Florence Elizabeth Trefzger
born 1894, died 1996
   



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father: Charles Trefzger
mother: Sophia Scheifling
spouse: Paul Bourscheidt
child:
Charles J. Bourscheidt
siblings:
Mary, Marie & Joe
Florence was born on July 6,1894 in Peoria, IL. On June 18,1919 she married Paul Felix Bourscheidt. OnOctober 26,1920 they had a son Charles Joseph Bourscheidt.

Peoria Through the Eyes of a Baker's Daughter
by Angela Kenny

" It was a delight to interview Florence Trefzger Bourscheidt on the occasion of her 90th birthday. She is a darling, all 4'10" of her, and very sharp.

Her memory is marvelous.

Florence's roots are deep in Peoria history. Her paternal grandparents came to America from Wehr, Baden, Germany, the Black Forest. They settled in Cininnati, but 2 years later came to Peoria. Grandfather Trefzger opened his first bakery in 1861 on Fulton Street.

Both of Florence's parents - Sophia Schiefling and Charles William Trefzger - were born, reared and married in Peoria. On July 6,1894 they were blessed with Florence. She was born above the bakery which was then on the corner of Main and Monroe, acress the street from the Post Office. Florence had a sister, Marie Ann, one year older, and a brother Charles Joseph (Joe), two years younger. They are both deceased. Joe's two sons (Joe & tom) now run Trefzger's bakery. They are the 4th generation.

Florence has many fond memories of her childhood. Among them the old lamplighter who came every evening in his horse and buggy and lit the street lights. In the morning he would return, take out the carbon pencils and put fresh ones in for that enening. He would always give the used pencils to the children, and never seemed to forget whose turn it was to receive one. Florence remembers the horse drawn fire engines; the horses were the loveliest in town. She remembers the Dalmation that always sat in the front seat and never fell off the fire truck!

She also remembers one of the early automobiles in Peoria. It was built at Bradley University's machine shop and was called a Glide. Florence recalls standing on Main Street and watching it go down the hill. There were a lot of doubting Thomases who said "Oh sure it can slide down the hill, but wait until it tries to go back up." As Florence says, "All kinds of hulla ballou." "Well it came up the hill, past North over to Flora and on out, you never heard such a silence in your life."

Life seemed friendlier in those days Florence recalls. Everyone was so neighborly and learned to get along with each other. They played baseball, jacks, jump-rope, marbles, and learned to share. They had taffy pulls, band concerts in the park on Sundays, the stores were open till 8:00pm every night, and they thought nothing of walking to the ice cream parlor on Elizabeth Street (now Sheridan Road) at 10:30pm on hot evenings. They didn't have a lot of money, but it seemed to go farther. It was a very pleasant time to live. The church was the focal point of their lives. Florence attended Sacred Heart School where her studies were in German half of the day and English half a day. She graduated in 1909 and went on to the Academy of Our Lady where she graduated in 1913.

The Trefzger and the Bourscheidt families had always been friends from the grade school days of Florence. So it was a very happy occasion when Florence Trefzger and Paul Bourscheidt were married at Sacred Heart Church June 18, 1919. They celebrated their 50th Anniversary in 1969. Paul was an attourney and very well-known as a speaker. He died February 12,1970. They had one son, Charles Joseph, named after both grandfathers. When Charles grew up he married Betty Yuhas, and they presented Paul and Florence with their only grandchild, Margie.

Florence and Paul loved to travel. They went to a Rotary International Convention in Lucerne, Switzerland on the Chisthpher Columbo. There was a Storm at sea that lasted three nights and two days. One evening the Bourscheidts were the only ones in the dining room because they never got seasick. Florecne said, "We put ourselves in the hands of the Lord and kept going." They were in Europe for nine weeks and enjoyed themselves immensly. When they met someone who couldn't speak English they switched to German and got along famously.

When granddaughter Margie was a senior in high school, she went around the world with her grandfather. It was something Margie will never forget. She is now Mrs. Arthur Tattersolm.

Florence, now a resident of St. Josephs Home, never expected to live to be 90 years old. She attributes her longevity to heridity and exercise. She still walks outside erery day and exercises five days a week." by Angela Kenny

Note
Family records show that Florence had a sister Mary Magdelina who died the day she was born.


"Florence Elizabeth Trefzger Boourscheidt has 36 letters in her name, the longest name in the family." by John Trefzger


"I was quite fond of Aunt Florence and Uncle Paul. In the 1950s when Lydia and I were married and having our 4 children we were strugling financially. Aunt Florence and Uncle Paul invited us to come to 'Peaceful Acres' and vacation with them. We took them up on the invitation and had our first and only vacations with them. We slept in their old chicken coop.

Aunt Florence kept us informed of all her ailments and achs and pains regularly.

In the evenings Uncle Paul and I would sit in the living room of the log cabin and talk about the 'Trefzger family genealogy' and about 'religion'. Uncle Paul had a great influence in my life."
by Jerry Trefzger




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