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December 6, 1999
'Goose Lady' of New Ulmcelebrates 90th birthdayShe raised geese in the Goosetown area near theMinnesota RiverBy TONY ZIEBOL Journal Staff Writer NEW ULM -- Hilda Fritsche can be called many things after 90 years of living. However, the two most appropriate would be the "Goose Lady" or the "4-H Lady." Neighbors, friends, family, 4-H members and many other people helped Fritsche celebrate her 90th birthday Sunday afternoon at Turner Hall. "Three-fourths of New Ulm knows her," said John Fritsche, Hilda's son. "There's friends from near and far." Fritsche is well known for good reason. The first nickname refers to the farm on the banks of the Minnesota River in "Goosetown" New Ulm that Hilda and her late husband Paul moved to in 1957. The farm has been in the family since 1854. "Farming's in our blood," said Fritsche's son, John. In the mid-1970s, the Fritsches began raising geese on the property, which attracted the attention of people throughout the area and beyond. The geese were raised until they found their way on area dinner tables and into Fritsche's home-made pillows, where the feathers were used as stuffing. If it weren't for flood waters from the river that made raising the geese impossible, she would probably still be raising them, John Fritsche said. "She was the Goose Lady for a long time," he said. While she has become known for her geese raising, Fritsche maybe should be even more popular for her involvement with area 4-H programs. For 49 unforgettable years, she was a 4-H leader . "There's so many memories," Fritsche said. "There's so many of them I wouldn't know which ones (to single out)." Back when she started with 4-H, those involved took on more projects and did more work with their projects, she said. However, Fritsche doesn't blame the modern 4-H'ers for doing less because there's just so much more to be involved in these days. "If there's change you have to go with it," she said. John Fritsche and Hilda's other son, Arlon, said Fritsche taught them about having a strong work ethic. "You learned about what's expected of you," Arlon Fritsche said. John Fritsche agreed. "She has a quiet way of telling when something needs to be done," he said. Arlon Fritsche learned other important lessons. "When you're 5 years old, you don't try and outrun her when she's trying to spank you," he said with a laugh. "It didn't work." Now 90 years old, Hilda Fritsche still is in good health. "It comes one day at a time," she said. John Fritsche, who still lives next door to her, said his mother still wants to be outside working at her residence. "Everything's going good for her," he said. "But she's not real happy right now because she can't get out in the garden (during the winter). We hope she has many more (birthdays) and then we can have a party in other 90 years."
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