Wilmette Public Library Local History Digital Collection

Mathilda Marie Kempe (1895-1981) oral history

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Track 6, Transcript p. 20-24: Track 6, Transcript p. 20-24
Transcription: TRACK 6 BM: Lake and Ridge. Do you remember what kind of stores were up there? MMK:. Oh, a drugstore and, uh.... BM: Do you remember who owned the drugstore? MMK: Uh, Cazel. Mathilda Marie Kempe, cont. 21 BM: Cazel. How do you spell that? MMK: Uh, Cazel. BM: Okay. Um hum. And what other kind of businesses were up there? MMK: Well, they had a restaurant and bakery. BM: Oh. Oh, yes. MMK: Ortegel. BM: Bakery Ortegel. How do you spell that? MMK: Ortegel bakery. BM: Okay. Um, would you tell me about the schoolhouse, please. MMK: Oh, yes. Well, it was two rooms -- upstairs and downstairs and we had women for teachers BM: Um hum. MMK: . . . . and, uh, the first floor - there was four grades and the second floor was four grades.... BM: Um hum. MMK: ... .and, uh, I didn't graduate there. I graduated, uh, down on - the Central School.... BM: Yes. Um hum. MMK: . . . . because, like I say, we were out of the district. BM: Yes. MMK: Um hum. BM: But you went to that school, the Gross Point, for the first six grades then? MMK: Yes. BM: Did you stay there or did you come home for lunch when you would go? Mathilda Marie Kempe, cont. 23 MMK: Oh, yes. I, uh, well, of course, the whole neighborhood that wasn't Catholic -- you know, the ones that went to the public school and, uh, most of my friends are dead. You see, I'm, uh, 85 years old and, uh, I'm losing my friends every year. BM: Um hum. MMK: . . . .and, first thing you know, I'll be alone because I never married. BM: Um hum. MMK: I took too much interest in my business. BM: I see. MMK: I just loved my business and I like people.... BM: Um hum. MMK: . . . . and I like to be with them and talk to them and wait on them, you know. (Laughter) So as far as marriage, uh, I didn't go for it. BM: Um hum. I see. Well, who were some of your friends when you went to school? MMK: Oh, the Bloom girls and, uh, Gauche was another family and, uh, oh -- let's see -- Wolff across the street. They were in the merchandising business, too. BM: Yes. What did they sell? MMK: The same merchandise as my father and in the same area A we had Hoffman Brothers. BM: Um hum. MMK: My father had a lot of competition. Mathilda Marie Kempe, cont. 24 BM: Um hum. MMK: One on the corner, one across the street.... BM: Um hum. MMK: .... and this business. BM: Oh, I see. MMK: All three. BM: But if they were the only shops that carried the right kind of merchandise and you said your father was very patient with people, then he probably had a lot of the business -- people came here. MMK: Yes, and as I say, uh, he never seemed to be tired. He could keep on going -- keep on going. Never got out of patience or -- or overtired.
Creators: Kempe, Mathilda Marie, 1895-1981, Interviewee; Maselli, Briggs
, Interviewer
Media Type: Audio; Image; Text
Item Type: Audiocassettes
Description: Interview with Mathilda Marie Kempe by Briggs Maselli on November 4, 1979 at 418 Ridge Road, Wilmette, Illinois.

Abstract: Born on Ridge Road across the street

Father Otto L. Kempe came via New York, Niles to Wilmette — was a shoemaker from Saxony - came as a young man in 1881 with a group of young men - Mother was from Chicago

Started a shoe repair business on west side of Ridge Road — put in a stock of shoes for sale
Built a new building at 418 Ridge (on east side) and moved and incorporated the first building within it
Mathilda one of four children 2 boys and 2 girls - Mother died in 1923 - Father lost interest in store — sister and brothers not interested in operating it so Mathilda tried and continued operation (43 years) until 1933

Moving day from west to east side of Ridge Rd. - Lived upstairs - all children worked in store until old enough to go from there and take jobs with other people — boys became plumbers - schooling - dressmaking in Evanston with a Frenchwoman
Contents of store — shoes — all rubber footware — men’s and boys’ clothing and headware — grocery goods. Father gardened and had fruit trees and sold fruits and vegetables — he had made shoes as well as repaired them

Gross Point School - eight grades - 1 through 4 on first floor in one room — 5 through 8 on second floor - east side of Ridge Rd. within Wilmette School District so Miss Kempe finished at Central School.
Home life while growing up - Mother canned fruits - made jams and jellies — knit woolen stockings - made sheets and pillowcases - girls’ clothing - quilts made with neighbors’ help - hot bricks and feather beds in winter

Elaborates on holiday celebration and father’s shoemaking.
Date of Original: 4 November 1979
Subject(s): Shoemakers
Oral histories
Gross Point (Ill.) — History
Wilmette (Ill.) -- Residents
Personal Name(s): Kempe, Mathilda Marie ; Kempe, Otto L.
Local identifier: R977.31 KE
Language of Item: English
Copyright Statement: Protected by copyright: Uses other than research or private study require the permission of the rightsholder(s). Responsibility for obtaining permissions and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Copyright Date: 1979
Copyright Holder: Wilmette Public Library
Copyright Holder Contact Information: 1242 Wilmette Ave.
Wilmette, IL 60091
U.S.A.
Recommended Citation: Kempe, Mathilda Marie, and Briggs Maselli. Mathilda Marie Kempe. Wilmette, Ill: Wilmette Public Library District, 1979.
Contact: Wilmette Public Library
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