Anniversary marked with banquet, dedications

By KEVIN SWEENEY

Journal Editor

NEW ULM -- As New Ulm held its 150th anniversary dinner Saturday night, it found the "charm and tradition" that is the city's motto embodied in the granddaughter of one of the city's founders.

Marion Pfaender Downs, 90 years old, captivated the 300-plus crowd at Turner Hall with recollections of her grandparents, and of her own early days as a kindergartener at Turner Hall, and later as a cheerleader for New Ulm High School, from 1929 to 1931.

Earlier in the evening, she stood up at the behest of Mayor Joel Albrecht and led the crowd in a cheer from those days:

"Sauerkraut und Wienerwurst,

"Pretzels und Beer,

"Neu Ulm, Neu Ulm

"Does Not Fear!"

Downs was joined at the podium by James Leighton, the great-great grandson of Frederick Beinhorn. Beinhorn was the president of the Chicago Land Company, which founded New Ulm in 1854. He is the only direct descendant of Beinhorn. Frederick's granddaughter, Faith Beinhorn, was Leighton's grandfather. He was tracked down by the Brown County Historical Society, he said.

"They didn't realize I had been spending the last 25 years or so in this town," said Leighton. He attended Polka Days in the late '60s. His late wife was also the sister of Alicia Helling, who lives in Hanska, so he has spent much time in the area.

Leighton said he didn't know his Beinhorn relatives much. His grandmother died before he got a chance to know her, but he said he has been doing a lot of genealogy on his family. He said he would be providing the historical society with pictures of his grandmother.

Marion Pfaender Downs is the only surviving grandchild of Wilhelm and Katherine Pfaender.

"I'm so glad to be here," she said as she took the floor, "but at 90 you're glad to be anywhere. I love being 90, you know. I find that peer pressure is dropping off rapidly."

But seriously, I am glad to be here tonight on behalf of my dear cousin, Ted Fritsche, who should be doing this tonight, not me. He was, to me, the 20th century New Ulm grand old man. And his wife, Lois Fritsche, who is my cousin on my mother's side, is the grand old lady."

Downs said there was an irony about her grandfather. One of the reasons he left Germany because of his opposition to military conscription. He was a Turnverein member, and a believer in freedom for all. When he came to America, he was opposed to slavery.

"This man, who was against military conscription, volunteered freely to fight against slavery in the Civil War, and you know, he served with distinction."

Downs said it was the sorrow of her family that the ceremonial sword her grandfather received from Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, and a personal letter of commendation he received from President Lincoln have been lost over the years.

Downs also spoke about her grandmother, who accompanied her husband to this new land with three children.

"She stepped off the boat, and according to my aunt Minnie's book about the family, and she ought to know, she said, 'Where is the town? Where are the people? Husband, where have you taken us?' And Grandpa said, 'Well, perhaps I didn't tell you what is. But we are pioneers, and we will build a town. Please have patience and stay.'

"So, what do you do when you are a woman and you love your man, and he asks you to please have patience and stay? You stay."

Downs said the pioneer women, like her grandmother, were wonderful. "We must honor the pioneer women just as we honor the pioneer men."

Downs had special kind words for Turner Hall. "I started Kindergarten in the room where the Turner Ladies are working now," she said. "It was perhaps one of the first kindergartens in the country, because remember, the Germans started Kindergarten, or the "child's garden," you know, and the Turners were right up to snuff on that. At first they spoke German, and then of course, after Worl War I, we all spoke in English."

"I learned a lot there, and of course, they also gave us that wonderful exercise. Almost every day I was over here in the gymnasium. And you know, that exercise, I am so grateful for it, because is allows me at 90 to continue to play tournament tennis, I ski, I swim, and a couple of weeks ago, I went skydiving."

"I have a book of my father's. It is inscribed, 'Albert Pfaender, 1889, first place in high jump, four feet, ten inches, New Ulm Turnverein.' And guess what the prize was? A book of Milton's poems. And you know, that represents to me the Turnverein motto, 'A Sound Body and a Sound Mind.' I salute the Turners."

"Thanks to the pioneers who built this country, and thank all of you for making this the most beautiful city that I have seen in my lifetime. I love you all, thank you."

Following her remarks, Dan Hoisington, who was commissioned to write a history of New Ulm for the 150th anniversary, gave a slide show and presentation on the story of the city.

Dedications

It was a morning of dedications in New Ulm Saturday. Mayor Joel Albrecht and Ron Fleischmann, chairman of the 150th anniversary committee, stopped first at Schonlau Park for the planting and dedication of the Peace Pole, donated by the United Church of Christ (see photo on page 7A).

Fleischmann said the pole, which is inscribed "May Peace Prevail Upon the Earth" in English, German, Spanish, and Dakota, did not seem to him to be a call to do something about the hostilities abroad, "Rather, I feel that this pole we are dedication is much more of a personal call for each of us. The search for peace does not begin on foreign shores. The search for peace begins at my own doorstep. Let us all seek out peace first in our own homes and our own families. Let us seek out peace in our own neighborhoods, let us seek out peace in our own hometowns."

The historic marker dedication at German Park was next (see photo on page 7A), then the delegation moved to 1st South and Minnesota Streets for the official dedication of the Heritage Tree.