Family Tree Maker - Galizien German Descendants

oads.” 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
became harder and harder for him to get up. He said, “ I guess the Lord can hear me just
as well sitting up, since I can no longer kneel.”
Ed and Lisle helped organize the Senior Citizen’s Center in Hanston and enjoyed the
fellowship there and creating ceramic items. They were thxilled to celebrate their 50th
and 60th wedding anniversaries together When Elsie went to her eternal home in 1995,
days short of their 65th anniversary, Ed continued on, despite his grief, with the help of
loved ones. His fervent wish to live out his days in his own home was made possible by
devoted friends and relatives, who came to cook, clean, and, eventually, to tuck him into
bed at night.
As he came to he end of his life, Ed said, “1 have lived a good life. I have no regrets.”
Another of his sayings was, “Each thy I have something to be thankful for: I am always
one day closer to seeing the Lord and my dear Elsie.” He also meditated on the word
“forever,” and what it meant, quoting from Psalm 23, “1 will dwell in the house of the
Lord forever.
Ed Hirschler was more than a historian: he lived histoxy, having talked with people who
had fought in the civil war and his family having fed Indians in their home in the
47 04 Jan 2008