Growing up in Guttenberg evokes fond memories

By Caroline Rosacker

Local historian and nonagenarian Adele Parker has lived in Guttenberg along the shores of the Mississippi River most of her life. She  was born to parents John and Frances Mahowald. The 96-year-old was raised in a humble household with sisters Jane and Zella Ruth "Peppy." Adele shared the story behind her sister's familiar nickname. "My sister, Zella Ruth, was sitting at the table at my uncle's farm. She was always wiggling around and he said, 'Your name should be Peppy,' and it was ever since," explained Adele. 

"We used to call a couple of the neighbor boys, Lloyd and Donnie Maier, our brothers. We were pretty close, but we also liked to fight like brothers and sisters," she said. 

St. Mary's School

Adele attended St. Mary's School in Guttenberg for 12 years. "I received a wonderful education compared to what they have nowadays," she commented. "We didn't have sports or extra-curricular activities. We had school, and we didn't ever get a day off during the school year. We went home to eat lunch, and the country children brought their lunch pails with them. Each February the nuns would have something special in the auditorium. It was a special day out. They served hamburgers and fudge. A lot of things happened in that auditorium. Sister used to take us up to the auditorium if we misbehaved. It was cold up there. We had one guy who practically lived up there he was so naughty."

Childhood antics

The three Mahowald sisters enjoyed playing in Ingleside Park. "When I was six or seven my dad would take us to the park with a blanket, our rocking chairs, and our dolls," Adele reminisced. "Sometimes the two 'brothers' would come over and we would quarrel.  They would take our dolls and put them on the water fountain that used to be located in front of where the restrooms are now. There were two steps leading up to the fountain. One for kids and one for adults. They don't think of those things nowadays. It's different." 

A fresh coat of tar on city streets created trouble for the inquisitive young lady. "My father told me to stay away from sticky roadway, but I walked on it anyway," she shared. "I got stuck in the middle and he had to come out and pick me up. I looked down and there stood my shoes. My mother had to clean them up with kerosene."

"We also played with children who lived in the 'beehive' apartment building on Herder Street," she fondly remembered "We used to gather clover and braid it together and put it in our hair." 

Riverside Cafe

The Mahowald family owned and operated Riverside Cafe. The busy eatery was located on River Park Drive, in the same building, that in later years would house their great-granddaughter's hair salon. Running a restaurant left little time for nonsense. "My mother was a very kind, fair woman," recalled Adele. "She made the rule: If you broke something the one behind you had to clean it up. That way nobody felt bad and everyone helped out." 

"There was a hardware store in the building first," she noted. "My Grandfather, Mathias Wolter, purchased the building and my parents ran the cafe. My father was offered a job with the Singer Sewing Company, and we moved to Chicago for a short time, but my mother didn't like it so we returned to Guttenberg. During our departure, Norman Davis and his wife, Evangeline, took over the restaurant. A tragic fire that occurred in the cafe, took Evangeline's life. When we returned from Chicago my father purchased the building from my grandfather and re-opened the restaurant."

Highway 52

Riverside Cafe opened at 6 a.m. each day. "My parents served breakfast, lunch and dinner – from 6 a.m. until the last customer left around midnight," shared Adele. "The road gang that worked on Highway 52 dined at the restaurant for breakfast and dinner and left their lunch boxes in the evening so my mother could clean and re-pack them for the next day, which they would pick up after they ate breakfast in the morning. They were all good guys and would come back and visit mom and dad. They were good to us kids. They were also very generous and had good manners. They always participated in my parents punch-card program, and would win dolls and prizes to take home to their own family. We all worked at the diner all the time. My grandpa and uncles and their girls – we were one big happy family." 

Lock and Dam 10

In 1937, during the construction of Lock and Dam 10,  Adele's hardworking parents also provided meals for the  construction crew. "My mom  had to do those lunches again for the Lock and Dam crew, and my dad got a license to serve beer to the men. One of the engineers from the project was named Morgan and the other Willie. They came every afternoon at 3:30 0r 4:00. Morgan liked Limburger cheese. Our waitress, Ruby, was smitten with him and would serve him his Limburger. She hated the smell and used a pot holder to carry it out to him," she laughed. 

Homemade pie

Frances Mahowald was famous for her homemade pies. "My mother made all her pies from scratch. Lard was very important for her crusts," Adele noted. "She couldn't make pie when she first got married. She always called grandma for help. One Sunday my grandmother became ill and couldn't help out. My mother had to make them herself. When we kids were older she would make us any pie we requested. Lemon, chocolate – any cream pie – she could make it. There was always something to eat when we came home from school for lunch. We would eat fresh tomato and radish sandwiches. Kids now days would say 'blech', and say it wasn't fair." 

Adele and Clyde

Adele met her husband of 62 years in the family cafe. The couple raised five children, Rick, Bonnie, Tamie, Scott and Cathy. “Dad bought an ice cream machine,” recalled Adele. “It had eight different containers for eight different flavors. He was the only one that was allowed to use it. Clyde came in with his brother, Willie, to get a cone. Three dips for a nickle! Can you imagine that! Three different kinds too!”  

“We never missed a dance at Lakeside, and there was a movie theater too!” exclaimed Parker. “Our father, who was strict but fair would take our family on a little three-day vacation. My Grandma and Grandpa Wolter would take care of the cafe. My father would give each of us 50 cents to spend. I always saved a dime so I could get in the movies back home. We would visit aunts and uncles in Wisconsin. That was our vacation.”

“Clyde and I dated for about three-and-a-half years,” said Adele. “I was working at Sammy Meyer’s Electric at the time. I did book work and sold appliances. Whenever we got a new appliance Sammy would set it up at the municipal building and invite the community in to examine it. We had a standing order with the school for their home economics class. We sold appliances from the year before to the school for a discount.”

The late Neil Webster, who was a World War II veteran, City of Guttenberg councilman and mayor, and successful business owner, encouraged Clyde to propose. “When the Queen of England got married, Neil told Clyde, ‘You two have been going together long enough! It’s time to get married!’ That’s how I got my engagement ring,” she laughed. 

Neil Webster  always gave out advice and was known for his sense of humor. “Neil told me he moved his family from Memphis because he had too much company. Then they followed him here,” she smiled. “He also shared his cure for a bad cold. He said, ‘Sit in a bathtub full of hot water, drink a pint of whiskey and sweat it out.’ I asked, ‘What about the hangover?’, and he said, ‘That’s secondary –  don’t worry about it!’”

Adele and Clyde were united in marriage in front of 150 people at St. Mary’s Church in Guttenberg. They held their reception dinner in the city’s municipal building, and the wedding dance at a hall in Garnavillo. “We held our wedding dance in Garnavillo because Lakeside was already reserved. The dance hall in Garnavillo was owned by Butch Gilbertz,” she said. “Lawrence Welk performed at my Aunt Ruth’s high school graduation dance held at Lakeside Ballroom in 1938 – can you imagine!” 

Adele shared a few stories about growing up along the shores of the Mississippi River. She said, “I love the Mississippi, that is why we are here. I remember there was a group of boys that used to swim across the river each night – Dennis and Dean Sauegling who were twins, and Irish Degnan. My mother never allowed us near the river or the railroad tracks. On one occasion a teenage boy, Owen Charlesworth, jumped in the river to cool off and drowned. Harold Kann pulled him out, but it was too late. They brought his body back right by our home and it really made an impression on me.”

Final musings

Adele completed our interview with a few additional memories: 

”On one occasion we girls made a snow fort. Five neighborhood boys tried to punch and kick it in but they couldn’t.”

”Sand art was very popular when I was young. Many kids would fill bottles in different colored layers, and bring it into my dad’s restaurant to sell to tourists.” 

”I remember a time when parishioners could only attend funerals, weddings, social events and services in their own church. My Great-Grandfather Koss, who was Catholic, would take the kids to the Catholic church in Farmersburg, and drop my great-grandmother off at Norway Lutheran Church in St. Olaf, although later they were buried together at the Catholic cemetery in Elkader. No matter how cold it was outside you got on the buckboard and went!”