Kintzi - Galizien German Descendants

Notes for Edward Everett Hirschler:
Celebrating the Life of Edward E. Hirschler
Edward Everett Hirsehier was the eighth child and third son born to Christian and
Elizabeth Ewy Hirschler in the Cherokee Strip, Oklahoma Territory, near present day
Perry, Oklahoma, on March II, 1900. The family was living in a crude three-room prairie
house with a din floor when Eddie was born. hi 1906 the family moved into a six-room,
two-story home with four bedrooms on the second floor. (His mother had been casting
longing eyes upon other frame homes going up at that lime.) Oklahoma became a State hi
1907 when Eddie was in the 2~ grade in a little country school, where he fell in love with
his teacher and wanted to marry her (But she married her first love, Tom.) Even so,
teaching remained in the back of his mind throughout his boyhood. He and his family
attended the Perry Mennonite Church where he was baptized by his father upon his
profession of faitk
He remained in the Mennonite denomination his whole life. At one time he commented,
“Going to church every Sunday meant much to every family. The only times someone
would not attend services were due to ilhiess, inclement weather, or snow-blocked
roads.” He claimed that Elsie’s family enjoyed a “super-dupe?’ surrey with fringes on top
and kerosene lamps on both sides of the buggy and side curtains to protect the passengers
from the bitter cold Heated bricks were used as foot warmers. Meanwhile, ~jj~ family
faced the bitter cold wind riding in an open buggy!
Eddie attended the Pioneer District 40 School in Oklahoma through the eighth grade. In
1915 his father, Christian, received a call from the Einsiedel (present-day Hanston
Mennonite) Church to serve as its second pastor. At that lime, to Edward’s
disappointhient, there was no high school in the area; so he took correspondence courses
and then took a train to Jetmore, from which he graduated in 11924. He attended Bethel
College for one year and immediately began teaching—in Keroma, Spencer, and Hanston
Grade Schools.
On July 27, 1930, he married Elsie Mali Miller, a long-time family friend. Eventually he
earned his bachelor’s of science degree in education through correspondence courses and
by attending Fort Hays Kansas Teacher’s College. A year later, he received his master’s
degree, after which came his principalship and teaching in the Han ston Grade and High
School, teaching in Kinsley, and teaching in Dodge City. He ended up his teaching
career where he and Elsie had begun, in Hanston. Besides teaching, he also farmed. For
years, he would get up early to milk the cows and then get ready to go to school to teach.
Former students fondly recall his many narratives of local history.
Throughout their various adventures and moves to different cities, Ed and Elsie
maintained the home they purchased in Hanston when they were first married. His
Hanston home remained important to him his whole life.
Ed and Elsie delighted in children and enjoyed helping care for a number of nieces,
nephews, and neighbors. They claimed three young people in a special way: Thelma
(Hirschler) Percoco, Larry Dixon, and Terry Stevens. Ed’s interest in his fiends,
especially children, was often demonstrated by his retelling of their unique or amusing
antic& He never lost his keen interest in people and their activities-- including the
Hanston Elks— and continued all of his life to be an encouragement to everyone who
knew him
Ed and Elsie traveled through every state except Hawaii and Alaska. They also
appreciated what Ed called “following the footsteps of St Paul,” starting in Rome and
visiting Crete and Greece.
After 35 years, Ed retired from teaching; but he contlirned to refer to himself as a “onehorse
fanner” until he experienced a heart attack. Then his doctor advised him to retire
from farming also. To keep his active spirit occupied, Elsie taught him to crochet, which
then became a major occupation of their lives- They crocheted afgans for family and
Mends arid donated scores of them to the Mennonite Central Committee for the Kansas
MCC sale. it was very rewarding to them to know that their handiwork was bringing in
thousands of dollars for relief work for projects around the wodd
Until he was 102 years old, he got down on his knees, nightly, to pray for his nieces and
nephews and several former students by name. As his knees became more painflul, it
31 04 Jan 2008