She's seen it all - Great Aunt Julia

This is an article about my great aunt Julia...she's 103!


She's seen it all

Luxemburg's oldest daughter ready to celebrate village's centennial

By Leigh Ann Wagner Kroening
Kewaunee County News

At 103 years old, Julia Rueckl has gotten used to people asking her for tips to living such a long life, but she still doesn't know how to answer them.

The oldest living Luxemburg resident never was big into exercise or eating healthy. In fact, as the daughter of the village's first butcher, she grew up eating enough red meat to make a cardiologist cry.

"Our family favorite was blood sausage," Rueckl said. "My mother always made the best blood sausage."

Rueckl's grandparents, Lawrence and Barbara Kohlbeck, moved from Germany to America in 1884. Her father, George Kohlbeck was 11 years old when the family settled in Luxemburg.

As a youngster, George Kohlbeck worked as a farmhand for a local family, while his father would drive by horse and buggy to Kewaunee with orders for meat from the local townspeople.

"One day the owner of the meat market in Kewaunee asked Grandpa if he knew of a young man who would come to work from him, and he suggested my dad," Rueckl said. "He didn't know anything about that kind of work, but he went because of the good wages and because the butcher's wife was a good cook. He said he tried his best to keep the job because he liked the meals."

Eventually, George Kohlbeck started Kohlbeck's Meat Market in Luxemburg, and married Albertina Stahl. The two had 10 children, two of whom died in infancy. Julia was the fourth and grew up working in her family's store.

"We all helped," Rueckl said. "Mom made liver and blood sausages, and we children helped with meat deliveries. When my sister married and left, I became the bookkeeper."

Having lived more than a century, Rueckl has witnessed a lot of change in the world. She remembers having to wash clothes with a washboard and taking the train to Green Bay to do any major shopping. Life at the meat market in the early 1900s was difficult, she said.

"We didn't have electricity so there was no refrigerator or freezer to store the meat," Rueckl said. "We used to have to cut ice off the pond in the winter, wrap it in sawdust and store it in the barn to keep until summer. I am still so amazed by electricity. It made life in the shop so much easier when we were able to have refrigerators and other machines to help do the job."

Rueckl also remembers using horses and a buggy to do the deliveries. At that time, most of the Luxemburg homes and businesses were in the "upper village," up the noticeable hill on Main Street. The thing that has changed most about the village is that the businesses have moved to the downtown area, she said.

Though the family worked hard, Rueckl said there were a lot of happy times too. Her mother came from a musical family, and a few of Rueckl's sisters would play piano while she and her parents and siblings would dance.

"My mother thought it was very important to have a piano in the house," Rueckl said. "Our home was always filled with music."

The family also loved to have large gatherings with lots of food, something Rueckl's niece Bonnie Seiler still remembers fondly.

"Christmas was always special," Seiler said. "Grandpa had a life-sized nativity set, and all the families would come. Of course, the grown-ups would eat first, and the kids were tortured by the smell of good things to eat."

Seiler said the grandchildren also helped in the meat market and the family's small farm. It was a close-knit family that shared many good times together, she said.

"It was just always nice to go to Grandpa's house," Seiler said. "Julia and my other aunts always made it a special place to be."

Rueckl lived in Luxemburg until one month before her 100th birthday when she moved to the Algoma Long-Term Care Unit. She plans to return to the village to help celebrate its centennial.

"I'm going to be there, and it's going to be grand," she said.

Christian the Lion - the full story (in HQ)

**Tears**

Louie Giglio Talks about Laminin

Gives you goosebumps.

Jason's Going Away Bowling Party

Thanks for serving our country Jason!



Me and Sarah



The guys...Blake, Jason, Wes



Sarah, Howard, Blake



Dave



Erin, Sarah, Naomi, Sue


Howard, Wes

Horseback Riding

We had a great time horseback riding in the Red Rock Canyon...however, I wouldn't recommend doing it in July...maybe a better fall/spring activity. Unless you like sweaty butts and legs :-)

Fair

I spent my last few days in Wisconsin down in East Troy with Jenny, Ryan and Cailyn. It was so nice to spend time with them and catch up on the previous 6 months of life. Jenny, Cailyn and I tagged along to the fair with her cousin and family one day. It was nice to get out and see the animals and watch the girls on the rides.


Jenny and I...miss you lots!

Brewer Game!

One of the big things on my list of things to do when I was in Wisconsin was to catch at least one Brewer game. We went to see the Brew Crew take on the Reds...CC brought it with a complete game!

TAILGATING!







MILLER PARK!




Siblings...Me, Corey, Tracy...we missed you Casey!

Hoban Wedding

I won't get into it..but let's just say that the track record for my old/current roommates getting engaged and married is pretty darn good :-) I was able to go to Stacy and Ryan's wedding when I was in Wisconsin. It was a beautiful and fun wedding! I'm so happy for you two. Crazy kids!




Old Church Ave. Roomies! Me, Mari, Stacy and Leah


Maggie! My last Oshkosh roommate...miss you girl (oh yeah she's married too!)

Lambeau Field

It just so happens that while I was home in Wisconsin, my friend Lori from Pahrump was in Wisconsin as well with her family for a wedding. I was able to spend the day with the Goodell family at Noah's Ark in the Dells. I was also able to go on a tour of Lambeau field with Roy and Bradley. Bradley is a Packer's fan(what a good kid) and they surprised him with the tour. An interesting note, we were there on the same day that the whole Favre drama started with the letter requesting the release.

27 Dresses

When I was back in Wisconsin, I got together with some of my wonderful friends who I miss dearly. We had a 27 Dresses party, in honor of the movie and the fact that we all have bridesmaid dresses that we never get to wear again, not that we would want to in most circumstances.It was a great night to catch up with the girls! We had a blast! Thanks Cori for hosting it, we will have to think up of a new theme for next summer!

Sweet Cailyn

I headed home to Wisconsin for about a month and made it just in time for my god-daughter Cailyn's 2nd birthday. I can't believe that she is 2 already, where has the time gone. I'm getting so old :-)

The Girls(Karie and Jamie) from Texas Visit

I really live here....crazy!

Sometimes I find myself in unbelief as I'm driving around town, that I actually live here...Las Vegas. Really, who would ever have thought that I would be the one to move out here. Definitely not me! Truth be told, on a day to day basis, I can kinda forget the glitz and glamour of the city and its not that much different than Green Bay. Sure more cars, more people, hotter and less humid...but still just a city humming along. But then I drive down to the strip or past the strip and see all the lights and remember...WOW, I'm not in Wisconsin anymore.
My move last year to Vegas has been very good for me. I've grown up a lot and shed the cloud that was over my head my last few years in Wisconsin. Don't get me wrong, I loved and still do love Wisconsin, but I needed a change. So praise God in the change that came with Las Vegas!
Here are some pictures that I took when my parents came out to visit me in early June.






Golden Gate...apparently the first casino in Vegas!


Red Rock Canyon...Beautiful!

VOTE!!!

www.brewers.com

Queen Tribute on Fremont St.

Bellagio Fountains

Pics from the School Year

End of Year Pictures

Please excuse the drowned rat look I was going for in the last few pictures :-) It was field day and my students decided it would be a fun game to get me as drenched as possible. They had fun, but I ended up pretty miserable...the things I do for quality education :-)

Forever Young

5th Grade Speech on Heroes

Blowing in the Wind

Graduation

Okay, so this is a bit late...I have no excuse really :-)



All dressed up nice and spiffy!


Jeremy giving his speech...after he almost knocked himself out at lunch :-) Never a dull moment!

The Next 6 Weeks Could Be the End of Me!

Today proved to me how difficult it is going to be to deal with my students for the rest of the year. I only have 17 students and one was absent, but I still had 13 students in detention today...13! All for not having a form signed (that they need to have signed every Monday) and a open magazine quiz, that they should have finished on Friday. AHHHHHHHH!
The weather is continually getting nicer and nicer and the students are getting more and more unmotivated! Is it May 30th yet ;-)

Mercy Me and Todd Agnew

On Friday I was able to go a concert by Mercy Me and Todd Agnew at the Nellis Air Force Base. It was pretty amazing to be listening to music and worshiping God and at the same time watching jets fly overhead and land right behind the stage.
Take some time today to pray for and thank the men and women who have and are giving their time and lives to serve and protect the nation that we call home, without them we wouldn't enjoy the freedom we live with.

Passing out at Softball :-)

So I am really excited to be joining the Summit Ridge Church softball team for the summer...well actually spring. Our first game will be this next Saturday...kinda strange for me to adjust to since it is still early April. Anyways..onto the story.
Sunday the March 30th was our very first practice. The day was windy and rainy, and I almost opted out of practice...but being the dedicated player I am I went. Bad idea!
I was playing third base right away, we were fielding batting practice. One of the guys on our team was batting, and hitting extremely hard. I went for a line drive straight at my shin, but missed and was nailed right on my left chin. Being the prideful person that I am, I just walked it off and got back into position. After a few more hits, I felt it getting pretty sore and tight, so I looked at it and it was swelling up pretty bad and had a little cut...no biggie right, so I kept on playing.
After a few more hits, I looked at it again, and it was twice as big and the cut was getting bigger as my leg swelled. Here is where the panic set in. I realized that I should get some ice, and was panicked that maybe something more was wrong. I told Kim our first baseman to get me some ice and I went to the bench cuz I was shaking and a little dizzy. I told her I was pretty sure I was going to pass out and sat down and put my head on my knees...That's the last thing I remember until I woke up as they were laying me down on the bench.
So it is a softball practice I will never forget and I am pretty sure I will have the scar to prove it :-) The drama never fails to follow me at least a little bit.