Clifford Christian Schack

Clifford Christian Schack was the 3^rd son of Charles and Sarah Schack. The first was Fred, Sr, the second was Walter Bernard and the youngest child was a daughter named Gladys.

I have a photo of Clifford Christian as a young man, in a uniform. His son told me that it was a Streetcar conductor’s uniform.  Clifford C. Schack moved from Winnipeg, his hometown, to Chicago, Illinois when he was 23 years old. He was listed as a “Teamster” on the List of Alien Passengers Applying for Admission when he left the Port of Winnipeg. So, he must have been going to get a job as a Streetcar Conductor or Driver whatever the name of that position was called in 1923!

During the time he was living in Chicago, he married a woman named Lolita Musard on 3 September 1924 . She visited her friends and family for about a month in the Winnipeg area when she was given a “tea” by those friends. Her sisters-in-law, Gladys and Julianna (Mrs. Walter Schack) attended as well as her mother-in-law, Sarah (Mrs. Charles C. Schack). This note in the Winnipeg Tribune newspaper was in the 25 June 1926 edition on page 8.

Lolita was the daughter of Henry A. Musard and Caroline (Carrie) Evick. Lolita had an older sister named Irene. Lolita was born in Chicago in 1903, Irene was born in Chicago in 1896.

Lolita and Cliff divorced before 1931 when he married Mabel McLennan. Lolita is important because my Aunt Gladys Schack Greggs received Lolita’s name for her middle name. Gladys Schack Greggs was born Gladys Lolita Schack in 1926; she was named for my grandmother Edith Schack’s two sisters-in-law.

BACK TO CLIFFORD

Clifford kept up his work as a driver or teamster when he returned to Canada. He became a Chauffeur for the Winnipeg Police Department. In the following article Clifford is listed as the chauffeur driving the police officer as they chase a car thief through Winnipeg. Alas, it is the policeman standing on the running board of the taxi that captures the bad guy!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some Photos of the Schack Family

I don’t have a lot of photos of the Schack family, but what I have I will post here.

The Patriarch of the family, Christian Nicholas Schack was featured in this blog post. I have never seen a photo of Christian and Annie’s son, Charles Christian Schack ( born 25 Oct 1872 died 18 Nov 1943), but I do have one of his wife, my great grandmother: Sarah (born 10 Oct 1866 died 9 Nov 1937). Sarah Elizabeth Wooster became Sarah Elizabeth Schack on 19 December 1894. She and Charles had four children, the oldest being my Grandfather Fred, whose photo can be found in this post. Fred was born on 26 Aug 1896 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and died on 27 Sep 1956 in Tacoma, Washington.

Second in the family of siblings to my Grandfather Fred was Walter. Walter Bernard Schack was born on 27 Feb 1898. He married Julianna Rose Meinhardt on 30 May 1925. They had one son who was stillborn and were married until Walter’s death on 15 April 1958 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Julianna was born in Russia on 12 April 1898 and lived until 28 July 1977. She died in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

 

 

 

Next was Clifford Christian Schack born on 12 Sep 1902 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In the photo he is wearing a streetcar operators uniform where he worked in Chicago, Ill. Clifford and his wife Mabel Marjorie McLennan (born 25 Apr 1903, died 8 Dec 1965) had one son named, Clifford Charles Schack, (born 1 Apr 1934 died 24 Feb 2013) same name as my father! Clifford Christian died on 14 Nov 1985 in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.

Sarah Schack and Mabel Schack

 

 

 

 

Last in the Schack sibling line-up was Gladys born on 29 June 1906. Gladys married Allen Schrymegeour Caskey on 30 May 1931 and had two children.  My Aunt Gladys was named after her Aunt Gladys. Allen died 21 Feb 2001 and Gladys died in 1995.

 

Where Did They Live? Clifford Charles Schack, Edith Schack

I have spent the day looking at google maps, old documents from my files and Family Search.org for information on the Schack family that is closer to me: my Dad, Clifford Charles Schack.

Back in 1984 when our son was just one year old, my folks came to visit us in North Dakota. Poor Cliff was very chilly because our temps were in the 50s. We were very excited to have “nice warm” weather for the folk’s visit! But, Daddy was used to the 80s in California. We took them to a bunch of interesting tourist places while they were visiting and to a ranch where they got to see big cows, bulls and steers. They were impressed!

Daddy started telling my husband Ron about the war, WW2 in the Pacific and I was very surprised because he had never shared any of those stories with my sister and I. Daddy also told us that he used to live across the street from an Ostrich Farm in Los Angeles when he was young. Well, my cousin had never heard of an Ostrich Farm in L.A. and neither had I, so the hunt was on. This is what I found out:
There really WAS an Ostrich Farm in Los Angeles. It was located at 3609 Mission Rd. “across from Lincoln Park” and there was a race track there too. If Dad and his family lived near this ranch and Lincoln Park they were in a pretty area, then. Then must have been in the 30s. By the time that Daddy was in Thomas Starr King Jr. High (graduating in 1938) they no longer lived here.

In the 1940’s there were other addresses that Edith and the children lived at. In January of 1941, Edith filled out an application for a Social Security Number and listed her address as 4118 Prospect Ave., Los Angeles, CA. Daddy had told us that they lived across the street from a movie studio at one time, and I was a little skeptical. I found 2 studios fairly close to the place that Edith lived on Santa Monica Blvd, they were the Paramount Studio (3 miles away) and the Warner Bros (2 miles away), but nothing across the street. Well, upon research, thanks to the internet!!!, I found the Prospect Studio on Prospect Ave right across the street from 4118 Prospect AV. It is now called the ABC-TV studios.

In September of 1941 my father went to Yuma, Arizona with friends and his girlfriend Gloria Elisabeth Roberts, who became his wife there in Yuma on September 19. They kept it a secret until they graduated from High School, my Dad was 18 but had failed Physical Education so had to take another year of school. Then he and Betty, as she was called, moved to 824 N. Mansfield Av. Los Angeles, CA. That is the address that he used throughout his military service from Dec 1942 to Nov of 1945.

Edith Schack was living at 4750 Santa Monica Blvd. in the later 40s.  She lived there until her death on June 16,1946.  I am not sure, but this may be the “big house” that is talked about, the Boarding House where Edith met Charles H. Fox (Uncle Charlie) and where the Pearsall’s lived.  

Cliff’s marriage license with my mother, Lorraine Luella King Schack, has his sister’s address on it in 1948.  That address was 4352 Willowbrook Ave, Los Angeles, CA. This was a house with apartments in it that my Dad’s sisters: Gladys Lolita Schack Greggs and Betty (Elizabeth Sara) Schack McDonald lived in for many years. This is where Uncle Charlie lived with Gladys, Red and Les Greggs after Edith’s death. Betty’s sister in law “Sis” and her husband lived there too.
I may be missing addresses and houses, but so far this is all I have for the time being. Amazing the memories that come up when you are researching.

Showcase Builders

My Grandfather (2nd great) Christian Nicolaus Schack was a Showcase Builder. He and his son Charles built wooden showcases for banks, general stores and other businesses in the 1880s and 1890s.

In 1885 in the Toronto (Ontario, Canada) City Directory, Christian is listed as working for Dominion Show Case Manufacturing Co.  Christian is a cabinet maker. In 1886 and 1887 Christian’s name appears with J.P. Wagner, Henry G. Lawrence and Wm. Mahr in advertisements for showcases for Dominion Show Case Manufacturing Co. “All First-class Mechanics, the last three are Practical Show Case Makers, and have worked at the business for the last twenty years in the United States and Canada”

The ad goes on: Show Cases In Stock and Made To Order At Short Notice In Nickel, Silver, Walnut, Cherry, (Ebonized or Plain). Metal Sash Bars. Silver Medal Toronto Exhibition 1884 Send For Catalogues. Hardwood Wall Cases, Show Case Stands, Tables and Counters of every description made to order at reasonable rates. First Prize Provincial Fair Ottawa 1884. The above Firm has fitted up several Stores in Toronto where parties wanting such fittings can see for themselves. For references as regards workmanship, we beg to refer customers to Messers Kent Bros, Yonge Street; C. & J. Allen, King Street West; Chas. Stark, Church Street, Jewellers; and J. J. Wright, Hatter, King Street East. FACTORY AND SHOW ROOMS: –59, 61, & 63 ADELAIDE STREET WEST,
WAGNER’S BLOCK, TORONTO

Something appears to end this relationship with Dominion because in the 1888 Toronto City Directory Christian is listed as a Foreman with W. Millichamp and Co and he becomes a Superintendent in 1890 at this same company.

Charles Christian Schack, Christian’s son is listed in the 1891 Toronto City Directory as a Glass Painter with McCausland and Son.

In 1892 Christian starts a business with George Evans. They open their own manufacturing plant called Schack and Evans located at 68-74 Esplanade. They make Bank Furniture and Wood Mantels. Charles is a clerk at his father’s business-he is 20.

The 1893 Toronto City Directory gives us a great picture of the Schack and Evans Manufacturing Co. This year they employ 38 people in their plant. They had 15 Cabinet Makers, 3 Carpenters, 5 Joiners, 4 Finishers, 1 Metal Worker, 1 Designer (Charles Schack), 1 Book Keeper, 1 Case Maker, 2 Machinists, 2 Woodcarvers, 2 Laborers and 1 Wood Turner.

The Employees are listed below:
Wm. Adams, Cabinet Maker
Wm. Bambrick, Case Maker
Thomas C. Banton, Cabinet Maker
Wm. G. Garlow, Cabinet Maker
Walter Bassett, Cabinet Maker
Wm. J. Bennett, Joiner
John Brown, Carpenter
Charles Carrier, Wood Carver
Henry J. Collins, Finisher
James Coughlin, Cabinet Maker
James Dickenson, Carpenter
W.H. Doel, Jr., Book Keeper
James Egan, Finisher
John Fisk, Joiner
John S. Gordon, Wood Carver
Joseph Hamilton, Cabinet Maker
Wm. Mahr, Metal Worker
David G. Maxwell, Joiner
Thomas Montague, Finisher
Henry Morgan, Machinist
Wm. Morgan, Laborer
Frederick W. Newton, Finisher
John Patry, Cabinet Maker
Samuel H. Peterman, Cabinet Maker
George A. Pollard, Cabinet Maker
Thomas G. Priddey, Cabinet Maker
Michael Roach, Jr., Cabinet Maker
Wm. J. Rombough, Cabinet Maker
Robert Sandy, Joiner
Charles C. Schack, Designer
Jabez E. Scott, Carpenter
Richard Sizeland, Wood Turner
Wm. Smithson, Laborer
Eli Snyder, Joiner
Chester Taylor, Cabinet Maker
Alfred Walton, Cabinet Maker
Albert Wilson, Cabinet Maker
Thomas York, Machinist

By 1894 Schack and Evans was no more. Christian was a traveling salesman for G.W. Bostwick where Charles also worked.

1895 the new company C. Schack and Co. opened for business as a Show Case Manufacturer at 95 Ontario St. Christian is listed as a Cabinet Maker in the Directory and he is also listed as a driver for Reinhardt and Co.  Charles works for his father at C. Schack and Co. Wm. Bennett, a former employee of Schack and Evans is listed in the Directory as a Cabinet Maker for C. Schack and Co. John W. Thompson joins him in the same capacity at the new business. (Interesting note “Interior Woodworking” is listed as competition in Show Case Manufacturers advertisements. They are located at 19 Alice St. where C. Schack and Co. eventually moves.)

1896 has C. Schack and Co. moving to 21 Alice St. with Charles as the Designer for the company. Next door to C. Schack and Co. is a box manufacturer, a moulding company and Millichamp Show Case Manufacturers. The employees at C. Schack and Co. are Conrad Pletsch, a Cabinet Maker; Harry Chinn, a Cabinet Maker; Wm J. Bennett, a Cabinet Maker and Samuel Armstrong, a Carpenter.

1897 seems to present more challenges as the Toronto City Directory lists C. Schack and Co. on the West side of St. Nicholas St. next to the Wms. C B Planing Mill. Then the Eastern Ontario Gazeteer has them at 552 Yonge St. the main thoroughfare of Toronto. When the move was made is not listed.

1898 C. Schack and Co. is still going strong with employees Charles Baker, Cabinet Maker and Wm. H. James a Cabinet Maker listed in the Directory.

In 1899 the company is still located at 552 Yonge St. with Crone and Sons, Builders; Wms. CB Planing Mill; T.V. Gearing, Builder and R.B. Linton, Cabinet Maker at the same address. One Directory has an advertisement for William Millar and Co Show Case Manufacturer at the former C. Schack and Co. address of 19-23 Alice St.

1900 has only one entry in the Directory for C. Schack and Co. at 552 Yonge.

Christian and his wife Annie are on the 1901 Census for Manitoba as living in Winnipeg. He “works on own account” as “show case manufacturer”. Charles and Sarah have also moved to Winnipeg in 1901 with Fred and Walter and Charles is a carpenter.

In 1906, Christian and Annie are living at 330 St. John and no occupation is listed. Christian is now 61 years of age and Annie is 59.

1909, October 14  Christian dies.

Trying Again!!

Well, I have been out of the genealogy loop for several years according to this blog! Have I got to update or what? I have been checking out more Schack connections and have found a sister to Christian Nicolaus Schack, the Showcase Manufacturer. So, I will include some new information soon.

My Grandfather!

My new found uncle, Fred Schack, Jr. sent me a photo that he had found of his father, my grandfather. I have only seen tiny photos of Fred Sr. and never really a good photo. So this one is awesome! I can really see all the family members in this face.  😎

Washington Family Found!!!

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2009

Well last week my “new” half-uncle Fred C. Schack Jr, contacted me through Ancestry.com! He is the half brother to my father Clifford C. Schack. I am so excited that we have found each other! We are communicating and getting papers together to mail to each other. Thank God for the internet!

3 Generations of Schacks

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2009

Well I will try this again. I have a 3 generation chart of my Schack ancestors. I posted this once before but it didn’t work very well. Hopefully it will work this time.

This first box has the beginning of our line Christian Nicholas Schack. If he had brothers or sisters I haven’t found them, yet…

Next, is Christian and Annie’s son, Charles Christian Schack and his descendants.

My connection is through Fred Schack, he was my grandfather. Fred divorced my grandmother Edith and was supposed to have a second family in Washington state. Sure would like to connect with them.

Contact me if you are connected to us!!

Happy hunting.

More Re-Runs

SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2009

I am getting so close to getting my Father’s side (SCHACK) of the family tree “finished” that it is exciting! I know, genealogy never gets “finished”, but I am close to being able to print off what I have collected and send it off to relatives. Thanks to the Internet my interest in genealogy has grown and grown. I remember the first family member that I found in a book! I was beside myself with excitement, especially since my relative (PIKE) had been in South Dakota and so was I!

Now, I can find my cousins on the internet and connect with them by email. We can share family info and photos and stories by email also. I can search census records and birth/death/marriage records with ease. But I must keep on adding my sources to my genealogy program.

I use Reunion 9 which is Mac based and I LOVE IT! It is user friendly, colorful, thorough and there are many, many things you can do with it, that I have only begun to find out about.

Sometimes the memories that one stirs up in genealogy research are fuzzy or not pleasant and connecting with other cousins helps to clarify those things for you. I have been told a couple of times that my father was the “Hopscotch Champion” of his High School. He was pretty good at it when my sis and I used to play it on the sidewalk in front of our house. Daddy had other titles, but I am glad that he is remembered for his athletic prowess! Some of the other fuzzy memories of my Dad can be cleared up for me by my cousins and for this I am grateful.

If I happen to be your cousin, let me know and maybe we can work on some fuzzy memories together.

Re-runs

I used to have a blog about my family tree back in 2009. I removed it, but am now resurrecting it. I will post some of the older entries to that blog here.

Original Post March 15, 2009

Family Tree Beginnings

Back in the late 1960’s my mother Lorraine King Schack had a crisis brewing in her new career of High School English Teacher. Her oldest daughter, me, was graduating from Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California and the school that Lorraine taught English at was about to make a big change. Granada Hills High School was going to divide their student body and send half of them to the new school that was being built down the road called John F. Kennedy High School, home of the Cougars. That was not the problem for Lorraine. The problem was ethnic. The LA Unified School District wanted the student body and faculty to be similar in percentage to each other. Since the new school would have more Hispanic and African American students than White students they could only hire so many White teachers. Mama was White. But, she remembered the stories from her father and his relatives about the “Indian woman that was in the family line”. (Everyone seems to have a “Cherokee Princess” in their family tree!) It was evident that there was Native American blood in the family line on her father’s side, he looked Native American enough to be denied access to restaurants in Oklahoma when he was a youth. There was a story about some land in Oklahoma also that we never got straightened out… So, in order to be able to transfer to Kennedy High School in Granada Hills about 10 minutes drive from our home in Van Nuys, instead of being transferred to south central Los Angeles, an hour drive, she began searching her family tree. And that is where this story about the Family Fabric begins.

Mama did research her ancestors, but she did not get very far. The principal at Kennedy requested her as a teacher and she didn’t have to be from any other ethnic background than what she was. So, all the years that she taught at Kennedy she left the family tree info laying in a box in the garage. After she was moved to a nursing home in the 90’s her family tree info was lost or thrown away and only a bit of it was given to me. When I discovered that my Grandmother Genevieve had lived in South Dakota I began to earnestly pursue my family history