In her teens, Hildegard attended Lillian High School and worked in her father's filling station when she was about 15, pumping gas and helping with repairs and deliveries. She later worked for Louis and Della Bahls at their home. It was there that she met and fell in love with Richard Francis Bahls who, at that time was nearing the end of his service in the U.S.Navy. They married on 29 Dec 1932 in Loxley, Alabama. They rented a small house in Robertsdale. At the onset of the Great Depression the opportunity to find work was virtually nonexistant and Richard decided in 1932 to find work up north in Chicago. Hildegard joined him about a year later. Their first child, a son, Richard Louis, was born 5 Aug 1935. In 1944 they finally settled into a house in Oak Lawn,Illinois, a south suburb of Chicago. Their daughter, Charlene Bertha, was born 28 Aug 1944. Richard died 5 Jul 1956 and Hildegard never remarried. She was active in the Order of the Eastern Star and the First Congregational Church in Oak Lawn. She retired after 25 years with the American Can Company and moved to Chula Vista, California to care for her mother, Charlotte. At the time of her death , 1 Sep 1999, she was a much loved grandmother of 5 and great grandmother of 10.
In her teens, Hildegard attended Lillian High School and worked in her father's filling station when she was about 15, pumping gas and helping with repairs and deliveries. She later worked for Louis and Della Bahls at their home. It was there that she met and fell in love with Richard Francis Bahls who, at that time was nearing the end of his service in the U.S.Navy. They married on 29 Dec 1932 in Loxley, Alabama. They rented a small house in Robertsdale. At the onset of the Great Depression the opportunity to find work was virtually nonexistant and Richard decided in 1932 to find work up north in Chicago. Hildegard joined him about a year later. Their first child, a son, Richard Louis, was born 5 Aug 1935. In 1944 they finally settled into a house in Oak Lawn,Illinois, a south suburb of Chicago. Their daughter, Charlene Bertha, was born 28 Aug 1944. Richard died 5 Jul 1956 and Hildegard never remarried. She was active in the Order of the Eastern Star and the First Congregational Church in Oak Lawn. She retired after 25 years with the American Can Company and moved to Chula Vista, California to care for her mother, Charlotte. At the time of her death , 1 Sep 1999, she was a much loved grandmother of 5 and great grandmother of 10.
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