October 2010 Quiz

Last month’s quiz dealt with the significance of the date September 8, 2010. We learned that it was the date that Mary [Pendleton] Ryan became the longest lived relative on record. This, of course, leads to this month’s quiz. Who was the previous “record” holder? This is not multiple choice, but as a hint, remember this site is dedicated to both Roy AND Sophie [Hanifl] Pendleton… (Enough of a hint????)

Check back next month for the answer!

-- ANSWER

In September, 2010’s quiz, I asked about the significance of September 8, 2010. Last month, we learned that was the date Mary [Pendleton] Ryan became the longest lived relative on record. The question was then, who was the previous “record” holder?

The answer to that question is Sophie [Hanifl] Pendleton’s sister, Mary [Hanifl] Brey. She was born 23, March 1886 in Oggau, Austria-Hungary and passed away on 5, December 1987 which is 37,146 days or 101 years, 8 months, 13 days.

Allow me to add a little personal info into one of these quizzes… Aunt Mary Brey was another of the amazing women in our family.

In my family, we always called her “Aunt Mary Brey”, never just “Aunt Mary” - mainly to distinguish her from Aunt Mary Ryan who was also always called “Aunt Mary Ryan.” (My daughter once told me that, when she was young, she thought “Mary Brey” and “Mary Ryan” were both just unusual first names… Marybrey… Maryryan!) I also recall that we called her “Tunte Brey”, which is the German form.

In 1891, at age 5 years, she immigrated with her parents to the US and settled in La Crosse, Wisconsin where she lived the rest of her life. She worked for a time at the La Crosse Rubber Mills making shoes.

In 1923, she married Casimir Brey, the widower of her best friend, Catherine, who died at a young age leaving 2 daughters, Genevieve [Brey] Morehead and Jeanette [Brey] Erbes. Mary raised these two girls as her own.

If you’ve followed this blog, you are aware Roy and Sophie had a large family during the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Aunt Mary Brey and her husband (along with Mary Ryan) took over much of the responsibility of raising my dad, Joe. Sophie died when I was 2 years old, so I thought of Tunte Brey as my “grandma.”

Mary was very involved with Holy Trinity Catholic Church in La Crosse. She walked the 4 or 5 blocks each way to attend Mass almost every day well into her 90’s. As a member of the “Lady’s Club,” she hand knitted scarves and bandages to send to the “leper’s colony” in Louisiana.

She never owned a TV, but during the 1960’s and 1970’s she looked forward each week to going across the street to Mrs. Hemmelsbach’s house to watch “Gunsmoke”. She thought James Arness was a very handsome fellow and she loved the antics of the character, “Festus.”

She did have a 1930’s vintage radio that she liked listening to. Her radio was about 3 feet tall and about a foot and a half wide and about a foot deep and it had a tiny lighted dial. Her favorite radio program was a daily local talk show called “Vox Pop” which was hosted by Jim Lafky, who happened to be my best friend’s dad. She thought Mr. Lafky sounded like the nicest guy.

Keep in mind this was the early 1970’s and Mr. Lafky, who would have been in his 40’s at the time, was a professor at UW-L. I arranged for Mr. Lafky to drop by my parent’s house one night when Aunt Mary Brey was there for supper. I don’t know what mental image she had of Mr. Lafky, but when he showed up with his long hair and blue jeans, she had NO time for him and never listened to his radio program again!

Another thing I remember about Aunt Mary Brey is the incredible potato pancake suppers she made. She would peel and hand grate pounds of potatoes and fry the pancakes on the cast iron gas stove she had in her basement. Sometimes I would ride the bus to her house early to help. What a treat for me! It’s hard to believe that a meal of potato pancakes all by themselves, or maybe with some wieners, could be quite the feast!

I mentioned earlier that she was active in Holy Trinity Church. It was on the steps of that church that her hip broke. I don’t remember the exact date, but it must have been around 1980, or when she was about 95. After this, she had to go into assisted living because she was no longer able to take care of herself.

She spent the last years of her life in nursing homes, but, for the most part, she was fully in control of her senses. She had my dad bring her a piece of doweling and she would tie a rag on the end so she could clean the inside of the radiator in her room because the janitors never got it clean enough.

My daughter, Michelle, and I visited her many times in the home and each time we’d stop by, Tunte Brey had a quarter for Michelle… and sometimes, one for me, too!

She truly was a kind and gentle woman.

Thanks for letting me share this brief biography of Mary [Hanifl] Brey.