Our “Dolly” left us when she joined her husband, Reuben, in heaven on Saturday, August 11, 2018, 8 days before her 93rd birthday. Dolly was the wife of the late Reuben Postler, whom she married June 3, 1972. Dear mother to Howard Cole, Stephanie (Joe) Brown and James (fiancé Pamela) Postler. Beloved Grandma to ScottContinue Reading
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Our “Dolly” left us when she joined her husband, Reuben, in heaven on Saturday, August 11, 2018, 8 days before her 93rd birthday. Dolly was the wife of the late Reuben Postler, whom she married June 3, 1972. Dear mother to Howard Cole, Stephanie (Joe) Brown and James (fiancé Pamela) Postler. Beloved Grandma to Scott Cole, Kris Cole, Joshua Cole, Jamie Bertsch, Grace Flanagan, Patrick Flanagan, Amy Brown, Michael Postler, Kevin Postler, Marissa Postler & Jacob Postler. Great-grandma to Marabeth Cole, Bridget Flanagan & Paddy Flanagan. Sister to Earl (Arlene) Witte and sister-in-law to Orville Jeske. She is preceded in death by her husband Reuben, sisters Luella Mishich and Arline Jeske. Further survived by nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Dolly’s life as told to her granddaughter
“I was born in Milwaukee on August 19, 1925. Dolores Dorothy Adeline Witte. I had an older sister named Luella (Lola) and a younger sister named Arline (Tootie). We lived on 9th and Ring Street. We all went to Holy Ghost Lutheran School and Church. I was in first grade when I was 5 (we didn’t have any kindergarten in those days). When I was about 6 years old, we moved to 8th and Ring Street right across the alley from my Grandma Kirst. She was sickly, so that was closer for us to take care of her.”
“After two years, Grandma and my Uncle Bill Kirst, who was never married, moved in with us. It was quite crowded but we had no choice.”
“When I was about 9 or 10, our house burned down (not completely), but it was on January 25th, the coldest night of the year and our neighbors took us in for the night. All of our clothes were burned, so the neighbors and people from church brought clothes for us. The day after the fire we had to find places to live because there were very few houses for rent or most of them were too much money and my folks couldn’t afford them. My two sisters and I stayed at my Grandma, Augusta Kuehl’s house which was right across from the school. My Grandma, Anna Kirst that lived with us stayed with one of her sisters and Uncle Bill stayed with one of his brothers. My mom and dad (Elfrieda and Paul Witte) stayed with our uncle and aunt. We were split up for about 2 months or more until dad found a place to rent. We had to replace all of our furniture which was a real hardship for my folks, cause dad didn’t make much money and the home insurance didn’t pay too much for the fire. Well, anyway, we were all together again and this house was on 11th and Ring Street. We had about 8 blocks to walk to school, long blocks and all uphill.”
“By this time, I was really into roller skating and ice skating. That was my main priority and cousin Larry Kirst and I would go every chance we would get. I started babysitting so I could earn money to go skating and buy some clothes. We only had one dress for school and one dress for Sunday.”
“I was confirmed in 1938, the year my brother Earl was born. I graduated from 8th grade in 1939 in June. In 1940 my folks bought a house on 6th and Vienna, at that time you could buy a house for $4,500 with only $400 down. This was a real hardship for my dad because he didn’t earn very much money, only $35 a week. I went to Rufus King High School for 4 years. We had to walk 16 blocks to school and in cold winter sometimes mom would give us a nickel so we could take the bus. I worked after school and on weekends at the grocery store right around the corner. On Saturdays, my boss would send me home with some lunch meat for lunch and boy was that a treat.”
“I borrowed some money from my Grandma so I could buy my own shoe roller skates. And of course, at that time we only had to pay $.50 to get into the rink, but then we needed bus money too. I only earned $3.50 a week. When I was in the 10th grade (sophomore) I decided to quit at the grocery store and go to work at the Uptown theater. My cousin Larry and I both got jobs together there. We made a little bit more money, but we didn’t get home till late at night. Finally, this was getting too much for me and I left my studies down. So, I had to quit and get caught up with my studies.”
“I graduated from high school in 1943 in June and Larry graduated a year later, but we both got jobs for the summer and worked at Brill Uniforms and of course this was during the year, so I continued working there while Larry had to go to school, but she came and worked after school. So, we would meet after she finished work and went skating. We sewed on Army uniforms and on parachutes. We didn’t like what we were doing so we quit and went to work for Walter’s Potato Chip Company. We still kept skating and made a lot of friends. Walters sold out, so then we went to Geisers Potato Chip Company and loved it. If you remember the movie with Lucille Ball at the chocolate factory, this was Larry and me at the potato chip company.”
“I met a man, Howard Cole, at the roller skate rink and went steady and of course he joined the Navy. When he got out of the Navy in 1945 we started going together again and were married in 1946. I had a son “Howie”. We moved several times until we bought a house in 1953. “Howie” was 8 years old and in school, so I went back to work. I worked for a manufacturing company for 11 years on a punch press, spot welders, lathe operator, etc. Then 2 years in the office. We moved to a duplex that we bought and sold our other house. In 1964 our marriage wasn’t very sound anymore and we both started going our own way.”
“So, I decided to take up skating again. Met some nice people who encouraged me to get serious and take up dancing on skates. I did just that! In 1966 we moved and bought a duplex with my mom and dad. We were separated in 1966. In 1967 I won a skate dance trophy for Esquire Dance at a roller rink in West Bend. This, of course, made a dream come true. I continued working until 1971 when I met your Grandpa Reuben. He had 4 children, Stacy, Mark, Stephanie & Jim. We were married in 1972, Amy, this is how your mom, Stephanie, and your Uncle Jim became my adopted children that I love.”
“Your Grandpa Reuben owned New Berlin Pharmacy where I helped operate the store. We built a home on Lawrence Lake in Westfield WI when he retired. When Amy was born in 1992 we decided to sell our house in Westfield and move back to Milwaukee on Tichigan Lake.”
While living on Lawrence Lake and Lake Tichigan, Dolly enjoyed boating, golfing and entertaining family and friends with “refreshments” and cooking good meals, including her signature shrimp salad. A good time was had by all at her Waterford Condo to celebrate her 92nd birthday. A good meal, “refreshments” and the best shrimp salad ever. A Good Life!
Visitation will be held at Krause Funeral Home, 12401 West National Avenue, New Berlin, Wisconsin on Saturday, August 25, 2018, 11:00 AM – 12:45 PM. Funeral Service at 1:00 PM. Burial to follow at Highland Memorial Park.
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