School: Class of 1917, Humbird, Wi.
The Class of Nineteen-Seventeen of the Humbird High School requests the honor of your presence at the Commencement Exercises in the High School Friday, June Fifteenth at eight o'clock
Class Roll: Mae E. Bryner, Earl H. DeLong, Nordahl S. Fristad, Catherine R. Hale, Mabel E. Hemmy, Clarence O. Olson, Lee W. Olson, Alice E. Schlegel, Rosina V. Schlegel
Colors: Alice Blue and Gold
Flower: Yellow and White Roses
Motto: Only Commrncement
Faculty: H.R. Fadner, Principal; Mrytle Lane, Assistant
Board of Education: John Michael, Director; E.T. Hale, Clerk; B.J. Stallard, Treasurer; B.J. Stallard, Treasurer
Commencement Events: May 25, Class Play; June 1, Class Day; June 8, Junior-Senior Reception; June 10, Commencement Sunday; June 15, Commencement Exercises; June 19, Alumni Banquet
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Banner Journal - date unknown
MAE HAHN - WOMAN OF THREE CENTURIES
At age 102, and after living in three different centuries, Mae Hahn has experienced many changes in this world of ours. Me now lives in the Pine View Care Center and was not available when research was done on these three century articles. However, some of her memories are shared by her son Herbert and granddaughter Cathy.
Mae I Bryner was born December 8, 1897. Her father John came to this country from Studal, Switzerland at age 21. He was a farm boy, whose oldest brother inherited the farm, as was the custom in those days. He came to southern Wisconsin where many Swiss immigrants had already settled. He married Catherine Reiner and they became caretakers of an estate in Lake Geneva.
After several years, the Bryner family bought sixty acres of land three miles west of Neillsville at Wedges Creek. It was bought from a friend whom they trusted when he said it was good farm land. The family, which now included two children, travelled by train to their new home. The good gfarm land turned out to be mostly wooded land with lots of rocks and sandy soil. They came out late in the year and first order of business was to construct some sort of shelter for the winter. They would stay on that land for three years until they purchased the 100 acre farm where Mae was born.
Mae's parents were very hospitable and always bringing people over to the house where they would stay a night or two and then continue their travels. One time a mother with a very sick child came and stayed several days. After they left, Mae's sister became ill and died a few days later. It was the dreaded cholera.
World War II brought many changes. The church where the family attended, St. John's Reformed Church, had always had their services in German. But because of the war, the elders decided that all services would be in English from then on
Mae graduated from Humbird High School and started college at Stevens Point Normal. They had just gotten settled in the dorms when the U.S. Army took the building over to house their newly enlisted men for training. The college students were moved to houses in the city. Mae's education was completed at Eau Claire Normal. Her last teaching job was in Augusta, WI. The school board would not renew a teacher's contract if they were getting married, so Mae spent her final year of teaching taking the train from Humbird where she and her new husband. Albert lived, to Augusta every day.
Mae's granddaughter Cathy Wagamon, remembers her grandmother's house being heated by a wood stove in the kitchen. She learned how to play Rumicube and Racko from her grandmother. Her most potent memory came from a day when she became ill while visiting her grandma and was given a heaping spoonful of cod liver oil. "I swear I can STILL taste it today--gross!"
Cathy remembers bringing her grandmother a Twinkie and the pure pleasure it gave Cathy watching Mae savor every bite, especially delighted with the cream filling. "Grandma took such joy in the simplest things," Cathy stated, "She barely recongnizes me anymore, but the memories I have live on and I believe in my heart she is still happy."