Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Anna Wenke Burd

Anna Wenke Burd was born on February 26, 1891 in Guiderock, Nebraska.  She was the youngest child of George D. Wenke and Marie Beutel.  Her father died when she was 19 months old and her family returned to Peoria as the farm in Nebraska was too much for her mother and siblings to maintain independently.    

Anna and Frank were married in Chicago July 26, 1916. They had known each other from Peoria and were both 25 years old at their marriage. They remained in Chicago until shortly after Jean was born in 1920. 

According to Jean, her mother came from a German family. Jean called Anna’s personality “high-strung”. Anna had high expectations for herself and others, and she could be mean when they did not live up to those expectations. Anna had attended Miss Hydes sewing school and was a seamstress by trade. Anna made all of Jean’s clothing. She was also a very good pianist. Jean talked of remembering whenever she was ill that she would lay on the sofa and ask Anna to play the piano. THE BURNING OF ROME was one of the songs that she would play. Jean thought it sounded a lot like the songs they’d play at the silent movies.

Anna was very disciplined and talented and made good use of her time. Throughout Jean’s life, Anna did specific tasks on specific days. The laundry was done on Mondays, but Anna would iron it all on Tuesdays. Jean also stated that Anna was very thoughtful and did not understand when others were not as thoughtful as she. She enjoyed making cookies and cakes at Christmas time and then would take them around to elderly relations. She would also make coffee cake every Friday night for breakfast on Saturday mornings. 

At election time Anna Burd served on her local precinct committee.  She would help out on election day, getting people checked in to vote, assisting with voting if needed and then counting the ballots.  She was also very active in the Peoria Republican Party. 

Anna died Wednesday January 17, 1962.  Based on family stories I do not believe the union of Frank and Anna was a love match. However, for whatever reason they chose to remain married and made their marriage work for 45 years.  They would visit Jean and the grandchildren daily often together. While they had not shared a bedroom, on the last night of her life they did. I wonder if it brought peace to Frank that they had spent this last time together? 

In honor of Anna Wenke Burd and because I was curious to hear what it sounded like and thought you might be too, I’ve included a recording of THE BURNING OF ROME. May you listen to it and think fondly of our Jean and her mother. 

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

The Whole Picture

Frank Burd, Ann Burd, Peter Bourscheidt, Katie Bourscheidt, Oscar Bourscheidt, Emilie Betty Bourscheidt

To conclude our tour of 11 S Parkside Avenue, Chicago, Illinois I bring to you a wonderful photograph of the Bourscheidt’s and the Burd’s. 

For some reason I like looking at photos of Frank and Ann pre-Jean, either together or taken separately.  Here we have a lovely photo of them side by side. Frank in his suit with his starched collar.  And Ann with her simple but dainty and light-weight blouse.  In my opinion though it’s her skirt that catches my eye.  Such a simple A-line skirt, but with those buttons outlining the pockets your eye is drawn to the middle of her body and it has a slimming effect.  

Next we have Peter in his matching suit, waistcoat and pants.  I just love his bowtie.  In all the photos I’ve seen of Peter he seems almost larger then life to me and I imagine he was an extremely boisterous and charismatic individual.  And his moustache! Why I bet in person it was just mesmerizing. Holding her own next to him is his wife Katie.  She married Peter several years after Frank and Oscar’s mother Emma died which I’m sure came with challenges.  Her dress is so light in the photo that it leads one to believe that it was white.  At that time white for any age woman during a warm month was appropriate.  

Finally we have Franks older brother Oscar Bourscheidt and his wife, Emilie who later in life went by Betty.  Oscar looks equally handsome in his high starched collar, waistcoat, jacket and pants.  Betty like Ann has a a simple light-weight blouse and A-line skirt.  You can’t tell as much detail on them in this photograph, but I bet there was much.  She and Ann seems to be looking at the photographer while everyone else seems to be looking elsewhere.  

While there is no date on this photograph the fact that Cousin Jean has named Frank and Ann to both be Burd, leads me to believe this is photograph was taken after their wedding which was July 26, 1916.  From this angle you can see the entrance to the apartment behind them, a big door paned with glass, common to that time frame in architecture.  And while we no longer have Frank, Ann, Peter, Katie, Oscar or Betty with us, I think it would be fun to recreate this photo somehow using Bourscheidt descendants.  Anyone want to meet me in Chicago to take a photo? 

Posted on by Michelle Anderson

Girls Day

Anna (Wenke) Burd, Katie Bourscheidt, Emilie “Betty” Bourscheidt

I often think I was born in the wrong time.  I mean I do enjoy technology and all the benefits it brings us, but I feel my heart is in another time.    Possibly here with Anna, Katie and Betty is where you might find me.  I never thought I’d be able to locate where they were but my day was about to get interesting.  

This photo came from Cousin Jean Bourscheidt’s scrapbook.  On the back it says , Emilie, Oscar’s Wife (She went by Betty), Katie, Uncle Peter’s wife, Ann, Frank Burd’s wife.  Since she wrote wife in designating Ann in the photo I think that this photo was taken after Frank and Anna got married.  

After Leo’s death in 1908 Frank left Peoria several years later.  Grandma always said that Anna was a seamstress, but I never thought to ask what she did when she lived in Chicago.  

Anna and Frank got married July 26, 1916. I know Frank had been living in Chicago for some time, I”m not sure about Anna.  Perhaps she only moved there when they got married, but from July of 1916 until Jean was born the Burds lived in Chicago.  

OK so here’s where my day got really exciting!  I was researching and trying to find more out of when she might have moved there, but haven’t found any documents to substantiate prior to the 1920 census.  

Frank & Ann lived in the highlighted area

On a whim I wanted to see where in Chicago that Anna and Frank lived.  So I looked at the census document and noticed that they lived in Ward 35 and that the street listed was S Parkside.  I found a nice little map of the ward and then started looking for Parkside.  When that wasn’t apparent, I went back to the census and on the original document it says that their part of Ward 35 was 2276. The streets that border this area are Madison, going East – West and Lotus or Weller both going North South.  So taking Lotus and Madison, I did a map search and then started looking at streets.  And I found it!  South Parkside Avenue.  

At the top of the photo is the street Frank & Ann lived on – S Parkside Avenue

Parkside is just a couple blocks from Columbus Park.  Which is one of Chicago’s larger parks.  On a whim I decided to look at the Satellite and street views.  When I put my little google person on the map, I was amazed at what I was looking at.  In fact I think think my first response was WHAT THE DUCK!  Ok, there wasn’t a duck but you get my meaning.  Because I was looking at the building that Anna, Katie and Betty were standing outside of. 

How can I be so sure you ask?  Look at the windows in both photos.  Same concrete casements!  It’s now called the Madison Renaissance Apartments.  Located at 11 S Parkside Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60644.  

While we might not know much about Frank and Anna’s life in Chicago, I’m happy that we know more about where they lived while they were there.