VETERANS' BANQUET AT MILWAUKEE

Veterans' Association

of the

Chicago & North Western Railway

Activities in the 1940’s & 1950’s.

Here are some notes on the earlier days of the Veterans’ Association. These reports originally appeared in “Timely Topics” and the “North Western Newsliner,” both publications issued by the Railway for employees. “ Timely Topics” was a 4-page newsletter published in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. The “North Western Newsliner,” a monthly “magazine” type publication running 30 to 40 pages, started in late 1945 and continued into 1955. Both carried reports on Veterans’ Association activities, some of which are reproduced here. Our thanks to Dewayne Stiefvater who found these reports in Keith Porter’s files and passed them on to us. The links below will take you to a brief history of the Association’s beginnings, some information on the Association’s first Vice-President, E. T. Erickson, and to a page with annual membership figures.

E. L. Henry Re-Elected President of C.& N.W. Ry. Veterans

(Timely Topics, October 1943)

E. L. Henry, Superintendent of Safety for the Chicago and North Western Railway Company, was re-elected president of the Chicago and North Western Railway Veterans' Association at the annual meeting held recently in Chicago.

Other officers elected were W. H. Hartnett, General Car Foreman. Proviso, vice-president, and W. C. Upton, Lake Villa, secretary-treasurer. The board of directors elected includes Herman E. Leutner, Milwaukee; William Huffman, Clinton, la.; Otto Gericke, Chicago; Daniel Mahoney, Waseca, Minn.; J. F. Brazier, Green Bay; William Annas, Chicago; George Blackburn, Chicago; and John Mariga, River Forest.

More than 500 active and retired employees of the railway, all with twenty-five or more years of service, attended the annual meeting. A feature of the dinner meeting was the introduction of eighteen members of the association who together represented more than 900 years of service with the company. All had at least fifty years of service and included one woman, Mayme O'Connor, retired Agent-Telegrapher at Juneau. Two of those present had fifty-five years of service. They are: Thomas J. Riley and Neil Neiglick, both of Chicago and both retired Engineers.

Henry Heads Veterans For Another Year; 1944 Meeting Draws 600

(Timely Topics, October, 1944)

E. L. Henry was re-elected president of the Veteran's Association of the Chicago and North Western Railway in Chicago on September 30, 1944 at one of the most successful and heavily attended annual meetings in the history of the organization. Almost 600 veterans, all with at least twenty-five years of service, and one with a sixty-year service record, attended the meeting and banquet where they renewed old acquaintances and "talked shop" about early railroading on the North Western.

In addition to Henry, other officers elected were W. R. Annas, vice-president, and W. C. Upton, secretary-treasurer. The members of the new general executive committee are G. E. Blackburn, J. M. Mariga, John Gutson and O. W. Gericke, all of Chicago; W. W. Hufman, Clinton; J. H. Brazier, Green Bay; D. J. Mahoney, Waseca; and H. L. Leutner, Milwaukee.

The guests of honor at the banquet, the program of which was devoted largely to entertainment, were August P. Johnson, Agent at Negaunee, whose sixty years of service is the longest of any active employee on the railroad; Miss Delia Watson, Freight Cashier at Elgin and Miss Mayme O'Connor, retired Agent at Juneau, Wis., who have the longest service records among the North Western's women employees. Miss Watson, who is still on the active list, has fifty-two years of service, while Miss O'Connor's record covers fifty-one years.

Three veterans were formally presented with 55-year service buttons at the banquet. They are Morton A. Lea, retired Locomotive Engineer, Galena division; Edward W. Powers, Conductor, Peninsula division, and B. B. Dibley, Agent, Wisconsin division.

According to President Henry, the Veteran's Association now has 2,310 members. The organization has grown to such proportions, he pointed out, that sectional meetings were held earlier this year at certain points as a means of giving members an opportunity to get together without adding to travel difficulties. These meetings were held at Chadron, Green Bay, Huron and South Pekin.

800 Attend the Annual Veterans’ Meeting

(North Western Newsliner, November, 1945)

(Editor’s Note: W. R. Annas, reelected vice-president of the Veterans' Association, died unexpectedly in Chicago on October 16,1944 of a heart attack.)

More than 800 veterans of the Chicago and North Western Railway jam packed almost to overflowing the Terrace Casino of the Morrison hotel in Chicago Sept. 29, 1945 for the 19th annual banquet of the Veterans' Association. It was the biggest turnout in the history of the association, it was pointed out.

Tales of railroading covering a span of more than a half a century were told and retold as the veterans got together for the banquet and earlier for the annual business meeting. It was a representation of many thousands of years of service.

"Champion" veteran in attendance was August Johnson, Agent at Negaunee, Michigan, with 62 years of service to his credit and still going strong. Several scores of veterans at the annual affair had a half century or more of service.

At a business meeting in the morning, E. L. Henry, Superintendent of Safety, was reelected President; W. R. Annas, assistant chief clerk to the general manager, was reelected vice president, and W. C. Upton, retired, was reelected secretary-treasurer.

In checking the records, it was found that seven employees reached the half-century mark in this month. They are: A. T. Brenn, combustion supervisor, Chicago terminal, employed Sept. 7, 1895; John J. McKenna, yardmaster, Madison, Wis., employed Sept. 1, 1895; M. A. Crowley, locomotive engineer, Lake Shore division, employed Sept. 1895; F. E. Warner, train dispatcher, Madison, Wis., employed Sept. 1, 1895; F. E. Getman, special accountant, Auditor Disbursements, employed Sept. 5, 1895; W. H. Schmitz, locomotive engineer, Madison Division, Elroy, Wis., employed Sept. 5, 1895; and George E. Ebert, section foreman, Madison division, Elroy, Wis., employed Sept. 9, 1895.

With The Veterans

By: W. C. Upton, Secretary

(North Western Newsliner, December, 1945)

Our president, Mr. E. L. Henry, has found it necessary to be away from work for the past two or three months and is now in California in an attempt to regain his health. Our Association has suffered a great loss in the passing of our Vice-President Mr. W. R. Annas. He had been carrying on in the absence of Mr. Henry and had done some excellent work. He made all the arrangements for the annual meeting and banquet and I am sure that all are agreed that he did a good piece of work. It will be necessary for the Executive Committee to appoint someone to serve the remainder of the year.

Your Secretary has just made a trip through southern Minnesota and Northern Iowa in the interest of the Association. We had a dinner for a small number at Mason City and believe that it will be the means of increasing our membership at that point. We also had a dinner at Eagle Grove and there was considerable enthusiasm there for an increased membership. We found a growing interest in the Association at every point visited. It was a privilege to call on Mr. W. S. Brammer, retired Agent Redwood Falls, Minn. Mr. Brammer is now 78 years old and in good health. He was Agent at Redwood Falls for 43 years, and had a total of 57 years service at time of his retirement in 1940.

It was the privilege of your secretary to arrange for a "shower" of birthday cards for our old friend Lawrence P. Grady who recently retired as a conductor on the Northern Iowa Division after 59-1/2 years of faithful service. He was 74 years old on Sept. 18, 1945.

Arrangements have been made for our annual dinner at Milwaukee Saturday evening, Dec. 1, 1945. The indications are that it will surpass last year when we had an attendance of 320.

With The Veterans

By: W. C. Upton, Secretary

(North Western Newsliner, January, 1946)

In the November issue, we published the names of seven men who reached the 50 year mark in point of service in September 1945, all having been employed in September 1895. Since that time we have found one more to add to the list. Mr. C. R. Hick, Agent, Springfield, Minn. was employed Sept. 18, 1895. Due to an error in his application we did not have correct date of his employment. We are glad to add Mr. Hick to our list of 50 year men.

On the Madison Division, we have a family named Mewis of which we can be justly proud. There are five by that name employed in the Track Department: William Mewis, Section Laborer, Deerfield, Wis.; Albert Mewis, Section Laborer, Deerfield, Wis.; Herman Mewis, Section Foreman, Deerfield, Wis. and Emil Mewis, Section Laborer, Cottage Grove, Wis. The above are brothers and we also have at Jefferson Jet., Wis. Alfred Mewis, who is the son of Herman and is section Foreman. Otto A, Mewis, another member of the family started as a section laborer and later transferred to the operating department and is now our agent at Glen Oak, Wis. William, Herman and Emil are members of our Veterans' Association.

On the Wisconsin Division, we have three brothers who are locomotive engineers, Ray, John and Walter Simerlein. All three are members of our Association. Our railroad must be a pretty good place to work when so many in one family are working for us.

During the month of October, the Secretary visited some of the line in Minnesota, calling at various stations and calling on some of the retired members. Had a very pleasant visit with Mr. W. S. Brammer, who retired as agent at Redwood Falls in 1940 after 57 years service, 43 of them at Redwood Falls. Mr. Brammer is in good health and very active at 78 years of age. A visit was also made to the Northern Iowa division with a very interesting gathering of a few of the members at

Mason City for a dinner and the following evening another affair at Eagle Grove, with a dinner. The purpose was to create more interest in and knowledge of the Association and both meetings were very successful.

The sudden death of our Vice-President, Mr. W. R. Annas, was a great shock to all of us in the Association. He was very active in the Association and will be greatly missed. The very successful annual meeting and banquet just held in Chicago was handled almost entirely by Mr. Annas and we are all agreed he did a wonderful job.

Those of us who knew Mr. H. E. Dickinson, retired General Superintendent, at Omaha will be pleased to know that he celebrated his 78th birthday Oct. 29, 1945 and is in good health and very active.

Veterans Corner

By: W. C. Upton, Secretary

(North Western Newsliner, April, 1946)

The Veterans' Association has just issued their Annual Report showing a most successful year. There was a net gain of 1229 in membership during 1945, the total being 3755 at close of the year.

The new officers, W. H. Roberts, president, and Otto W. Gericke, vice-president, give promise of conducting the affairs of the Association so that there will be a continuance of the growth experienced during the past two or three years.

One of the interesting features of the annual report is a "seniority list" of ten men all retired, who began work for the company earlier than any other living men as far as we know.

Chas. Heimerdinger, Agent. .. April 1876

E. D. Parmelee, City Ticker Agent... March 8, 1877

John J. Green, Conductor.... .April 1, 1877

Frank L. James, Conductor. .. April 1879

Richard H. Aishton, President. June 1, 1879

John A. Roland, Roadmaster. .. March 1. 1880

Owen Dougherty, Loco. Engineer... March 5. 1880

George W. Howes, Machinist.. Oct. 15. 1880

Nick R. Dieter, Loco. Engineer....Jan. 1881

S. F. Miller, Frt. Traffic Mgr.. .July 21, 1881

We believe this to be a very unique list and we are delighted to thus honor these men.

Another interesting feature of the report is the list of all members who served more than fifty years. There are 79 who had served from 50 to 54 years at time of their retirement, 31 who have served 50 to 54 years and are still in active service, 19 who had served more than 55 years at time of retirement and 12 who have served more than 55 years and are still active. This is a total of 141 with more than 50 years service. Every one of these men has reason to be proud of their half century of service and the company has reason to be proud of such employees. There is no other business or occupation where such records can be found.

We want all employees to be familiar with the objectives of the Association and we cordially invite every employee with more than 25 years service to become a member. Our purpose is to create and maintain a mutual interest in the common welfare of our members. It helps us to keep in contact with many old time friends and the annual dinners at various points promote good fellowship and bring many together who would not otherwise have that privilege.

After men have spent 25 or more years in the service of a company, there is a bond of friendship that should be fostered and encouraged and that is what we are trying to do. Any man who has worked 25 years for our company has reason to be proud of it and the Association is a means of expressing that pride.

The dues are only $1 per year plus $1 entrance fee. The one dollar per year is just enough to maintain the organization and it is certainly worth that much to any one to have a means of keeping in contact with old friends and expressing their pride in their service record. Don't wait for some one to ask you to join. If you have no application blank, the Secretary will gladly send you one or you probably know some one who is a member and has blanks in his possession. Applications may be mailed direct to the Secretary at Lake Villa, Ill., or may be left in Room 1322, Daily News Bldg., Chicago.

We have recently received into our membership two men with most remarkable records Mr. John P. O'Connor, Agent, Harvard, Ill., and Mr. John E. Keane, Agent, Sullivan, Wis.

John P. O'Connor, Harvard, Ill. Agent Wis. Div. Entered service April 30th, 1882. This puts Mr. O'Connor at the top of the list of long service old timers. For several years we gave this honor to August P. Johnson, Agent at Negaunee, Mich., who entered the service April 16, 1884 and is still active. On April 30th of this year Mr. O'Connor will have completed 64 years of continuous service. He started work at Harvard and has been agent there for many years. He is so modest about his remarkable record that the writer has been unable to get very much information. We are very happy to pay this tribute to a man with such an outstanding record.

John E. Keane, Sullivan, Wis. Agent, Madison Div. Entered the service March 1st, 1886. This is also a most remarkable record. There is some question about the exact date that Mr. Keane began work as he worked for some time without appearing on the pay-roll. The above date is that shown on the Agents seniority list of the Madison division. He has been agent at Sullivan for the past 29 years and still going strong.

Veterans' Corner - Five Dinners Held At Western Points

By: W. C. Upton, Secretary

(North Western Newsliner, July, 1946)

The Veterans' Association continues to show considerable progress and growth. We are pleased to report a membership of four thousand and applications coming in daily.

The Black Hills division continues to head the list but the Peninsula Division is a close second. We have never had a dinner on the PD but will have soon as necessary arrangements can be made. The present membership on that division is doing a fine job in securing new members. We have been especially fortunate in being able to hold dinners during these times of food shortages, etc.

Our president, W. H. Roberts and Vice-President O. W. Gericke, together with the writer, have just returned from a trip to lines west where we had dinners at Norfolk, May 13; Chadron, May 14; Casper, May 15; Rapid City, May 16; and Huron, May 17. We had hoped to have one at Tracy on May 18 but could not find suitable accommodations. There was an attendance of 95 at Norfolk, 230 at Chadron, 61 at Casper, 60 at Rapid City and 130 at Huron.

This was the first appearance of President Roberts and Vice-President Gericke at these points and there is no doubt they made a very favorable impression. There was a fine spirit manifested in every meeting and it was quite evident that as time goes on these affairs will become more popular. There were many expressions of approval and plans are already being made for better and larger meetings next year. Many retired men came some distance to attend, and those in active service enjoyed meeting others whom they have not seen for some time. A friendly feeling is created that would be impossible to create in any other way.

Members are also pleased that it is strictly an employee’s organization to be handled as we see fit, and on every hand we hear expressions of pride in our work and our connection with the transportation industry. Service emblems are worn with pride and many use them as a means of contacting their friends and advertising our service. Men who have been in the service 25 years or more have formed a friendly feeling for fellow employees and the Veterans' Association fosters and promotes this feeling.

A dinner was held in Omaha on May 28, 1946 and we will also have one at South Pekin, Waseca, Escanaba and Madison soon and at others points later on.

Veterans Hold 20^th Annual Meeting

(North Western Newsliner, October, 1946)

William H. Roberts, Otto Gerecke and W. C. Upton were reelected as president, vice president and secretary-treasurer, respectively, at the 20th annual meeting of the Chicago and North Western Veterans association. The meeting this year was held Sept. 28, 1946 at the Sherman hotel in Chicago, and was followed by a banquet in the evening. More than 650 veterans attended the banquet this year at which time the officers of the association were introduced. As usual, no speeches were made and the evening was concluded with a floor show. One of the highlights of the show was "Shorty" Young's rendition of the "Brakeman Who Never Came Back," done in his inimitable style.

Oldest veteran in attendance this year was August P. Johnson, Agent at Negaunee, Mich., who still is in active service, and has completed 62 years of service. He is second only to John P. O'Connor Agent at Harvard, Ill. who has completed 64 years of service, but was unable to attend. This banquet, which is held each year in Chicago, is the culmination of division banquets which are held throughout the system during the year.

Other officers of the association who were elected at the morning session were W. R. Kettenring, Auditor of Disbursements; H. E. Leutner, Car Foreman at Milwaukee; B. R. Meyers, Assistant to the Chief Engineer; J. H. Bazier, night yardmaster at Green Bay; George Blackburn, retired head clerk of demurrage; George Schroefer, retired passenger Conductor, Wisconsin Division; D. J. Mahoney, Agent at Waseca; F. E. Wickern, retired Agent-Telegrapher, Baraboo, Wis.; and Miss Ethel Newell, freight department, Madison, were elected to the executive committee. At the same time, George Blackburn was appointed historian, and George Dunbar, retired telegrapher, was appointed chairman of the resolutions committee.

Life and Times of the Veterans’ Association

(North Western Newsliner, September, 1951)

With more than a quarter of a century of service to its members behind it, the Chicago and North Western Veterans Association this month will wind up plans for its 27th annual meeting and banquet, to be held in Chicago on October 13, 1951.

The association was organized December 9, 1924 at Mason City, la., by Frank L. Corey, a Northern Iowa Division Conductor. The purposes of the organization were simple and have never changed down through the years: "To create and maintain friendly relations among its members." The association was to be an organization of employees of the railway, receiving no instructions or directions from the management. It has remained that way since its inception.

The first annual dinner was held in Chicago in May 1925, and at that time Corey was elected the organization's first president. E. T. Erickson was elected Vice president and N. A. Howland was elected Secretary.

Like most organizations the C&NW Veterans association was a slow starter. And even now, after 27 years it is still looking forward to other services it can accomplish for its members. For many years the only activity of the Association was the annual dinner held in Chicago. Every year, a new set of officers took it over and every year saw the inauguration of some new interest for the members, who until last year had to be an employee of the railway for 25 years or more.

The election of a new president, as well as other officers of the association every year, was never a satisfactory arrangement. The principal reason for this was the fact that, in almost every instance, the elected officers were never able to give the time and service to the association that it needed and demanded. In addition these men were not in a position- to do the traveling required for organization.

About 10 years ago the presidency was passed on to E. L. Henry, now retired, but then Superintendent of Safety for the railway. This was an arrangement that has proved highly successful and advantageous because the president could carry on a good deal of the work of the association in connection with the traveling required by his regular work. When Henry retired he was succeeded by W. H. Roberts, as Superintendent of Safety, and the mantle of the association was likewise passed on. Henry is now President Emeritus of the association and resides at Santa Barbara, California.

In September 1942, shortly after E. L. Henry was elected President of the Association, W. C. Upton, retired District Agent and Traveling Auditor for the railway, was offered the combination position of Secretary-Treasurer. He accepted and the job has been in his hands - good hands - ever since. Vice President since 1945 has been Otto W. Gericke, of the General Freight Department.

The general officers of the Association consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, and 12 members of a Board of Directors. These directors are elected from, various parts of the system. Each chapter also has a President, Vice President, Secretary, etc.

Included in the membership of the Association are some 150 women employees, and these members are represented on the Board of Directors of the association by Miss Ethel Newell, employed in the agent's office at Madison.

Dues of the association are $2.00 a year for those in, active service and $1.00 a year for retired employees. Application blanks can be secured from any officer or member, or write to the secretary, W. C. Upton, Route No. 2, Lake Villa, Ill.

During the past several years, the emphasis in the Association has been toward decentralization. Local associations have been set up at division and terminal points, with local officers in charge. The officers of the parent organization are now referred to as general officers. As a result of this decentralization, the membership of the association has increased from 850 in 1943 to 5604 at the end of 1950. The local associations, in many instances, also hold other social functions during the year, which together with their annual get-togethers have proved very popular.

The first dinner outside of the annual meeting in Chicago was held in 1943 at Waseca, Minn. The dinners, whether local or general, are always free to members, with guests being charged only the actual cost of the meal. And members are free to attend both their local affair as well as the general meeting in Chicago. Last year, 1950, these dinners were attended by 4744 members and their families.

Membership in the association is held by all classes of employees from laborers to some of the highest officers in the company, the only requirement until last year being 25 years of service with the railway. At the last annual meeting in Chicago, the service requirement was lowered to 20 years. Another amendment provides that membership may be held by any former employee who worked for the company more than 20 years ago, regardless of length of service. This permits people to be members who may have had only a few years of service and have left the company to work for some other railroad or some other industry, but wish to maintain contact with friends.

Association members are provided lapel buttons, in the center of which is a number denoting his years of service, starting with 20 and continuing in 5-year periods. Every five years a member receives a new button automatically. Service emblems of 50 or more years are presented in person by an officer of the association or the company whenever possible.

Six members of the association have worked for the railway for 60 years or more. These are John P. O'Connor, Agent at Harvard, Ill., who entered service April 30, 1882; August P. Johnson, Agent at Negaunee, Mich., who entered service April 16, 1884; W. H. Dolan, Locomotive Engineer, Iowa Division, who entered service April 7, 1887; Ernest Wills, Machinist, Iowa division, who entered service Nov. 9, 1889; Louis M. Boh, Conductor, Wisconsin division, who entered service May 11, 1890, and David Langlands, Locomotive Engineer, Galena division, who entered service July 1, 1891.

Among the less tangible benefits of the Association has been the reunion of many old friends, with one another and the new friendships that have been built up through getting together on occasions that would not have taken place if the Association had not been formed.

L.C. Winkelhaus, Architectural Engineer for the North Western, was presented with a 50-year service pin by the C&NW Veterans association last month. Making the presentation was H. W. Jensen, Assistant to the Chief Engineer and W. H. Roberts, General President of the Association. Winkelhaus began his service with the railway as a stenographer in the B&B department at Boone la. Later arrangements were made whereby he could attend Iowa State College at Ames, in order to get his engineering degree, while continuing in the employ of the railway. He has been in the Engineering Department at Chicago since his graduation from Iowa State College.

Veterans' Banquet At Milwaukee

May, 1955

More than 500 members, their wives and friends gathered for the annual Veterans' Association banquet held by the Milwaukee Chapter in the Schroeder Hotel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin in May 1955. Some veterans came from as far away as Arizona and California to meet former co-workers and talk over old times.

After a fine dinner, words of welcome were given by F. E. Harrison, General Manager of Freight Transportation; W. H. Roberts, General President of the Association; Otto Gericke, General Vice President of the Association and Herman Leutner, newly elected President of the Milwaukee Chapter. Other newly elected officers included Joe Ferkins as Vice President of the Milwaukee Chapter. Speeches were followed by four acts of entertainment.

This was only one of 24 such banquets held this year by the C&NW Veterans’ Association. The association has 21 chapters and more than 5,600 members.

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Posted: 12/26/04