Flower in the River: A Family Tale Finally Told

Preserving the Eastland Disaster Story: One Family's Quest (Part 2)

• Natalie Zett

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This is Part 2 of the interview with Barb Decker-Wachholz! Here she guides us on a journey through time and unravels the remarkable tapestry of her family's connection to the Eastland Disaster of 1915 in Chicago. But brace yourself, as this story doesn't confine itself to the past; it propels us into the present--and beyond.

In 1998, Barb and her family created something truly extraordinary—the Eastland Disaster Historical Society (EDHS). This isn't just an organization; it's a passionate dedication to preserving the memories of those who endured the Eastland Disaster. 

But here's the twist—this episode isn't solely about history but the heart and soul of the people involved. As we wrap things up, Barb treats us to poignant stories about how the indomitable spirit of her grandmother, Bobbie Aanstad, inspired the creation of EDHS. You'll discover how this society has touched countless lives, leaving an indelible mark on the narrative of the Eastland Disaster.

Join us on this extraordinary odyssey as we learn how one family's unwavering dedication has forever shaped how we remember this gripping chapter of history.

Note:
Be sure to listen to Part 1 of the interview with Barb.

Link:
Eastland Disaster Historical Society 

Natalie Zett:

it's Natalie, and welcome back to part two of our chat with Barb Decker-Wachholz.

Natalie Zett:

Barb is a co-founder of the Eastland Disaster Historical Society and today she'll spill the beans on how the society got its start. If you missed the first episode, go listen ASAP because it's all about Barb's incredible grandma, bobby Onsted. Bobby survived the Eastland Disaster and, trust me, you don't want to miss Barb's storytelling chops because they are superb. Quick rundown for those just jumping in. The main players are Bobby Onsted, originally born as Borghild Onsted. That's Barb's grandma. She, along with her mom Mary Ann, her little sister Solvig and Uncle Olaf, were all on the Eastland and they all survived. Now, bobby wasn't the quiet type. She shared this gripping tale of survival with her grandkids, inspiring the eventual creation of the Eastland Disaster Historical Society.

Natalie Zett:

In this episode, you will learn more about the co-founders of EDHS. They are Barb Decker-Wachholz, Susan Decker, their late mother, Jean Decker, and Barb's husband, Ted Wachholz. They're the brains and the heart behind the society, so take a listen and find out what happens when a family story turns into something much, much bigger. We continue with the interview with Barb Decker-Wachholz. There's a transition, though, between having something like that in your history and creating a society. What happened? I mean, that's a lot of work, barb, you know. I mean, you know more than anybody. It's not just like me putting my little book here. That was a lot of work, but this is you've changed the history of the Eastland because you did this, and how did that alchemy happen?

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Well, it's interesting because my grandma died in 1991. She was 90. And so the years went by and literally in 1997, I mean, we had started to talk about it a little bit, you know, and Ted again, ted married into this. He grew up in Elgin, which is another Northwest suburb. He had never heard about it until he came into the family and he said, wow, you know, I don't live that far away from the city, and I had, so he had no clue about it. Anyway, he was intrigued by it. But so again, the years went by and we started talking about it, and actually I think it was it might have been 1995, actually I'll backtrack he being curious about the Eastland, he happened to see that a man by the name of George Hilton had written a book on the Eastland and he thought, wow, this is interesting.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

And so anyway, ted and I used to love to go down to the city a lot. We sometimes would go down, you know, for a night, go see a show, stay overnight somewhere. Anyway, we were down there one weekend in 95. And he said, let's, let's go to a bookstore and I want to see if I can find the book, because he thought that would be really neat to read. So anyway, long story short, we went into, I can remember going into this one bookstore, kind of a smaller one, not a big Barnes and Noble, but anyway they have their computer there. And you're inquiring about a book, and I said I'm looking for a book on the Eastland disaster by George Hilton, and you know, she kind of looked, she had never heard about it, never heard about that. So she's looking it up and I can't remember if we purchased it there, but I feel like we went into a couple of bookstores and anyway no one had heard of the Eastland disaster. And so again, long story short, ted does wind up obtaining the book and Ted's a very intelligent man and technical. But he said this book was so technical. He said, boy, there were times I had to kind of reread some of this stuff because George Hilton just wrote a very explicit book about what happened. So that was in 1995. And we actually bought that book for my mom, even though my mom is the daughter-in-law. My dad had already passed at that time. But anyway, somehow Ted ordered it and he had George Hilton autograph it. But anyway, so that's in 95.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

And then Ted's wheels are spinning and even though Susan and I are the well, he calls it the heart and soul behind the Eastland. Because of my grandma, we've got that blood connection to her. He just started to think about this and he said you know, as the years go on and we start losing, losing, perhaps, survivors who are out there that we don't know about, he said you know, and in talking to people so many people don't know about this, he said maybe we should do something about it. So in 1997, we were traveling to Merrillville, indiana, to his aunt's house for Thanksgiving. She always hosted big Thanksgiving. He had 35 people there, the whole family. In the car on the way with my, my mom joined us at that time, my mom and my sister and Ted and I. He said you know what? I think we need to do something. He said I think we should form a not-for-profit historical society about the Eastland and let's, let's do something to preserve this. He said because as these years, the years go on, it's going to just be gone, because again, so many people don't know about it For the city of Chicago to hardly ever recognize this. You know, it's just so odd, it's so odd Anyway. So you know, I'm just condensing this quite a bit. So we thought, wow, this, all this all happened in talking on the waiter Thanksgiving dinner.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

And then, in 1998, we went through all the processes to form the society and then, ted being the techie guy that he is, he formed a one page, one page little website. You got to start somewhere right, and so he got that going. And then it seemed like before long we would start getting hits on our website and we had a special phone number for Eastland for those business calls. And then, through a short amount of time, we started to hear from different people who said you know, my grandfather was on the Eastland.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

We're seeing so many different stories of survival, of people who did not survive, descendant of a firefighter who was there on the scene, or funeral director who took care of many. We started to hear from so many and I cannot tell you how many family stories. We have files, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds. So it's really quite amazing. And so, 25 years later, we have a great brand working with a branding company. We've upgraded through the years and we've gone from giving presentations. We look back now and we kind of chuckle at our very first presentations. We're with an overhead projector with the transparent sheets, and now we have, you know, now we have animation of the ship and it's so realistic looking and we've just really come a long way with this. But we've met so many amazing people and I don't know if I'm jumping ahead here a little bit.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Because you had inquired too about you know maybe the future of the memories of these people and the future of EDHS. And Ted and I have said and my sister that we're in our mid-60s now, so we're starting to age out as far as we're retired now, but it's always been a volunteer thing for us. We have two grown children who are both married absolutely wonderful, wonderful human beings and they have been so supportive of what we've done through the years with Eastland and they have been involved to a certain degree and they love what we're doing. But they have their own careers and their own lives and this is not something that they will take on themselves going forward. So it's easy to say, well, okay, we've done it for 25 years, but the thought of just closing up would be to me, to all of us, would be devastating, and I think it would be devastating to the people with whom we've connected through the years and it would be devastating to the memory and the honor of people who have perished in the tragedy. Anyway. So we thought there's no way that we can just close up shop. So currently, ted and a business partner they do have a succession plan. I should say we do, but Ted is working with this other person and it's called your Next Chapter and still kind of actively working on this succession plan and it will someday be something that would be staffed and self-sustaining.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

All the family files. Someday we will be gone and again we've got all of this information that we want to. You know, we want it to be preserved and we want to be able to share that information. We want people to be able to obtain whatever information they need on family members, and all their stories should still be preserved. The Newberry Library has all the archives. Okay, it's archival. They will have a lot of photos and documents that will be preserved there, and so info, all this information that will be at the Newberry. It will eventually then be available for anybody here and out. So they're working together with this.

Natalie Zett:

So still kind of in a state of working on this and defining okay, got it. Thank you, you cleared that up for me. So, yeah, so that's wonderful. And again you, because you've been living it for 25 years, you probably don't realize the service that you've done for people like I think. I found you right when your website popped up because there was another guy called Carl Supp who had the Eastland Memorial Society. Thank you, I can't believe I remember that. And then then you popped up because I was in a state of confusion. I thought, Eastland, what my family, who I mean I was, that I was like I was. I was in shock, so trying to figure out what had happened, and that you were doing this, and I thought, wow, that I met Ted at some restaurant in Schomburg. This is like, yeah, like right around that time. So it was like the time you were brand new and I was brand new. Okay, Yep, that's happened.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Yeah, couple of different societies out there. So we, yeah, we are you lasted.

Natalie Zett:

you outlasted them all. Yeah, yeah. So why? Why did you outlast them all? I mean, this is hard work, and not just your story, but all of our stories. You have brought us all together, but how'd you do?

Barb Decker Wachholz:

it.

Natalie Zett:

Barb, how did you all keep steady? And also, too, for a family organization. I've tried to work with relatives, let's just say not. So much is not worked out. So that's admirable, and I so tell me what's the secret?

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Yeah, that's true. I mean I know that there are some where you know it wouldn't work for some families. I guess we're just very, very blessed. I mean my sister and I are very close so we get along great. I think it's just a, I guess just a driving passion, I would have to say, with Ted being our executive director, with his background again, very intelligent man, and yes, he's my husband, but you know he also has a finance background and his background yeah.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

So he's he's able to. You know, his corporate experience has helped him.

Natalie Zett:

But you were talking about, ted, the 25 years and the fact that this synchronicity, synergy, alchemy that you have together is it just happened, but the fact that you were able to carry this fire this far and again. I'm not sure you realize what you've done for all of us.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Oh well you're, you're welcome. I mean, I'm glad that we have. We do get just some wonderful feedback from from families and people who have said, oh my gosh, we're so glad that you're doing this, and so many people who have contacted us who actually never knew that they had a relative on the Eastland or they were going through an attic and finding some newspapers. We still, to this day, get either a phone call or an email from someone who has a connection. So that's really quite amazing.

Natalie Zett:

What is your theory? I mean, people always ask me when I'm on a radio show or a podcast why was it forgotten? Maybe that's not the right question, but what do you think, Barb?

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Well, that's okay, Because a lot of people ask us this. They ask us especially. You know, when we have a Q&A after one of our presentations, we always open it up for Q&A.

Natalie Zett:

That's the first question yet.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Yeah, really and inevitably there's always. There are always questions, and oftentimes there's someone in the audience who has a connection, which is we always ask too. But so many times people will say why do you think this has been forgotten? And you know, we, we, honestly, we, with all the knowledge that we have of Eastland and all the research we've done, that is something that I don't even think we can answer and we will really say you know what it's, it's a great question, but we really don't know why.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Now, the fact that at the time that happened I mean we do have so many old newspaper headlines that are archived here you know it was internationally known, it went across the world, a horrible, horrible tragedy like that.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

But then shortly, shortly around that time or shortly after, world War one Interrupted and then all of a sudden in the headlines of course then it's more World War one and then it just sort of started to kind of fade away. The fact, though I mean, I can see Internationally that over time, I mean sadly, these disasters happen and you hear about it and it's oh my gosh, that's horrific, that's horrible, and even to this day, and then slowly things kind of fade away. But the fact that Chicago, one of the biggest cities in the world, kind of seemed to brush it under the rug is something we just still don't understand. For so many years, I don't think they wanted, they didn't want to bring attention to it, which is really kind of strange. It's history. It's history. It's not a reflection of the city itself. Chicago's got a few other things there bar.

Natalie Zett:

I was gonna say there's a few things that went on in Chicago.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

That are like now, I know it's really interesting.

Natalie Zett:

I just wondered what you After all your wisdom, but I have. No, I have less answers now than I once did.

Natalie Zett:

I think a lot of it had to do with the population working-class immigrant, children of immigrant. I've always have said that, but that's it's almost too easy to default to that and I'm not quite sure if it was just. And then family is like mine. I didn't even write about the real trauma that happened afterwards. I mean the fact that there was some very, very bad things that happened post Because there was nothing really to help them with the mental Issues that arose from all of that and they suffered and and the trauma got transferred down the line.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Absolutely, and we've talked about that too. Sometimes in presentations. When this comes up, that has come up to where we've heard that you know there was the grandpa said or the great uncle said, we will, we are not gonna talk about this. It was so horrific and I think, wow, can you imagine? I'm sure there were families that did talk about it. But interesting to hear that you know, or you hear you know, sometimes you hear stories about Men who came home from the war Mm-hmm, they won't talk about it. Yeah, didn't want to bring that up and it's just, it's just very interesting. I wish we had an answer.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

I don't do there think about, like the Titanic. Of course, everybody knows about the Titanic everybody knows about that.

Natalie Zett:

That you know we're not so glamorous, you know, but you know hard-working immigrants.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

It doesn't mean their lives or any less. It's less value, it's not yeah, I don't even think it had anything to do with that, but I just don't, I really I I don't think we really know why.

Natalie Zett:

I guess we never will right. It's just one of those mysteries to hold on to.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

I have found it interesting of the schools, a lot of the junior highs, sometimes even elementary, maybe fifth, sixth, seventh grade, and the kids do history fairs and it was interesting through the years we would get even a twelve-year-old who would email us and say I'm doing my project, I want to do my project, my history fair project on the Eastland disaster, can you help? So we would help and we would talk and we would email you know. And then we've also had a few teachers through the years contact us and I was talking to one on the phone many years ago and she taught in the city and she said I am actually embarrassed to say I'm a teacher and I have never heard of this and I will be teaching my students. And so again, for some of those kids who do history fair, then then in turn, when they're presenting there, they're getting word out to about, about the Eastland and it's just, it's really you've done more than you realize.

Natalie Zett:

I think you probably touched more than you realize, and I was going to ask you this have you gotten a lot of questions from across the pond, because that's what's happening to me from?

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Ireland. Oh, and to answer your question, so that's interesting that you've heard from people across the pond.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Oh yeah, we have also and we wound up. Oh gosh, there's a lovely family in Ireland and her family. She had a connection and lost two of her grand and she and her family did come in for the big 100th anniversary and she was part of the documentary and. But just, it's really amazing again how there are people all over the world that have a connection to this in some way. There probably are so many that don't even know there's a connection to it with all those people there's.

Natalie Zett:

There's probably more that we haven't even hit yet, but it's interesting to hit it in different ways. I mean not to. I feel like I'm doing it in a different way because it's like you, you've borne the burden of this. It's like I gotta do my part here and so get it out there and do what I can. But I always refer people back to you, just so you know that Just like all that's so nice, and you know what I was just thinking.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Going back to what you said, you know you would maybe not be here had to the circumstances been different. No, I would. I, and even say that in part of our presentation, part of our program.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

You know my grandma with her family around that time, and you know, have always said that if our grandmother hadn't survived, we wouldn't be here with you today. It's, and so it's kind of an odd feeling. It's a really weird feeling, how, how fate, how, you know, it's just meant to be, and I think about that too that my father would not have survived and my sister and I would not have Ted, and I have two children. I'm gonna not exist. So it's so weird to think yeah, it's just interesting.

Natalie Zett:

It is. It was the motivator for me when I, when I finally was able to put the pieces together, I thought my great aunt shouldn't have been on, that it should have been my grandmother. My great aunt wasn't the Western Electric employees. So when I finally found her grave at Bethania, I said I owe you one.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Is it? Yeah, isn't that something?

Natalie Zett:

Oh, that's giving me goosebumps, just hearing you say that it was well. I mean, like I said, there's a fair amount of the stuff that I talked about in the book, so I thought there's something about this event. It's like at first I really didn't believe anyone would read that book because it's about my family and it was only meant for family. But they are reading it and their lives are being changed. Some of them.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

So look at how many people you have reached.

Natalie Zett:

I Am touched and made them think about things and Because, again because of my mother's older sister, though, because she was the one who did the family history and Said I can't, I've kept this in long enough. She was in her 80s and she was a reporter, I think, for the Chicago Herald in the 30s and, and she said I got, I got to give this to you before I go. Wasn't that something for you? Just to read it? It was, it was, it was also, but it wasn't necessarily what I told people. It wasn't a joyous thing, it was like I'm too late, it was a tremendous feeling of guilt.

Natalie Zett:

I'm guessing too, that in order to let this story live that a lot of Life, as you knew, it had to recede a bit, and that's what you've done. You've been of tremendous Service. Humbly, I mean again, I know Ted better than I know you, but I mean Ted is like what the heck? How's this guy keep doing this stuff? I know, but it's just like but yes, he is, he's, he's, he's, he's brilliant. I, but he's also so compassionate, he has such a beautiful heart, and so do you.

Natalie Zett:

I think what you have done is Tremendous. Is there anything that I've not asked you, anything that you've been dying to talk about? I'm here, so what would you like to say?

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Well, you know what I'd like to say just a little bit about, about my grandma and again I sometimes feel like there aren't enough adjectives to Everybody who met her, loved her, all of our, you know, the cousins and, and everybody she, everybody loved Aunt Bobby, you know, and through the years she, just she, loved to have fun. I think you've maybe seen some of the pictures when she was yes so cute, and that was after the disaster, I'm thinking she was about 16.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

But what I remember about her and I feel so blessed to have had her till I was in my early 30s, something like that was the memories that I have of her and Her, her zest for life. You know, you think about a young girl who has gone through Some of these horrible childhood illnesses and survived to lose her father, who she loved and adored. Yeah, I remember her telling me he loved music. He loved music. I remember that. I wish I knew more about him. But to lose him when you're 10 years old and then three years later, you're fighting for your life in this ship and then you still go on and you're, you're living your life, you're laughing, you're, you're enjoying your life and it's like she just had this gusto for life, even though she had a lot of trauma in her life. What I learned from her, I guess, when looking at my life and and I and I do have to say, and I'm not just saying this, but my, my own mom has always said she said you're so much like Nana, and I think I feel that you know from the time I was little, my mom said I was born smiling, I you know, laughing so, and there's just a lot. Or I can remember, you know, even when I was in my 40s, I would tell my mom, oh gosh, I was working, I was doing this project at home, and on this I haven't sat down all day. She said, oh my gosh, I don't know how you do it. You're just like Nana, she could take on a project and you know so I and I feel like I have her personality. I am saying this because I feel blessed. So when I think of life, life Isn't always always happy, go lucky, and we all have, can have trauma in our life, and we can have sadness and and things don't maybe always go the way we hope. What I've learned and what I take from her is her spirit and I think, okay, maybe that's not going the way I want it to go, or whatever has happened in the past. You just keep on living, you keep on laughing. And I have some of her letters, and you know written letters, of course, and I was reading them not so long ago and I just they're just lovely, sweet letters. But I remember like there was a little ps and she said something like always, always, be happy and you know, she was just, she was just inspiring.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

I think you know I look at pictures of her. I'm gonna send it to you because I don't know if you have it. Okay, I have it as a five by seven and a frame on a beautiful little table that she got in 1921. It's a hundred, you know, it's over a hundred years old. She got when it was a wedding gift. So I have it, I love it.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Anyway, it was a picture of her in her 70s and there is something I do want to Possibly wrap up with that you probably know about, but I didn't touch on it yet. She's in her 70s. She's got the biggest smile on her face, her cute little short haircut, and it's that same smile that you see in the pictures of her when she's a teenager or a young married woman. It's that beautiful brightness that she had, and so I have just again, I'm blessed to have her genetic makeup. But I think there are times where, if I do feel kind of whatever, I just think of her and her telling you just be happy, be happy, you know. In other words, life is good, except you know Just, you got to go forward, you got to just. I have a zest for life and just Be happy, and what I did want to just reflect on just real fast. I'll go back.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

I mentioned about Ernie Carlson when she was young with the family friends up in Wisconsin, and so you know they're young kids and probably teenagers at that point and then obviously they grow up and life moves on. My grandmother married my grandfather, my dad's father, and then Ernie went on to get married and had a son, wound up living out in California. He was widowed and then married again, okay, and then he was widowed for a second time. My grandma, bobby, was widowed in 1965, as I mentioned. I had her cute little apartment on the northwest side of Chicago and Was a wonderful cook. She loved to entertain that's another thing that I love to do a wonderful baker. I'm actually gonna send you a cookie recipe of hers that I think you will love Everybody. Everybody says I have to have that rest. You'll love it. So that has carried on to it Anyway. So she was widowed in 1965. About 10 years later, in 75, still living in the same Q department. We're still out in the suburbs. I'm in high school.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

She receives a letter in the mail from Ernie Carlson. All these years later they're in their 70s. They haven't seen each other since 13 years. So, long story short, and I'm sure you know this story, he was coming into Chicago and had heard that she had been widowed for a while and thought maybe it would be nice to get together. I have that letter. It was a card. I have that card packed in her little box of things. So it's really special.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

And so, anyway, to condense, and long story short, I think they met up at one of the lovely hotels in Chicago, in the restaurant you know one of those nice restaurants, and anyway they just hit it off. Can you imagine seeing each other after all those years? And you had crushed those little, you know, it's like those little crushes you have. They didn't date, they weren't girlfriend and boyfriend, but they were, you know. Anyway, as it turns out, a year later they get married. And they got married at the church where I was confirmed in the suburbs in Arlington Heights, and his son and wife flew in from California.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

We got to know the family and they really became like our other family. And I'm still in touch with Ernie's grandsons wonderful people and we had the most beautiful wedding reception in my parents' backyard. It was a beautiful summer day. It was a summer before I went into senior year of high school and what's so amazing is we knew at that time that, you know, when she definitely said she would marry him, she was going to then be moving to California.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

After coming here when she was three, living in Chicago, you know, living on her own, you know, for 10 years since she had been widowed, I was like no, no, you're gonna leave, you're gonna go to California. But we were so happy for her and, as it turns out, she had seven wonderful years with Ernie. She had more fun and he was cute and silly and funny. We just loved him and they had a lovely little place in Brea, california, near where his son lived, and she got to know their family. They loved her like their other grandma.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

So, and then he passed away in his sleep in 1983. And then my parents went out. We went out for the funeral and then wound up moving my grandma back. Well, and then I so she did say she said those were the seven best years of her life and I thought it was so interesting. You know, I know she loved my grandpa, but I think there was something about Ernie that was so fun, silly and fun. And also here's a little tidbit they went on a few cruises. So here again she survives. The Eastland when she's a teen had no qualms about going on a cruise.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

They went to why she did so many things she had never done in the year she was married to my grandpa. You know it was more of a meager. They lived very comfortably but she had a great seven years with Ernie. And then, if I can, I'll just wrap up here a little bit and she kept talking. She hung by when she passed. She was at that time then living with my mom and dad. That passed like the last couple of years of her life. She had a little congestive heart failure, very common of course. But other than that, I mean she didn't walk with a walker, she still had her mental faculties. You know she'd be at the sink helping my mom with the dishes and you know all that. But they had a couple of little instances, you know, with her heart, just a little bit.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

We had a beautiful 90th birthday party for her on her birthday July 28th, and that was in 9th. Everybody who was invited came, and you know how when you plan a party there's always going to be someone who can't make it right. I mean, or they're sick or they already had a vacation plan. Oh, I can't make it whatever. Everybody who was invited, all the friends, all her friends, our dear family friends, everybody who loved her family, beautiful day in my parents backyard, just like when she had married Ernie in 1976. Anyway, so we've got even video footage of that. I love it. She's welcoming everybody and she's just. It was a beautiful, beautiful celebration of her life, 90.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

So five days later she passed in her sleep and it was. It was, I mean, it was shocking because we were like, oh my gosh, you know we just had her party five days ago, but it was very peaceful, it was in her sleep. My mom went in to check on her and she's, you know, my mom knew her patterns and she went in to check on her at about eight in the morning. She said, oh, she should be up by about now. And you know she went around to the side of the bed and she was just sleeping there, so peaceful, or she thought. And then she knew she could tell.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

But you know what, she did not suffer at all. And even the paramedics when they came they said, you know, her heart just slowly, just stopped. And and you know it's so interesting because then, two days after that, a week from the time, we had the party for her, exactly one week later, then we were at the wake. And so everybody who had been at the party a week before, you know, was there and we were all saying, isn't it hard to believe that a week ago today we were celebrating her, and, you know, with everybody who had attended the party. We said it was meant to be that way, because they were all there to say goodbye, not knowing, not knowing, but that she could even see everybody, and it was just like this wonderful celebration of her, her life, and so it really was amazing. But I have often said, oh my gosh, I hope that when my time comes I just I fall asleep like my grandma. You know what a special, special lady.

Natalie Zett:

But yeah, I feel as if I've met her through you and I really feel like the storytelling gene is alive and well.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Thank you. Thank you, I'm honored to talk about her. I love talking about her you can talk about her anytime.

Natalie Zett:

I could just sit here and just let me get some coffee and just listen. It's really, it's really intriguing for me to hear you talk about somebody who survived and I actually felt with your story. I felt like I was there. I got an insight, insight to what that time on the Eastland was like. I've never really. I mean, I've seen the videos, I've seen the stories. This is the first time I felt like, OK, this was somebody who was actually there. What happened to Uncle Olaf after all that?

Barb Decker Wachholz:

That's a good question. You know what happened to him. He, yeah, he actually, and I don't remember how long he stayed with them. See, gosh, I actually have pictures in all of my grandma's things of Olaf. He did marry a woman her name was Bess and they moved out to California. Oh, however, I don't know if he met her here or if he met her in California, and he had a farm out in California. And so even when my dad was young that we have vacation pictures of them out at uncle Olaf's farm with animals, and my dad was, oh gosh, looked like he was maybe you know, eight, ten, something like that and pictures with Olaf. The only picture I recall of Olaf as a young man was the family portrait that we do have of them. Otherwise, in these other pictures that you know he's an older man and a little heavier, and but you know that's uncle Olaf. And, to my knowledge, I remember my, my grandma and my mom actually saying that they had had a child and but the child was born. Well, you know, it's Down syndrome.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Oh, okay, sure Down syndrome at that time, but that's about all I know. They were in California in California.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

And I was trying to think there was something else I was gonna mention to you about Uncle. Oh, just just a little kind of a silly thing about uncle Olaf Story that I remember. You know I mentioned to you that when we were kids she would tell us all the funny these stories about when she was young, and so we love those. We have a repeat them, as I mentioned. So there was a story about and this is after her father had died and when she came home from school, because uncle Olaf was living there and at that point then her mom had to go out to work, so when she came home from school she had to put on. I remember this. One day she said she had to peel the potatoes and put them on the stove, but then she had a friend over and you know she didn't pay attention to the potatoes on the stove. So they, you know all the water evaporated, they burned. She said he was so mad. He was so mad. But anyways, it's just.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

You know just some of those little stories, a little stories and, and, and these are just little little, silly little things and and you certainly don't have to keep these in your, your podcast.

Natalie Zett:

Oh, I think, I think those are the things that we remember. When things don't go well, like my year, my mom dropped the Thanksgiving turkey on the floor and she said that is clean it up. You know, those are the things remember, not the perfect art, the steward yeah, that's just when things get messed up. It's just like that's funny. I mean, those are really funny.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

That is so true. No, this was just, you know, when I told you the little story about that, bobby Blix, and how she and I do also remember and this is what I loved when she would tell us stories about herself and it's like I could always picture, and I mean still at this day I'm 63 and I can still picture what I picture in my head from what she told me when she, you know, we were young and she would talk about how she loved to roller skate. You know I love to roller skate up and down the sidewalk and I'm thinking, while you're in Logan Square, I'm picturing. You know we've been through Logan Square. It's like, oh my gosh, I was cute girl roller skating.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

And then she, she told us about a time she was at their house and she was being silly because she was silly and she was imitating Charlie Chaplin. Oh my, she had a little cake, she had some kind of a stick and you know how he would twirl, he would walk, funny, yeah, like a dying she. And so when she was telling us this story and again, she was probably in her 60s at the time, you know she would do it and we would laugh because she was so cute the way she'd do it. And then she said and then I, I hit my toe on the pot, belly, stove or whatever. And she said I broke my toe. Oh no, it was just. You know, it was just those cute little things that I remember as a kid. You know that she was. She would tell us these fun little stories character.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

But, yeah. I feel like I met her.

Natalie Zett:

It's just she's, she's wonderful and she's, besides being wonderful and fun and happy, she was able to take that trauma and actually become, I don't know, almost a healer or something. I mean, it seems like she was able to turn that. Not all of us have that ability and so it's a tremendous Power. And and again I feel like she's living on through the Eastland disaster. We wouldn't have the Eastland disaster historical society not just without her surviving, but her spirit.

Barb Decker Wachholz:

Absolutely. So many times we have said, oh my gosh, we wish she had been here. We like to think that she's looking down saying, wow, good job.

Natalie Zett:

Well, of course I can't prove it, but I do think that Bobby is looking down on them and Saying good job, or however you say that in Norwegian, because they really have done quite a service for us. So thank you Barb, thank you Ted, thank you Susan and thank you, gene, for all the work you did with the Eastland disaster historical society and Personally, I love the story of how this Eastland disaster historical society was born. One day they're driving to a relatives house for Thanksgiving and all of a sudden one of them says somebody needs to do something about this or somebody has to do something about this. And Once you say that out loud, somebody better do something about whatever. Often times, all the times, nearly, you end up being the somebody, the someone. So we have for some ones who bothered to do something with this story and To say I'm indebted to these folks. That doesn't even cover it, and the fact that we were doing similar things At the same time always probably will always fascinate me again. It's like what was in the air in the late 90s when I discovered this for the first time, and they in turn decided to create this society.

Natalie Zett:

I don't know, but the one thing that struck me about what they did, was that in 1998? They embraced the technology. The worldwide web was a brand new thing at one point, and what they decided to do is they got curious and they thought how can we use this modern technology to share the story the nearly Lost story of this event? That happened back in 1915, and so they embraced it, and I've been an IT from around that that time as well, and I do recall that people were terrified of this thing, this worldwide web thing, this internet thing and you probably know where I'm going, because I'm talking about this in 2023. There have been a lot of new technological changes and they're going really fast and, as much of a tech lover as I am, it is hard to keep up. But again, what they did is, instead of ignoring the technology, they learned to run with it. Ted learned to program a website, you but they embraced this technology early, they learned how to work it for good purposes and I applaud them for that as well.

Natalie Zett:

So, again, there's just so many wonderful aspects of this story and I hope that I always hope, again, that people aren't just inspired by listening to anything pertaining to this podcast or my book, but that they take action in their own lives and decide to do something about their own family history their own history, for that matter. Write a memoir, whatever you want to do, but the whole thing about what Bobby onstead did was she told the story over and over and over again. Maybe that was the way she dealt with the trauma by talking about it, by facing it. I can't speak for Bobby, but it almost seems as if she looked at it and said ah, you're not going to get the best of me, and I have complete respect for that, just as I have respect for my own family, who struggled with dealing with what happened, because they too had a pile up of tragedies, and so everyone's journey is different. I respect everyone's journey, but when you run across someone who has this incredible will of steel to survive and thrive and embrace life again, that's pretty incredible and I certainly appreciate it.

Natalie Zett:

At any rate, that's all for now. I hope you enjoyed this adventure with Barb and maybe we can coax her back at some point, because isn't she fun to listen to? Okay, so take care and I will talk to you soon.

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Natalie Zett

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