Conrad “Coonie” Gahimer and Sallie Gruell

Story by Fred Gahimer, 11 Oct 2001. Cover photo is Conrad Gahimer and Sallie Gruell on their wedding day, August 21, 1907.

Conrad, son of William and Salome (Hirtzel) Gahimer, lived on a farm west of Manilla on the old Rushville Road in Union Township, Shelby County. It was originally owned by his grandfather Christian Hirtzel, and he purchased it after the death of his father.

He was 5′ 6″ tall (average for that time period) with brown eyes and nearly black hair. In later life, his eyes turned grey.

William Gahimer (seated) with his children L-R: Edward Gahimer, Julius Gahimer, George Gahimer, Adeline Gahimer, August Gahimer, Conrad Gahimer, and John William Gahimer

He also purchased a farm on State Road 44 on the west side of the Shelby-Rush Co. line and south of the railroad. His son Carl rented it and later inherited it upon Conrad’s death. The Christian Hirtzel homestead was adjacent to it on the east, with the Shelby-Rush County line at the junction of the two.

Young Conrad Gahimer

Conrad married Sallie Gruell, daughter of William H. and Emma Irene (Boyd) Gruell in Rush County on August 21, 1907. When they were courting, Conrad used to dress up in his finest, and sit in the back of the church where Sallie sang in the choir. They would make eyes at each other, and Sallie would look at Conrad and giggle. Conrad was called by the nickname of “Coonie”.

They had two children; Carl Fredrick, born July 8, 1908; and Edna Irene, born March 31, 1912.

On porch L – R: John Gahimer, his wife Jennie, George Gahimer (son of William), his wife Addie Rader holding their son Howard Gahimer (b. Dec 1907), Augustus Gahimer “Guss” (son of William), his wife Margie (Anna Margaret Hauck), John Ritter, his wife Adeline Gahimer holding on to son Earl Ritter (b. Feb 1907), Sally Gruell, her husband Conrad Gahimer (son of William) holding Carl Gahimer (b. Jul 1908), Shirley McDaniel, her husband Julius Gahimer (son of William) holding their son Ross Gahimer (b. 1908) and Edward Gahimer (son of William). Roxie was not in this picture presumably because she wasn’t present (Ed married Roxie in Dec 1911).
Seated on porch L – R: Goldie Gahimer (daughter of Augustus b. May 1896), Virgil Gahimer (son of George b. Nov 1900), and William Gahimer
Seated on walk L – R: Albert Gahimer (son of John b. Dec 1898), Crystal (b. 1901), Julia Gahimer (daughter of Julius b. Sep 1905), Inez Gahimer (daughter of George b. 1904), Mary Gahimer (daughter of George b. Jan 1903), Chester Gahimer (son of George b. 1906), and Russell Ritter (son of Adeline b. Sep 1904)
This photo was taken 1908 at the William’s farm house. It went to Ed in 1924 and burned down in 1945. William had given farms to the rest of the children. In 2009, Helen Rice was living in the same location.
Young Carl Gahimer

For information about Conrad’s younger years, see this story. For information about Sallie’s younger years, see this story.

Top L-R: William Gahimer, woman ?, woman ?, woman ?, Adeline Gahimer, Sallie Gruell Gahimer (Conrad’s wife), Salome Hirtzel Gahimer (William’s wife), woman ?, man ?, man ?, man ?, Man ?
Middle: Man ? with child ?, Ed Gahimer, man ?, woman ?, Conrad Gahimer holding Edna Gahimer, man ?, child ?, man ?
Bottom: woman ?, woman ?, child ?
Front: child ?, child ?, child ?, child ?, child ?, child ?, child ?, child ?, child ?, child ?,

Carl went to a one room schoolhouse down the road.  He had to go to school early each morning to light the fire.

In 1908, Sallie Gahimer submitted several recipes and household tips to the Indianapolis Star.

Recipe sent by Sallie Gahimer.

In 1909, a wreck occurred near Conrad’s home.

Wreck near Conrad’s farm – The Daily Republican October 29, 1909

Sallie died on September 10, 1916 at the young age of 29 due to peritonitis, rumored to be a result of her attempt to abort a fetus because she did not want a third child. Carl was 8 years old at the time, and Edna only 4. After Sallie’s death, Conrad obtained the help of a housekeeper, Mary Charity Mahin, known as Aunt Charity; a wonderful old widow lady who helped raise the children like a substitute mother. Aunt Charity lived in Conrad’s house, raising the children until her death 14 years later (April 8, 1931). She was a member for the Manilla Christian Church, where Conrad was also a member. At the time of her death she had two sons, 13 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.

Aunt Charity’s obituary, Rushville Republican April 9, 1931

When William died in 1924, his two sons, Ed and Conrad, along with Addie’s husband, John Ritter filed suit to reclaim moneys provided to William.

Claims on William’s estate – The Daily Republican November 7, 1925

In 1931, Conrad invested in a new bank.

Rushville Republican Nov 25, 1930
Carl Gahimer. Photo taken at Conrad’s farm (where Carl grew up). Building in rear was blacksmith shop (right end) and woodhouse (left end). Woodhouse had a log cutter (reciprocating saw hooked up to an engine).
Carl Gahimer at Conrad Gahimer’s farm looking east. Path goes to the chicken yard to the left (north) and the street to the right (south). Building (left) is washing machine/woodhouse, and attached building to the right was blacksmith shop. The woodhouse was a log building.
Carl Gahimer
Carl Gahimer

Carl and his cousin Chester Gahimer were close friends their entire lives.

L – R: Carl Gahimer and Chester Gahimer
Chester Gahimer holding Carl Gahimer

 

L – R: Chester Gahimer and Carl Gahimer
L – R: Carl Gahimer and Chester Gahimer

Conrad farmed, first with horses, then with tractors. In the early years, Conrad had a lot of equipment which other farmers did not, and he used to harvest their crops for them for a fee. However, he had no interest in expanding his land holdings, so the more aggressive neighbors passed him by. For some years, until about the 1940s, Conrad and his brother Edward operated two threshing rigs, one of which had a huge steam engine which was so heavy that when it went down the gravel roads, the steel wheels would crush the gravel almost to dust.

Rushville Republican December 5, 1942

Memories by Fred Gahimer

Grandad and his brother Ed were partners in a threshing business. They had a giant engine and a smaller one and two threshers. They threshed over a three county area. I will never forget the first time I saw the monster engine pulling its thresher followed by a long train of horse-drawn wagons coming down the country road toward our farm. The huffing, puffing, smoking, hissing, clanging, giant engine was a marvel to my eyes. It was so heavy it would crush the stone on the road.

In the last year of threshing [about 1946] before we changed over to a tractor-pulled combine, Grandad let me drive the engine down the road toward his house for a while. The steering consisted of a big chain to each of the front wheels on the center pivot axle. The slack in the chains was such that I had about a one-turn play in the steering wheel, and I quickly wore myself out spinning the wheel back and forth while weaving back and forth down the road. I was about 12-13 years of age and was very happy to turn the job back to Grandad.

On August 24, 1929, Carl married Mabel Wagoner. For more on their life, see this story.

Carl Gahimer and Mabel Wagoner wedding photo

In 1932, Conrad was elected as director of the Citizen’s Bank of Manilla.

In October 1934, several gallons of lard were stolen from Conrad Gahimer’s cellar. Conrad and his family were in Chicago at the time.

The Daily Republican October 29, 1934

In July 1935, Edna and Conrad were injured in a car wreck. It was dark at night and Edna was driving and ran into a horse-drawn wagon. The wagon driver was not injured but Edna and Conrad sustained cuts from the shattered glass.

Rushville Republican July 20, 1935

In September 1935, Conrad’s daughter Edna was married to Leonard Evans.

Rushville Republican September 21, 1935

In October 1935, SR44 was built cutting through Conrad’s farm (then being rented by his son, Carl, who later inherited it upon Conrad’s death).

In August 1941, Conrad accompanied his daughter, Edna, and her husband Leonard, and their son, Dick on a 10 day vacation to the Smoky Mountains and Florida.

Rushville Republican August 28, 1941
Standing: Ed Gahimer, Vince Ebbing, Anna May Gahimer, Leonard Evans, Mabel Wagoner Gahimer, Charlene Gahimer John, Judy John, Frank John, Edna Gahimer Evans, Roxie Gahimer.
Sitting: Carl Gahimer, Conrad Gahimer, Allen Ray Gahimer, ?, Joe Rice, ?
In wagon: ?, ?
Ed was Conrad’s brother. Roxie was Ed’s wife. Charlene was Ed’s daughter. Frank John was Charlene’s wife. Allen Ray was Ed’s son. Joe Rice was Ed’s son-in-law (married to Helen). Edna Evans was Conrad’s sister. Leonard Evans was Edna’s husband. Vince Ebbing was a hired hand of Carl Gahimer.
At windmill of Carl Gahimer farm.
L – R: Ed Gahimer, Conrad Gahimer, Vince Ebbing, Allen Ray Gahimer, Joe Rice, ?, Carl Gahimer, ? child, Fred Gahimer, ? child. Ed was Conrad’s brother. Allen Ray was Ed’s son. Joe Rice was Ed’s son-in-law (married to Helen). Vince Ebbing was a hired hand of Carl Gahimer. At windmill of Carl Gahimer farm.

In May 1947, at the age of 64 Conrad was doing feeding chores in his hay mow and missed the step on the ladder going down and fell 14 feet to the floor. He injured his back and hip and became unable to help with farm chores.

Rushville Republican May 1, 1947

Conrad was the guardian of a mentally impaired cousin farm hand named Ross, who, although slow, was a willing worker and a very nice person. Conrad treated him very well, and put half of his earnings into a savings account for his retirement, and gave him the other half to live on. The man’s sister was always nagging Conrad to get her hands on all of his money, but Conrad resisted even to the day of his death; as Conrad’s grandson Fred saw her leaving Conrad’s house the day Conrad shot himself.

On Wednesday, May 21, 1947 Fred had stopped by on his bicycle to get Richard Evans, Edna’s son, to go to church to practice for a play. Conrad was sitting on the sofa of the living room with his head resting on his cane. He apparently shot himself in the temple a few hours after that. Edna found his body in the milk house when she returned home and searched for him.

Rushville Republican May 22, 1947
Carl Gahimer at Conrad Gahimer’s milkhouse (where Conrad died)

His body was displayed in the casket in a front room of his house, and had to be taken through a window because the door was not wide enough. He was taken up to the Manilla Christian Church for the funeral, and was buried in East Hill Cemetery in Rushville.

Conrad never married after Sallie’s death, and he lamed himself falling out of the haw mow. These misfortunes probably contributed to his despondency later in life, leading to his suicide.