William John Wiskur, Aurora, Illinois

William and Elizabeth owned a five-acre farm in Aurora, Ill., where they raised their family...

Ralph William , born August 25, 1913
Irene, born May 3, 1917
Alvin, born May 18, 1921
Elmer J., born June 22, 1925
Robert John, born July 8, 1932

There were other children born to William and Elizabeth, who unfortunately did not survive infancy....Leona, Magdalyn, Mathew, Dorothy, Rosemary, and Rosemarie.

 

William John Wiskur
December 12, 1983—February 10, 1947

Elizabeth Marie Ludig Wiskur
November 27, 1988—May 16, 1954

Elizabeth Marie Ludig Wiskur, Aurora, Illinois

Ralph and Lillian Wiskur with their son Darrell, born May 3, 1940, the first grandson of William and Elizabeth.

Alvin, helping with the chores

Irene with her nephew, Darrell, October 1940

Elizabeth, son Bob, and grandson, Darrell, photographed October 1940,

 

Elmer Wiskur, shortly before enlisting in the Army to serve in WWII

Bob, their youngest son, on the county road grader

While this automobile was photographed for William and Elizabeth's family album. It belonged to a boy who was courting their daughter Irene.

Besides working their farm, William worked for the county, grading roads.

The secret of working hard in the fields all day was handed down from great-grandfather William Wiskur to grandfather Ralph Wiskur to grandson Pete Wiskur, as told by Pete:

My grandad Wiskur worked on a farm most all his life. He drank instead of water, 'Ginger Water.' According to Grandpa, you could stand just about all heat if you drank this amazing Ginger Water, which was handed down to him by his father, William. I'm not sure if it is mainly the Ginger water or if is was Grandpa's strong belief in the Ginger Water. Ginger Water consists of: