World War I Registration Cards, 1917-1918

In the 1930 Census, Albert Thomas Stahl was listed as being a veteran of World War I. I found Albert Thomas Stahl's World War I Registration Card. He was listed in the first registration conducted on June 5, 1917 for men between the ages of 21 and 31. I also found Albert's twin brothers, Frank and Hugo, listed in the third registration for men between 18 and 45 on September 12, 1918.

Here are some of the things I learned from the registration cards.

Albert was 29 years old and lived at 1576 Gratiot, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. He was born on November 10, 1887 and was single. He owned a hardware store, was tall, with a medium build, had gray eyes, brown hair, and was not bald (yes, it indicated on the registration card that he was not bald).[1]

Frank Joseph Stahl Jr. was 35 years old and lived at 1576 Gratiot, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. He listed Theresa Stahl, his mother, as his nearest relative. He was born on 5 May 1883. He was a white citizen of the United States and his occupation was a grocer. He had blue eyes, brown hair, a medium height and build.[2]

Hugo John Stahl was 35 years old and lived at 1136 Concord, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. He was born on 5 May 1885 and was married to H. Barbra Stahl. He worked in the service claims for Saxon Motor Company. He had blue eyes, brown hair, a medium height and build.[3]

---

[1] "World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," images Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=6482&iid=MI-2032496-2181&fn=Albert+Thomas&ln=Stahl&st=r&ssrc=&pid=32135737 : accessed 10 March 2012), card for Albert Thomas Stahl, order no. 200, Local Draft Board 18, Wayne County, Michigan; roll: 2032496.

[2] "World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," images Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=6482&path=Michigan.Detroit+City.18.S.1001 : accessed 10 March 2012), card for Frank Joseph Stahl Jr., order no. A985, Local Draft Board 18, Wayne County, Michigan; roll: 2032496.

[3] "World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," images Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=6482&path=Michigan.Detroit+City.18.S.1002 : accessed 10 March 2012), card for Hugo John Stahl, order no. A3193, Local Draft Board 18, Wayne County, Michigan; roll: 2032496.

The last blog and podcast I posted was about Albert losing his hardware store during the depression and how he became a taxi driver to provide for his family. As with most families during the depression, hardship continued to follow the Stahl family. Mary Lou wrote about the heartbreak the family had to deal with during this time.

"We were all standing at the top of the back stairs watching our mother climb up the steps to meet us. The news she gave us was not good. She informed us that our father had passed away that afternoon at St. Joseph's Hospital on East Grand Blvd., from pneumonia he fell ill with just two weeks prior. The date was October 8, 1934... I can remember mother gathering us around her and she then asked us to kneel and pray for our dad. This was the height of the Great Depression and she knew that the job of raising five children lay directly upon her shoulders. It must have been quite a weight!

"After the death of our father times became very difficult for us. The boys all sold papers; they set pins at Wurms Bowling Alley and would drag home wood from the furniture stores (at that time furniture would be crated) for our stove. The Stahl Family allowed us to live in our flat without rent for the time being and mother received a small stipend from "Widow's Pension". Today it is called ADC (Aid for Dependent Children). We all attended St. Anthony's school and because there was tuition to be paid for our education, mother used to help out in the school cafeteria to pay for this. My mother, Irene Adele Petipren (Stahl) Shindler, was a wonderful person; she had strong religious faith and instilled this into her children. We never went hungry, our clothes were always clean and mended and to the day she died, I never heard her complain about her lot in life. She used to say, "Why dwell on the bad things that happened to you in your life, it's much easier on yourself to remember the good things." What an attitude!"[1]

I agree with Mary Lou, what an attitude and strength my great-grandmother must have had to carry the weight of responsibility to raise her family alone after the death of her husband.

---

[1] Mary Lou Otto, daughter of Irene Adele Petipren, April 1997.