Jenny Franczkowski Biography

Genevieve B. FRANCZKOWSKI was born 29 Sep 1922, in Cicero, Cook County, Illinois, to parents Boleslaus and Antonina (LASICA) FRANCZKOWSKI.

"My mudder, my fodder, they come from Poland. They talk Polish in house all time. ye grow up ye talk Polish only. I know not no how to talk English. I go to school to learn how to talk English. I vent and stoodied haard. They teach me in Catholic school." [*JFL]

"When my mother lived next door off of 32nd and 48th. There was a store front with a flat in back. In back of the flat was a big room that happened to have a bar. So, that room was a Speak-Easy. When we moved there we found a trap door in the front bedroom. But there was no basement in the house. I asked my mother and she said, 'That was where we used to keep the whiskey, beer, and stuff.'" [*JFL]

"I remember when I was a kid and my father would make barrels of wine. And they had those big old sinks with the legs exposed. The woman would make a skirt around their sinks. And, that is where they would hide some of wine, beer, and stuff. When ever we had any company, everyone would line up their chairs around that sink. It was so funny." [*JFL]

"Dolores LANGNER SMOULCHA and I started working at Western Electric on the same day, May 26th 1941. I didn't know Herb at the time. We worked together for a while then one of us was transferred to another department. We would see each other from time to time." [*JFL]

"I was nineteen or twenty, I met a guy in a bowling alley. He asked me for a date so we went roller skating. He brought me home in his car. He told me that his father told him he only had a year to live and he wanted to live it to the fullest. I was so naive. I did not realize what he was trying to get at. I was trying to console him. I told him, 'Only God knows when you are going to die. Your father, nobody, can tell you. And if you really believe you are going to die, you should prepare yourself to meet God.' We sat there for one hour and talked about God. Finally, I got to the car and ran to the house. In the meantime a cop had gone by and stopped and asked him why I ran." [*JFL]

"The cops were good too. I remember when I was working at Western. I was twenty or twenty-one years old. That's when they were first building those Georgian homes. This cop took me for a ride to Lombard Manor. He said, 'Come on. I want to show you something.' They were three bedroom homes for $2500. He said, 'Look. Be a smart girl. All you need is $50 down. Buy yourself one of these houses now. You are a good worker.' I wasn't going to buy any guy a house. When I get married, he is going to buy me a house. So instead, I worked in a factory for fifteen years helping to pay for a house." [*JFL]

Herbert J. LANGNER and Genevieve B. FRANCZKOWSKI were married 15 Sep 1946, in Cicero, Cook County, Illinois. They had one child, a son, Herbert K. LANGNER.

"Herb's mother was in Florida on vacation for a month or so. She wrote me a card and asked, 'Please see that Herb has got enough to eat.' So I would go over after work when I worked days. I would fix his meals, wash his socks, and his dirty handkerchiefs. I couldn't stand touching his dirty handkerchiefs full of oysters." [*JFL]

"We bought a house in 1950 and I wasn't sure I wanted to be right there on 31st Street which became quite a busy thoroughfare. It was just across the alley from Aunt Mae and I thought it would be good for Gram to have her sister there. There would be visiting back and forth through the alley. We lived there until 1955." [*JFL]

"I worked at Western all that time, nine years of our married life, until Herbie was born. The only time that we went out was to celebrate our anniversary. When we bought the house on 31st Street, we couldn't even afford to go out to a show. We did get a TV set so that we would have something. I remember once I asked Herb 'Let's go someplace. Let's do something.' It was over two years that we hadn't gone out anywhere, not even a movie. And, going out to eat was totally out of the question, you just didn't do that. So Herb tried to get his homework done. We took the bus and went to the La Grange theater. I remember sometimes when we had a chance to go downtown shopping, it was a big deal for us to stop at Wimpies and have a 20 cent hamburger on Randolf and State. That was such a treat. One time we went downtown and had a spaghetti lunch at Toffanettes." [*JFL]

"I got pregnant at the end of 1954, it was early 1955 when I got the first and last of the six children I wanted. I worked until the end of May. At five months Western felt it wasn't safe for you or the baby to be working any longer. I took a one year leave of absence." [*JFL]

"The doctor wanted me to be careful and not put on weight. In June, people thought I was due any time. The doctor said I was doing very well around July or August. Charmet's had a big ice cream soda place. So, Herb decided to treat me because I was doing so well. They had the Eiffel Tower ice cream soda that was about a foot high with three or four big scoops of ice cream in the glass and they would put a big ball of ice cream on the end of the glass. They seated us next to the window. I got part way down and a fly came and landed into the soda. So, we told the waitress. She said, 'That's all right.' She didn't take it away, just moved it to the side, and brought me another one. So, I had one and a half Eiffel Towers. I kind of had to not stand up but reach up. I was not thinking at all. I was enjoying the soda. Then Herb looked out the window. There were people standing there watching me eat these two big sodas and laughing. I was enjoying the soda so much I didn't realize I had an audience. I did get up to 172 pounds from 125, that was quite a bit." [*JFL]

"When Herb was in California, I was home with the baby freezing and he was having a nice warm comfortable time in San Francisco. He would write to me and tell me he was sitting out on the balcony in his t-shirt. And, I would wonder why he was lying to me. It is 3 below zero, it is ice cold, it is winter. How could it possibly be warm. I had no idea about the California climate until I arrived on December 2nd." [*JFL]

"It was nice to leave Cicero because it was below zero at the time. I was freezing and I didn't have a car so I had to walk everywhere. Herb kept writing and telling me how he was sitting outside with a t-shirt and I didn't believe him. I was walking to the drugstore in three below zero and he was trying to tell me he is sitting out on a balcony with only a t-shirt. I couldn't understand, the climate should be the same all over. But I soon learned that California was real nice. Herbie enjoyed it." [*JFL]

"Our first house was in Burlingame, California. Herb bought the house, told me what he paid for it, and I thought he bought a mansion. When I got there I was pretty disappointed." [*JFL]

"We moved into the house that Herb bought without me on December 24th. It was a three bedroom, two bath house. We lived there until 1969. It was a wonderful time. Herbie grew up there. He was right close to the park. He went to school there. When Herbie finished eighth grade, Herb was transferred to the West End." [*JFL]

"We did take a trip a couple years back to Las Vegas for one of our anniversaries. He showed me where the West End plant was. It was desert, total desert. I told him whatever he does, don't ever get transferred here. Well, two years later, he was transferred there. We lived there. I couldn't understand how anyone could live there. Everything was all one color. It was hot and dry." [*JFL]

"After a few months, you start to see color and you start to enjoy the desert. It was beautiful, pretty. We lived there for five years. Herbie went through high school there. It was one of the better times of our lives, when we lived in Ridge Crest. We got to know a lot of people and things about the area. We heard a lot of quaint stories about the old prospectors and miners." [*JFL]

"In June 1989, we bought a house in Petaluma north of where we were because we wanted to get away from all the noise and the crowds of the city. We have friends, one of the fellows that worked with Herb from the time he moved to California in 1956, right next door. We have enjoyed the climate, the quiet, the peace here. We enjoy getting all the company, people coming to visit us. I enjoy showing them the wine country when we can. The coastline is just about twenty miles away. We do have cool mornings and cool evenings and the days get pretty warm in the summer. The winters get a little damp and cold. We may stay here but we may move on. Our son and his wife live in Wadesville, Indiana, now and they would like us to move there but we are not sure. Right at this time we think Arizona doesn't sound too bad either." [*JFL]

"When we moved to Burlingame, being taken away from the family, being all by ourselves here, not having anybody, I started getting involved in church work. I joined the Altar Society first, where we clean the altar, and the altar linens. It is something I enjoyed doing very much. I did that for five years up to the time Herbie went to school. At the same time, I did join the Catholic Daughters. It was a charitable organization that did things for missions and different people. That kept me busy twice a month in the evenings and once a month we would meet in the afternoons making crafts for our boutique to raise money for our different charitable donations." [*JFL]

"After Herbie started school, I started working in the Rectory helping the priests there clean. We were not in the financial position that we could donate much so I donated by services to the church. Once a month I would clean in the church. During the week, about three days a week, I would go there and help the housekeeper clean the rooms or I would help the secretary stuff envelopes, and did all sorts of things. I have done that for about 12 - 13 years." [*JFL]

"I also got involved with the Catholic Daughters and got into the different offices." [*JFL]

"I also got started teaching Catechism, the Christian doctrine. So, in 1962 I started teaching religion classes to the children from the public schools once a week. I taught CCD once a week from 1962 until 1969 when Herb was transferred to the desert. With the Altar Group and Mother's Club at Herbie's school and Catholic Daughters and CCD, I did get quite involved and very busy." [*JFL]

"I was always home though when Herbie was home. I was able to fix dinner for the family and home evenings." [*JFL]

"Just before we moved, in 1968, I went to school and got myself a Real Estate license. From about October 1968 to about May 1969, I worked in Real Estate for ABC Realty for San Stukey. His wife, Therese, was my best friend through church and family. When Herb got transferred to the desert in Ridgecrest, all the volunteer and realty work came to a total stop." [*JFL]

"I did find St. Arnie's Parish where I did do the alter work, the linens and cleaning up. Also, I did teach CCD at St. Margaret's Church in Trona for a while. They did not have any real system and since I had gone through the certifications in Burlingame, I had my certificate to teach it. I organized a group over there where they started regular CCD class for the children there. The classes were very small there, maybe six or ten children in a class where before we would have more like 25 or 30. They elected me as Principal, so I was Principal of the CCD class there for about three years, that was my second, third, and fourth year there in Trona while Herb was at West End. On the last year I passed the job on to someone else." [*JFL]

"In the meantime, I started taking art lessons. There was a lady who lived right in West End who was a self-taught artist. So, she was my first art teacher. It was very interested. I started lessons with Geri every week. It took a while to get adjusted to learning about colors and not being afraid to put the brush stroke on the canvas. This was wonderful because this was something I had always thought I would like to do. I took another class with Francy Lu Hansen, who was a desert art teacher. She was taught at a university. She had a degree in art. She also worked in Paris, France, and took art lessons there too. So, she was really very good. I learned different methods and techniques from her." [*JFL]

"At the same time, they had a Gem and Mineral Society in Trona. This new friend, Helen Atwood, helped me get into that. I learned to cut stones, polish them, and shape them into more or less gems. I did also learn what leverites were and the FRDK rocks were. They told us if we see leverites, you just leave it right there. Our teacher at the gem and mineral society told us that when you see a FRDK rock, all it means is "Funny rock. Don't know." Leave it alone. [*JFL]

"I did other craft work. I learned how to do some macrame. I took classes at the college, fun classes like home decorating and silversmithing. I did learn some silversmithing at the Gem and Mineral Society. We learned how to make our own rings, and melt silver, and form different things. I did make a couple of things for myself. I got into ceramics for about a year or two. I did paint an urn and I won Honorable Mention at the state convention in Anaheim for it. I am sorry I didn't keep that urn. I did a little bit of ceramics even after we moved to Fountain Valley but then I stopped. Herb didn't want to buy me a kiln so I figured no use staying with ceramics. I did make some Christmas trees, some gifts for people, vases and different things like that." [*JFL]

"I returned back to my oil painting and from there I went to several classes. I took lessons from quite a number of different teachers. I learned landscaping, florals, still lifes. I got to the point that I thought I could just do my own thing." [*JFL]

"I got involved again in real estate and that took up a lot of my time for which I am sorry. I should have just stuck with painting. I think I would have been a lot happier all the way around." [*JFL]

1994 in Petaluma
Herbert Joseph Langner
Jenny Franczkowski Langner
Katharine Prevenas Langner
Dawn Ranftl Ramirez
Joseph Evan Ramirez
Marsha Piaseci Quick

"Jenny is wonderfully talented. Their home is decorated with a wide variety of her paintings and needlework. She plays the organ. She is an excellent cook, deeply religious, and quick to laugh. And together with Herb, they maintain a beautiful yard with a bountiful vegetable garden and fruit trees in Petaluma, CA." [?]

"The first time that I met Jenny and Herb, I came up for a visit with Dawn and her mom. Jenny and I have the same religious beliefs. Actually, I have more of a Christian belief compared to a Catholic, but Jenny and I have some great conversations. When we first met we would really get into it and start talking about the Bible and different scriptures. It was really wild. I really enjoyed talking to Jenny about that. Herb, Marsha, Dale, and Dawn would just sit back and just listen to us talk. It was really exciting. Now every time I come over I feel like I have a special bond with Jenny because of our beliefs. It is a pleasure knowing Jenny and Herb. They are a real kick." [*RLR]

Jenny LANGNER died 10 May 2015, in Warrick County, Indiana. She was buried beside her husband in the St. Joseph's Catholic churchyard cemetery.

"Genevieve (Franczkowski) Langner, age 92, of Evansville, passed away Sunday, May 10, 2015, at Hamilton Pointe in Newburgh.

"Mrs. Langner had worked for Western Electric and as a realtor for ERA in California. She was a faithful member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Vanderburgh County and a member of the St. Ann’s Altar Society and Senior Citizen’s Club at the church.

"Mrs. Langner was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Herbert J. Langner in 2004 and by two sisters, Virginia Anderson and Irene Zielinski.

"A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, May 15, 2015, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Vanderburgh County, Rev. Eugene Schroeder officiating.

"Friends may visit with the family from 3:00 until 7:00 P.M. on Thursday at Pierre Funeral Home, 2601 W. Franklin Street, where there will be a memorial service conducted by the church at 4:00 P.M. Friends may also visit with the family from 10:30 A.M. until service time on Friday at St. Joseph Church."

[*HJL Herbert Joseph Langner, *JFL Jenny Franczkowski Langner, *RLR Robert Lawrence RAMIREZ]

Jenny FRANCZKOWSKI

1922 - 2015