294 The Story Of A Pioneer Pastor Paul Gerhardt Tonsing A

PAUL GERHARDT TONSING Time Line Information Gathered by Dorothy J. Linn for the Family Reunion held July 11, 2002 in Cleveland, Ohio

THE FAMILY

Ernst Frederich Toensing1 was bom September 27,1827 in Linne, Hannover, Germany, the third of six children2 of Johan Heinrich "Henry" Tonsing and Maria Elizabeth Lindemann. Anna Maria Gertrude Walker3 was born May 5, 1835 in Brockhausen, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany, the tenth of eleven children4 of Jacob Heinrich Walker and Maria Elizabeth Bohning. Their wedding was held at Zion Lutheran Church in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, February 26, 1852. During his life, Ernst was described as an undertaker, Justice of the Peace, a carpenter and was in the last City Directory as a cabinet maker working for Cleveland Furniture Company. Ernst and Maria's children: 1. Jobst Heinrich Tonsing 2. Maria Sophie Tonsing 3. Clara Elizabeth Tonsing 4. Dorothea "Dora" Wilhelmine Tonsing 5. Wilhelmina "Minnie" G. Tonsing 6. John Frederick Tonsing 7. Anna Carolyn Eleanore Tonsing 8. William Henry Tonsing 9. Paul Gerhardt Tonsing

Born 1852 - died 1852 Born 1853 - died 1853 Born 1853 - died 1853 Born 1855 - died 1909 Born 1856 - died 1925 Born 1858 - died 1919 Born 1860 - died 1916 Born 1863 - died 1933 Born 1870 - died 1936

At the time of his birth in 1870, Paul G. has two older brothers and three older sisters. A brother has been recorded as born and died in 1852 and also twin sisters5 who died of cholera in 1853 when almost a year old. Of his living siblings, his sister Dora is 15, Minnie is 14, John F. is 12, Carolyn is 10, and William is 7 years old. The spelling has been variously given in the records of Ohio as Tounsing, Toensing, Tonsing, and even Tensing (in the 1870 Ohio Census). Ernst arrived in Baltimore, Ohio on October 15,1845, at age 18. Obituary of Ernst Frederich Toensing. Maria's native city also has been spelled Brackhausen. Her parents, Jacob Heinrich Walker and Maria Elizabeth Bohning Walker, and the children disembarked from the sailboat "Frederick Schiller" on October 6,1845 after 36 days at sea. NOTE: It is possible her family and Ernst Tonsing's traveled In the same ship and the correct date of landing may be either October 6 or October 15, 1845. Obituary of Ernst Frederich Toensing. 5

The names of the brother and the twin sisters were recently discovered by Kathy Ott (Tonsing/Voelzow branch). Paul G. Tonsing also noted in his brief autobiography that: "The twins died when they were but one year old with the cholera. Six [children] grew to maturity."

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FOREWORD Many exciting events occurred in the mid-western territory of Kansas after 1855. John A. Martin, recorded as one of the founders of the Republican party in Kansas, arrived in Atchison with his parents from Pennsylvania in 1857. Young Martin found work at a small pro-slavery newspaper company that published the Squatter Sovereign.6 Purchasing the business and property in February 1858 when he was 19 years old, he changed the name of its paper to the Atchison Champion and the publication also changed its editorial sympathies to an anti-slavery stance. On January 3,1859, the fourth territorial legislature assembled in Lawrence and approved the calling of a constitutional convention in Wyandotte, Kansas. At the same time, the Kansas Free-State party dissolved and its members joined either the newer Republican party or the Democrat Party. In May, he was chosen as one of the secretaries of the Republican party. In June of the same year, the Republicans and Democrats met at Osawatomie to select delegates for the Wyandotte convention. Martin was one of those selected, serving as secretary. He wrote the preamble and four of the ten articles of incorporation. At the convention, the Republicans were the majority party in twenty counties and the Democrats in seven. On July 5,1859 in Wyandotte, the delegates chose a Republican as their presiding officer and Martin was elected secretary. Sixteen committees were created to draft a state constitution preparatory to the territory's application for statehood. Their guide was the Ohio constitution, and both slavery and suffrage were hot topics. When finally assembled, the newly drafted constitution prohibited slavery but also rejected giving women the right to vote. On July 23,1859, the first ballot was taken. It would determine which town would become the new state's capitol and Atchison, Lawrence, and Topeka were strong contenders. On the second ballot, Topeka won by a small margin and the decision was accepted. October 4,1859, the constitution was approved by the people of Kansas Territory with 10,421 votes for it and 5,530 votes against. Kansas was in the midst of a severe drought during this year and into 1860 that lasted 15 months. Martin was named secretary of the Territorial Relief Convention overseeing more than 7,000,000 pounds of food contributed by the United States government. He published the sources and dispensation of the relief in his newspaper, the Champion. December 1,1859, the Republican party carried the entire state ticket and also elected their Congressional representative. Also, in December a Republican presidential nominee named Abraham Lincoln visited Kansas but apparently gained little support from the Republican party members since they endorsed William H. Seward. In Cleveland, Ohio during 1859, President Lincoln spoke in the Lincoln/Douglas debates on the east stairs of the rebuilt Ohio statehouse (reconstructed after a fire in 1852). On January 2,1860, the fifth territorial legislature assembled in Lawrence and a law was passed abolishing slavery. When the governor vetoed the bill, the legislature overrode him. Early in 1860, a state census counted the people in Kansas, coming up with slightly over 70,000 inhabitants, too few to gain representation in Congress as a state. However, a federal census also taken in 1860 showed a population of over 100,000 and thus representation was legal. Kansas did not receive statehood in time to partake in the national presidential election in the fall of 1860. Even though he was not the choice of the Kansas Republican party, Abraham Lincoln won. This victory pleased the local party members who regarded it as just punishment visited upon the "miserable oligarchy of slaveholders and traitors," as they called the Democrats and non-voters. Many decided they would have voted for Abe Lincoln anyway and became extremely proud to claim him as a party member. Railway construction was another hot topic under discussion in Kansas. On October 17, 1860, a meeting in Topeka discussed possible aid from the federal government. The Atchison, Wyandotte, and Topeka interests worked intensely to forge the line eventually known as the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. Some members of the Challiss family, ancestors of Paul's future wife, Ruth Martin, became closely connected with those endeavors. By the end of 1870, ten years later, the total miles of railroad track were 1,234.

Ruth M. Tonsing wrote her grandson, Ernst F. Tonsing [Fred], in 1955 about her house standing on the site of the printing office of the Squatter Sovereign, a Rebel newspaper and she noted her father bought the business when he was only age 18 and changed the paper's name to Freedoms Champion.

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Martin was elected state Senator from the Brown and Atchison district before he was twenty-one, and thus served in the first state legislature under the Wyandotte constitution that convened on March 26,1861. Kansas had become the thirty-fourth star in the United States flag on January 29, 1861. The state motto: "To the Stars Through Difficulty," reflected the seven year struggle to attain statehood. The admission of Kansas to statehood was regarded as a doubtful blessing by some. The inhabitants of the state were considered outlaws and land-pirates and not noted for their piety. In 1861, there were fewer than one hundred church buildings in the entire state. Methodists were the largest denomination with 3,932 members; the Baptists counted 1,231 and the Congregationalists and Presbyterians had about 800 and 600, respectively. Their combined membership was only six percent of the total population of about 100,000. During the fall and winter of 1861, John A. Martin assisted in organizing the Eighth Kansas Infantry and was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel, serving on the Missouri border. In 1862, Martin was appointed Provost Marshall of Leavenworth, Kansas, and went with the regiment to Mississippi. He was promoted to Colonel on November 1, 1862 and was Provost Marshall of Nashville, Tennessee. • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the words for a Christmas song "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," during 1864 in memory of his wife who had died three years earlier in a tragic fire. Longfellow, horribly burned on his face and hands while trying to extinguish the blaze of his beloved's dress, had grown a beard because the scars made shaving almost impossible. Longfellow's first stanza included the now-familiar phrases: "I heard the bells on Christmas day, Their old familiar carols play, And wild and sweet the words repeat, Of peace on earth, good will to men." The third stanza was about his beloved country and written while the Civil War was in full swing with the Battle of Gettysburg not long past: "And in despair I bowed my head; 'There is no peace on earth,' I said, 'For hate is strong, and mocks the song, Of peace on earth, good will to men!' His verse continued: Then pealed the bells more loud and deep; God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men." While serving with the Eighth Kansas, John A. Martin took part in several battles including Chattanooga and Chickamauga until he mustered out at Pulaski, Tennessee, on November 17, 1864. He then returned to his home state of Kansas, resuming control of the Atchison Champion and was elected mayor of Atchison in 1865. President Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, and his casket toured many states including Ohio, traveling in a special train draped in black.

1870 Jan 3 Feb 1

May 5 Sep 27

Paul G. Tonsing is born to Ernst Frederick Toensing, and Anna Maria Gertrude Walker in Cleveland, Ohio. Maria llsabein Toensing Bohning, Paul's aunt, dies in Cleveland. OH Census CY11 030: "Tonsing, Ernst, 43, cabinet-maker, from Hanover, Mary 34 - keeping house, from Hanover." The children are listed as: "Minn, age 13 OH, John 12, Caroline 10, William 7, and Paul 6V2." This listing is in the Index under Tensing, Ernst. Dorothea, age15 and their oldest child, is not mentioned. Minn. 13 OH means their second daughter, Minnie, born in Ohio, who is 13 years old. Paul is six and one-half months old. Maria, Paul's mother, is 35 years old on this day. Ernst is 43 years old today.

1871 Jun 1

John Alexander Martin and Ida Challiss are married in Atchison, Kansas. He and his bride moved into the new red-brick, two-story home at 315 North Terrace (1 st Street). During the years of 1871 and 1872 in Kansas, there were at least 35 gunfights, largely considered to be an outgrowth of the War Between the States. Names such as Sam Bass, William Bonney (Billy the Kid), William Barclay "Bat" Masterson, Wyatt Earp, William "Bill" Doolin, and Patrick "Pat" Floyd Garrett became household words largely due to newspaper coverage of their activities. Between 1873 and 1879, there were 147 gunfights. Most 'professional' gunmen often carried firearms as part of their regular jobs (law officers, cowboys, ranchers, hired guns, soldiers, miners, farmers, etc.) and most died in the states or territories where the shootings occurred. These fights only began to taper off after 1896.

1873 Apr 15

Ernst Frederick Tonsing, Paul Tonsing's father, age 45, drowns in a mill pond a few blocks from his home at 40 Burton Place in Cleveland and the death is listed a suicide. His wife, Anna Maria, is listed on the published obituary as age 38 (she will be that age in May). The same obituary shows the spelling of the family surname both as Toensing and Tonsing. At the time of his father's death, Paul is just three years old. Burial of Ernst Tonsing in Monroe Cemetery, Cleveland, Lot 9, sublot E-1/2. Birthday of Paul's mother. The widowed Maria is 38 years old. Ruth Martin, Paul's future wife, is born in Atchison, Kansas, to John A. and Ida Challiss Martin.7

Apr 18 May 5 May 31

1875 May 5 May 31

Birthday of Paul's mother. Maria is now 40 years old. Ruth Martin's birthday and she is two years old. Paul is five years old.

7

Ruth M. Tonsing wrote to Fred Tonsing on June 12, 1962: "I remember him [her father, John A. Martin,] saying he always liked the name of Ruth, and it was the name of one of his ancestors. He didn't want any of his children named after him, so my young brother was named Evan, the Welsh name for John. But after he died, Grandma went to court and had his named changed to John."

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Paul Tonsing, in a short biography8 written during a brief hospital stay in later years, notes that he attended parochial school for two years, 1875-77, located on Jersey Street, and had Mr. Arnold as a teacher (who was a cousin of some kind and who liked him so much he asked to adopt him). He learned to read and write the "high" German language very well. School was dismissed at 3:00 p.m. to protect the young children from rougher older ones who attended a nearby public school. At that time, he could speak only Plat Deutsch (low German) and in school, he learned Hochdeutsch (high German). 1876

Mar 26

May 4

After Ernst's death in Cleveland, Paul's mother, who had been sewing vests for stores, began taking in boarders and later managed to pay off the indebtedness of her home and improve the property with the addition of a small barn at the alley. In 1876 she marries Frederick Mylander, a widower with several small children. Paul is six years old and later said he remembered being introduced to his new step-father at about age 6/4.. A newspaper article9 in Atchison, Kansas quotes Mrs. John A. Martin who says, "Today, March 26, is the anniversary of the heaviest snow storm I ever saw in my life. We had a latticed porch to the kitchen and the snow reached to the top. My brother, Paul Challiss, came and shoveled us out. Later when I went over to my mother's a couple of blocks away, I walked between walls of snow that were taller than myself. Being so unusual at this time of the year, I have never forgotten the date.'" Ida Challiss Martin would have been about 25 years old at the time. Paul's sister, Wilhelmina "Minnie" Tonsing, marries Gerhard Jasper in Cleveland.

1878 Aug 8

Paul's sister, Caroline Tonsing marries Henry Voelzow in Cleveland, Ohio.

1879 May 9

Paul's sister, Caroline, and her husband, Henry Voelzow, have a daughter, Dorothy Mathilda "Tillie" Voelzow, born in Ohio. In Ohio, Paul's mother, Maria and stepfather have a son, Louis (or Lewis) Mylander. She is 42 years old and Louis will be Maria's last child. In Atchison, Kansas, John A. Martin starts construction of a building on Fifth and Commercial.10

Aug 3 Aug

1880 Jan 3 Nov 3

Paul is ten years old and lives with his family in Ohio. Paul's sister, Caroline, and her husband, Henry Voelzow, have a son, Ferdinand J. Voelzow, born in Ohio.

1881 Jan - -

The Kansas House of Representatives meets in their hall in the west wing of the new capitol building in Topeka, Kansas, although the walls are unplastered and

June 4, 1921 autobiography quote: "I am told that my birth took place at 40 Burton street, Cleveland, Ohio, Jan. 3, 1870. I'm glad it was this year as it has always been easy to calculate from an "0" year. My father was Ernst Tonsing who came from Hanover, Germany _ . He died when I was three years old. He was drowned in a mill pond about 6 blocks south-east of 40 Burton St. and was buried in the street cemetery. He had been a cabinet maker for many years, was in business for himself and was burned out without insurance seveal [several] times. The only recollection I have of him is the riding to the cemetery in a closed hack. This one event alone is indellibly [indelibly] stamped on my mind in connection with my father." Atchison Daily Globe, March 26, 1924.

10 Atchison Daily Globe, Jan. 1, 1929.

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there is a temporary wooden floor. The Senate area in the east wing and the Representatives' in the west now boast a covered walkway between them. This area is sometimes referred to as the 'cave of the winds.' 1882 Jan 11 Jun

3

Paul's sister, Caroline, and her husband, Henry Voelzow, have a son, Walter Voelzow, born in Ohio. Paul's uncle's wife, Eleonore, dies in Ohio. She and Johann Frederich Tonsing have no children. Johann later marries Maria Martin and they have one child, Edgar Alfred Tonsing, born in 1894, who dies Nov. 7, 1895.

1883 Jan 18

A fire destroys the Champion office; the news room, editorial room, and the files while Col. Martin is away from Atchison. This is the second fire, the first occurring in 1868. He has just been elected Secretary of the National Republican Committee. William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas estimates there are 140,000 people now living in the area of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, up from 5,000 inhabitants in 1864 when the governmental grant was made for the railway.

1884 Feb 25

Paul's sister, Caroline, and her husband, Henry Voelzow, have a daughter, Olga Wilhelmina Voelzow, born in Ohio. John A. Martin is elected Governor of Kansas. In Topeka, construction is now underway on the central portion of the state capitol and the senate chamber in the east wing is remodeled at a cost of $300,000. The interior is finished in French Renaissance, the walls being encased with marble and Mexican onyx to the height of twelve feet on all sides, above which the walls and ceiling are finished in stucco work. All the gas pipes are arranged so that the lights are controlled from the gas stand in the sergeant-at-arms' room. There is a provision for wiring so that incandescent lights can later be installed.

Nov - " --

1885 Jan 11 May 5

1886 Jan 25

Feb 25

Paul's sister, Caroline, and her husband, Henry Voelzow, have a daughter, Laura Voelzow, born in Ohio. Birthday of Paul's mother, Maria. She is 50 years old and her youngest child, Lewis, is six. Paul's sister, Caroline, and her husband, Henry Voelzow, have a daughter, Amanda Voelzow, born in Ohio. Governor John A. Martin calls a special session to correct certain errors in earlier statutes and to reapportion the state legislative districts. A serious railroad strike occurs while this session is in progress and Governor Martin recommends the establishment of arbitration boards. When the strike continues, Martin sends the adjutant general instructions to call out the troops. Gov. Martin helps negotiate a satisfactory settlement between management and labor. Paul arrives in Kansas on this date according to a newspaper article dated Feb. 26, 1926, or "left Ohio on this date," said another newspaper article on Feb. 23, 1933. He was 16 years old. Paul and his step-brother, August Mylander, arrived by train in Waterville, Kansas, a German-American community about eighty-five miles west of Topeka. August tried his hand at house painting and Paul at farming,

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Aug - Nov 13 Nov - -

1887 Feb 15

1888 Jan 5 Sep - -

1889 Apr 22

May 9

living with a Mr. Hersey.11 They met Rev. James A. Lowe, a pastor in Atchison since September 1883, who tutored him since Paul had not even finished high school. He then sponsored him at Midland Academy in Atchison in the fall of 1887. Work began on the rotunda of the capitol in Topeka. Almost half of the outside walls of the main building were up. Johan Frederick "Fred" Toensing, Paul's uncle, dies in Cleveland, Ohio. John A. Martin is re-elected governor of Kansas but lost Atchison County because he was a 'dry.' Paul's brother, William Henry Tonsing, married Caroline "Lena" Brecht in Cleveland, Ohio. In Topeka, during the 1887 legislative session, Boston Corbett, a former Union soldier, unofficially adjourned the House by pulling a pistol. Corbett was the man who had killed John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln's assassin, and since 1878, had lived a solitary life on a homestead near Concordia, KS. Disarmed by the local police, he was declared insane and committed to Topeka State Insane Asylum. On May 26, 1888, he escaped on a stolen horse and after briefly showing up at Neodesha, KS, disappeared to lead his own life. Paul attends the Midland Academy, a new school just opened. To help pay his way in the beginning, Paul washed windows and cleaned the building. He worked his way through school carrying papers, using a cart and horse. After two years in the preparatory high school, he went on for four years in the college, the latter time being counted as the first three years of study at the Western Theological Seminary (later named Central Seminary when the school moved to Fremont, Nebraska). At that time, the seminary had a staff of four and two visiting lecturers to serve the six students who were enrolled. Paul'ssister, Caroline, and her husband, Henry Voelzow, have a daughter, Elfrieda Voelzow, born in Ohio. In Topeka, the interior walls and piers of the capitol dome were at a level with the attic and the fourth-floor beams were in position. Oklahoma Indian Territory was opened to settlement with The Run. Family stories say Paul Tonsing deeply desired to be part of this group in Oklahoma but didn't join this race for settlement land or any of the later ones. Paul's sister, Caroline, and her husband, Henry Voelzow, have a son, Rudolph 'Ralph' Voelzow, born in Ohio.

Notes made during an interview with his father, Ernest F. Tonsing by Fred on December 23, 1962: : "Paul Gerhart (sic) Tonsing and his half-brother [either Frederick Mylander, born 1861 or August Mylander (n.d.) noted Fred] got tired of Ohio and came west to work on the railroad [Fred noted this was the Central Branch of the Union Pacific], When they got tired of that, they got off in Waterville because it 'sounded' cool after the hot weather they had been having. They did odd jobs around the town. But his brother soon left and returned to Ohio to marry a girl he had known before leaving. Paul was 'taken under the wing' of the Lutheran pastor there, [perhaps Rev. J.A. Lowe of the Waterville, Kansas Evangelical Lutheran Church who served until December 15, 1888, said Fred] who later encouraged him to go to college. Paul explained that he had had no idea of going to college, let alone of completing high school. So the pastor and the townspeople sent him to Atchison, Kansas, to three years at the 'Midland Academy' and four years at 'Midland College.' He was quite a football player and used to brag that he had played as center seven years on a college team. While at Midland, grandfather once attended a funeral of some old fellow who had once been governor, just out of curiosity. He later met and married the girl whom he had seen at this funeral, Ruth Martin, daughter of Governor John Alexander Martin."

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May 28

Jul - Aug 3 Oct 2

1890

Jan 3 Sep 9

Paul's future wife's grandfather, James C. Martin, dies in Atchison, Kansas. James and his wife, Jane Montgomery Crawford, have lived in Atchison since September 1857 and James had been Postmaster from 1864 to 1873. Paul's brother and his wife, Wm. Henry and 'Lena' Tonsing, have a daughter, Julia M. Tonsing. Paul's stepbrother, Lewis Mylander, is 10 years old. Paul is 19. Paul is 19 years old when his future wife's father, Governor John Alexander Martin, dies just after completing a second term in office (1884-1889). Ruth Martin, the oldest of Ida C. and J. A. Martin's seven children, is just 16 years old.12 At some time in 1889, Caroline and Henry Voelzow's son, Walter Voelzow, dies in Ohio at age 6!4. In 1890, the Farmer's Alliance became the People's party in Kansas. Much of it's voting strength came from rural citizens but it's leadership was from lawyers and editors of small newspapers. By the end of this year, 60% of the taxable acreage in Kansas was mortgaged land and most farms of 160 acres were under heavy indebtedness. The Kansas House of Representatives fell to the control of the Populists and non-Republicans won five of seven congressional seats. Populists did not have enough members to survive as a viable political party but many of its ideas would become laws before the next twenty years had passed. At Topeka, the Kansas state capitol is nearly complete in 1890 except for the final decorative touches. Plans called for a fountain in the first floor rotunda with sculptures to go above the columns north and south and a large statue of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agricultural fertility was planned for the top of the dome. Some Kansans thought Ceres' morals were questionable and she never graced the statehouse. The pediment sculptures for the north and south were never made either. Paul is twenty years old. Paul's sister, Caroline, and her husband, Henry Voelzow, have a daughter, Julia Katherine Voelzow, born in Ohio. Caroline is 30 years old and Julia is her ninth child.

1891 Oct 31

Paul's sister, Caroline, and her husband, Henry Voelzow, have a son, Ewald Gerhardt W. 'Jack' Voelzow, born in Ohio.

1892 Spring

Paul is a member of the second graduating13 class of Midland College, Atchison, Kansas. Ruth's brother, John Alexander Martin, dies at age 12 in Atchison, Kansas. His birth name, Evan Challiss Martin, had been changed to John Alexander Martin after his father died.

Sep 4

12

Ruth Martin Tonsing wrote Fred, on June 12, 1962 and spoke about not seeing her father very much "the last four years of his life because he was in Topeka, Kansas, all the time. There was no Governor's mansion there then, so he went back and forth on that old Sfe [Santa Fe Railway] plug train Mondays and Saturdays." She also noted that her three younger brothers and sister didn't remember him at all because they were so young when he died. On that sad day, Ruth was 16 and the baby, Harres, was only two years OLD.

13

Story of the Midwest Synod; U.LC.A; 1890-1950.

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1893 May 1 May 3 Sep 7

Paul's sister, Caroline, and her husband, Henry Voelzow, have a son, Arthur E. Voelzow, born in Ohio. Paul's future wife, Ruth Martin, is twenty years old. Paul marries Ruth Martin in Atchison, Atchison County, Kansas.14 The ceremony is performed by Rev. J. A. Long. Paul is 23 and she is 20. Ruth, the oldest of seven children of John A. Martin and Ida Challiss, wore her mother's wedding dress and like all of her aunts (Dr. Challiss' daughters), she carries orange blossoms. Her grandfather, Dr. William L. Challiss was the first medical person to settle in Kansas territory and one of the founders of Atchison. He first arrived in Atchison June 3, 1856 on the steamboat Meteor from Moorestown, New Jersey. Ruth has three sisters and three brothers: Grace, Ethel, Faith, and Evan C. (later renamed John A.), Paul A., and HarresC. Paul's father has been dead 16 years and Ruth's father for four.15

1894 Oct 20 Oct 21

Paul is licensed to preach. He is twenty-four years old. Paul and Ruth have their first child, a son they name Evan Walker Tonsing.

1895 Mar 23

Paul visits as a guest pastor in Beloit, Mitchell County, Kansas, on this date, preaching on the 24th and again on March 31 st . Birthday of Paul's mother. Maria is 60 years old. Paul goes again to Beloit and the congregation issues a call for him to be their pastor, effective June 1 st . Paul graduates from Western Theological Seminary in Atchison, Kansas. He is one of six students in the first class. The Seminary is now a department of Midland College in Fremont, Nebraska. Paul is accepted as pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Beloit. The congregation was received into the Lutheran Synod in Kansas in the fall of 1894. Their pastor resigned in December of that year and they chose Paul to succeed him, who preaches in both English and German. Paul's sister, Caroline, and her husband, Henry Voelzow, have a son, Albert H. Voelzow, born in Ohio. Paul, Ruth and family arrive in Beloit16 with their belongings carried on a loaned cart pulled by a borrowed horse. The horse and cart they had owned had been stolen just before they were to leave Atchison and all they had left was the buggy and harness so they borrowed the conveyance. Paul later goes up to Nebraska and gets a bay mare that is only half broken to harness. They name her Dolly, but the

May 5 May 19

Jun 1

Jun 8 Jun 22

14

15

16

Ruth M. Tonsing wrote Fred Tonsing on September 7, 1956: "As I write the date I am reminded of the fact that this is the 63rd anniversary of Grandpa [Paul G. Tonsing] and my wedding. A happy marriage, and I miss him so much since he went away over 20 yrs ago." Letter from Ruth M. Tonsing to Dorothy Dambold [Linn] dated July 3, 1958: "Carrying papers is an old story in my family, my two brothers did that, and when we were married, Dad Tonsing [Paul G.] carried the KC [Kansas City] Times and Star. He had a pony and cart, and that little creature knew the paper-route, and would stop at every place where the paper was to be delivered. One time before we were married, Grandpa [Paul G.] was sick and couldn't deliver the papers, & so my brother Paul [Martin] and I did it. Dad said Dollie, the pony, knew the route and she did. And tho different subs in evening, she never mixed them up." "At Beloit, PT [Paul] would use a little hand press when he would print little things. He had a nose for news, and could write [well]. Paul Tonsing would tell the news to Ed Howe, the famous [editor] of the Atchison Daily Globe, and together they would go up to investigate it. Paul Tonsing wrote the feature items, inventions, etc." This was a comment by his PGT's son, Ernest F. Tonsing, and gathered in a verbal interview in 1993 by Fred Tonsing.

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Oct 19 Nov. 7

trip to get her was so strenuous that Paul remains in bed the next day, too sick to preach. Paul is ordained as a Lutheran minister. He is twenty-five years old. Johann and Maria Martin Tonsing's child, Edgar Alfred Tonsing, dies.

1896 Jan 8

Paul and Ruth have a second child, a daughter they name Orpah Tonsing. Paul's brother and wife, Wm. Henry and 'Lena' Tonsing, have a son, John E. Tonsing, born in Ohio. Apparently he lives only a short time, although the date of death is not known.

1897 Jun 12

Paul's sister, Caroline, and her husband, Henry Voelzow, have a daughter, Caroline Eleanore 'Carrie' Voelzow, born in Ohio. Amelia Earhart is born in Atchison. Paul and Ruth have a third child, Luther Maurice Tonsing. They are living in Beloit, Kansas.1718

Jul 24 Aug 17

1899 Apr 18 Aug 3 Aug 4 Aug 17

Ruth M. Tonsing's grandmother, Jane M. Crawford Martin, dies in Kansas City, KS. Paul's stepbrother, Lewis Mylander, is 20 years old. Paul is 29. Paul's stepfather, Frederick Mylander, dies in Oak Harbor, Ohio. Paul's sister, Caroline, and her husband, Henry Voelzow, have a son, Paul Henry Gerhardt Voelzow, born in Ohio. This, their fourteenth child, is the last one they have and they call him 'John.' When John is seventeen, his mother dies at age 55. The Populist executive council employed artist Jerome Fedeli to paint large murals on the inside panels of the state capitol in Topeka. These murals included partly nude Grecian women. After much controversy, in 1902 they were painted over with something more modest but not as beautiful, and the newer ones can be seen today. Between 1866 and 1903, Kansas spent more than $3,200,000 on the statehouse and nine workers lost their lives on the job. Also in 1899, Carrie A. Nation begins her campaign to close saloons and make Kansas a 'dry' state; smashing bottles and bars with her axe.

1900 Jan 3 Apr 1

Paul is thirty years old. Paul resigns his pastorate in Beloit. The family moves to Hardy, Nebraska, where he serves as pastor in the church. Birthday of Paul's mother. Maria is 65 years old. Paul, Ruth and their family are listed in the Hardy, Nebraska Federal Census. Jessie L. Tonsing, age 17 and born in 1883, is listed in error as his daughter. Golden Wedding anniversary celebration of Dr. and Mrs. Challiss. Married in Moorestown, New Jersey, Aug. 1, 1850, William and Mary Ann Harres Challiss moved to Atchison in 1857 and for the past 35 years, have lived in the same house.

May 5 Jun 1 Aug 1

17

Ruth M. Tonsing wrote Fred Tonsing, in a letter dated January 7, 1961: "There wouldn't be any Cuba now if the USA hadn't rescued her from Spain in '97 [1897], I remember that so well. Your Grandpa was bound to go, (we were living in Beloit then). But I wouldn't let him, said his place was there with me and our three babies. And the fellows that did go, got only as far as Florida, and were sent home from there." In Ernest F. Tonsing's interview gathered by E. Fred Tonsing, he stated: "At Beloit he would repair bicycles for nothing as a young pastor. A young man in his confirmation class who PT [Paul Tonsing] liked wanted to go into the newspaper business. PT sent him to Atchison. Carl Brown later became editor of the Globe, and very prominent in the newspaper circles. At the Globe he was famous for one-line editorials and short paragraphs. Miscellaneous students were developed by Carl Brown."

-10-

Seven of their eleven children were born in Atchison. One daughter, born in 1855 in New Jersey, lived for only a year. Of their ten living children, all are now married except the youngest son. They have twenty-three grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren. Ida C. Martin is their oldest child. Their three great-grandchildren belong to Ida C. Martin's oldest child, Ruth Martin Tonsing and her husband, Rev. Paul Tonsing. 1901 May 25 Jun 11

Ruth's mother, Ida C. Martin, is fifty years old. Paul and Ruth have a son, Cyril Martin Tonsing.

1902 Jun 10

Cyril Martin Tonsing dies at Beloit, Kansas (or Hardy, Nebraska?) and he is brought to Atchison for burial in Mt. Vernon Cemetery. Paul and Ruth have a third son, Robert Lowe Tonsing. During the third quarter of this year, Paul, Ruth and their children move back to Atchison to live in the Martin house. Governor Martin had built the large home (315 North Terrace) on the site of Atchison's first printing office where the previous owner of the property published the Squatter Sovereign, a Rebel newspaper. Young John A. Martin bought the property and business, changed the newspaper's name to "Freedom's Champion," and made it an anti-slavery publication. After moving the business into town, he used the site overlooking the Missouri river to build his home. By this time in Paul Tonsing's life, the house has become the responsibility of Gov. Martin's widow, Ida Challis Martin. At some time during the fall of 1902, Ida moved to Ottawa, Kansas, to make a home for her two sons, Paul Alexander Martin and Harres Crawford Martin, while they attended college and she wanted Paul and Ruth to stay at her home while she was gone from Atchison.

Sep 20

1903 May 3 Sep 2 Sep 7

Paul's wife, Ruth19 Martin, is thirty years old. Ethel Martin, Ruth's sister, and Charles Hole are married in Atchison, KS at the Martin home. Anniversary of Ruth and Paul Tonsing. They have been married 10 years. After the 1903 flood in Kansas City, Paul heard newspapers were being sold for ten dollars there so he went by railroad and by boat to the City to sell them in the avenues.20

1904 Oct 21

Evan W. Tonsing is ten years old.

1906 Jan 8

Orpah Tonsing is ten years old. Grace Martin, Ruth's sister, and George Mauck are married in Ottawa, Kansas. They move to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and establish a home. NPA: "Dr. and Mrs. W.L. Challiss are now making their home in Toledo, Ohio, their son-in-law, Charley Bennett, having recently moved there with his family. He has gone into the hardware business there."

May - -

19

20

Ruth Tonsing notes in a letter to Dorothy Dambold [Linn] dated February 6,1958: "I always baked the homemade bread as long as Grandpa lived, he didn't like the baker's bread. I like the home-made when fresh. I have a biscuit-mix I make. It was on a Pillsbury flour sack and it's fine. Just add milk and [it makes] biscuits in a jiffy. Keep mix in air-tight box in cooler. I like them now and then." Ernst F. Tonsing took notes of this during an interview with his father, Ernest F. Tonsing in 1993.

-11-

1907

Aug 17 Dec 27

1908 Jul 7

1909 Apr 20

Apr 30 Jul 12 Aug 3 Sep 3

1910 Jan 3 Apr 15 Aug 1

Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory, with about 1.4 million people residing in the twin territories, becomes the State of Oklahoma, signed into statehood by President Theodore Roosevelt. Three-fourths of the residents work on about 200,000 farms producing cotton, corn, wheat and other grains. Luther Tonsing is ten years old. Paul's brother and his wife, Wm. Henry and 'Lena' Tonsing, have a daughter, Dorothy W. Tonsing, in Ohio. Ruth's mother, Ida C. Martin, moves back to the Martin home in Atchison. Lives there with Paul and Ruth Tonsing and their children. Paul and Ruth have twins, Ernest Frederick Tonsing21 and Ida Tonsing, born in Atchison, KS. Dr. William L. Challiss dies at the home of his daughter, Dora (Mrs. Charles Bennett), in Toledo, Ohio. Eight years previously, they had moved to Adrian, Michigan and later to Toledo. The body is carried by Rock Island train to Atchison and a funeral ceremony held at Mt. Vernon cemetery. Paul Tonsing is one of the pall bearers. Mary Ann Harres Challiss, widow of Dr. William L. Challiss, dies at the home of her daughter and son-in-law in Toledo, Ohio. Burial is in Atchison beside her husband. Grace and George Mauck have a daughter, Grace Kathleen Mauck, born in Oklahoma City, OK. Paul's stepbrother, Louis Mylander, is 30 years old. Paul is 39. Paul's sister, Dorothea "Dora" Wilhelmine Tonsing Schroeder, born 1855, dies in Cleveland, Ohio. Paul is forty years old. Paul, Ruth and the family are listed on the 1910 Federal Census report for Atchison as living at 315 North Terrace. Paul's mother, Anna Maria G.W. Tonsing Mylander, dies at age 75 in Oak Harbor, Ohio.

1911 Oct 25

Faith Martin, Ruth's sister, and Clayton Settle are married in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

1912 Apr 15

Paul's brother and his wife, Wm. Henry and 'Lena' Tonsing, have a daughter, Clara Tonsing in Ohio. Robert Tonsing is ten years old. In 1912, Kansas women finally receive full voting rights.

Aug 17

1913 May 3 Sep 7

Paul's wife, Ruth Martin, is forty years old. Anniversary of Ruth and Paul Tonsing. They have been married 20 years.

1914 Sep 14

Allen Eugene Settle is born to Faith and Clayton Settle in Strong City, KS.

21

Ernie Tonsing noted in a 1993 verbal interview with his son, Ernst F. "Fred" Tonsing, that he and Ida were born at 315 North Terrace in the south room [upstairs] of the old house.

-12-

1914 Sep 14 Oct 21

Allen Eugene Settle is born to Faith and Clayton Settle in Strong City, KS. Evan W. Tonsing is twenty years old.

1915

"PT wanted a car, so he bought22 a 1912 Buick, red with stripes on the side, acetylene lights, all aluminum crank case, a canvas top, and right-hand drive."

1916 Jan 8 Jan 29

Orpah Tonsing is twenty years old. Paul's sister, Anna Carolyn Eleanore Tonsing Voelzow dies in Cleveland, Ohio. The obituary from the Voelzow Bible: VOELZOW - Caroline Voelzow, nee Tonsing, was born Oct. 4, 1860 at Medina, Ohio. Paul's brother-in-law, Harres Crawford Martin, marries Louise Mary Dodd in Kansas. Paul goes to the Osage City convention.23

Feb - Oct

6

1917 Mar 3

Apr 16 Aug 17 1918 Jan 19

Apr Jul Sep Nov

2 7 19 14

1919 Jan 18 Feb 1 Aug 3 1920 Jan 1

Paul and Ruth's have a son, Martin Paul Tonsing is born in Atchison, KS. There is some controversy over his name and so no name is put upon the birth announcement but his birth certificate says Martin Paul. Many years later, Paul decides he likes the name as Paul Martin Tonsing and that is what he uses. Ruth's brother, Harres Martin and his wife, Louise, have a son, John Alexander Martin, born in Atchison, Kansas. Luther Tonsing is twenty years old. Paul and Ruth's oldest child, Orpah, marries Pearl Leslie Mellenbruch in Topeka, Kansas, in the English Lutheran Church. Pearl changed the spelling of his name to Pari, and it was occasionally printed as Paul. Paul and Ruth's oldest son, Luther M., marries Mary L. Saindon in Abilene, Kansas The twins, Ernest and Ida, are ten years old. Orpah and Pearl have a daughter, Ruth Margaret Mellenbruch. The United Lutheran church was formed by merger of 45 district synods. They met in New York City November 14-18 and thus became the largest single Lutheran body in America. Pastor Paul Tonsing preached in both German and English and was fluent in both languages. He was thus able to minister to the older members who were fluent only in German and also to the second and third generation members who might speak only English. He also knew Hebrew and would talk to Hebrew merchants, reciting the Ten Commandments for them. Carolyn (deceased) and Henry Voelzow's daughter, Laura Voelzow Rand, dies at age 33 in Ohio, leaving children ages twelve, seven and a baby just over a year old. Paul's brother, John Frederick Tonsing, dies at age 61 in Cleveland, Ohio. Paul's stepbrother, Louis Mylander, is 40 years old. Paul was 49 Jan. 3rd. Paul, Ruth and the family are listed on the 1920 Federal Census as living at 315 North Terrace, Atchison, Kansas. i

22 Excerpt from Fred Tonsing's interview with his father, Ernest F. Tonsing, in 1993. In a letter to Fred Tonsing dated September 28, 1960, Ruth M. Tonsing mentioned she always loved to attend the Lutheran Synodical meetings.

-13-

Jan 3 Jan 30 Feb 11 Mar 8

Mar 13

Mar 22 Apr 12 May 3 Jun 8 Jun 9 Jun 19

Jun 20 Jul 10

Aug 26 Aug 31 Sep 14

Paul is fifty years old. Paul & Ruth's son, Bob Tonsing, made the highest grades of any pupil in the high school during the first semester, averaging 95.6 in all seven of his subjects. NPA: "Three members of the Paul Tonsing family are sick." Five days later, another article notes that Evan Tonsing is laid up with a 'bum ankle.' NPA: "Pearl L. Mellenbruck, who is attending Kansas University this year, sprained his back...and is recuperating at the home of his parents at Topeka. Mrs. Mellenbruck... formerly Miss Orpah Tonsing, and their baby are with his father." Pearl is Pari.24 NPA: "Harres Martin resigned his job at the Atchison Leather Products Co. and went to Kansas City today to enroll for a six weeks' course in the Sweeney Auto School." Another article on the same day mentioned that Harold Challiss, living in Gotha, Germany, signed another year's contract to sing in the German grand opera. His mother, Imogene Challiss is there with him. NPA: "Clayton Settle, whose wife was formerly Miss Faith Martin of Atchison, is very ill with influenza." NPA: "Paul Tonsing is in Kansas City attending a convention of the Inter-Church World Movement." NPA: "Harris Martin, 315 North Terrace, has completed the course at the Sweeney auto school and went to Goff yesterday to work in a garage." NPA: "Evan Tonsing has returned from Kansas City where he underwent a minor operation... was in the hospital four days." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing are entertaining this noon with a dinner for Mrs. Mina Donald, of Lake Arthur, N.M." NPA: "Mrs. Pearl Mellenbruck, of Lawrence, and her daughter, Ruth Margaret, who have been here visiting Mrs. Mellenbruck's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing, returned to Lawrence today. Ernest and Ida Tonsing accompanied them for a short visit." Another article said, "Today, in the district court, H.C. Martin brought suit against his wife, Mrs. Louise Martin, for divorce, alleging abandonment. They were married at Syracuse, New York, in February, 1916... He also asks custody of a son, John, three years old." NPA: "Pearl Mellenbruck, who has been visiting at the Paul Tonsing home for several days has gone to Topeka this morning." NPA: "Mrs. John A. Martin... will be the guest at Strong City, Kansas, for several weeks of her daughter, Mrs. Clayton Settle... will also visit another daughter, Mrs. George Mauck in Oklahoma City." The 19th Amendment to the United States' Constitution is passed and after 72 years of struggle, women have full voting rights in every state. NPA: "Paul Tonsing, the editor, is the father of L.M. Tonsing, linotype operator for the Reflector." Paul and Ruth's oldest son, Luther Tonsing, has a son, John Morris (also known as Maurice or Michael) Tonsing, in Abilene, Kansas. The boy grows up to be strong and interested in sports. He later wins a football scholarship to a Catholic High School in Los Angeles, California.

Apparently Pearl was his birth name but he considered it too feminine as he grew so changed it to Pari. In articles, it was sometimes given as Paul.

-14-

Sep

1921 Feb 15 Apr 11

May 13

May 27 May 30

Jun 4

Jun 17

Jun 26

NPA: "The Atchison Church Visitor, a weekly publication conducted by Atchison ministers' union, which has taken an active part in many local political campaigns, will suspend publication, it was announced today by Paul Tonsing, the editor. Tonsing has been editing the publication for several years. The Church Ws/'forwas a "dry" paper in the days when East Atchison was wide open and there were 'blind tigers' the Kansas side (sic). Mr. Tonsing often spent entire nights searching the city so as to expose his discoveries in the Visitor. It was said a tip which caused a raid on the Eagles' Club here several years ago by S.M. Brewster, then Attorney General, emanated from the Visitor office. Since the country became 'dry' there has been no field of endeavor open to the publication, and the ministerial association feels its publication is a useless expense." Abilene Reflection. Photo of Martin home is taken showing south side and is so good they later use it for postcards. Grace, Ruth, Junior (Paul), Evan and Faith are show in the photo. The date is known because Ruth Martin writes it on the back of one of the postcards. Until the early 1920's, The Lutheran Midwest Synod had counted members of loca congregations only by the head of the household (usually male) and he would pay a sum once a year to the church as the offering of the family. Single women (widows or unattached maids) could become a paying member and attend congregational meetings, but not have the right to vote. Some of the constitutions specifically stated this. Fortunately, the women preferred to stay away from the meetings anyway since some men felt that arguments might be helped along with the evidence of shooting irons and drawn knives. The pastor carried the same protection, just in case. No casualties were recorded. NPA: "Robert Tonsing, vice president..." of the newly formed High School Honor Society. NPA: "Ralph Challiss...brother of J.M. and Paul Challiss and Mrs. John A. Martin, entered a hospital in Toledo, Ohio. His right foot will be amputated. He is suffering with tuberculosis of the bones in his right foot." Ralph is 46 years old. NPA: "Harres C. Martin, of Horton, son of Mrs. John A. Martin, received severe cuts about the head and face." Paul Tonsing's brother in law, Harres, was in an automobile accident while driving his Overland automobile on Monrovia Road 10 miles west of Atchison. NPA: "Harres Martin was released from the Atchison hospital this noon." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing will go to Kansas City soon, for an operation." Another article the same date says, "Bob Tonsing probably will attend the University of Nebraska next fall and study journalism." NPA: "Paul Tonsing, who underwent an operation in Kansas City Thursday, is making a fine recovery. He expects to be released from the hospital the middle of next week." NPA: "Paul Tonsing will have to remain in the hospital in Kansas City for a week longer than he had anticipated. An abscess has developed in the wound caused by the operation which he underwent two weeks ago." NPA: "Paul Tonsing returned Friday from St. Mary's hospital in Kansas City, where he underwent an operation two weeks ago. He lost 22 pounds in weight while he was in the hospital."

-15-

Jul 7 Aug 23 Sep 7 Sep 20

Sep 23

Oct 7

Oct

1

Nov 1

Nov 2

Nov 4

1922 Jan 14 Jan 31

Feb 10

NPA: "Ida and Ernest Tonsing, twins, are celebrating their birthday today." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing has started work on a new city directory." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing are celebrating their twenty-eighth wedding anniversary today." NPA: "Rev. and Mrs. Pearl Mellenbruck, formerly of Atchison, were caught in a cyclone which across Southern Nebraska about a week ago. They were in their car, midway between Lincoln and Walton when a heavy windstorm came up... The wind threatened to picked (sic) their car up from the road but Mr. Mellenbruck finally succeeded in driving it into a corn crib, where they remained until the storm had passed... It took them several hours to go the three or four miles to their home at Walton, where Rev. Mellenbruck is pastor of a Lutheran church. He has enrolled in the University of Nebraska for post-graduate work." NPA: "Paul A. Martin of Battle Creek was unanimously elected commander of the...Michigan American Legion." Battle Creek Enquirer (sic) and Evening News. Paul Martin is Paul Tonsing's brother-in- law. NPA: "In the baby show of the Nebraska state fair at Lincoln, Neb. recently, second prize was won by Ruth Margaret Mellenbruck, three year old daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Pearl Mellenbruck of Walton, Neb, formerly of Atchison." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Pearl Mellenbruck and their daughter, Ruth Margaret, will arrive in Atchison tomorrow, to visit Mrs. Mellenbruck's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing." NPA: "Pearl Mellenbruck, a college student here for a number of years and son-inlaw of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing, 315 North Terrace, was ordained last night at Emporia as a minister of the English Lutheran church. Rev. and Mrs. Mellenbruck and their daughter will come to Atchison tomorrow from Emporia, to be guests at the Tonsing home." NPA: "Evan Tonsing is spending this week in Kansas City." Another article on same date says, "Paul A. Martin...will come to Atchison to visit his sister, Mrs. Paul Tonsing, and his mother, Mrs. John A. Martin, for the balance of the week." NPA: "Mrs. John A. Martin, whose husband, the late Governor Martin, was ranking officer in the Eighth Kansas regiment in the Civil War, had two sons in the American Legion convention in Kansas City; Paul Martin, who saw active service and was in several hard fought battles, and is now state commanderfrom Michigan, and Harres Martin, who was a private with the A.E.F. Mrs. Martin also had several nephews in the parade." NPA: "Evan W. Tonsing, a Globe reporter, and Miss Bessie Edith Moyer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence S. Moyer, who live south of Nortonville, were married today in Topeka." Evan is the sports editor of the Globe. St. Mark's Bulletin article says, "Mr. Evan Tonsing was elected President of the newly reorganized Atchison County Sunday School Council." NPA: "Mrs. Evan Tonsing returned to Atchison last evening from Meriden where she is an instructor in Meriden High School. Pneumonia, diphtheria and flu are prevalent in Meriden and vicinity and the schools have been closed for the balance of this week." NPA: "A daughter, born to Rev. and Mrs. Pearl Mellenbruch, of Walton, Neb. Wednesday was dead at birth. The body was interred yesterday in a cemetery at

-16-

Mar 1 Apr 30

May 7

May 21

May 24

May 26 May 31

Jun 7 Jun 12 Jun 25 Jul 9

Jul 12 Jul 27

Aug 2 Aug 6

Walton... Mrs. Tonsing went to Walton last night, taking her son, Martin Paul Tonsing, with her." Wednesday was Feb. 8, 1922. NPA: "Mrs. PaulTonsing will return to Atchison Saturday... Mrs. Mellenbruch is able to be up again." NPA: "Mrs. Pearl Mellenbruch is almost out of danger now, at the St. Elizabeth hospital in Lincoln, Neb. She was near death last Thursday night, following a very serious operation, but rallied Saturday and is now steadily recovering... Her mother, Mrs. Paul Tonsing, will remain in Lincoln a week with her. As soon as she is able to travel, Mrs. Mellenbruch will come to Atchison with her daughter, Ruth Margaret, to spend several months at the Tonsing home." NPA: "Mrs. P.L. Mellenbruch continues to improve at St. Elizabeth's hospital... She will be able to go to her home in Walton, Neb. The last of this week. May 20, she will come to Atchison." NPA: "Henry T. Smith... passed away yesterday morning at his home 529 North Fourth street... of cancer. Mrs. Smith was a sister of the late ex-governor, John A. Martin... Her maiden name was Miss Annabelle Smith. The funeral services will be held at the home tomorrow afternoon and...interment will be in the Mt. Vernon cemetery." NPA: "P.L. Mellenbruck... is seriously ill with the mumps at his home in Walton, Neb. Mrs. Mellenbruck is able to be up for a few minutes each day and is slowly recovering from a serious operation performed several weeks ago." NPA: "Mrs. Henry T. Smith, 529 South Fourth street, is critically ill." NPA: "Mrs. Henry T. Smith... passed away this morning... at her home, 537 South Fourth street... Mrs. Smith was one of six children born to Mr. and Mrs. James Martin... Of the four who passed away preceding Mrs. Smith, one of them, John A. Martin, was governor of Kansas for two terms in the late eighties; another, Alf Martin, was manager of the Atchison Champion for many years; the fourth brother, James Martin died while serving with the Union army in the South during the Civil war; and her only sister, Mrs. Ella Mills, died at Kansas City about ten years ago." Services were Thursday, June 1, 1922. Interment was at Mt. Vernon Cemetery. NPA: "Mrs. Evan Tonsing will go to Nortonville tomorrow, to spend several days at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. C.S. Moyer." NPA: "Ida... is at Easton for several days, a guest at the Jack Allen home." NPA: "Paul Tonsing and son, Robert, drove to Kansas City yesterday, to attend the Sunday school convention." Newspaper article says on Sunday, "Ernest and Ida Tonsing, twins, were 14 years old Friday." Another article says, "P.G. Tonsing has begun to diet..." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing has lost nine pounds since he started to diet, and is beginning to look like a consumptive." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing, who started in to diet, with the view of becoming willowy, has slipped. He is again eating like a horse. During the time he did diet he lost fourteen pounds." NPA: "Mrs. Clayton Settle will arrive here this evening from Strong City, Kas., to visit her mother... and sister." NPA: "Evan Tonsing will build a 5-room bungalow on his lot on the cliff drive at V street."

-17-

Aug 10

Aug 18

Aug 20 Aug 24 Aug 25 Aug 30 Sep 11 Sep 19 Sep 24 Oct 4

Oct 11 Oct 17 Nov 7 Nov 19 Nov 20 Nov 26 Nov 29 Dec 14 1923 Apr 30 May 3 May 16 May 21

NPA: "The Rev. and Mrs. Pearl Mellenbruck and daughter, Ruth Margaret, arrived in Atchison this morning from their home in Walton, Neb. They will spend two weeks at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing, 315 North Terrace. While in Atchison, the Rev. Mellenbruck will be supply pastor of St. Mark's Lutheran church, in the absence of the Rev. W.E. Wheeler." NPA: "Paul Tonsing: F.A. Moore, of the Dunham Directory Company, of Springfield, Mo., closed a contract with me to take over the publishing of the Atchison city directory, delivery to be made the first week in October... the last one is five years old." NPA: "Mrs. Imogene Challiss, widow of George T. Challiss, and who returned lately from Germany, where she went to live 10 or 12 years ago... with her son, Harold Challiss, a grand opera singer." Robert L. Tonsing is 20 years old. NPA: "Rev. and Mrs. P.L. Mellenbruck... will leave tonight for their home in Walton." NPA: "Robert Tonsing has returned from Chapman, Kas., where he attended the state convention of the Kansas Luther League." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing will attend a picnic at Valley Falls Friday, given by the Lutheran church there, of which he is pastor." NPA "Bob Tonsing went to Lawrence this morning to enroll in Kansas university." NPA "P.G. Tonsing is having a lot of trouble with his eyes." NPA "Mrs. George Mauck, of Oklahoma City, is the guest of her mother, Mrs. John A. Martin, and her sister, Mrs. Paul Tonsing." NPA: "Paul Tonsing is in Kansas City attending a Redman convention." "Mrs. John A. Martin went to Strong City, Kas., today to spend two weeks with her daughter, Mrs. Clayton Settle. Mrs. George Mauck, of Oklahoma City, Okla., who has been here for a week visiting Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Paul Tonsing, left this morning for her home." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing is in Peabody, attending the Kansas Lutheran synod." NPA: "Sunday Evan Tonsing accompanied by his wife, drove to Valley Falls where he organized a Luther League." NPA: "Bob Tonsing, who broke all scholarship records in the Atchison high school, is making fine grades in the state university." NPA: "It is understood Evan Tonsing will open his new house on Riverview drive with a dance." NPA "Evan Tonsing: That's a lie.'" NPA "Evan Tonsing has become a concrete mixer." NPA "Bob Tonsing, who attends the journalism school at Kansas university, came to Atchison last night to spend the balance of the week." NPA: "Evan Tonsing became a cliff dweller today." NPA: "O.C. Miller: 'I came to Atchison 30 years ago. Paul Tonsing carried papers to me shortly after I arrived.'" Paul's wife, Ruth Martin, is fifty years old. Orpah and Pari have a daughter, Marjorie Louise Mellenbruch. NPA:"... Valley Falls Lutheran church...soloist Evan Tonsing."

-18-

Jun 14

Jun 28 Jul 25 Aug 1

Aug 6

Aug 8

Aug 10

25

NPA: "Robert Tonsing, of Atchison was re-elected treasurer of the organization." The organization is the Kansas Luther League. Another article, same date, says, "Mrs. P.G. Tonsing and sons, Robert and Ernest, are flood bound at Woodbine, Kansas, where they attended a state Luther league convention. Woodbine is five miles from Atchison." NPA: "Mrs. Luther Tonsing, of Abilene, Kas., is the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing." NPA: "Mrs. John A. Martin, 315 North Terrace, and her daughter, Mrs. C.B. Hole, of Monrovia, went to Strong City, Kas., today to visit Mrs. Clayton Settle." NPA: "FIVE of the Tonsing family of Atchison enjoyed the beauties of nature as portrayed in the Lutheran Camp at Woodbine, Kansas. They drove through in their Hup." NPA: "Rev. P.L. Mullunbruck, (sic) of Walton, Neb., is supplying the pulpit of St. Mark's Lutheran church while Rev. W.E. Wheeler is on his vacation trip in the Ozarks." NPA:"There was a happy occasion at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing, 315 North Terrace, today when Mr. and Mrs. Tonsing, their children and grandchildren assembled for a family reunion. Seated with Mr. and Mrs. Tonsing at the dinner table were Mr. and Mrs. F.L. Mellenbruck and their daughter, Ruth Margaret, of Walton, Neb. (before her marriage, Mrs. Mellenbruck was Miss Orpha Tonsing); Luther M. Tonsing, his wife and their son, John Morris, of Abilene; Robert L. Tonsing, and Ernest and Ida, the twins, and Junior, and Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing, all of Atchison. NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing and daughter, Ida, and son, Ernest, who had planned to leave today in their car25 for Cleveland, Ohio, have postponed their departing until tomorrow on account of the rain." Note: Rain in early August in Atchison is extremely unusual weather. The roads, often unpaved, would have been a challenge for the narrow tires on the automobiles of that day. Provision would also have to be made for camping out in the rain. NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing, who are driving to Ohio, write that the Lincoln highway from Omaha east is in very poor condition, with long stretches of newly worked roadway, and many bad mud holes. Farmers along the highway who have tractors are reaping a rich harvest pulling cars out of the mud holes, they write." NPA: "The Rev. P.L. Mellenbruch, of Walton, Neb., who is a guest at the Paul Tonsing home, received word yesterday that he had been elected professor of Bible history at the Hamma Divinity School, a Lutheran theological seminary...at

Notes from the oral interview in 1993 of Ernest F. Tonsing: "In 1923 he bought a seven-passenger Mitchell. He was going to Springfield, Ohio, to visit friends, and Cleveland, to visit his sister. Ida, Ruth, Paul, Ernest and Luther went. They took along a big, heavy tent, but mostly slept in the open. Bob [Robert, his brother] would not let Ernest drive the car, so Pari Mellenbruch took EFT [Ernest F. Tonsing] out one morning to learn. He went up the Kansas side to Mission Ranch Valley, east of Omaha. On the way up, Paul (Junior) wanted to drive [he was six]. The wheels were geared so one had to take many turns [to make a turn]. Paul [Junior] trained and drove down into a ditch, with Ruth screaming. He refused to give up the wheel, and did the same on the next corner. Ruth screamed to get out. EFT drove 3,500 miles. In Springfield, the friend, a color-printer, was coming out of the shop when they drove up. Up to Cleveland along the coast, Paul Tonsing's sister was the wife of an undertaker, who dressed in black, moody of face. They stayed the afternoon and overnight. The car had to be tuned. PT [Paul G. Tonsing] had bought Clincher WW I tires which moved on the rim, shearing off the air nipples. They had a blowout nearly once a day. In Detroit they went to Mitchell Company where they fixed the tires. From there they went to Sarwin, by ferry to Canada, then Toronto, then Niagara Falls, then through the lakes and home. In Toronto the people thronged in the street since they rarely had people from the United States. They got the big car back to Atchison."

-19-

Aug 14

Aug 24 Sep 3

Sep 7 Sep 11

Sep 14 (I

)l

Sep 19 Oct 2 Oct 3 Oct 15 Dec 15 Dec 29

1924 Jan 31 Feb 4 Feb 14 Feb 15 Mar 13

Mar 16

Wittenburg College in Springfield, Ohio. They plan to leave week after next in their car for Springfield." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing, who are motoring to Ohio, reached Chicago yesterday." Another article, same date, says, "Paul Martin...was one of the ten American Legion men in the Harding funeral cortege in Washington." This refers to President Warren Harding. Newspaper article of Friday says, "Ralph Challiss passed away...Wednesday afternoon at his home in Toledo, Ohio...tuberculosis of the bones of his right leg." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Hole, of Monrovia, were married 20 years ago yesterday at the home of her mother, Mrs. John A. Martin." Ruth Martin Tonsing's granduncle's wife, Imogene Bennett Challiss, moved from Atchison to San Antonio, Texas, to live with her son, Courtney Challis. She had lived in Atchison since 1856. Anniversary of Ruth and Paul Tonsing. They have been married 30 years. NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing and sons, Ernest and Junior, and daughter, Ida, who were on an auto trip from Atchison to Niagara Falls and return, reached Atchison last night, after a month on the road. They visited relatives in Ohio and Michigan enroute." NPA: "Robert Tonsing is visiting friends in Wichita." Robert is 21 years old. NPA: "Ernest Tonsing: 'While we were motoring back east, we had eleven punctures in one day.'" Newspaper article said that Robert Tonsing, a Freshman, was among the 45 Freshmen at the University at Lawrence to be classed as Honor Students. NPA: "Paul Tonsing went to Coffeyville, Kansas yesterday to attend a Redmen convention." Newspaper article said that Robert L. Tonsing was selected as one of the bass singers for the Men's Glee club at the University. NPA: "Mrs. John A. Martin returned to Atchison last night from Strong City, Kas., where she spent several weeks with her daughter, Mrs. Clayton Settle." Evan and Bess have a son, Evan Eugene 'Jimmy' Tonsing. It is December 28th before she is able to leave the hospital. Evan is 29. Record temperatures of 25 below zero were recorded in Atchison. Sub-zero readings were received all during the next week. Ernest Tonsing performs in his highschool musical comedy as 'The Shah' and Ida Tonsing is a member of the chorus. NPA: "Mrs. Luther Tonsing and son, John, are here from Iowa, visiting at the home of Mr. Tonsing's parents." NPA: "Mrs. Grace Mauck, of Oklahoma City, Okla. is here visiting her mother...and sister." NPA: "Mrs. C.B. Hole, of Monrovia, is the guest of her mother, Mrs. John A. Martin." NPA: "Mrs. Luther Tonsing, who has been here for several weeks, visiting at the home of Mr. Tonsing's parents...will leave tonight for California where her husband is a linotype machinist. Their son, John, who has been here, will accompany her." John is VA years old. NPA: Robert Tonsing, who sings first tenor with the glee club at Kansas University, will be on the annual spring tour this year.

-20-

May 6

Jun 10 Jun 15

Jul 2 Jul 20

Jul 21 Jul 30

Aug 12 Aug 15 Aug 18 Aug 31 Sep 10 Oct 5 Dec 29 1925 Jan 20 Jan 25

Jan 28

Newspaper article of May 8th says, "A daughter... was born Tuesday night to Mr. and Mrs. P.L. Mellenbruck, at a hospital in Springfield, Ohio... Mr. Mellenbruck is an instructor in Wittenburg college at Springfield. The little girl is their second daughter." The daughter was named Marjorie Louise Mellenbruck. Luther and Mary Tonsing have a daughter, Marguerite Lucille Tonsing. Luther is 27. NPA: "Paul Tonsing wants to buy a small tent." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing, Mrs. John A. Martin and Ernest and Ida Tonsin will spend the month of July in Colorado." NPA: "... will leave tomorrow in their car for Colorado. They plan to be gone three weeks." NPA: "Prof, and Mrs. P.L. Mellenbruck arrived yesterday from Springfield, Ohio. They drove the entire distance and encountered the worst kind of roads through Missouri. They will visit today at the home of her brother, Evan Tonsing, and will go to Lincoln, Neb. tomorrow. Next week they will return to Atchison, and Prof. Mellenbruck will supply the pulpit of St. Mark's Lutheran Church while the Rev. William E. Wheeler is on his three week's vacation... Prof. Mellenbruck [sic] is a teacher in the Lutheran seminary at Springfield." They returned to Atchison August 8th. NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing... returned to Atchison today from a motor trip to Colorado." NPA: "Bob Tonsing is laid up with two broken ribs at his home, 315 North Terrace. Bob last night walked out of a second story window of the Tonsing home and fell twenty feet to the ground, cracking the two ribs and wrenching one arm. Bob returned a day ago from the Woodbine Lutheran camp near Junction City, and last night he dreamed that several boys at the camp were trying to catch him and throw him into the camp pond. In his haste to escape his imaginary pursuers, he ran out of the window. He will be laid up for a few days." NPA: "The Rev. and Mrs. Pearl Mellenbruck will go to Lincoln, Neb. tomorrow where he will complete his work for his master's degree." NPA: "Bob Tonsing: 'During these beautiful moonlight nights, I see nothing wrong with this world.'" NPA: "Seen on Commercial street: Rev. Pearl Mullenbruch (sic) in overalls." NPA: "Robert Tonsing is visiting friends in Wichita." Newspaper article says that Robert Tonsing is on the honor roll at Kansas University in the sophomore class . Evan W. Tonsing's birthday. He is thirty years old. NPA: "Bob Tonsing went to Wichita today to mend fences." Paul's sister, Minnie G. Tonsing Jasper (wife of Gerhardt Jasper) dies at age 69. Dora Donald, first cousin of Ruth M. Tonsing, dies at age 25 in Tucson, Arizona. She had moved to Tucson from New York City after having a nervous breakdown. She was a graduate of the Free Hand Art Institute of New York and considered a very accomplished artist, as was her mother, Maria "Mina" Challiss Donald. NPA: "...Evan Tonsing ... in Topeka today, attending a state meeting of Lions clubs officers."

-21-

Feb 10

Feb 18

Mar 3 Mar 26 Mar 28 Apr 15 May 8 May 31 Jun 9 Jul 1

Jul 17 Aug 5 Aug 23

Aug 27

Sep 6

Sep Sep Sep Sep

16 17 22 28

Sep 29

NPA: "Paul A. Martin, formerly of Atchison, is in a hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich., where he underwent an operation several days ago in which an abscess was removed from his spine. His condition is favorable." NPA: "Telegrams received in Atchison today state that Paul A. Martin of Battle Creek, Mich., who underwent an operation last week at Ann Arbor... is getting along satisfactorily and is expected to make a complete recovery... (He) is managing editor of the Battle Creek Enquirer." NPA: "Mrs. Grace Mauck, who was the guest for two weeks of her mother, Mrs. John A. Martin, has returned to her home in Oklahoma City, Okla." NPA: "Mrs. John A. Martin is sick at her home, 315 North Terrace." Announcement is made in newspaper article of May 8 of Harres Martin's marriage to Thelma Wilson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Wilson of Huron, Kansas. NPA: "Mrs. C.B. Hole of Monrovia is here visiting her mother." NPA: "Mrs. Luther Tonsing and two children of Santa Barbara, Calif, are guests at the Evan Tonsing and Paul Tonsing homes." A notice in the Lutheran Church bulletin said that Robert Tonsing was one of three members of the Junior Class to make the Honor Roll at the University. NPA: "Bob Tonsing will work in the composing room of the Wichita Eagle this summer." NPA: "Telegrams received from Luther Tonsing, who is employed by the Santa Barbara (Calif.) Evening News, state that he was not injured in the earthquake which did millions of dollars damage there Monday." He had left his home and was enroute to work when the quake demolished the house he had just left. NPA: "Paul Martin, of Battle Creek, Mich., will be here Sunday to visit his mother, Mrs. John A. Martin." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing, Jack Wert, Archie Welsh and Don Hankins will motor to the Ozarks August 15." NPA: "Evan Tonsing and his wife and their little son left Saturday morning in their Ford runabout for a trip to Colorado and Texas. They had a camping outfit with them." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing and family are attending the Valley Falls Lutheran annual picnic today." NPA: "Evan Tonsing and family have arrived at Denver, after having motored through a very severe sand storm." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing and son, Eugene, returned last night from a two week's tour of Colorado." NPA: "Robert Tonsing, of Atchison, has been announced as a member of the Dean's Honor Roll for juniors." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing are attending the free fair in Topeka." NPA: "Heard on Commercial street: P.G. Tonsing admitting that he is getting old." NPA: "Bob Tonsing will again sing in the Kansas university glee club this season." NPA: "New officers at St. Mark's Lutheran Sunday school were installed yesterday...Ernest Tonsing, secretary." NPA: "A daughter born last Saturday to Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Settle, at Strong City, Kas., was dead at birth. Mrs. Settle, formerly was Miss Faith Martin of Atchison, a daughter of Mrs. John A. Martin."

-22-

Oct 5

Oct 12 Oct 13 Oct 14

Oct 19

Nov 16 Dec 15 Dec 18 Dec 27

1926 Jan 3 Jan 5

Jan 8 Jan 26 Jan 31 Feb 3

Feb 11 Feb 23 Feb 25

NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Settle, of Strong City, Kas., have adopted a baby girl from a Kansas City orphanage. A daughter born to them a week ago died soon after birth." NPA: "Mrs. Paul Tonsing is in Strong City, Kas., visiting her sister, Mrs. Clayton Settle." NPA: "Paul Tonsing and son, Ernest, are at Abilene attending the Kansas Lutheran synod meeting." NPA: "A baby daughter, adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Settle of Strong City, a week ago, died Sunday. A daughter born to Mr. and Mrs. Settle two weeks ago died when it was a day old... Her sister, Mrs. Paul Tonsing, is with her at Strong City." NPA: "Mrs. Luther Tonsing, who has been here visiting at the Evan Tonsing and Paul Tonsing homes since last April, went to Salina this morning to visit her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Saindon. Her son, John, and daughter, Marguerite, accompanied her. Their home is in Santa Barbara, Calif." NPA: "The Western Chief, the Kansas Redmen's official organ, is now printed in Winfield. For twenty years it was published in P.G. Tonsing's office in Atchison." NPA: "Jimmy Tonsing is two years old today." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing: I was recently mistaken for a bootlegger out on the Nortonville road." NPA: "Bob Tonsing is working during the Christmas vacation in the composing room of a Wichita newspaper. He is operating a linotype." Paul is 56 years old. NPA: "Rev. P.G. Tonsing, pastor of a Lutheran church at Valley Falls: 'Moving pictures have solved a great problem for our church, as far as the Sunday evening services are concerned. Every Sunday evening we have movies of Biblical scenes and the house is filled with people." Orpah Tonsing is thirty years old. Newspaper article says Ernest Tonsing was chosen as an affirmation member of the high school debate team for the present school year. NPA: "P.G. Tonsing in a confession: I haven't got any shape." NPA: "The Atchison high school debating team ...defeated the Leavenworth high school team." Ernest Tonsing was a member of the three person team for the affirmative. The subject: Resolved, That the Proposed Child Labor Amendment to the Constitution of the United States Should be Adopted. Marks Lutheran Sunday school tonight at her home on Riverview drive." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing are visiting relatives in Kansas City." NPA: "All of Mrs. John A. Martin's children will be here tomorrow and Thursday for a two-day family reunion at her home." NPA: "An unusually enjoyable family reunion was held today at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing, when Mrs. John A. Martin and all of her children were together for the first time in more than twenty years. The dinner was served by Mrs. Tonsing, and there were fourteen guests at the table, with Mrs. Martin, including Mrs. George Mauck, of Oklahoma city; Mrs. Clayton Settle, of Strong, Kas., Mrs. Charles B. Hole, of Monrovia; Paul Martin, of Battle Creek, Mich.; and Harres Martin and Mrs. Tonsing of Atchison, all children of Mrs. Martin."

-23-

Feb 26

Feb 28

Mar 2 Mar 9 Mar 20

Mar 31

Apr 14

Apr 22 " " May 16 May 18 May 29

May 30 Jun 3

Jun

7

Jun 8 Jun 16

NPA: "Two dray loads of books were recently presented to the Atchison public library by Mrs. John A. Martin. They represented a large part of the original library of Governor John A. Martin." Paul Tonsing: "I came to Kansas from Ohio forty years ago yesterday." It was 1886. NPA: "Four high school young ladies have been organized into the high school girl quartet, to represent the high school at the district music contest at Sabetha.Jda Tonsing, alto." NPA: "Mrs. Clayton Settle, who came here from Strong City, Kas... returned yesterday to her home. Paul Martin returned to his work at Battle Creek, Mich., Friday night." NPA: "Robert L. Tonsing, of Atchison, is a member of the K.U. Men's Glee club." NPA: "Luther Tonsing is working in a newspaper plant at Phoenix, Arizona." Newspaper article of Los Angeles, California: "Two women passengers in the car driven by Park also were injured but they are expected to recover. The driver...Wilbur H. Park, 60 years of age and his wife lost their lives this afternoon in a spectacular collision between a Pacific Electric train inbound to San Bernadino and their car. The other two victims are Mrs. Blanche Decker, 62 years of age, of 2724 Beachwood Drive, and Mrs. Amelia Decker of 827 Genessee street. They were taken to the Hamona Hospital here." Blanche Challiss Decker and Amelia Challiss Decker are Ruth M. Tonsing's aunts. NPA: "Mrs. Amelia Dekker is at a hospital in San Bernardino, suffering with a concussion of the brain, possible internal injuries, a cracked breast bone and severe injuries to one of her ankles. Mrs. Blanche Dekker has been moved from the hospital to her home in Los Angeles and is getting along nicely." NPA: "A son, weighing nine pounds, was born at the Atchison hospital last night to Mr. and Mrs. HarresC. Martin... Mrs. Martin formerly was Miss Louise (should have said Thelma) Wilson of Huron. Harres is employed at the Blish, Mize & Silliman Hardware Co." Handwritten note says, "Thelma named him Ralph." NPA: "Mrs. John A. Martin is able to be up and about again." NPA: "Paul Tonsing is feeling poorly." Robert L. Tonsing graduated from Kansas University, school of journalism. NPA: "A daughter was adopted this week by Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Settle, of Strong, Kas. from a Kansas City orphans' home." Newspaper article of June 4th says Paul Tonsing rounded the corner just east of the Cawley farm about 10 o'clock and collided with the car of Mr. King. Both drivers had minor injuries and his car was towed to Atchison for repairs. Ida Tonsing and Ernest Tonsing graduate from Atchison High School. Robert 'Bob' marries Helen Hornecker in Wichita, Kansas, Lutheran Church. The wedding ceremony was read by Rev. Paul Tonsing, assisted by Rev. E. E. Staffeur. Robert is almost 24. NPA: "Five of P.G. Tonsing's children know how to operate linotype machines." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing are in Lawrence for the University of Kansas commencement exercises." Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tonsing visited the Tonsing home in Atchison. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tonsing left for Colorado for the summer.

-24-

Jun 18 Jul 6 Jul 7 Jul 15 Jul 28 Aug 8

Aug 17 Sep 10 Sep 14 Sep 21

Sep 24 Nov 23 Dec 15 Dec 28

1927 Jan 3 Jan 10

Jan 11 Mar 22

NPA: "Harres Martin... has resigned to accept a position in the office of the Hixon Lumber Co. He will take his new job Monday morning." NPA: "Paul A. Martin, managing editor of the Battle Creek Mich. Enquirer News, spent yesterday afternoon and today here visiting his mother, Mrs. John A. Martin." NPA: "Bob Tonsing is working in Pueblo, Colo., operating a linotype." NPA: "Miss Ida Tonsing is recovering from an attack of appendicitis at the home of her brother, Evan Tonsing, on Riverview Drive." NPA: "Mrs. Evan Tonsing and son, Gene, are spending several days with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Moyer, at Nortonville." NPA: "Mrs. PaulTonsing left yesterday afternoon for Toledo, O., where she will visit relatives for several days. From there she will go to Oak Harbor and Cleveland, O., to spend a week, before going to Springfield, O. to visit her daughter, Mrs. P.L. Mellenbruck. She will return to Atchison the last week in August, with her daughter and son-in-law in their car." Luther Tonsing is thirty years old. NPA: "Miss Ida Tonsing will go to Fremont, Neb., Sunday to attend Midland College. She was graduated from the high school last spring." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tonsing arrived late last night from Colorado to visit his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing. They will go to Wichita from here." NPA: "A visitor in Atchison yesterday was taken on a drive along Riverview drive and greatly admired the stone wall in front of the home of Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing. The wall is sixty feet long and Evan Tonsing built it during his vacation, and the long summer evenings. It contains 15 tons of red stone, the variety abounding in this section. Evan Tonsing hauled every bit of the stone in his Ford car. The top of the wall is white concrete." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tonsing left yesterday for Wichita where they will remain." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing were married five years ago today." NPA: "Miss Ida Tonsing who attends Midland college at Fremont, Neb. will return to Atchison Friday to spend the Christmas holidays." NPA: "Members of Evan Tonsing's class of boys of St. Mark's Sunday school are being entertained tonight at the Tonsing residence." NPA: "Kansas students at Midland college, Fremont, Neb. have organized a 'Jayhawk club.'" Miss Ida Tonsing and Gene Harrison are members of the club from Atchison. At some time in 1926, Paul's stepbrother, Lewis Mylander, dies in Ohio at age 47. NPA: "Ernest Tonsing belongs to the debating team of Midland college in Fremont, Nebr., and will be in the state debating contest." NPA: "The inaugural today in Topeka is the thirty-fourth since Kansas became a state. Ben S. Paulen will be the twenty-third governor. Atchison has furnished three of the 23 governors: John A. Martin, George W. Glick and W.J. Bailey." NPA: "Governor John A. Martin, of Atchison, long since dead, was inaugurated the second time as governor of Kansas forty years ago yesterday." NPA: "Funeral services of Mrs. Imogene Challiss will be conducted at the First Baptist Church next Friday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock by the Rev. W.O. Shank.

-25-

Feb 2

Feb 2 Mar 3 Apr 9 May 5 May 19 Jun 3 Jun 5 Jul

1

Jul 12 Jul 17

Aug 5 Aug 11

Aug 16 Aug 29 Sep 4

Sep 9 Sep 11

Sep 14 Sep 15 Sep 23

Burial will be in Mt. Vernon cemetery." Mrs. Challiss is Ruth M. Tonsing's great aunt. NPA: "Ralph Harres Martin, nine-month-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Harres Martin... had both of his hands severely burned when he fell against a stove at the home of his parents yesterday." Newspaper article says William Martin, 84 years of age, a resident of Atchison county since 1857 and a veteran of the Civil war, is in critical condition at his home in Lancaster. He is a brother of John A. Martin. Junior (Paul Martin) Tonsing is ten years old. Robert and Helen have a daughter, Helen Louise Tonsing, in Wichita, Kansas. NPA: "Ernest Tonsing went to Topeka this morning to attend the state Sunday school convention as the delegate from the St. Mark's Lutheran Sunday school." NPA: "The Rev. P.G. Tonsing has been invited by the Valley Falls G.A.R. to preach the annual Memorial sermon there." NPA: "Miss Ida Tonsing, who attends Midland college at Fremont, Neb. Will arrive here Saturday to spend the summer." NPA: "Valley Falls Lutheran church will be seventy years old next Sunday. But the pastor, Rev. P.G. Tonsing isn't that old." He has been pastor for six years. NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Settle... and their son and daughter spent yesterday in Atchison." NPA: "Miss Ida Tonsing will undergo an appendix operation tomorrow...in a Kansas City hospital." NPA: "Mrs. Paul Tonsing, who has been in Kansas City with her daughter, Miss Ida Tonsing, returned to Atchison yesterday. Miss Ida continues to improve in condition at Trinity Lutheran hospital, where she underwent an appendix operation." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing is so tall and slim that every time he drinks a bottle of pop, he looks like a thermometer." Paul Tonsing preached a funeral sermon for Alfred "Alf" Martin, brother of John A. Martin. Burial was in the Denton, Cemetery. Alf had been manager of the Atchison Champion for many years. NPA: "Evan Tonsing of the Globe has been transferred from the reportorial department to the advertising department." NPA: "Col. John A. Martin's regiment, the Eighth Kansas Infantry, was organized sixty-six years ago on Sunday, Aug. 28th." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing left yesterday for Fremont, Nebr., where he will attend Midland College." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tonsing of Wichita are visiting their Atchison kin." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tonsing and baby of Wichita were guests at the home of his aunt, Mrs. C.B. Hole this week." NPA: "Mrs. Evan Tonsing underwent an operation for appendicitis." OP Snort said: "A remarkable woman. Yesterday morning she underwent an operation for appendicitis. Last evening she wanted to argue with me about how to rear childrenand won the argument." Orpah and Pari have a daughter, Esther Lois Mellenbruch. NPA: "Mrs. Evan Tonsing: will be taken home from the Atchison Hospital tomorrow." NPA: "Miss Ida Tonsing will not attend college this year, having undergone an operation late this summer. She is helping out in her father's printing office."

-26-

Oct 26

Nov 6 Dec 16

Dec 19

1928 Jan 5

Feb 7 Mar 13 Mar 20 Mar 22 ti

ii

u

n

Apr 28 Apr " May 24

May 31 Jun 16

Jun 18 Jun 30

NPA: "Paul Martin arrived in his carfrom Battle Creek, Mich., today to spend several days visiting with his mother." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. August Mylander and Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Mylanderof Cleveland, O., who were here for a week visiting at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing left today for Cleveland. August Mylander is a half brother of Paul Tonsing." Actually, Lewis Mylander was the half-brother, not August. August and Lawrence were step-brothers of Paul. NPA: "Miss Ida Tonsing is spending the week-end with her brother, Ernest Tonsing at Fremont, Neb." NPA: "Jimmy Tonsing was four years old yesterday. So, in effect, he will have two Christmases, as far as candy and toys are concerned. Jim is a likely little chapgood looking and well behaved. He has all the characteristics of his mother." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing has arrived from Fremont, Nebr., where he attends college and where he found 14 below zero weather this year." NPA: "Ever hear of a man having had three tonsils? Evan Tonsing is the man. Several years ago he had his tonsils taken out. Later another tonsil grew where the original tonsil was. And today he is laid up with tonsillitis." NPA: "A son was born Sunday afternoon to Mr. and Mrs. Harres C. Martin at their home." They named the son Paul Edward Martin. NPA: "Ernest Tonsing... has become an orator of no mean ability. He attends Midland college, .. and is on the college debate team this year." He is a freshman. NPA: "Eugene Harrison and Ernest Tonsing... are members of the Midland college Lenten chorus." NPA: "The Rev. P.G. Tonsing will attend Lutheran synod in Oklahoma City next month." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing will shave off his mustache, having discovered several gray streaks in it." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing has a new Packard." This was obviously a joke since Paul never owned a Packard. NPA: "P.G. Tonsing has reached the 300 pound mark." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing left yesterday for Oklahoma City to attend Kansas Lutheran Synod." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing will arrive tomorrow from Fremont, Nebr., where he attends college. He will work in his father's print shop during the summer." NPA: "Tomorrow Mrs. P.G. Tonsing will have for her guests, Mrs. E.J. Dekker of Toledo and Mrs. C.B. Bennett and Mr. Bennett of Hollywood, Calif. They are enroute to Toledo where Mr. and Mrs. Dekker will sell their home and other property and go to California to live." NPA: "Mrs. Paul Challiss of Lincoln, Neb., arrived in Atchison this afternoon to visit relatives for several days." NPA: "Amelia Earhart, the Atchison girl who is contemplating a trans-Atlantic flight, can be seen at the Royal today in the International News reel. Several shots of her are shown with her airplane." Amelia Earhart, cousin of Ruth Martin, became the first woman to cross the Atlantic ocean by air. NPA: "Amelia Earhart is on the way back from Europe."

-27-

Jul 2 Jul 6

Jul 11 Aug 11

Aug 27

Sep 19 Oct 5 Oct 20

Oct 25 Oct 29

Oct 31

Dec 8

Dec 21 Dec 31

NPA: "P.G. Tonsing now has six automobiles." NPA: "Ida and Ernest Tonsing, twins, were twenty years old last Saturday. Ida is a very pretty girl. Ernest's legs are too long." Actually, the twins will be twenty on the next day, July 7lh. NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Harres Martin, who have been living at Third and Division streets, are moving today into their new home, 1416 Santa Fe Street." NPA: "Amelia Earhart is to be commended for her modesty. She says in Boston in her trans-Atlantic flight, she was just a back seat driver." NPA: "The Rev. P.G. Tonsing will preach in St. Mark's Lutheran church tomorrow morning." NPA: "Last minute stuff: P.G. Tonsing's city directory will be delivered in a day or two." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tonsing and their daughter Helen Marie, of Wichita are visiting atihe home of Mr. Tonsing's parents." Her name was actually Helen Louise Tonsing. NPA: "Miss Ida Tonsing and Miss Mable Fink and Ernest Tonsing have returned from the Luther League camp, Woodbine." Orpah and Parl's daughter, Ruth Margaret Mellenbruch, is ten years old.. NPA: "The Globe's proof reader: Paul Tonsing's city directory is probably the mos accurate publication of its kind in the U.S." NPA: "Evan Tonsing, advertising manager of the Globe, will have a birthday Sunday." NPA: "Mrs. George Mauck, of Oklahoma City, will arrive tomorrow to visit her mother...and her sister." NPA: "The Rev. Paul Tonsing... will preach next Sunday in the St. John's Lutheran Church at Bendena." NPA: "Mrs. Paul Tonsing is in charge of packing the preserves, pickles, and canned goods so generously donated by members of the congregation of the St. Mark's Lutheran church Sunday. They are all being shipped to the Tabitha Home the first of this week." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Harres Martin and their sons, Rob and Paul, Mrs. Grace Mauch [sic] and Mrs. John A. Martin were guests at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Hole in Holton26 Sunday." NPA: "Paul Tonsing, who is constantly fighting fat, weighs 292 pounds. He says all his immediate ancestors were fat. That his mother died at the age of 78 and weighed 300 pounds." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing: I have begun to diet again on advice of that eminent doctor, E.W. Howe. I have been dieting 14 days and lose a pound a day. Several weeks ago, when I told Mr. Howe271 weighed 290 pounds, he began to talk diet to me in a positive way." NPA: "If P.G. Tonsing keeps on dieting, he will become as small as a horse." NPA: "Miss Ida Tonsing will return to Wichita tomorrow." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing and his guests, William Renkel and Max Gilmer, are in Kansas City today...students of Midland college, Fremont, Neb."

The Holes may have been temporarily staying in Holton, Kansas, but they lived in Monrovia, Kansas. Mr. Howe was a newspaper friend, not a doctor, and many of these statements were put in the Atchison Globe newspaper by him.

-28-

1929 Jan 1 Jan 15

Jan 19 Jan 20 Jan 30 Jan 31 Feb 2 Feb 18 Apr 22 May 20 Jul 10 Jul 11 Aug 20 Aug 24 Aug 27

Aug 29

Sep 7

Sep 12 Sep 14

Sep 16

NPA: "P.G. Tonsing hopes to reduce 30 pounds in 1929." NPA: "Paul Tonsing has been dieting and lost 25 pounds, 'And so now I only weigh 287 pounds,' he says proudly. He has an ambition to get down to 250 and says he will do it. Unlike other people, who are trying to make their too, too solid flesh melt, Paul Tonsing can eat potatoes without gaining in weight. As a rule, one potato will undo the work of months in 'reducing.'" NPA: "We are closely watching P.G. Tonsing, who is reducing. He is making progress but we do not believe he will ever look like a fairy." Gerhardt Jasper, Paul Tonsing's brother-in-law, died in Cleveland, Ohio. He was a veteran Cleveland undertaker, about 75 years of age, said the Globe news article. NPA: "P.G. Tonsing: The Lutheran church at Bendena..." has a bawl room. NPA: "P.G. Tonsing, the directory man, certainly knows Atchison people." He knew all but two of a list of 500 local names submitted to him. NPA: "P.G. Tonsing: This is the last snow.' Sure it's the last snow." NPA: "It took me five hours to drive in from Bendena last night." NPA: "Evan Tonsing is driving an ok'd 1928 Chevrolet coach, purchased from the Miller-Chevrolet Co. used car department." Paul Tonsing of Atchison is pastor at Bendena. NPA: "Last Saturday the Tonsing twins, Ida and Ernest, celebrated their twenty-first birthday. They are ideal young people. They will attend K.U. next fall and winter." Atchison is 75 years old today. NPA: "Ernest Tonsing is vacationing in a Lutheran camp near Abilene." NPA: "Rev. Paul Tonsing addressed the meeting of the W.C.T.U. at the Christian church." Newspaper article said Ida and Ernest Tonsing attended the annual state convention of Luther league in Junction City last week. They will go to Lawrence Monday to enroll at K.U. as Juniors. NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing and son will leave tomorrow morning for a short vacation trip through the East." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing says the report that he will start the pajama fad in Atchison is a base canard." NPA: "Today is the thirty-sixth wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. P.G. Tonsing. Today they live in the house in which they were married." NPA: "Bob Tonsing and wife and baby of Wichita will arrive Monday to visit his parents." NPA: "Mrs. Paul Challiss of Lincoln, Nebr., will arrive tomorrow to visit Mr. and Mrs P.G. Tonsing and other relatives. Her son, Fred, has a splendid position in Chicago with an electric company." NPA: "Miss Ida Tonsing and Ernest Tonsing, the twins, left today for K.U." NPA: "Paul Tonsing is delivering a clever little directory which is titled Atchison County's First Farmers Directory. It contains the names of all farmer taxpayers in Atchison County and a free copy is being sent to each and every farmer. There are 2,100 names in the book." NPA: "'For the first time in 20 years,' said Paul Tonsing this morning, 'I am doing my work in my printing shop without the assistance of one or more of my children. During the 20 years, until now, there was always a youngster or two ready to take

-29-

Oct 2

Nov 4

Nov 15

the place of those leaving to attend school.' The Tonsing twins, Miss Ida and Ernest, left Saturday for Lawrence to attend Kansas University." The youngest child, 'Junior' (Martin Paul Tonsing), is twelve years old. NPA: "Ernest Tonsing came home from the Kansas university yesterday to spend Sunday with his parents." NPA: "Paul Tonsing: With the twins in the college, we have only one more education to make, the baby's. Our baby is only 12 years old, so it looks like it will take about the rest of our lives to educate the family." NPA: "Paul A. Martin... is here visiting his mother." NPA: "Mrs. George Mauck of Oklahoma City is the guest of her mother... She will remain here until Thanksgiving, when Mr. Mauck and their daughter, Miss Kathleen Mauck, a student at Oklahoma university, will come here for a short visit." NPA: "Guilty of manslaughter. That was the verdict brought in against Arthur Metz by a jury last evening at 9:30 o'clock. The trial followed the killing of Earl Wright at the French farm. Metz was sentenced to serve eight years at the state penitentiary. Booze as well as Mets was named for the killing of Earl Wright. A sensational turn in the trial was the arrest of Paul Tonsing, the heavyweight bootlegger. When evidence in the murder case showed that Tonsing had sold the booze that caused Metz to become woozy and kill Earl Wright, Tonsing was arrested and promptly sent to jail for one year and was fined $1,000. There is some sympathy for Arthur Metz, because he never before was in trouble. But there is no sympathy for Tonsing, who has been raising hell around here for forty years. Arthur Metz collapsed when he heard the verdict. A strange pallor spread over his countenance, then his eyes became staring, then his legs trembled, and then he fell to the floor, unconscious. It took five bottles of soda pop to revive him. The killing of Earl Wright and the verdict against Arthur Metz is a great temperance lesson. Earl Wright was a fine young man, and a law student. Metz also was a fine young man, and a clerk in a local shoe store. But one night they bought some rattlesnake whisky from Paul Tonsing, and got drunk. During a quarrel and a struggle for possession of the bottle of whiskey, something happened to Wright. The prosecution maintained that Metz hit Wright and killed him. The defense claimed that Wright fell against a post, his head striking against the post, and his neck becoming fractured. However that may be, Wright died almost instantly, and the bad booze sold by Tonsing caused all the trouble. That booze caused a young man to kill his best friend, made one woman a widow, deprived a mother of her son, sent a promising young man to the penitentiary, and disgraces that young man's parents. Yep, that's what less than a pint of booze did. Judge C O . Wright, who heard the case and pronounced sentence was as impressed by the great lesson of the trial as the people were. He said that hereafter he will give every bootlegger the maximum penalty. By the way, the judge should take reducing exercises. B.L. Brockett, the sheriff, is tired today. When Tonsing, the bootlegger, tried to escape, the sheriff had to chase him fourteen blocks. The sheriff is too fat for such exertion, and is sore in muscle and limb today. Mrs. Walter Butler was the court stenographer, and was heard complaining that it was hard to take notes of the trial because the attorneys seemed to have mush in their mouths. Mrs. Glenn Squires was a star witness. The above is a true account of a mock trial that occurred last

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"

"

Nov 22

Nov 29

Dec 5 Dec 27

1930 Jan 3 Jan 7 Jan 22 Jan 24

Jan 25

Jan 27 Jan 29 Jan 30 Feb 3

Mar 13

night in the Christian church, under the auspices of the Kansas Anti-Saloon league. The attendance was good. The directors of the stunt are Rev. J.A. McClellan of Topeka, and W.T. Dodd of St. Louis. Rev. McClellan is superintendent of the AntiSaloon League of Kansas." NPA: "Sheriff B.L. Brockett had a terrible time holding down P.G. Tonsing last night." NPA: "The collection in the temperance meeting in the Christian church last night totaled $75 in pledges and $75 in cash." NPA: "Robert Tonsing recently became telegraph editor of the Wichita Eagle, after having been a linotype operator on that paper for several years. He is a graduate of Kansas university and specialized in journalism." NPA: "Miss Kathleen Mauck of Oklahoma City, Okla., is spending the Thanksgiving vacation at the home of her grandmother. Mrs. George Mauck has been here several weeks. Miss Mauck is a student at the University of Oklahoma." NPA: "Evan Tonsing talked to the St. Mark's Lutheran church men's club at the regular meeting last night, following a fried oyster supper. His subject was 'Gettysburg.'" NPA: "Ernest and Ida Tonsing, who attend K.U., are linotype operators on a Lawrence newspaper after school hours." NPA: "One of the Christmas gatherings in Springfield, Ohio, was an 'Atchison party given by the Rev. and Mrs. P.L. Mellenbruck the night of December 16, at their home in Springfield." Paul is sixty years old. NPA: "P.G. Tonsing recently celebrated his sixtieth birthday." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing: 'I was surprised when I heard King George. He used the American language. There was no English brogue.'" NPA: "P.G. Tonsing: 'I'm inclined to believe that the best cook in Northern Kansas is Aunt Mollie Zimmerman who lives north and east of Bendena. She is 79 years of age and was in Lawrence during the famous raids and she vividly recalls those raids.'" NPA: "A copy of an old handbill advertising The Ida,' the ferryboat operated by W. L. Challiss on the Missouri river between Atchison and East Atchison in the early days has been received by J.M. Challiss...Kansas Historical society at Topeka." NPA: "Ernest and Ida Tonsing will arrive Wednesday to spend the mid-summer vacation. They are students at K.U." NPA: "John Reinhard is trying to sell his reducing machine to P.G. Tonsing. Negotiations are slow." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing: 'I don't want John Reinhard's reducing machine. There's nothing wrong with my shape. And I can outrun Jon Reinhard any day.'" NPA: "Paul Tonsing: That was a good speech that Carl Brown made at the Methodist church last night.'" Carl Brown was affectionately known as Of Snort and related to everyone in town. NPA: "Ernest and Ida Tonsing left today for Lawrence where they are attending school after spending the semester vacation in Atchison." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing is an early riser. Six mornings of the week he gets up around four o'clock."

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Mar 24 Mar 28 Apr 3 Apr 4 May 24

Jun 6 Jun 9

Jun 10 Jun 23

Jul 22

Aug 4 Aug 28

"

"

NPA: "Paul Tonsing has never been sick but once. He had the flu during the big epidemic in 1918." Orpah and Pearl have a daughter, Martha Kathryn Mellenbruch. NPA: "Ernest Tonsing... was elected president of the southwest region of the American Lutheran students' association at the regional convention at Blair, Neb." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing's suspenders are twisted." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing: Thursday night Mrs. Tonsing and I drove to Kansas City, and coming home at 11 p.m., we passed only three cars on the road from Leavenworth to Atchison."' NPA: "Mrs. Charles Bennett and Mrs. Blanche Dekker of Los Angeles, Calif., are expected in Atchison tomorrow to make a short visit at the P.G. Tonsing home...enroute to their summer home in Evans Lake, Mich., which is 70 miles north of Toledo, O." NPA: "Miss Ida Tonsing, who has been attending the University of Kansas, returned home last night to spend the summer." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing of Lawrence spent yesterday with his parents... Ernest is working in a newspaper office as linotype operator. He will go to Wichita to work in a few weeks." NPA: "The teachers and officers of St. Mark's Lutheran Sunday school will have a picnic tomorrow night at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing." NPA: "Harres C. Martin has resigned his position as bookkeeper at the Hixon lumber yard." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing visited his parents... yesterday. Ernest is substituting for vacationing linotypists in different newspaper composing rooms throughout the state. Last week he was in Baldwin, this week his job will be in Lawrence, and next week, he will be in Wichita." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Bob Tonsing of Wichita will arrive tomorrow to visit his parents. Bob is a telegraph editor on the Wichita Eagle." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing is able to be at his work. He was quite ill several days ago." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing, printer, received his free straw hat yesterday. Every year a certain hat manufacturing company gives away from 3,000 to 5,000 straw hats to any man wearing size No. 8 hat. This is Mr. Tonsing's second hat from this company." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing who has been working in Lawrence has returned to his home." NPA: "Dr. and Mrs. G.P. Elder, who are both right-handed, are the parents of three left-handed children. Across the alley from them are Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing, who are also right-handed but who have three 'south-paw' children." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing will go to Lawrence September 14 to complete his senior ye at K. U. He is majoring in English. His twin, Mis Ida Tonsing, will not return to the university, but will remain at home this winter." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing will take charge of the Rev. Robert Gaston's Lutheran church in Ottawa September 20 and 27." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing, regional president of the Lutheran Students' association of Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa, will attend the national council of the association in Chicago September 2, 3, 4."

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Sep 8 Sep 11 Sep 12 Sep 14 Sep 20

Sep 24 Oct 6 Oct 11

Oct 27 Oct 29

Dec 13

Dec 17

1931 Jan 8

NPA: "The Rev. and Mrs. P.L. Mellenbruch and four daughters of Springfield, O., who have been visiting Mrs. Mellenbruch's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing, for the last week, will leave tomorrow for Hiawatha, and from there they will go to Topeka to visit his family. Mr. Mellenbruch is a professor in Wittenberg college in Springfield." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing was elected corresponding secretary of the National Lutheran Students council last week." NPA: "The Rev. P.G. Tonsing will substitute in the Lutheran church in Ottawa September 21 and 28." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing has returned to Lawrence to continue his studies at K. U." Luther and Mary's son, John M. Tonsing, is ten years old. NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing drove to Ottawa yesterday where Mr. Tonsing substituted for the Rev. Robert Gaston." NPA: "Mrs. W. L. Gale will entertain St. Mark's Missionary society Thursday afternoon with Mrs. Paul Tonsing in charge of the program." NPA: "Edwin S. Earhart, 68, father of Amelia Earhart, first woman trans-Atlantic flier, died yesterday morning at Los Angeles after an illness of more than eight months." NPA: "Misses Ida Tonsing and Lucille Davenport spent the week-end in Lawrence." Evan and Bess have a daughter, llola Virginia Tonsing. The baby's first name given in the newspaper article was llola and the article said the name was given to honor the baby's two aunts, Miss Ida Tonsing of Atchison and Miss Lola Moyer of Nortonville. NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing and Miss Ida and Junior Tonsing, drove to Lawrence yesterday to visit their son, Ernest, a K.U. student." NPA: "When the late ex-governor, John A. Martin, was in the Civil war, he wrote of his experiences to his sister, the late Mrs. Henry T. Smith, wife of the well known early-day grocer in Atchison. Previous to her death, she gave 104 of the letters to her niece, Mrs. Paul Tonsing, who in turn handed them over to her brother, Paul Martin, of Lansing Mich., together with some tintypes and daguerrotypes, from which cuts will be made. The letters and cuts will be printed in book form for members of the family." NPA: "Gene Tonsing, son of Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing of Riverview drive, is practical from head to foot. The other day he asked his mother for some money to get his six-weeks old sister a Christmas present. When told he could buy her 'anything but a gun,' Gene left his home, bound for down town and deep in concentration. The large bundle in his arms when he returned home got the best of Mrs. Tonsing, so she politely asked Gene what he had bought. He promised that if she wouldn't tell Virginia, the baby, he would let his mother peek. Knots were untied and the heavy paper was torn off, to reveal the gift - an ironing board! Not many brothers are that thoughtful!" NPA: "Dr. P. L. Mellenbruch of the faculty of Whittenberg College has written a book of 300 pages on The Doctrines of Christianity. Dr. Mellenbruch is director of the child study clinic at Wittenburg College and assistant professor of psychology." Robert and Helen have a son, Robert Lowe Tonsing, in Wichita, Kansas. Little Helen is three.

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Jan 10 Jan 30

Feb 2

Feb 7

Feb 8

Feb 12 Feb 26

Mar 11

Apr 16

May 16

Evan Tonsing, member of the Atchison male quartet sang Sunday night at the Methodist church. NPA: "P.G. Tonsing: 'Adam may have been an Indian. Anyway, Adam as a word means red dirt.'" NPA: "Ernest Tonsing is here from K. U. He eventually will study for the ministry." Ida Tonsing marries Paul Benjamin Denton of Denton, Kansas. Ida is 22 and Paul, the youngest of six children, is 20. Rev. Paul Tonsing performs the ceremony in Atchison. Paul Denton's father, Robert Edward Denton of Denton, Kansas, died Jan. 5 of this year. NPA: "Marries: Amelia Earhart. Native of Atchison, Miss Earhart later attained fame as an ocean flier.28 She was married today to G. P. Putnam, New York Publisher." NPA: Wedding. "Last Monday at noon, Miss Ida Tonsing and Mr. Paul Denton of Denton. .Only immediate families were present at the church where Rev. Paul Tonsing, father of the bride officiated at the ceremony. Immediately after a dinner for the Wedding party at the Byram, the happy couple left for their apartment, 1323 Ky., at Lawrence, where both are students. Congratulations and sincerest well wishes." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing: 'I have five married children and ten grandchildren. And yet I'm just a young feller.'" NPA: "Ernest Tonsing has gone to Manhattan to preside at the convention of the Missouri Valley Association of the Lutheran students' council of which he is president. The convention will be held tomorrow and Saturday. He will be accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Denton." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing: 'I believe I started the first community church in Kansas. In 1897 when I was pastor of a Lutheran church at Beloit, Scottsville, 14 miles from there , had no church services for a year. The only church building was owned jointly by the Baptists and Methodists. A number of young men had been creating disturbances at the meetings, but after a public showdown, they quietly left the church. The boys had the habit of tying the girls' long braids to the backs of the girls' chairs. The tormenters (sic) were seated behind the girls. I preached for them for two and one-half years and was never treated finer in my life. All the different denominations participated in the services.' The Rev. Paul Tonsing will supply at two Lutheran churches Easter Sunday: One church in Greenleaf and one six miles from Greenleaf. He will preach at one church at 9:30 a.m. and the other at 11 o'clock a.m." NPA: "We are sorry to say that a minister handed in this spring poem: 'Here's to the memory of Johnny McGuire, who ran through town with his trousers on fire; he went to the doctor and fainted with fright when the doctor told him his end was in sight.'" NPA: "One of Atchison's finest women, Mrs. John A. Martin, North Terrace, will celebrate her 80th birthday May 25. Two sisters of Mrs. Martin will be here for the event. Mrs. Dora Bennett and Mrs. H.C. Liepsner, both of Los Angeles, Calif., plan to arrive. Mrs. Clayton Steele of Strong City, Kas., and Mrs. George Mauck of Oklahoma City, Okla., daughters of Mrs. Martin, will also be among the guests."

Amelia Earhart was declared lost at sea. Her date of death is entered as July 1, 1937.

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May 18 May 25

Jun 8 Aug 12 Sep 7

Sep 8

Oct. 26 Nov 2

Dec 19

Dec 30

1932 Jan 30 Mar 3 Mar 21 Mar 22 Apr 18

NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Denton and Mrs. Denton's twin brother, Ernest Tonsing, drove up from Lawrence yesterday to spend the day with relatives." NPA: "Mrs. Ida Challiss Martin, widow of John A. Martin, who was governor of Kansas from 1884 to 1889, and was commanding officer of the Eighth Kansas Infantry during the Civil war, celebrated her eightieth birthday in the big, brick house on North Terrace, where her husband took her for a bride 61 years ago, and where she lives with her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing." She has lived in the state 73 years. NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Denton of Atchison spent a few days last week with his mother, Mr. R. E. Denton, and family. They left Saturday for Lawrence." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Denton have finished their summer course at Kansas university and will come to Atchison Friday. They will return to the university in September." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing left this morning for Chicago, where he will enter the Maywood Lutheran seminary. He will be the third young man from St. Mark's to enter the Lutheran ministry." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. P. G. Tonsing were married 38 years ago yesterday. They have reared a large family of children; and all of those children are well behaved and industrious. P. G. Tonsing has done this remarkable thing: He taught all of his children how to operate the linotype machine, and as a result they were able to pay for their education. Several of them are college graduates and earned their way through college by operating linotype machines." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing were hosts to a picnic dinner on Guerrier hill las night in honor of the 38th wedding anniversary of Mr. Tonsing's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing. Other guests were Jimmy and llola Virginia Tonsing, children of Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tonsing and two children of Wichita, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Denton of Lawrence and Junior Tonsing." Junior Tonsing is fourteen. Ruth M. Tonsing is overseeing the packing of gifts of canned goods, fruits, vegetables and other provisions for Tabitha Home. NPA: "....Mrs. P. L. Mellenbruch, had undergone a major operation in a Springfield hospital. Today word was received that she was making a splendid recovery." NPA: "Evan Tonsing's little daughter, Virginia, is walking." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing and Gene Harrison, students at a theological seminary in Chicago, came home this morning to spend Christmas in Atchison." NPA: "Mrs. Paul Denton... and Mr. Denton from Lawrence are here to spend the holidays with the Tonsings." NPA: "Miss Dorothy Peterson of Salina is a guest at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing is another man who sobs at moving picture shows." Junior (Paul Martin)Tonsing is 15 years old. NPA: "No truth in the report that P.G. Tonsing will take up tap dancing." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Denton of Lawrence will be here for Easter vacation." NPA: "The Brotherhood has postponed its meeting with the men of the First church at St. Joe scheduled for Monday evening because of the illness of Evan Tonsing, director of the chorus."

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May 18 May 21

May 24 May 25

May 28 Jun 8

Jun 11 Jun 15

Jul 4

Jul 6 Aug 6

Aug 12

Aug 25

Aug 29

NPA: "Abe Tonsing is able to be downtown." Abe is Evan. NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bennett and Mrs. H. P. Liepsner of Los Angeles will be guests of Mrs. John A. Martin next Wednesday...sisters of Mrs. Martin. The party will be enroute to Evans Lake, Mich., for the summer." NPA: "Amelia Earhart Putnam in a telephone conversation from Londonderry, Ireland, with her husband late today said she flew most of the way across the Atlantic 'right on top of the water.' She had engine trouble, she told him and decided she would 'rather drown than burn.'" NPA: "Mrs. Grace Mauck of Oklahoma City is here visiting her mother... and sister. Several of Mrs. Martin's sisters from California will be here for the event tomorrow." NPA: "Today is Mrs. John A. Martin's 81 st birthday and a mighty fine woman she is. Early this morning friends began paying their respects and have continued doing so through the day." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing went to Salina today to attend commencement exercises at Kansas Wesleyan college." NPA: "Mrs. Paul Denton... was graduated Monday night from Kansas university. The next day after her graduation she began a special course of study at the university. Her husband is taking a law course at the university and will attend the summer school there. Mrs. Denton's brother, Ernest Tonsing, who attended the Lutheran Seminary in Chicago this year, will take a special course at the university this summer." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. P.G. Tonsing are visiting their son, Bob, in Wichita." NPA: "A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Harres Martin yesterday... A name has not yet been chosen. Harres is a son of Mrs. John A. Martin and has a position with the Commerce Trust Co." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Denton and Ernest Tonsing spent Sunday and the Fourth with ...Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing...she and Ernest are the Tonsing twins their father used to haul around on his bicycle." NPA: "Dorothy Peterson has returned to Salina, where she attends summer school after a visit over Sunday and the Fourth with Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing." NPA: "Rev. Paul (sic) L. Mellenbruch... was called to the pastorate of the Third Lutheran Church of Springfield." He has a manuscript ready for a book, An Introduction of Clinical Psychology. A terrific hailstorm hits Atchison and all the window panes in the south side of the home are broken. NPA: "Jimmy Tonsing takes his dad, Evan Tonsing, at his word. The Tonsing family are vacationing at Estes Park and enroute, Mr. Tonsing complained of the great number of road hogs. Jimmy was silent for a while, then asked his father to stop at the next town and get a small wooden box. When asked 'why,' Jimmy answered, T o catch one of those road hogs and take it home to show the kids.'" NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tonsing of Wichita will arrive next week to visit his parents." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing is attending to heart interests at Falun, Kansas." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing, who attends the Maywood Lutheran Seminary at Chicago, will preach at the morning service next Sunday. He returned to Atchison yesterday after a vacation spent in Colorado and western Kansas." NPA: "Jimmy Tonsing will part with his tonsils and adenoids tomorrow."

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Aug 30

Aug 31 Sep 5

Sep 7 Sep 17

Sep 20 Oct 25 Oct 29 Nov 2 Nov 5 Dec 2 Dec 15 Dec 16 Dec 24

1933 Jan 2 Jan 11 Jan 18

Jan 20

NPA: "P.G. Tonsing: 'For years I have taken my sons to the Kansas City slums to show them how the other half of the world lives. Recently I visited those slums from 7 to 9 o'clock in the evening - and didn't see as many as one drunk man.'" NPA: "Gene Tonsing, whose tonsils and adenoids were removed yesterday morning in a local doctor's office, is getting along nicely. He is at home." NPA: "Miss Dorothy Peterson of Salina is a guest at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing." NPA: "Mrs. John A. Martin was wheeled down town in her wheel chair yesterday b Paul Tonsing, and was amazed at the changes on Commercial street. This was her first trip down in three years. She thinks the arrangement of the city market perfect and says Atchison looks its very best now." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing, who is studying for the Lutheran ministry at the Maywood seminary at Chicago, preached yesterday morning at St. Mark's and delivered a very interesting sermon. He will go to Chicago next week, to resume his studies." NPA: "This is the 39th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. P.G. Tonsing... Mr. Tonsing told this reporter that the 39 years seemed like nine to him." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Denton, who have been spending part of the summer at the home of Mrs. Denton's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing, returned yesterday to Lawrence, where they are students at the Kansas university. Mr. Denton has two more years in the law school, and Mrs. Denton is striving for an M. A. degree." Robert L. Tonsing is thirty years old. NPA: "Paul A. Martin... is here for a few days visiting his mother." NPA: "Mrs. John A. Martin became suddenly ill early this afternoon at her home... she is unable to see visitors." Ida Challiss Martin, Ruth Tonsing's mother, dies in Atchison, Kansas, four days afte a stroke, says an article in the Atchison Globe. NPA: "Bob Tonsing returned to Wichita last night." NPA: "Helen Louise, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tonsing of Wichita, is in the St. Francis hospital at Wichita, in a critical condition with pneumonia." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing recently lost his pants twice within two hours." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing: 'Old Snort is constantly referring to my pants. Well, they are man-sized and won't fit him."' NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Denton of Lawrence will spend Christmas with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing." Maria 'Mina' Challiss Donald, sister of Ida C. Martin, dies in Los Angeles, California NPA: "Ernest Tonsing returned today to Chicago, where he attends the Maywood Lutheran seminary." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing is still on a diet, has lost 25 pounds and still weighs 293 pounds." Paul's elder brother, William Henry Tonsing dies at age 69 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. He would have been 70 in March, had he survived. He left his widow Caroline 'Lena' Brecht Tonsing, and three daughters, Julia Tonsing, Dorothy Tonsing Lineker and Clara Tonsing Luthier. He had lived at 654 East 125th Street. NpA: "This is hard to believe, but we knew P.G. Tonsing when he played a pretty good game of tennis."

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Jan 30 Feb 23 May 1

May 3 May 6 May 16 May 17 May 24

Jun 13

Jun 26 Jul 3

Jul 5

Jul 6

William Tonsing was buried in South Euclid, Ohio, in St. John's Cemetery. He had been a steel plant foreman and was still serving as an inspector. NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Denton of Lawrence will be here the latter part of the week to visit at the P.G. Tonsing home." NPA: "Forty-seven years ago this coming Saturday, P.G. Tonsing, printer, came to Atchison from Cleveland, O." NPA: "Mrs. P.G. Tonsing is visiting her son, Robert, in Wichita." NPA: "Mrs. Paul Tonsing is in Wichita visiting her son, Robert, and family, but the St. Mark's church Women's Foreign Missionary society yesterday received her report as a delegate to the state W.F.M. convention at Topeka. The report was sent to Mr. Tonsing, who printed it in an attractive pamphlet, which was distributed to the members of the society at the meeting yesterday." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing has gained six pounds since Mrs. Tonsing has been visiting in Wichita." Paul's wife, Ruth Martin, is sixty years old. Orpah and Pad's daughter, Marjorie, is ten years old. NPA: "Mrs. Paul Tonsing of Atchison will return to her home today after spending three weeks with her son...at 1005 Hendryx" in Wichita, Kansas. Gov. John A. Martin was elected to the Kansas Newspaper Hall of Fame at the University of Kansas. NPA: "P.G. Tonsing was sitting in the kitchen of his home yesterday, when a big snake stuck its head up through a hole in the floor. Mr. Tonsing didn't move but calmly asked his wife to get the hoe. Armed with the hoe, Mr. Tonsing killed the snake. Tarzan isn't the only brave man in a crisis." This story, of course, is one fabricated by 'Ol Snort. NPA: "Among the thousand persons who were graduated from Kansas university last night were Mr. and Mrs. Paul Denton and Ernest Tonsing...Paul Denton will study law in the university this summer, preparatory to taking up law. Mrs. Denton will study music in the university. Ernest Tonsing is a 'theolog.' The last year he studied in Mayhood seminary in Chicago but continued his studies in Kansas university by mail. He will resume his studies in Mayhood seminary next fall. He will eventually become a Lutheran minister." NPA: "Mrs. Paul Denton sprained her ankle in a fall yesterday." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing is here from Chapman, Kas., visiting his parents." NPA: "Miss Dorothy Peterson of Falun, Kas., is a guest at the home of Mr. and Mrs Evan Tonsing." NPA: "The bicycle was a familiar sight in Atchison during the nineties and was a glorified feature in one of the Atchison Corn Carnival flower parades. It belonged to Paul Tonsing and the Tonsing twins, looking adorable, rode in a floral box fastened to the bicycle. The twins, Ernest and Ida, now Mrs. Paul Denton, were two or three years old at the time. There were eight children in the Tonsing family. Ernest and Ida were the babies and in order to get them out of the way of their mother when she was getting the others off to Sunday school, their father fixed a box on his bicycle and every Sunday morning put the twins in the box and took them up and down the streets and through the parks." NPA: "Another big crowd last night heard the free band concert at the stand on the city's downtown lots... quartet composed of Evan Tonsing" and others, and

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Jul 15

Jul 17 Jul 22 Aug 1 Aug 4 Aug 13

Aug 15

Aug 26

Aug 28

Sep 8

Sep 11

Sep 13

Sep 14 Oct 1

"sponsored by the Atchison Chamber of Commerce and there will be three more of them on successive Wednesday evenings." NPA: "The first store opened in Atchison was 45x100 feet in size and carried a complete line of groceries, meats, notions, dry goods, etc. and advertised as carrying 'such an assortment as was never offered for sale in the upper country.' It was opened by Luther C. Challiss in 1853." NPA: "Rev. Paul Tonsing will supply Rev. Wheeler's pulpit during his absence." NPA: "Paul Tonsing was buying a carp. He said his wife could cook a carp in a way that would make a bass envious." NPA: "The Rev. and Mrs. Pearl Mellenbruck of Springfield, O., will arrive this month to spend two weeks with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing." NPA: "A.B. Zimmerman: 'When he wears a clerical robe, P.G. Tonsing looks exactly like the pictures of Martin Luther." Caroline and Henry Voelzow's son, Rudolph 'Ralph,' dies at age 44 in Ohio. He leaves a widow, Anna Hutflies Voelzow, a daughter and two sons (no documented information about the children). NPA: "The Rev. and Mrs. P.L. Mellenbruck of Springfield, O., and four daughters, who are visiting her parents...will leave tomorrow morning for Lawrence to visit her sister, Mrs. Paul Denton; then go to Topeka to spend several days with Mr. Mellenbruck's parents, and then go to Wichita to visit at the Robert Tonsing home before returning to Springfield, where he is pastor of the large First Lutheran church." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Denton of Lawrence are spending two weeks with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing will return next week from Chapman, Kas., where he substituted in the Lutheran Church. Ernie will be graduated from the Maywood seminary, Chicago, next June." NPA: "The Rev. Paul Tonsing preached at St. Mark's yesterday, in the absence of Mr. Wheeler." NPA: "Paul Denton has been employed as a new butcher in the United Stores." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Tonsing celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary yesterday. The Tonsings are fine people and have a splendid family." NPA: 'Abe' Tonsing left this evening for C. to see the w.f. W.F. means the World's Fair; 'C meant the city of Chicago, Illinois, and Abe was Evan Tonsing. NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing will return Wednesday from Chicago." NPA:"... Ernest Tonsing...conducted the service yesterday morning, Mr. Tonsing' preaching a splendidly practical sermon from the Gospel lesson on The Good Samaritan.' He left later in the day for Chicago where he will complete next spring his studies for the ministry at the Maywood seminary." NPA: "Little Virginia Tonsing, two-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing of Atchison, is staying here at the home of her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Moyer, while her parents and brother are in Chicago." NPA: "Abe Tonsing: The most marvelous thing I saw at the World's fair was the television demonstration."' Virginia Ann Martin was born to Harres and Thelma Wilson Martin in Atchison. They now have two sons and two daughters. Harres also has a son, John Alexander Martin, born Apr. 16, 1917 to him and his first wife, Louise Dodd.

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Oct 17 Dec 15 Dec 26 Dec 29 1934 Feb 20

Feb 21 Mar 9

Mar 16

Apr 2

Apr 6

Apr 11

NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tonsing of Wichita are guests of his parents. They have been touring the east." They left for their home on Oct. 19th. Evan and Bess' son, Evan (Jimmy) is ten years old. NPA: "Miss Dorothy Peterson of Falun, Kas., is visiting Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing's legs are getting longer and longer." NPA: "Members of the St. Mark's Lutheran church chorus choir were guests at a Christmas party last night at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing." Ida and Paul Denton have a son, Paul Ernest 'Skeets' Denton, born in Lawrence, Kansas. Ernest Tonsing graduates from Maywood Lutheran seminary in Chicago. NPA: "Mrs. Paul Tonsing has gone to Lawrence to spend two weeks with her daughter, Mrs. Paul Denton." NPA: "Mrs. Paul Tonsing returned last night from Lawrence where she visited her daughter, Mrs. Paul Denton." NPA: "Do you remember when P.G. Tonsing was editor of 'The Church Visitor?' Them was the days!" NPA: "Paul Tonsing: The Globe wants to know if there is anyone in Atchison who once wore homespun clothing. I not only wore them, but spun the wool to make them. I also used to wear wooden shoes.'" NPA: "Paul Ernest, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Denton of Lawrence, was one of the 25 babies baptized at special services yesterday afternoon at the Lutheran church at Lawrence, by the Rev. Charles Puis, pastor." NPA: "The missionary society of St. Mark's Lutheran church met at the home of Mrs. Evan Tonsing.. yesterday afternoon... Mrs. Tonsing was assisted in serving by her daughter, Virginia, and by her mother, Mrs. Paul Tonsing." NPA: St. Joe Gazette: "Ernest Tonsing, whose home town is Atchison, Kas., was in Chicago Friday night, where he attends Maywood Lutheran Seminary. It was imperative that he be in St. Joseph yesterday, for he was to be licensed as a preacher at the Lutheran synod meeting at the First English Lutheran church. His funds were scarce, a situation not unusual for a theological student who is working his way through seminary. But the lack of funds failed to daunt him. He got here, and in plenty of time. He left Chicago Saturday morning and traveled continuously when he wasn't waiting for a ride - and he got in St. Joseph Monday night. For the most part, he said, persons who gave him lifts were nice to him, although several times he was asked if he was carrying a gun. Two men in a car became rather insistent that he have a drink with them but offered him no more when he explained he was a ministerial student. Tonsing is a son of the Rev. Paul G. Tonsing, retired minister, and Mrs. Tonsing of Atchison, and is a grandson of John A. Martin, who was governor of Kansas from 1884-88. He is a former student of St. Benedict's college at Atchison and was graduated from the University of Kansas in 1930. While in high school in Atchison, he was a member of the Kansas state championship debating team. He and Max Gilmer of Wilber, Neb., a student of Western Theological seminary at Fremont, Neb., were licensed at services last night at the First English Lutheran church. Relatives who came to St. Joseph for the services included his father and mother, and three brothers, Evan and Junior Tonsing of Atchison and Robert of Wichita."

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May 7 May 8 " " May 9

May 28

Jun 7

Jun 25 Jul 16 Jul 18 Jul 30

Aug 6 Aug 7 Aug 24

Aug 30

Sep 3

Sep 4

Sep 8

NPA: "Sickness in Harres Martin home: The two boys have measles, and the two girls have chicken pox." NPA: "The Rev. Ernest Tonsing will speak before the Fellowship club this evening. His subject will be relative to the wild bird life of this vicinity." NPA: "The Rev. Ernest Tonsing: 'I have no job.'" NPA: "The Rev. Ernest Tonsing proved to the Fellowship club last evening in a very interesting address, that he knows his wild birds... Studying bird life is a hobby with 'Ernie.' In his talk he touched on the more important habits, the songs, the colorings and peculiarities of the birds of this vicinity. He showed colored pictures of each bird to make his explanation as clear as possible and also played a phonograph record of wild bird songs." NPA: "The Rev. Dr. Paul L. Mellenbruch, pastor of the Third Lutheran church, has been invited to lecture before missionary groups in central China during July and August by the Central China Missionary Convention. He has been granted a fourmonth leave of absence by his church and will leave Springfield with his wife, June 4, for San Francisco, sailing from there for Shanghai June 25." NPA: "The Rev. Pearl Mellenbruch, Springfield, O., and Mrs. Mellenbruch and their four daughters are here visiting at the home of her parents and Mrs. Paul Tonsing. The children will remain here and with relatives in Topeka while Mr. and Mrs. Mellenbruch go to China." NPA: "The Rev. and Mrs. P.L. Mellenbruck... sailed today from San Francisco for China." NPA: "Ernest Tonsing preached at the First English Lutheran church in St. Joe yesterday." NPA: "Mrs. Paul Tonsing received a letter from her daughter, Mrs. P.L. Mellenbruch yesterday telling her of her safe arrival in Honolulu." NPA: "Marjorie and Esther Mellenbruch of Springfield, 0., who have been spending the past two months with relatives in Topeka, came to Atchison yesterday to spend the rest of the summer at the home of their uncle, Evan Tonsing." NPA: "The Rev. Ernest Tonsing preaches a good sermon - and short." NPA: "Paul Denton is reading law in the Waggener law office. He will resume his law studies at K.U. next fall." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Paul Denton will live at the home of Mrs. Denton's brother, Evan Tonsing, while the Tonsing family is vacationing in the north. They will leave Saturday morning for Chicago to attend the fair." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing's new city directory is being distributed today. It is a very creditable directory. It is well printed, and the contents are complete." NPA: "P.G. Tonsing's new city directory is a dandy." NPA: "The Rev. and Mrs. Pearl Mellenbruch's four children will enter the Atchison schools tomorrow. They are staying with their grandparents... while their parents are in China." NPA: "The Rev. Ernest Tonsing: 'Birds have a great variety of eye coloring, including black, brown, gray, blue, green, red, orange and white." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Evan Tonsing have returned from Chicago." NPA: "Abe Tonsing will get back into harness next Monday." NPA: "Yesterday was the forty-first wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. P.G. Tonsing. They live in the house in which they were married and in which Mrs.

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Oct 5 Oct 21 Oct 26 Nov 19

Nov 23

Nov 30 Dec 7 Dec 15

1935 Jan 8 Jan 12 Feb 20 Mar 3 Mar 28 Apr 4 Apr 9 Apr 30 May 3 May 6 May 13 May 15 Jun 1

Jun 4 Jun 10 Jul 7 Aug 17 Sep 20 Oct 11

Tonsing was born. They have eleven grandchildren, and nine of the grandchildren were their guests yesterday." NPA: "The Rev. P.L. Mellenbruch of Springfield, O., who has been in China this summer speaking at Protestant missions, will give an address at St. Mark's Lutheran church Sunday night, concerning his trip." Evan W. Tonsing is forty years old. NPA: "The Rev. Ernest Tonsing...will preach Sundays at the Valley Falls Lutheran church." Valley Falls Lutheran church had a sacred concert presented by the 24 voice chorus choir of St. Mark's Lutheran church of Atchison. Evan Tonsing was one of the tenors. NPA: "The Rev. Paul Tonsing, former local Lutheran pastor, wife and sons, Junior and Rev. Ernest Tonsing, pastor of the Lutheran church, were entertained at dinner Sunday."* NPA: "Ernest Tonsing was in Salina eating turkey yesterday." The Women's Missionary Society elected Mrs. Paul Tonsing vice president. She gave the lesson, Oriental Students in America. NPA: "Paul Tonsing and Bill Eiche are matched for the next walking contest." NPA: "Virginia Tonsing is able to be out after eight weeks of whooping cough." NPA: "Amelia Earhart Putnam, ocean conquering flier, flashed into Oakland late today to complete the first solo flight ever made between Hawaii and California." Ida and Paul Denton's son, Paul Ernest, is one year old. Paul Martin Tonsing is nineteen years old. Martha K., daughter of Orpah and Pari Mellenbruch, is five years old. NPA: "Paul Denton has entered the insurance business here." Helen Louise Tonsing, daughter of Robert and Helen, is eight years old. NPA: "Mrs. Paul Tonsing, who is attending a Lutheran meeting at Tulsa, will visit Strong City and Wichita for three weeks." Ruth, Paul's wife, is 62 years old. Marjorie Mellenbruch, Orpah and Parl's daughter, is twelve years old. NPA: "Ernest Tonsing... received a call to become resident pastor of that church, the call to become effective later in the summer." NPA: "Mr. and Mrs. Fred Peterson of Falun, Kas., have announced the engagement of their daughter, Miss Dorothy Peterson, to the Rev. Ernest Tonsing of Atchison." Ernest marries Dorothy Louise Peterson in Falun, Kansas, near Salina. The ceremony is read by Rev. Ernest Pihiblad, president of Bethany college, and Rev. Paul Tonsing, father of the groom. The groom will soon become pastor of St. Paul Lutheran church at Valley Falls, Kansas. 'Junior' (Paul M. Tonsing) spoke of remembering his nephew, Paul E. Denton "Skeets", taking his first steps while he was taking care of him during the wedding. NPA: "The Rev. and Mrs. Ernest Tonsing are now in Estes Park, Colo." Marguerite Tonsing, daughter of Luther and Mary, is eleven years old. The twins, Ida Tonsing Denton and Ernest Tonsing, are twenty-seven years old. Lgther Tonsing is 38 years old. Robert L. Tonsing is 33 years old. Virginia Tonsing, daughter of Evan and Bess, is five years old.

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Oct 21 Sep 7 Sep 14 it

ii

Sep 19 Dec 15 1936 Jan 3 Jan 8 it

ii

Feb 27 Mar 1

Mar 3

Evan Tonsing is 41 years old. It is the forty-second wedding anniversary of Paul and Ruth Tonsing.. Esther Mellenbruch, Orpah and Pad's daughter, is eight years old. John M. Tonsing, Luther and Mary's son, is fifteen years old. Ruth M. Mellenbruch, Orpah and Pad's daughter, is seventeen years old. Evan E. 'Jimmy' Tonsing, Bess and Evan's son, is twelve years old. Paul Tonsing is 66 years old. Orpah Tonsing, Ruth and Paul's first child, is forty years old. Robert Tonsing, Jr., son of Robert and Helen, is five years old. Last day Paul G. Tonsing worked in his office. Paul Tonsing, age 66, dies at his home in Atchison, Kansas, from complications following an abscessed ear. All of his siblings have predeceased him, although two, born earlier than he was, lived to age 68 and age 69. Paul Tonsing is buried in Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Atchison, Kansas. This day is also his youngest son's birthday (Paul M. Tonsing). He is nineteen years old.

This chronology was gathered from family knowledge, family genealogical data, newspaper clippings in scrapbooks, oral history statements, Internet data and information from other sources such as: William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas, taken from the Internet; Zornow's KANSAS, A History of the Jayhawk State, University of Oklahoma Press in 1954; Kansas - A Land of Contrasts by Robert W. Richmond (Kansas State Historical Society), 2nd ed., published in 1980 by the Forum Press, Inc. in Arlington Heights, Illinois; Story of the Midwest Synod; U.L.C.A; 1890-1950. Privately printed by the Midwest Synod through their Committee of History after authorization in 1948; Letters from Ruth Martin Tonsing to various family members. When the source is NPA (newspaper article), I have either the original piece of paper that has been pasted into a scrapbook or a legible copy. The name or date of the source newspaper or item may not have been included with the information and in that case, had to be deduced from surrounding articles. I have used quotation marks when entering the exact wording of the article and only bracketed comments are not part of the original data. Spelling of family names may vary, according to the printed material, but I have left each word as it was printed unless the name could not be recognized. When family genealogical materials are the source, I have the book in which the data was printed or enough supporting data to be confident the information is probably correct. Naturally, at times the printed information was known by me to be incorrect and was changed. Oral history statements are always subject to errors. This Time Line is an on-going work that I began September 27, 2001, and of course, every effort has been made to ensure accuracy. I'll be happy to correct any errors. Dorothy J. Linn

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