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Estella Tupper

Estella May Tupper circa 1903  

 

Born: 14 Nov 1894, Sheboygan, Wisconsin

 

Parents: George Arthur Tupper and Annie Pearl Reinert

 

Siblings: Inez Pearl (1890-?), Frank Harold (1891-1964?), Lester Charles (1898-1961), Edith Irene (1899-1975), Warren Merrill (1905-1968)

 

Marriage: 7/17/1919 to Folmer Marthenze in Detroit Michigan

 

 

 

 

Engagement Party:

Article in the Sheboygan Press, Oct. 9th, 1916: Mrs. Frank Tupper was hostess to a company at her home Saturday afternoon, and a most enjoyable afternoon was spent by the guests present. During the early part of the afternoon games were played and a luncheon was served, at which time the engagement of Miss Estella Tupper and Folmer Marthenze, of Detroit Michigan was announced. In the center of the table little red bags had been arranged for a centerpiece to form a flower; the red bags representing the petals, and a yellow bag in the center, the pistal. From the bags green ribbons were drawn to each guests plate and at the end of the luncheon the hostess cut the ribbon that held together the bags and the petals fell apart. She then announced there was a little souvenir in each bag for each guest, and they then drew the green ribbon toward themselves and on the other end of the ribbon was a cardboard cat tied into the bag. On one side of the cat there was a little verse reading: “the cat is out of the bag”, and on the other side the two names, Estella M. Tupper and Folmer Marthenze. The yellow bag in the center held the diamond engagement ring. The announcement was a complete surprise to the guests, and the party was one of the most delightful of the season.  The decorations were in garden flowers. Miss Tupper is the daughter of Mrs. Pearl T. Tupper, and Mr. Marthenze is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Marthenze of Black River. He has a responsible position with the Packard Motor company at Detroit, Michigan.

 

Wedding announcement:

Sheboygan Press Articles:
July 11, 1919: Miss Estella M. Tupper, daughter of Mrs. Pearl Tupper, 814 Leland Ave., and  F. Marthenze, son of Mr. and Mrs. F. Marthenzeof Black River, were quietly united in marriage at 7 p.m. Monday at the parsonage of the Methodist church in Detroit, Mich. The Rev. Butler performed the ceremony. The bride wore a chic suit of navy blue and a hat to correspond. There were no attendants. Tuesday morning Mr. and Mrs. Marthenze left Detroit for this city where they are now guests at the home of the bride’s mother. Next wekk they will spend at Black River, and after Aug. 1st will be at home to their many friends at 814 Leland Ave. The bride and groom are both popular young people of this city. Mrs. Marthenze is a graduate of the Sheboygan High School with the class of 1913 and of Milwaukee Normal School with the class of 1915. She taught for 4 years in the Cedar Grove public school and since Sept. last, held a responsible position in the office of the cost department of the General Aluminum and Brass Manufacturing company, Detroit. The groom returned last week Saturday from seventenn months service overseas, receiving his honorable discharge at Camp Custer, and going from there directly to Detroit. He left this city with the second contingent of selectmen on November 19th, 1917 for Camp Custer and later was tranferred to Camp Hanck, Georgia. After a brief period of training, there he left for an easten camp, and in January embarked for France where he was an air service mechanic. He is a mechanic with the Jenkins Machine Company here and will assume his duties after a short vacation. Mr. and Mrs. Marthenze have the good wishes of a host of friends.

 

Children: Gerald and Joyce Faith

 

Death: 21 Jul 1982, Veterans Home, King, Wi. Buried Wildwood Cemetary, sect. 7, Sheboygan Wi.

 

From her high school yearbook, 1913

 

Biography:

Estella, or Stella as she was usually known, was born in 1894, the 3rd of 6th children. She grew up in the city of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Her father held various jobs as she was growing up, including a shoemaker, factory worker and traveling salesman. She graduated from Lake Breeze High School in 1913, with her general studies identified as “English Course” . She was a member of the Glee Club (choir) and Debating Society. In her High School yearbook, each student had a quote after their name, and Stella’s said, “Gentle is she, and of good intent.” Each student had a height and weight listed, with Stella at 5 ft, 5 1/2 inches (no weight given). After attending Milwaukee Normal School and taught English for 4 years at Cedar Grove, a small community to the south of Sheboygan. She married Folmer Marthenze in 1919, one week after he mustered out of World War I.  Folmer and Stella moved back to Sheboygan from Detroit right after their marriage, and son Gerald (Jerry) was born in 1921. Daughter Joyce Faith came along the day after Christmas in 1925. Stella was particular about her appearance and that of her children, and liked things “just so”. She was never seen wearing a pair of pants.  Folmer was a real estate agent and insurance salesman through the 1920’s and early 30’s, but after the stock market crash and depression, was no longer involved in that business. He opened a snack stand on the lake property he inherited from his father, built 5 tourist cabins and later a grocery store at that same location. Folmer suffered  many health problems and died in 1948 at age 54. Stella stayed in Sheboygan for a period of time after that, and when daughter Joyce and husband Ellsworth moved to Janesville, Wisconsin sometime in the early 50’s, she came along. She moved into her own apartment and did cleaning and ironing for others to supplement the small pension she received after Folmer’s death. Stella never learned to drive and either had to take the bus or depend on family members for transportation. She was very appreciative of every thing people did for her as she had to live very frugally. She was so thrilled as great-grandchildren came along and loved to assist in caring for the new babies. She even ironed diapers (only cloth in those days!), saying that nothing was too good for those babies. Early in the 1970’s, Stella moved from Janesville to the Wisconsin Veteran’s home in King, Wisconsin. Because of Folmer’s military service, she was entitled to stay there. She was quite active for her first several years there, and only began failing as she was well into her 80’s. For a number of years, she worked at the little convenience store in the nursing home to supplement her income. She died at age 87 of congestive heart failure, hypertension and “hardening of the arteries”. She had surgery for a bowel obstruction, likely secondary to a tumor, a few years before she died of congestive heart failure.

 

Census:

1930 Cenus, Sheboygan Co, City of Sheboygan:
Folmer Marthenze (read as MARTHENGE), head of house, owns home, value of real  estate $6000, owns radio, age 36 married at age 25, able to read and write, born WI, father born Denmark, mother born Germany, works as saleman in real estate and insurance. Veteran of WW1
Estella, wife, age 35, age 24 at marriage, parents both born WI, no occupation. Gerald, son, age illegible, Joyce, daughter, age 4 3/12

 

1920 Census:  Sheboygan Co, City of Sheboygan, District 137 (living with Pearl Reinert, head of household):
Estella Marthenze (daughter) age 25
Folmer Marthenze, son-in-law, age 25, occupation not legible

 

1910 Census, WI Sheboygan Co, City of Sheboygan, Ward 1
George Tupper, age 39, married 20 years, born WI, both parents born WI, shoe salesman, rents
Pearl, age 37,  6 children born, 6 alive, born WI, father born Germany, mother born WI
Inez, age 19
Frank age 18, cutter - shoe factory
Stella, age 15, in high school
Lester age 12
Edith age 10
Warren age 4
***ine Reinert, sister-in-law, age 28, bookeeper at newspaper office (probably Metta/Nettie)

 

1900 Census, Wi, Sheboygan Co, Mitchell townshp:
George Tupper, head, age 29, born Oct 1871, married 10 years, born WI, parents both born WI, farmer, rents
Pearl, wife, age 27, born Feb1873, 5 children born, 5 alive, born WI, father born NY, mother Germany (should be the other way around)
Ina, daughter, age 9, born Sept 1890
Frankie, son, age 8, born Nov. 1891
Stella age 5, born Nov. 1894
Lester, age 2, born Mar 1898
Edith, age 9 months, born Aug 1899
Reinert, Delina (looks like Vrlina), white female, age 48, born Dec. 1851, widow, 5 children born, 4 alive, born NY, parents born NY, boarder
Hattie Reinert, sister-in-law, age 29, single, born July 1870

 

     circa 1950’s

 

Tupper siblings circa 1950-1952, left to right: Inez, Frank, Stella, Lester, Edith and Warren.

 

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