Marx gang el Mania  september, 2004

 

 

 Marx and Gangel families monthly newsletter by George "Sam" Marx - 3020 S. 9 St. KC.KS  66103 - 913.262.0709 – samnellam@juno.com

 

 

Birthdays  in  October

       

1	1957	David Marx	Sam-George/Lib	Bonner Springs, KS
2	1996	Ema Salazar	Jim/Georgene-Sam-George-Lib	K. C. MO
7	1987	Maggie Wessling	Rose-Joe-Margaret (M) Hauber	K. C. MO
7	1963	Brett Dietrich	Stephanie-Jim-George-Lib	Marietta, GA
10	1996	Bradley Kuper	Michelle-Don-George-Lib	Anchorage, AK
11	1980	Jessica Henley	Brian – Cheryl – Sam – George & Lib	Edwardsville, KS
11	1994	Katelyn Norris	Karen-Bill-George-Lib	Cypress, CA
12	1992	Kirsten Norris	Karen-Bill- George-Lib	Cypress, CA
14	2003	Antonio Caballero	Alison-Cheryl-Sam-George M-Lib G	Edwardsville, KS
16	1927	Mary Kathryn Marx	Fred	K. C. MO
20	1962	Susan Marx	Bob-Bill-George-Lib	Winchester, MA
22	1974	Valeria Humphrey	John-Ella-Sam-George-Lib	Mayview, MO
23	1961	Shelley Marx	David-Sam-George-Lib	Bonner Springs, KS
24	1955	Janice McCunniff	Fred-Mary K Marx	Lee's Summit, MO
29	1961	Julie Hauber	Jerry-Joe-Margaret M.-Hauber	Overland Park, KS
30	1995	Brianna Humphrey	John-Ella-Sam-George-Lib	Mayview, MO
31	1990	Katelyn Wessling	Rose-Joe-Margaret M. Hauber	K. C. MO

 

What's Happening ?

 

The Knights of Columbus bowling league was formed in the fall of 1947, in the lower level of St. Agnes grade school, which is where the seven kids of the George and Elizabeth (Lib) Gangel Marx got their learnin', and also four of their grandchildren, (Sam's).  The school building was new and the Knights League of eight teams was selected for the grand opening of the bowling alley.  Because I was an upper classman (8th grade), I was given the honor of setting pins.  Although the bowling alley has been removed from the building, the league continues intact, at Mission Bowl, with the only major change being that women are now part of the teams.  There has not been a year that the Marx family has not been represented in this league.  In fact, Fred Marx is the only bowler still active from the original 1947 league roster.  Fred was elected league secretary for about ten years, and was succeeded by Sam, who has held the position since 1986.  In 1997, the league celebrated with a 50th anniversary party at Mission Bowl with hot dogs, hamburgers, drinks and free bowling for all.  Many of the neighboring merchants donated provisions for the party, while Mission Bowl provided the free bowling (mostly kids and grandkids).  Fred was presented a plaque by the area ABC Bowling Association, commemorating his 50 years, and a new bowling ball from the distributor of Budweiser to the bowling alley.  NOTE:  When Fred tried the new ball, he found that it was a little large and got stuck in the ball return, so he went back to (and still uses) the ball he bought before entering the army at the beginning of World War II.  And now for the rest of the story:  This year, for the first time, the league will contend with an all-Marx team.  The team roster is; Fred Marx, Sam Marx and Jim Marx, (sons of George & Lib) Sam's wife Ella Marx, and Jim's daughter Dianne Marx.  Team name: THE MARX MANIAX. 

 

I would like for you to add to your special prayer list, Fred's wife, Mary Kathryn. First Lady of the Marx side of the gang.  Mary recently underwent surgery due to skin cancer on the bottom edge of her foot.  The surgeon had to cut so deep that three separate layers of stitches were required.  She had the stitches removed last week and she is beginning to walk moderately well.  It is too early at this point to be positive that all the cancer has been removed.  Mary also has a couple of skin cancer spots on her neck which will be treated after full recovery from this situation.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you both.

 

Mike and Barb {George & Lib} Marx Benson says: "It is Sunday, Sept. 12.  We are back from a fantastic Amsterdam trip!  Four days of visiting museums, walking to churches, shops, etc., and riding canal boats left us tired, but feeling good.  The people were so friendly.  They didn't mind helping ignorant tourists who couldn't speak their language.  Everybody rides bikes.  Men in business suits and briefcases, women in dresses and heels, mothers hauling one or two kids in front or in back of them, some with bags of groceries, even one man carrying a second bike on his shoulders.  All ride along smoothly and steadily.  It's no wonder they are in such good physical shape.  Their bikes are like the ones we rode as kids; no gears.  They also have a tram which we enjoyed.  We got a three day pass so that we could travel anywhere in the city , get on or off at any station, or just stay on 'til the end of the line.  On one of those end-of-the-line trips to the "suburbs" was the only time we saw kids riding bikes for fun.  Other times it was all business.  One of the most interesting places to me was a secret Catholic church called Our Lord in the Attic.  It was in a regular old house where vestments, statues, chalices, etc. had been taken and hidden during the Dutch Reformation.  Of course, Mass is said in regular churches now, but back then they were stripped of all "decoration and idols."  Fun places were the Wax Museum, the local restaurants and the Square.  The Red Light District was a tourist must-see, so we walked there in the daytime; at night you stay away.  We saw the Ann Frank House, but didn't go in.  I just remembered the book and the family's betrayal and didn't want to visit the place.  Our flights to and from were long, but uneventful.  Thankfully there were no long layovers to change planes.  Bud had a friend with him, so we shared some events and sometimes they went their way and Mike and I went ours; in that way, we all had a good time."

 

Ed and Bonnie Gangel {Vic} Schuster write on Aug. 29:   "Well Sam, by now you have probably heard from Bill that he and Mary Ann spent the day with us yesterday.  What a wonderful time we had – wish you could have been with them to share more family knowledge.  Can't wait till next year.  I started working on the family tree.  Found a wonderful CD to set it up with.  I also found some surprises when I looked up Louisburg, Kansas.  I shared copies with Bill, so I'm sure he'll share with you.  When you do the Mania next month, please ask that each family send me a list of themselves and their children, grandchildren with birth dates.  If they don't have computers, they can mail me at 237 Route 27 #2, Raymond, NH 03077.  I will see you soon and find more family to share with you for the Mania and Bill.  Tell those family cooks to get on the bandwagon and send those recipes.  Your daughter Cheryl is sending some and Mary Ann has some she is sending.  I've got the disks ready so help me fill them up."

 

Shirley {George & Lib} Marx Valderrama e-mails this on Sept. 8.  "Returned Fri. from Wenatchee, WA   It was a great trip.  The family there sends greetings to all of you.  Got to see Johnny {her son} in a play, Joseph and the Multicolored Coat.  Yes, it was based  on the story of Joseph in the Bible.  But, it was a curious mixture of comedy and drama; and it was all in song.  Johnny sang with the group.  He played one

of the 12 brothers and in some other crowd scenes.  I really enjoyed it, although I had to sit in the rain.  (It was an outdoor theater.)  I got there at the last minute and didn't notice a guy selling ponchos.  So I sat in the

rain until the intermission.  By then I was soaked, but I bought a poncho anyway.  I enjoyed it so much, it was worth the discomfort.  Max was with me.  Afterward he said, "I know where to go.  (To find his daddy, Johnny.) 

So I followed him right into the men's dressing room.  I got out  real quick.  We're contemplating meeting Johnny and his family on the road somewhere in Utah next June for the reunion.  We'll see how that works out.                       Love, Shirley"

 

Stunning Death Hits Close to Home   As most of us in the KC area know through a great deal of news coverage, a young lady recently died, a shocking, sudden, stunning death.  Rachel Dent, 15, a freshman at Lee's Summit North High School collapsed and died after completing her first competitive high school cross country race.  Rachel had been outstanding in athletics all her young life.  Her room at home was filled with numerous awards in cross country,  basketball and swimming.  She was also a lifeguard.  The track meet was held in Jefferson City, MO.  As Rachel finished the two mile race, her father met her at the finish line.  He was just two steps away from her when she said, "I fell down during the race."  Her father told her that she did very well finishing seventh.  He said, "Let's get you a drink of water".  He reached to help support her, but she collapsed just as he reached for her.  She was taken to a hospital in Jefferson City, then transferred to the University of Missouri Medical Center in Columbia.   She remained on life support three days and died on Tuesday September 7. Fred and Mary Kathryn along with Michael McCunniff, husband of their daughter Janice and granddaughter Kelly were at the time, visiting their son Greg and his family in St. Charles, MO, a suburb of St. Louis.  Rachel and Kelly had been best friends throughout grade school, middle school and now into high school.  They were so close that friends were able to locate her at her Uncle Greg's by phone.  The group left St. Charles and  on the way home went to the hospital at Columbia.  As they were leaving the car, they were met in the parking lot by Rachel's father.  He confirmed that Rachel was in intensive care, and had never regained consciousness.  He was later heard to say, "As I was reaching for Rachel, God beat me to her."  In one respect, Rachel will continue in this life as her organs are being donated, so that someone else might live a better life.

Kelly, we as family feel your pain and will remember both you and Rachel in our prayers.

 

Don {George & Lib} and wife Barb from Anchorage Alaska on Sept. 4:  "Have you been to Warsaw recently?  If so; is everything in order and did you find everything you needed in the house?  The weather here has been good, and until this week unusually warm.  However, I think autumn is upon us now.  I noticed there was a lot of frost on the neighbor's roof at about ten o'clock this morning.  I decided to turn on the furnace."

Don and Barb went back to their home in Anchorage in August.  Don will be teaching at The University of Alaska this fall semester.  He is still undecided on a retirement date, but will not be teaching the spring semester.  Barb plans to return in January, and Don in February.  Their new house in Warsaw is finished except for a few details such as a yard light at the driveway, a light near the boat dock, and the laying of sod.  Incidentally, Don and Barb left KC a bit earlier than planned because Don was called to jury duty in Anchorage.

 

A note from Bonnie (Gangel)  Schuster {Vic}:  "Hi Sam,   I got your genealogy charts today, thanks.  I found a wonderful family tree disk and will start putting things together and keep searching.  What you sent about Charles and Mary (Puhr) Gangel is the same as what Dad told me.  He also told me that his grandfather Joseph came over with his family and five brothers.  But there was some kind of family argument when they got to New York, and three brothers stayed in New York and three went west.  It will be a real challenge, but I'll see what I can come up with.