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1892 – 1955· confidence: medium

Fanny Mae Shafer

also: Fannie Mae Shafer · Mae

Jim's mother. Originally hired by Henry in 1913 at age 21 as a practical nurse to care for his ill wife Emma and infant daughter Lorena. After Emma's death in 1917, Mae married Henry on February 14, 1919. Mother of Carrie Kathleen (1921) and James Henry (1923). Ran a laundry business out of the house with a commercial mangle iron in the dining room. Insisted (over her husband's objection) that Carrie and Jim attend the new Lincoln Grade School rather than the Lutheran grade school, because Lorena had struggled at the Lutheran school. Took out 5-cent-per-week life insurance policies on the children, paid weekly to a Prudential agent.

Occupations

  • practical nurse (age 21 in 1913)
  • laundry business (commercial mangle in dining room, customers included lawyers, bankers, officials)
  • cook at hospital (part-time, four blocks from home)

Events in this life

  1. 1913 · illness-onset

    Emma became ill (family believed it was TB). Fannie Mae Shafer, age 21, was hired as practical nurse to care for Emma and infant Lorena.

    With: Emma Rodde

  2. 1919 · marriage

    With: Henry August Lorenz

  3. 1929 · historical-personal

    The 1929-1932 financial crash. Mom and Dad did not have stocks but had savings in a home mortgage company that went bankrupt. Lost their money but received a small house on Mishawaka Street as settlement, which they rented out. House was paid for.

    With: Henry August Lorenz

  4. 1955 · death

Stories

How Mae came to the family

1913-1919
Lorena was born April 4, 1912. Emma became ill (we think it was T B) and after 5 years' of illness died March 13, 1917. Dad, at this time, had a small grocery — Kunkel & Lorenz — at Ninth Street and Harrison Street, some five blocks from his house. When Emma became ill in 1913, Dad hired Fannie Mae Shafer — a 21 year old practical nurse — to care for her. Dad married Mae, as she liked to be called, February 14, 1919.
Source: Jim Lorenz Reminiscences · page 1

Mom's mangle and the lawyers' laundry

ca. 1933-1940
Mom expanded her washings — by word from her satisfied customers — who included lawyers, bankers, officials. She bought a mangle — a commercial type iron which could press big sheets or tablecloths. This was set up in our dining room. Customers would drop off and pick up their laundry — so I got to meet them all (useful for me later on).
Source: Jim Lorenz Reminiscences · page 5