This letter was written to me by my grandmother, Irene (Wurster) Hawes on Christmas, 1977. It was attached to my Christmas present, which is described in the letter.
December 25, 1977
About 82 or 83 years ago, your Great Grandfather, Robert Wurster came to this country from a small town in Germany. He was 12 years old. He worked in the city of Boston Mass., and became a tailor. He made excellent clothes. He did not like the work, and later learned to cut meat. Robert moved to Indianapolis, Ind. and for many years had his own butcher shop. He married and had children, but that is another story.
Like many men, Robert liked beer, and preferred the beer made in this country. Although he very seldom drank more than one bottle of beer a day, he liked to serve it to his friends, so he bought it by the case. It was delivered to his house by horse and wagon. So, about 65 years ago, he bought a case of beer, but he gave the case to your Grandmother Irene. She used it during her travels in this country and in Germany and Japan.
Then when your Father was 12 to 14 years old, he needed a box to pack his clothes in for summer camp as a Boy Scout. He used the beer case. He painted it bright colors so that it would not be lost, and he put on a clasp so that it could be locked. Although he took the case to summer camp for two years he did not use it much – the clothes were just as clean when he got back from camp as they were when he left home.
The beer case is now about 60 years old. Although the beer case was for bottled beer, you may want to keep it as a side line for your beer can collection, or to take it to a summer camp within a few years. I do not know whether this lock is the one your Father used during summer camp, or while he was in high school. It could be the one he bought to use with the beer case.
Grandma Irene
NOTE: This beer case is now over 100 years old and is sitting in my son’s room where he keeps his “treasures”!