The Reinhardt Family Website - Reinhardt Genealogy

Genealogy

Reinhardt Genealogy

A Reinhardt History
By Patricia Reinhardt

Memoirs Of "Tubby"
Margaret Rotherham attended St. Mary's Academy in O'Neill until the 11th grade. In about 1920, she moved to Omaha, She worked near 38th and Howard Street as a housekeeper and nanny.

Floyd Reinhardt worked in construction in Omaha. It is believed he worked on the Brandeis building and St. Cecilia's Cathedral.

Margaret and Floyd met on a blind date. They were married and lived for a short time in Omaha. They eventually moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa where their first child, Mary Rita, was born in 1923.

Floyd worked at a Ford assembly plant on North 16th Street in Omaha. When the Omaha plant closed, they moved to St. Louis, Missouri to continue with Ford assembly work. In 1924, John Earl was born.

A destructive tornado struck St. Louis around 1928. Floyd was angry because the factory workers were not notified of the tornado until the shift ended. The windows were blown out of their home, but no one was injured.

After the crash of '29, Floyd was out of work but found work as a plasterer. They decided to move back to O'Neill. Just north of St. Joseph, Missouri, the trailer Floyd built broke down. That forced them to leave their possessions--and trailer--and drive on to O'Neill. Later, Floyd and Matt Hynes went back to repair and tow the trailer back to O'Neill.

Floyd and Margaret moved onto the farm with her parents, John and Bessie Rotherham. Twins, Bernadine and Catheline were born to them at Mike and Jane Langan's home north of O'Neill in 1930. The family moved to O'Neil1 after the twins were born, and in 1933, Floyd Edward "Tubby" was born. During this time, Rita and John Earl attended St. Mary's Academy in O'Neill.

Floyd now worked for the State of Nebraska in the road maintenance department. During the early 1930's Prohibition years, Floyd supplemented the family income by making bootleg whiskey. Several relatives in the O'Neill area worked together in the whiskey making. Some were not able to elude the law, however. They spent short periods of time in jail, usually on weekends, because they worked legitimate jobs on Monday through Friday. Floyd was never arrested, but had some close calls.

Being smarter than the average bootlegger, Floyd, also, built and repaired whiskey stills. One of his favorite spots for brewing was in a cave in the banks of the Elkhorn River outside O'Neill.

Margaret proved to be an astute financial manager. She had the ability to provide fine things for her family and home, She sewed beautiful clothing for herself and her children. She often mended socks and work clothing for Floyd,

Much of her time was spent cooking good meals. Winter never came without the shelves being filled with home-canned foods and preserves. Remember those tomato preserves?

She was not too busy to attend daily Mass either. She saw to it that the children were instilled with spiritual values from her own example. She insisted her children always attend Catholic schools, even at an extra expense. Her son, Floyd Edward, dearly remembers the Saturday afternoon and evening after his First Confession. He spent time before the May alter in his home in quiet preparation for his First Communion.

In 1936, Floyd Earl was transferred to Atkinson and placed in charge of road maintenance in and around that part of the country. He had this job for three years. Then, he was recommended for County Engineer. However, the State of Nebraska had passed a law a few months earlier requiring all county engineers to have college degrees. Unfortunately, Floyd didn't get the job.

Disappointed by that rejection, Floyd moved his family to Norfolk in 1939. Here he worked for a short' time on construction. Then, he went to Illinois and Oklahoma to find jobs which lasted about 5 months.

Times were tough for the Reinhardt's, causing them to spend Christmas of 1940 separated from Floyd and with little money. Margaret took her children to share Christmas with her parents on the farm near O'Neill. The festive visit brought happiness to the children in their father's absence.

In the Spring of 1941, Floyd found work with Peter Kiewit Company in Omaha as a road asphalt machine operator. He helped construct the runways at Martin Bomber Plant, which later became SAC Headquarters. Floyd stayed with Peter Kiewit Company until he retired 25 years later. In August of 1941, Margaret loaded up the family and moved to Omaha. They settled at 812 South 35th Street, where they made their home for the next 45 years.

The work at the bomber plant was completed in the Spring of 1942. Floyd Earl was told, "If you want a job, meet us in Casper, Wyoming". The night before he left he walked to the store for ice cream with his son, Floyd Edward "Tubby". He promised to some day move the family to a ranch in the West to settle down. With high expectations of this dream coming true, Tubby said goodbye to his father.

During this time, Rita and John graduated from Cathedral High School. Kitty and Bunnie were attending St. Peter's Grade School. In the Fall of 1942, Margaret walked around the park with one or the other of the children each evening. The exercise was in preparation for the birth of James Anthony, who arrived in November.

In the following months, John enlisted in the Navy. He served aboard an assault craft in the South Pacific during many battles. Rita joined the Marine Corps and worked as a carpenter at a marine base in California.

By this time, Floyd Earl was in the Aleutians building air bases for the military. In 1944, he came home for a short time to recuperate from a broken leg. This was the last time the younger children saw their father for 30 years.

In 1945, Rita and John returned from the military. John went to work with his father on the West Coast for the next few years.

Rita married Francis McAnany in 1946 near Philadelphia, where they lived for several years. Bunnie married Frank Skradski in 1948 and settled in Omaha. In 1949, Kitty married Carl Lomatch. They eventually settled in Park Forest, Illinois. John married Beth Keating in 1953 and eventually settled in Beloit, Wisconsin. Floyd Edward married Patricia Richter in 1961 and eventually settled in Littleton, Colorado. James A. Reinhardt married Pat McElligott in 1964 and settled in Omaha.

James Anthony Reinhardt, youngest son of Margaret and Floyd Earl Reinhardt graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1968. He majored in civil engineering. It is believed he is the first of his ancestors to obtain a college degree.

After the children were raised, Margaret started working at the First National Bank in Omaha. She was employed there for 10 years. She expanded her horizons by taking banking and speech classes at the University of Omaha. She approached the speech classes with trembling knees, but persevered. Margaret lived in Omaha until her death in October of 1986.

Floyd settled in Grants Pass, Oregon until he returned to Omaha in 1983. He died in August 1990 in Addison, Illinois. Floyd Earl Reinhardt and Margaret Rotherham Reinhardt are buried side- by-side at Calvary Cemetery, Omaha, Nebraska.

MARGARET ROTHERHAM REINHARDT
(IMAGE OMITTED)

FLOYD EARL REINHARDT
(IMAGE OMITTED)
PICTURE TAKEN ABOUT 1917

MARGARET ROTHERHAM REINHARDT WITH SON FLOYD EDWARD (TUBBY)
(IMAGE OMITTED)
PICTURE TAKEN IN ATKINSON, NEBR. ABOUT 1936

< Previous Table Of Contents Next >