MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Paper Discovery Center
CALL TO ORDER BY CHAIRPERSON TOM SUTTER
TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 27
BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Laura Leimer, Tom Sutter, Dave Buss, Gwen Sargeant, Linda Muldoon, Brian Schneider and Karen Probst.
REVIEW OF UPCOMING MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS:
August 19- “Meet the Mayors” Riverside Cemetery Walk at 3 p.m.
· September 19- Bill Lecker, Executive Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Appleton, will discuss the History of the Appleton Park System.
· October 17 – Tony Knuppel – History of Appleton Marble and Granite Works
· November 21 - Appleton Picture Show- BYOP to share and discuss.
· December – No Monthly Meeting, Happy Holiday!
· December 1 –AHS History Fair, City Center, Downtown Appleton
APPLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION:
· Officers and Committee Chairs for the organization are as follows:
A. President - Thomas Sutter
B. Vice President - Christine Williams
C. Secretary – James Richter
D. Treasurer – Laura Leimer
E. Mark and Karen Moderson, Principal Organizers
F. Brian Schneider, Technical Resources
G. David Buss, Research Specialist
PRESIDENT SUTTER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
A. Thanks to Ken Syring, local air travel historian, for his “uplifting” presentation on the “Growth of Aviation in the Appleton area”. Thanks to the Paper Discovery Center and Kathleen Lhost, Executive Director, for the use of the facilities and their hospitality.
B. Membership Report- 54 paid renewals to date. Past members and interested parties are encouraged to join a great organization that continues to prosper.
C. Everyone should be receiving the newsletter via e-mail.
D. You can find previous meeting presentations on YouTube.
E. Drawing and Door Prize –Dave Kalz won a Frank’s Pizza Palace Gift Certificate. Thank you to Frank’s Pizza Palace for providing us with a door prize.
AHS COMMUNICATIONS REPORTS:
A. Gwen Sargeant, Board & Technical Services and Communications Committee Member:
1. Gave a summary of upcoming AHS programs (See List Above).
2. Announced that AHS will be doing a Cemetery Walk, Sunday August 19th, at 3:00 p.m. at the Riverside Cemetery. .
3. The History Museum at the Castle is also doing a Cemetery Walk on Sept. 15th and is seeking volunteer guides.
PROGRAM SPEAKER – Tim Trettin, Funeral Director for Brettschneider-Trettin-Nickel Funeral Home, gave a presentation on the 125 year history of the Funeral Home.
Trettin’s Presentation:
.
A. Tim Trettin is a 4th generation funeral home director. Tim told the story of meeting Mark Moderson at a funeral and how Mark planned to form a historical society specific to Appleton. Here he is today speaking to that very group.
B. Being a funeral director wasn’t something Tim dreamed of doing. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do so he attended UW-Oshkosh and then went into the Navy for 4 years. When he finished with the Navy he still wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. Tim’s dad gave him the advice to attend Mortuary school.
C. Tim attended Mortuary School in Milwaukee, WI. After he finished school he came back to Brettschneider-Trettin for about 3 months before his father suggested he go to another funeral home to work and learn (“he fired me”). He went to work at another funeral home in Depere, WI for a few years before rejoining his father at Brettschneider-Trettin.
D. The Funeral Home began in business in 1887 as Brettschneider. They did both furniture and also coffins. Joseph Brettschneider and his son David ran it from that time until about 1905. The Brettschneider Furniture store was the first to offer free delivery service on furniture. It was delivered by horse and wagon. The building was located in the 600 block of college (now 607 W. College).
E. Tim’s gr-grandfather August Trettin worked at a bar that David Brettschneider frequented. One day David asked if August would be interested in working for him. August Trettin gladly said yes to the opportunity.
F. George Buesing also joined Brettschneider Furniture at the same time. They worked from dawn to dusk. Every day they moved the furniture out onto the sidewalk and back in. Tim showed a picture from 1913 of the front walk with all the furniture.
G. David Brettschneider retired in 1928 allowing August Trettin and George Buesing to buy the business.
H. Earlier people would have the wakes in their own homes. All the furniture would have to be brought in to have the wake. In the 1930’s funeral homes began buying homes where they could have a wake downstairs and live upstairs.
I. The Brettschneider Furniture and Funeral moved to Appleton Street area next to Schlafer Hardware. Tim showed a picture of the area and building.
J. A new feature was then installed a telephone. Someone would stay in the funeral parlor to answer the phone at all times. George Buesing’s daughter was also in attendance at the meeting. She told the story of being told never to touch that phone.
K. August Trettin graduated from Mortuary school in 1939. This is also the year that George Buesing died. His daughter said they had a deal that the other partner would get the business if anything happened to the other one.
L. August Trettin died in 1947 and Art Trettin (Tim’s grandfather) took over the business. It was August’s dream to build a new funeral home without living quarters. Art fulfilled that dream completing the first funeral home in Wisconsin without living quarters in 1950 at the current location at 606 North Oneida Street.
M. Art Trettin retired in 1984. Jim Trettin (Tim’s father) and Ken Ledderer took over as partners in the business. Jim Trettin retired in 2009 and Ken Ledderer retired in 2011. The business is currently owned by Tim Trettin and Scott Nickel.
N. Tim Trettin brought along several artifacts: an 1889 funeral home bill $55.00, his grandfather’s hat he wore for funerals, a 1949 funeral bill $256.00 and photos.
O. Tim also shared that August Trettin carried a black case with whiskey, to break out when the situations were stressful, to calm the family. In the 1930’s a funeral in the country would be an overnight trip.
Respectfully, Gwen L.H, Sargeant
AHS Acting Secretary, 7/30/12