RUBEN WILLIAM
 (Second child of Lorenz and Maggie)
By Franklin L. Kern

Ruben was born 1896.  As a child he enjoyed music.  He related that as children they would use cigar boxes (from the bar room) for snare drums, a kettle for a base drum, and other homemade wooden toys for instruments, using them to pretend they were in a band.  They would march up and down on the dirt Main Street in front of the Kern Hotel.  Since there were no cars in those days, they needed to only watch for horse and buggies.               

Ruben and his sister and brother would have to help around the hotel doing various tasks, one of which they hated, namely, cleaning the spittoons in the bar room. 

Their father had a horse which pulled buggies and sleighs.  This horse was kept in the barn behind the hotel.  (Lorenz also enjoyed horse racing.  He had a friend in Saginaw who owned a racing horse.  He would try to get to the races when he had a chance.  Frieda Kern would drive him to various fairs for that purpose). 

Ruben attended St. Lorenz Lutheran School, where he was a good student.  He related that during recess they were allowed to play ball.  The ball was made of tightly woven strips of old cloths.  (In later years he would stop at the school after lunch and pitch for both sides of the writer’s class until recess was over).

He had an aptitude for mathematics, which he used in many of his subsequent jobs.  (It was related to me by one of Rube’s bowling teammates the while bowling, he mentally could keep an accurate record of pins knocked down by both teams, so that toward the end of each game he knew how many pins were needed to win the game). 

Ruben’s employment began as a bookkeeper at the Gold Medal Brewery, which was the forerunner of the Carling Brewery, at the site of the current Riverplace Shopping Center in Frankenmuth.

He subsequently was employed at the Bank of Vassar before being called to duty in the U.S. Army for World War I.  He achieved the rank of Corporal in the unit’s band.  He was stationed at Fort Custer, Battle Creek, Michigan. 

After the war he married Regina Emma Marie Bernthal, (who was a granddaughter of the original settler, Leonard Bernthal) in 1921.  They lived in Saginaw, Michigan a number of years.  While in Saginaw, Ruben worked for the Bank of Saginaw and Standard Oil Co. business department. 

Ruben and his brother Walter (also known as Teddy) were the best of friends and usually were involved in activities together.  So, when writing about one or the other, it is necessary to combine the discussion.  Click Here To Read About The Brother's Activities.

Their first child, James Walter, was born in Saginaw, where they belonged to Bethlehem Lutheran Church. 

Prior to the birth of their second son Harry Ruben , they had moved to Frankenmuth, where Ruben obtained a job at the Frankenmuth State Bank.  He was in their employment for 40+years and retired as V.P. Cashier. 

He recalled that in the 1940-50ties much of the banking was performed in the German language and with a handshake. 

Ruben helped organize the Frankenmuth American Legion Post #150, where he served as Adjutant for many years. 

Besides Jim and Harry, they had two other children, namely, Franklin Lorenz, and Jeanette Margaret,.