more about her family by clicking the "Ruhsenberger" or "Stokesberry" links below. Recently, she found another historic photo of her family members snapped in 1937.

The Ruhsenbergers occasionally took breakfast picnics. Mr. and Mrs. Ruhsenberger had three children, Roger, Henrietta, and Patricia. Sometimes, the families would get up early and drive to Christian Park to enjoy the beauty of nature and each other's company.  They had to reserve a grill ahead of time for cooking. Not everyone loved the experience. A very young Ann Hart noted that she was not so keen to be up so early and away from the warmth of her kitchen at 5930 East Washington Street. The Ruhsenbergers are all now gone from Irvington and even their family home was demolished in 1957. Thankfully, folks like Ann Hart Stewart help us to remember.

Ruhsenberger Family Picnic at Christian Park in 1937: Pictured (top left to right) MaeClaire "Tottie" Whidden Ruhsenberger (1911-1981), Lt. jg. J. Roger Ruhsenberger (1900-1993), Charles  A. Ruhsenberger (1869-1959), Hattie Jones Ruhsenberger (1872-1973), Henrietta Ruhsenberger Hart (1896-1969),  Paul J. Hart (1899-1989) Bottom rows: Roger Henry Ruhsenberger (1932-2004), Ann Hart Stewart, Patricia Patricia Ruhsenberger Dillard (1910-1954) The photo was snapped by Larry J. Dillard (1930-1993)

The Ruhsenbergers resided in a beautiful Dutch Colonial Revival home at 5930 East Washington Street. The grand home was built in 1906. It was later demolished for a filling station on the northwest corner of East Washington Street and Arlington Avenue. 

Photos and stories for this post are courtesy of Ann Hart Stewart.

"Keep Mum!" Birthday Party Invitations in the early 1940s

Ann Hart, like many Irvington girls, received invitations to birthday parties.   How many of us have kept up with these childhood friends?  How many of us have lost touch?  Stored in scrapbooks for over 70 years, these three invitations were issued to several girls throughout the neighborhood in 1941-43.  The lucky recipient, Ann Hart, dwelled at 5930 East Washington Street and attended elementary school at IPS #77.

On November 5, 1941, several Irvington girls gathered at the home of Joyce Mitzner at 5864 East Lowell Avenue.  It was a cool day and a Wednesday so the girls gathered after school.  None of them had any idea that their lives were about to change in just a little over a month with the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  Joyce and Ann have remained friends over the years and without fail Ann still sends a birthday card to her dear friend on November 5.  Below you can see the original invitation and what the home looks like in 2013.  A stone facade was added much later so the bungalow was likely originally clad in wood siding in 1941.

In either 1942 or 1943, Ann received an invitation from Mrs. Seabert for a surprise birthday party honoring her daughter Jane.  The kids had to phone Mrs. Seabert to let her know that they were coming.  As part of the covert operation, the children were to meet at the home of Mrs. Panczner, who dwelled in a double at 105 North Pasadena Avenue. It was a summer day so the party was likely held outdoors.  Below you can see the invitation and Mrs. Seabert's lovely handwriting.  You can also see a photo of 105-107 Pasadena Avenue in 2013.

On September 16, 1943, Ann and several other girls gathered at the home of Alice Hunt at 737 North Bolton Avenue.  Mr. Hunt ran a nearby bowling alley.  The children met after school and enjoyed the last days of a beautiful summer.  You may see this invitation and a contemporary image of the home below.

The cards and information are courtesy of Ann Hart Stewart.

Girl Scouts in Irvington--1943

The Girl Scouts and Irvington have a long tradition.  In fact, the very first Girl Scout troop in Marion County was formed at the Irvington Presbyterian Church in 1917 as Troop One. A few months later, the women of Irvington started Troop Two.  Today, a historic marker in front of the Irvington Presbyterian Church documents this heritage.

The organization remained strong in the neighborhood throughout the twentieth and into the twenty-first century.  In this historic image, members of Troop Ten gathered at the Irvington Presbyterian Church for a club photo in 1943.  According to Ann Hart Stewart, a member of this troop, girls learned to knit, cook, and camp.  Seventy years later, Ms. Stewart fondly recalled that the scouts made a deep impression upon her.  The young women sold cookies and one year they also offered malted milk balls!

Thankfully, we have the names of the girls in this photo courtesy of Ann Hart Stewart, one of the young women in the front row. I have also noted the addresses of some of the girls.

Pictured:  Top Row (l to r)--Mrs. Fately, Mrs. Gigax (47 Johnson Avenue), Mrs.Kettlehut (46 N. Webster Ave)

Middle Row (l to r)--P. Browning (6030 Dewey Ave), S. Emmert (5728 Beechwood Ave), R. Swartz, N. King, B. Lamb (5631 University Ave), K. Bowles (223 S. Butler Ave), C. Wigman, L. Kettlehut (46 N. Webster Ave), J. Stevenson

Front Row (l to r)--Judy Clark, Tony Corelli, Shirley Coulter, Judy Wear (635 N. Linwood Ave), Joanne Miller, Jean Scott, Ann Hart (5930 East Washington St.), Carolyn Goebel, Nancy Campbell, Phyllis Worley

Girl Scout Troop 10 at the Irvington Presbyterian Church in 1943

The first Girl Scout troop in Marion County started in Irvington

                                                

Birthday Celebration--1943

One of Irvington's lost intersections is that of East Washington Street and Arlington Avenue.  Local families built beautiful homes on each corner.  With the need for filling stations, developers eventually demolished or altered all four corners throughout the mid-twentieth century.  On the northwest corner of that now forlorn gathering of streets, sat two regal homes at 5930 and 5934 East Washington Street.  The Ruhsenberger family occupied 5930 and thankfully one of our faithful readers, Ann Hart Stewart, has sent us several images of what the area used to look like.  Today, we are transported to March of 1943, when three cousins gathered to celebrate the birthdays for the girls--Ann Hart and Mary Ellen Stokesbery.  A third cousin, Larry Dillard, joined the party.  All three children shared the Ruhsenbergers as their grandparents and young Larry and Ann actually dwelled at 5930.  Mary Ellen could easily walk from her home at 352 Burgess Avenue.  It must have been a cool day as the children were wearing coats and sweaters.  The home most visible in the photo is that of 5934 East Washington Street, which actually stood on the corner.  To see more images from this interesting Irvington family, click on the Ruhsenberger link below.  This historic image is courtesy of Ann Hart Stewart, who just celebrated a milestone birthday.  Happy birthday, Ann!

Cousins--Larry Dillard, Ann Hart, and Mary Ellen Stokesberry gather for a birthday party at 5930 East Washington Street (demolished) in March, 1943.  Behind them you can also see 5934 East Washington Street. (demolished)

Memories of the Attack Upon Pearl Harbor--70 Years Later

Ann Hart (Stewart), one of our contributors to Vintage Irvington, recalled where she was seventy years ago on this date, December 7, 1941. The day began as all of her Sundays had with a trip to the Irvington Presbyterian Church. After lunch, she was allowed to go over and play with her friend Alice Hunt, who lived just north of Washington Street on Arlington Avenue. It was not long before her Mother came over and walked her back across the street to her childhood home at 5930 East Washington Street. As soon as they walked into the house, her mother burst into tears and began to tell Ann about the Pearl Harbor attack.

Ann wondered and worried about many things on that day including the fate of her Uncle Roger Ruhsenberger, who was in military service. (He made it through the war and had a successful career with the US Navy.) There is no question that life changed for Irvington families after that "day of infamy," but Ann recalls wonderful memories of planting Victory Gardens and canning vegetables. The family was so efficient that Ann remarked that they ate the last of the canned tomatoes in 1958! Irvington families made the best of the war shortages. Ann noted that when a Christmas lightbulb burned out, it was not replaced. People made do with the rations. Since her father was a doctor, they were allowed extra gas rations. She also noted that her father went hunting and brought home quail and rabbit to supplement the family meals. Patients who could not pay her father cash for the medical calls frequently rewarded him with butter, cream, and farm raised chickens. Ann's mother went back to teaching as labor was scarce in many sectors of the economy.

Seventy years later that day is still a vivid memory for Ann Hart Stewart. She can even recall walking through the back gate and into her childhood home. Thanks to her descriptive note, we too, are walking through that gate and into the past.

The historic image was taken of Ann Hart (Stewart) and her cousin Roger Ruhsenberger in 1937, four years before the attacks on Pearl Harbor. I am indebted to Ann for her memories of that fateful moment in US History.

Color Photo--Backyard, 5930 E. Washington St.

Henrietta Ruhsenberger Hart (1896-1969) stands next to her daughter Ann and her niece Mary Ellen Stokesberry in 1955. The Harts lived at 5930 E. Washington Street (no longer standing) and Miss Stokesberry dwelled on Burgess Avenue. Both Ann and Mary Ellen went on to have successful careers away from Irvington.

In this photo, the ladies stand in the backyard of 5930 E. Washington St. Behind them is 20 N. Arlington Avenue. (still standing). In the 1950s, Mr. and Mrs. Solon Vial lived in the Arlington Avenue bungalow with their son Bob. You can tell it was springtime as a flowering tree buds behind the women along the property line. This lovely image is counter to the present day parking lot in 2011, but perhaps in the future this lot shall be pretty again. A special thanks to Ann Stewart for providing this photo.