Fruitcake Hill
A History and Memoir of
Life on the Hill
in a Family of 15
Gerald J. Kuecher, Ph.D.
CCB Publishing British Columbia, Canada
Fruitcake Hill: A History and Memoir of Life on the Hill in a Family of 15
Copyright © 2008 by Gerald J. Kuecher, Ph.D.
ISBN-13 978-0-9809995-0-1
First Edition, 2nd printing
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Kuecher, Gerald J., 1951-
Fruitcake Hill [electronic resource]: A history and memoir of life on the hill in a
family of 15 / written by Gerald J. Kuecher.
ISBN 978-0-9809995-1-8
Also available in print format.
1. Kuecher, Gerald J., 1951-. 2. Kuecher family. 3. Irish
Americans--Illinois--Chicago--Biography. 4. Chicago (Ill.)--Biography.
I. Title.
F548.54.K83A3 2008a 977.3'11043092 C2008-903283-7
Cover image by artist James Schloss: Painting of the farmhouse on the hill, Palos Hills, Illinois
The recollections presented in this document are largely those of the author. The author apologizes in advance if misrepresentations, inaccuracies, or omissions are encountered or perceived. Sibling names were not directly cited in this manuscript to protect their identities.
Genealogical information presented herein is the product of a multi-year search.
Extreme care has been taken to ensure that all information presented in this book is accurate and up to date at the time of publishing. Neither the author nor the publisher can be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Additionally, neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America and the United Kingdom.
Publisher: CCB Publishing
British Columbia, Canada
This book is dedicated
to my parents, Babe and Bob Kuecher,
and the hilltop property they so dearly loved.
Contents
Chapter One A Farmhouse on a Hill
Chapter Four Babe and Bob’s Kids
Chapter Five Reflections on the Farmhouse
The author wishes to recognize the critical editing of this document by siblings Edweird (Ed), Molock (Carolyn), Bob Sr., Babe, Tassy (Mary Kathleen), and Belle (Julie). Mamie (Babe’s sister) also contributed greatly, together with brothers-in-law Steve (now deceased) and Jim. I appreciate these and other contributions that made this a better and more positive document. In addition, I wish to thank Babe’s gifted son, Liza (Bob Jr.), for his poetic contribution to page 4 in Chapter 1. I also wish to thank Chicago area novelist Caryn Lazar Amster, who inspired me to write through her novel entitled Wee Folks.
Personal and heartfelt thanks go to my wife, Jean, who supported me in this effort and put up with piles of papers for months on the dining room table. And heartfelt thanks are also extended to Tassy, Belle, Jean, and my daughter Krisann who provided encouragement, reminding me always that these were my personal memoirs and as such, family consensus was not an issue.
Chapter One A Farmhouse on a Hill
We lived on a hill. Historians and geologists called our hill Blackbird Island. It was one of a few islands some 15-20 miles southwest of Chicago that remained emergent following the most recent high water stage of Lake Chicago some 2,000-5,000 years ago. Other islands in the vicinity included Blue Island, Worth Island, Mount Forest Island, and Stony Island. These islands became local sources for construction sands and gravels in the 19th, 20th, and 21st Centuries.
The lowlands surrounding the swale-like hills were largely composed of peaty topsoils and peats that accumulated atop ubiquitous glacial tills. Occasionally the peaty combustibles ignited and a slow burn ensued. Peat fires weren’t obvious to the casual observer. They largely burned below ground and for periods ranging between a few days and a few years. For those living nearby, the curse of these fires was the eternal smoky haze that hung over the landscape.
A log cabin home was built on one of these swale-like hills in 1853 by the Richard O’Connell family (all legal records indicate they preferred to be called Connell), Irish immigrants to America from County Cork, Ireland. The log cabin was abandoned in 1871 and a two-story, utilitarian farmhouse was built about a hundred yards west of the cabin site. Neighbors called our home “The house on the hill.” Family members affectionately called the hill and the human drama surrounding it “Fruitcake Hill.”
Descendants of the Richard O’Connell family have continuously occupied this hilltop property since 1853 and the farmhouse, specifically, since it was built in 1871. These descendants were directly or indirectly affected by the Irish potato blight of 1848-1853, the American Civil War of 1860-64, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the Columbian Exposition of 1893, the Iroquois Theater Fire of 1903, the excursion boat Eastland disaster of 1915, the Great Depression of 1929-35, two great world wars, Korea, Vietnam, the Our Lady of Angels Fire of 1958, President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, and the Oak Lawn Tornado and Big Snow weather events of 1967. These Irish immigrants knew tragedy, but they were nonetheless brimming with optimism to build a life in this new world.
The O’Connells lived, became sick, and died in or very near the farmhouse. There were no hospitals. And the causes of their deaths seem tragic in light of the medical improvements to which we have become accustomed. Scarlet fever, tuberculosis, measles, diphtheria, and polio were the main killers and cripplers of children while peptic ulcers, tetanus, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, pneumonia, alcoholism, and work-related injuries claimed the majority of adult lives.
There is little doubt the O’Connells of 1871 and the residents of the farmhouse today would find each other considerably alien were they to somehow meet. And the photograph that follows clearly supports that contention.
