Elsie Gruenewald volunteers at the Bonduel Community Archives.
She was born in Milwaukee and moved to Bonduel when she was 15 years old. She graduated from Bonduel High School in 1946 and, with her twin sister, went to Bethany College in Mankato, Minnesota, a two-year college at that time.
She worked at Farmers Union Grain Terminal before returning to Bonduel and marrying Richard, who worked at a lumberyard and was a truck driver before retiring. They have been married 64 years and have six children, 16 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
When her youngest child was in school, Gruenewald was employed as a secretary for 30 years at Bonduel High School.
The couple has traveled to nearly every state except the northeastern states. Previously Richard, who has just been inducted into the Bonduel Hall of Fame, and Elsie went to sporting events in and out of town. Now they go to the local games.
Q How long have you volunteered at the Bonduel Community Archives?
A “I’ve been helping since 1994. At first, I ran the computer. I was the secretary at the school and when I retired I thought I’m going to try to continue my computer skills. When I went to the archives, they have the same computer.”
Q What do you do?
A “I take articles out of the paper, the obits, and put them in obit books. I file and duplicate things.”
Q How often do you help?
A “Usually on Saturdays. It’s open on Wednesday and Saturday from 9-4.”
Q Why do people come to the archives?
A “They research their family history and sometimes research other families. Sometimes they just come to browse and see what we have. We can get out materials. We record all information from the obits. The obit books have a lot of information. We cover Cecil, Bonduel and Navarino areas. We have articles on families and family files.”
Q Did you research your family?
A “Somewhat. My family is the Busch family and there’s a lot of them.”
Q Where else do you volunteer?
A “I volunteer at St. Paul Lutheran Church in the town of Washington on County Road E. I’m part of the Ladies Aid. We serve meals at funerals. I used to do more. I worked at the Thrift Store. I was on the Bonduel Library Board for 60 years. When I was first married, I was a member of the Bonduel Woman’s Club. I was a volunteer at the library because the woman’s club supported the library. I‘ve sewn hundreds of quilts for Lutheran World Relief. I still tie quilts.”
Q Why do you volunteer?
A “Because I can do that and it gives me something to do and help the community.”
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