Caledonia Argus

History a key ingredient in Welscher family cookbook

Posted: 1/16/02

By Shannon McKinney
Argus News Reporter

A familyís quest to preserve treasured recipes from the past has resulted in a cookbook with recipes spanning several generations.

The Welscher Family Cookbook includes some of Suse Welscherís original recipes along with recipes from her family.

Daughters Mary Ann Schmitz and Rose Mary Frank along with sisters-in-law Carol Welscher, Beverly Welscher and Mary Welscher have authored a book that highlights their favorite recipes. The book includes photographs of John and Suse Welscher and their childrenís husbands and wives along with names of family members.

Mary Ann and Rose Mary explained that they discovered their motherís old recipes while cleaning her house after she passed away in 1990. Rose Mary said it was a shame to let them go to waste.

Mary Ann added, ìIt was the old recipes that we didnít want to lose. Back then they didnít buy all the ingredients; they had to make them from scratch like bologna and head cheese. Bread was made from potato head starter water. It had to ferment.î

As The Argus sat with the Welscher women, memories of ìGrandma Suseî flowed forth.

ìMom was always noted for her butterscotch pie. She browned her white sugar,î said Mary.

ìShe made pie every day,î said Carol.

ìShe always had her dinner ready on the stove,î recalls Mary Ann, ìI wish I could do that.î

Everything back then was hand made. The book has recipes for lye soap, granulated soap, tripen, home made maple syrup, baked apples, and the list goes on.

Nine years of planning

Talking about the book actually began nine years ago, but the real work took one year.

Everyone shared with The Argus the ups and downs of planning a cookbook.

Carol said she enjoyed learning a lot about the history of the Welschers. Gathering together her own recipes was hard. ìIím not one for looking up recipes. I throw things together and taste,î she said.

Beverly joked that the challenging part about the book was all the meetings Mary Ann called together.

ìWe would never have got it done if it wasnít for Mary Ann,î said Carol.

Beverly said she just enjoys reading the recipes. ìI read cookbooks. I donít do much of everything the way they do it.î

Mary didnít think there was anything was really challenging. ìI had a lot of fun. We got to visit every time. Proofreading was kind of fun, just to read the other personís recipe,î she explained.

Rose Maryís favorite part of the planning was simply seeing that the old recipes were preserved. She added, ìI donít think theyíll ever use them (referring to older recipes like tripen).î

The most challenging aspect said Rose Mary was being the oldest. ìHaving to take all the flack from the young ones, who think they know everything,î she said.

Mary Ann said everything was fun except the proofreading. ìThere are mistakes, but donít we all make mistakes?î

She added that the printer made some errors as well. ìWe feel bad about the mistakes,î she said.

The most challenging aspect said Mary Ann, was putting together the recipes that werenít written down, such as apple tart.

Rose Mary made several tests of the apple tart before it tasted just right. ìI do say the cream was richer back then and the ingredients are different,î she said.

The book is available for $13.

Helping to proofread and type included Marci Cordes, daughter of Carol, Linda Welscher, daughter of Beverly, Jeanie Homewood, daughter of Mary, Suzanne Karels, daughter of Rose Mary and Deb Halverson, daughter of Mary Ann.

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