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August 1940. "The family of John Yeuser [i.e., Yenser]. Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania. Photos of East, Upper, and Lower Mauch Chunk, a small historic coal mining town in the Lehigh Valley." Medium format negative by Jack Delano. View full size.
It would have been 20+ years old by 1940, assuming the initial popularity of Mission oak furnishings was roughly during the 1910-1920 decade. Thousands of similar clocks were made and were frequently given as presents to new subscribers of local newspapers. My similar clock bears a hand written inscription indicating it was a 1915 gift from a California daily paper.
Real name Yenser? There goes my Yeuser-friendly joke.
In the 50s, the Thorpe family could not bury him in his native Oklahoma. Mauch Chunk was trying to attract business, so they offered to bury him there and erect a monument. I don't think Thorpe ever set foot there, he went to college in Carlisle, 100 miles away. His widow wanted the money and the town got its name changed.
NE Pennsylvania's mills and mines attracted a lot of immigrants back in the 19th century. Poles, Welsh, Irish, Italians. BTW Mauch Chunk was renamed Jim Thorpe back in the 1950s, but my family (who lived farther north) pronounced it like "Mock Chunk."
Here's a pic of the Mauser Mill Company, the name of which appears on their wall calendar. https://picryl.com/media/mauser-mill-company-breadfruit-drive-at-lehigh-...
They're way over on the west side of the state.
They're not that far from Picksburgh
Sarah R. (Yenser) Gebec, 89, of Hellertown, died Thursday, September 8, 2011 at Phoebe Richland Health Care Center, Richland Twp. She is the wife of the late Edward J. Gebec. Born in Mauch Chunk, Carbon County on December 25, 1921, to the late John A. and Rebecca (Rackawack) Yenser. She worked in the Labor/Construction Department of the Bethlehem Steel for 30 years retiring in 1972. Sarah was a member of Mauch Chunk Jr./Sr. High Alumni Association, Jim Thorpe Area Athletic Association and the Saucon Valley Community Center. Survivors: Sister Minerva C. Sheremetta of Bethlehem; nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, great-great nieces and nephews; Predeceased by her Brothers John T. & Raymond and a Sister Ann Yenser.
Minerva passed away not long after:
Mrs. Minerva C. Sheremetta, 85, formerly of Coatesville, died Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013. She was the widow of Paul S. Sheremetta. She was employed for 19 years as a home and office manager for the late Dr. Mitchell, East Mauch Chunk, and was also a seamstress in Lehighton. Born in Mauch Chunk, she was a daughter of the late John A. and Rebecca M. (Rackawack) Yenser. She attended the former Mauch Chunk Jr.-Sr. High School. Surviving is her niece and caregiver, Janet M. Gebec of Bethlehem.
Take a look at John and Rebecca, then look at Grant Wood's famous painting American Gothic.
I'll bet my own money that the skeleton key on the nail beside the door is rarely used. I grew up in small town Pennsylvania in the fifties and sixties and remember the door key being on a nail and can't remember it ever being used. As a side note, that pendulum clock appears to be either avant-garde or primitive given the time and place and Mom looks like she has a secret.
And there's that double exposure clock - about 20 minutes later.
I looked up how to pronounce Mauch Chunk.
And it's time to reveal the phantom clock.
A typographical error on Jack Delano's photo records changed Yenser to Yeuser. From left to right: Raymond (14), John Jr. (16), John Alvin (63), Rebecca (40), Minerva (12), Sarah (18) and Anna (10) per the 1940 census:
https://www.archives.com/GA.aspx?_act=ImageViewCensus1940&FirstName=John...
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