Oldest son of August and Ottilie. Born in Elkhart, Indiana. Married Emma Rodde March 15, 1911 — they moved into the 811 Oakland Avenue house in 1911 (Jim says 1905 or 1906 elsewhere; the deed predates 1908). After Emma died of TB in 1917, he hired Fannie Mae Shafer to care for his daughter Lorena. He married Mae on February 14, 1919. The grocery store was sold to a Mr. Nelson, who was later killed by a robber in the store. Became seriously ill with anemia around 1935 and was bed-ridden for a year; Buescher's kept him on payroll, then gave him a night watchman job until 1949 retirement. Never owned a car after a Model T accident before Jim was born — rode a bicycle around town and got groceries once a week.
Occupations
- grocery store owner (Kunkel & Lorenz Grocery, 9th and Harrison Streets, Elkhart)
- apprentice mouthpiece maker, Buescher Band Instrument Company
- night watchman, Buescher Band Instrument Company (until retirement 1949)