From Single Life to Benedict - Part 3 - More Big Events in 1923

There are additional big events in store for Alfred during his second year of marriage. He continues his story:

"The year 1923 was a year of many important events in my life.  First I put my application in for acceptance in the Masonic Order.  I was elected to be received in this order and had some six months of diligent study to be raised to a Master Degree. 

Linton Daily Citizen, March 1923

 Then in February the mine folded up and I was out of a job.  When I turned the books into the office, Harry McGrew was there and asked me what I was doing.  I knew Harry from the time we worked at the Vandalia Coal Co., in fact he was still working for them as Chief electrician, and when I told him I was out of a job, he said, “You are the man I want – Tomorrow we go to the Pump Station at the Ogle Land Co. and convert it from steam to electric power.”  I told Harry I didn’t know anything about electricity but he insisted I go with him the next morning and he would pay me 7⁵⁰ per day.  We worked for a week or so and Harry got a sliver of steel in his eye which almost cost him the sight of it. 

Linton Daily Citizen, March 8, 1923

In the meantime my old friend Jake Fritz and I decided to find a good spot and go in partnership and build and operate a gasoline service station.  We looked over sites at Spencer and Madison.  Then we spotted a good site at Jasonville and bought it.  Since Harry was unable to finish the job at the pump station they got a Mr. Greenwood from G.E. Co. out of Schenectady, N.Y. to oversee the work.  He called me that night and asked me to pick him up in the morning.  Since Jake and I had a couple of weeks to get a deed and to get blue prints for our new venture, I decided to work at the Pump Station  Mr. Greenwood wasn’t impressed with me I know but on our way home he asked me where he could get something to drink.  I didn’t know but happened to think that I had a quart of what I thought was white mule that I had seen some boot-leggers hide under a culvert in front of my garage and I told him he could have it.  So he came about 7 o’clock that night and the next morning he said, “Boy that wasn’t mule you gave me, that was Kentucky moonshine.”  I was ace high with him after that until we finished the job.  

Linton Daily Citizen June 1923

Now the big daring job with the service station.  Daring because first we had to borrow $5000⁰⁰ to finance the job and second the risk - if it would be profitable.  We got the station in operation in the month of May. 

Avery Wayne was born in June.  I couldn’t find a house to rent and had to drive back and forth to Linton.  The station did good from the very start.  I went to Ed Berns, who was cashier at the First National Bank in Jasonville and he said, “Why don’t you buy – I’ll let you have the money,”  So I bought a new house and went in debt another $2000.  We moved to Jasonville in October.  Our station was doing so good we bought a Ford Truck and 300 gal. tank & hauled our own gas.  Every 3 months we were paying $500 on the bank note which soon brought it down."

Ad run in the Linton Daily Citizen June 1923

  

Gas Station on Main St. taken in Jasonville, Indiana
taken in 2009

The home that Alfred bought was on 517 E. Ohio St.  Jasonville is a small town and the home was less than half a mile from the filling station.

There was another mention of the Moehlmann family in the local newspapers during that year.

So a little history on who "Mr. and Mrs. John Funk" are:

Helen (Bovenschen) Moehlmann (Alfred's wife) daughter of
   Gesena (Heitman) Bovenschen who is the daughter of 
      Gesena Rosanna Katherine (Memering) Heitman

Gesena Rosanna's first husband William Heitman died in about 1852 at the age of 45. Gesena then married John Funk.  There were three children born to this couple, the oldest was named John.  It is this John who is hosting the dinner. Nancy Funk, John's twin sister, married a Gilbreath and she is at the gathering along with her children and their families.So John Funk is a half uncle to Helen Bovenschen Moehlmann.