Henry and Rosa had joys and sorrows in their lives. Their greatest sorrow
was the loss of their 2 1/2 year old son, Ernst. Ernst was two years old when he de-
veloped a sarcoma cancer under his arm. Rosa was sure a smallpox vaccination
had caused it, as vaccinations were very crude in those days. For six months they
had to watch Ernst suffer. Neighbors would bring their old bed sheets and any
strips of cloth them could spare for Rosa to use as dressings. They tried to relieve
his suffering; Henry even sent away for $1,000.00 worth of radium. Rosa related
that just before Ernst died, he pointed into the distance and a smile spread over his
face. She was sure that Ernst was seeing Jesus. A large picture of Ernst hung in
their parlor after he died. Ernst, with his blond, curly hair, resembled a cherubic
angel.
Henry Lueschen had to deal with another tragedy. In 1928 he was picking
corn with help from Harold Loseke, when they noticed that the pigs were out of
their pens. Henry used a strap as a whip to get the pigs back in their yard. A piece
of the strap broke off and lodged in his eye. All through the night Henry had terrific
pain but he waited until morning to go to the doctor. Otto Grotelueschen was
called and took Henry to the doctor while Rosa remained at home to do the chores
and keep things going at home while Henry was gone. Henry lost his eye and had
to wear a glass eye for the rest of his life.
In 1937, Rosa and Henry re-
tired from their farm and moved to
the homestead farm where Rosa
was born and raised. They lived
with Rosa’s brother Otto for 17
years in the small frame house
near the house when Rosa was
born. Granddaughter Dolores
Saalfeld Sander lived with them
two years during this time. She
remembers how her grandmother
Rosa would try hard to cheer her
up because Dolores was finding it
hard to adjust to a new school and
to living away from home. Dolores
found this to be a time where she
learned about the history of the
Christ Lutheran community and
the many relatives she had within
that community. She remembers
finding her grandparents and her
great uncle Otto to be delightful
people to live with.
Henry and Rosa
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