Abraham Worth Onstott and Marth (Corwin) Onstott were considered Joplin pioneer residents. Mr. Onstott was in the mining business for 25 years. According to the History of Jasper County, Mr. Onstott “erected a nice residence” in Joplin. Before moving to Joplin, he grew up in Carthage. His father, Judge John Onstott was working in their wheat field when the Civil War broke out and the Battle of Carthage began on July 5, 1861. His father was taken prisoner and transported to Fort Scott, Kansas, then to Bentonville, Arkansas where he was later paroled.
The couple lived in this house until Mrs. Onstott died of complications due to an automobile accident in 1929.
Morgan’s Grocery Store
This building has been re-purposed from a two-story neighborhood grocery store, to many different purposes. Originally owned by George Morgan. George’s grocery business started on East 7th Street, he moved his store in 1935 to 505 West 2nd and lived next door at 503 West 2nd. From 1946 to 1974, His son Roy and wife Virginia took over the store. they lived east of the store in a house at 124 South Byers. The market was also home to Darral Dishman’s second story art studio, a residential rental in the 80’s and from 2007 to 2014 Madison Lane Interiors. The partners did an extensive restoration to building to house their array of quintessential home décor.
In 2016, new owners of Morgan’s Grocery Store have settled in Murphysburg. Dr. Blake Webster and Dr. Amykay Cole. They have re-purposed the Depression era concrete block commercial building into a clinical psychology office.
To Recognize International Holocaust Remembrance Day – January 27, 2024
HENRI & HORST TAUCHER
HMP is honored to present the true story of two Jewish brothers that survived Nazi terrorism in Berlin, Germany during World War II and found a new life at 204 South Jackson Avenue in Joplin.
The brothers’ survival of atrocities and how they made their way to Joplin as orphans, is told in part in the book, “Saved by the Enemy…The True Story of Fred and Henry Taucher: Survival Amidst Nazi Terrorism in Berlin.” Published in 2011, the book is still available as an e-book. The author, Craig A. Ledbetter, is a stepson of one of the boys that sought refuge in Joplin.
According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27—the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz- Birkenau—as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The annual commemoration honors the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides.
True Story of Fred and
Henry Taucher: Survival Amidst Nazi Terrorism in Berlin.”
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BACKGROUND ON HENRI & HORST TAUCHER
Julius Taucher was born in the United States, but for unknown reason, moved back to Germany in 1910 with his parents. He met and married Therese and soon she gave birth to their son, Henri (known in the U.S. as Henry or Hank) in the comfort and safety of a hospital on January 3, 1932. But as Therese approached the birth of her second son, Jewish babies were no longer allowed to be born in Berlin hospitals. Therese’s employer recommended a mid-wife, Fraulein Gertrude Nolting, to help bring Horst (known in the U.S. as Fred) into the world on January 29, 1933. The very next day, Adolf Hitler would become Chancellor of Germany and conditions for Jewish residents would become increasingly worse and life threatening.
The fact that Gertrude took the chance of assisting in the birth of a Jewish child was puzzling because she was a member of the Nazi party! Gertrude’s life partner and housemate, Fraulein Traute Holina, was an official photographer for the Nazi Protection Squads. Together the women were well off and even had a second house on the outskirts of town. After the boys’ father was sent to Auschwitz and killed, the boys and their mother went into hiding and assumed the names of people who had perished during previous air raids on Berlin. Curiously, they found help from Gertrude and Traute, or in other words…were saved by the enemy.
Before the end of the war on April 15, 1945, Horst was forcibly placed on a train destined for Dauchu, but the train never arrived due to artillery exchange. Horst escaped wearing a “Hitler Youth Uniform” that he removed from a corpse. He was then picked up by Nazi officers. Once again…saved by the enemy! Horst returned to Berlin and met his brother and mother at a pre-selected location.
Therese was later shot and killed in crossfire between German and Russian troops in Berlin. The boys hid in the underground tunnels. Once the war was over in May 1945, and for a short while, the boys became guides for Soviet soldiers.
They found their way to Gertrude’s house and lived there and returned to reopened Berlin public schools and English language classes while waiting for their American visas. This was very difficult due to having no documentation of who they were or the situation of how they came to be orphans. Although the boys were Jewish, Gertrude still hung on to the belief that Hitler’s plan was ideal. She would say, “Boys, you can’t go to America. Americans are our enemies!”
Eventually they went in search of an American army installation and befriended Werner Nathan, and Lieutenant Kowalski, both American Jewish soldiers stationed in Berlin. The soldiers arranged for the boys to immigrate to the U.S. in 1946. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and the Central Committee of Liberated Jews in the American Occupied Zone facilitated the boys’ immigration to the U.S.
The British Army took the boys in an ambulance type Jeep to catch a U.S. military transport plane, but there was no room on the plane. So, the boys boarded a ship at the nearby port. The JDC and USCC paid for the tickets. Years later, the boys learned that the plane they were originally scheduled for was “lost” over the Atlantic Ocean.
Ten days later, the boys arrived in New York, were processed, then sent to an orphanage. The JDC started looking for the boys’ two male American cousins who might be named Felix and Alfred. An advertisement was placed in a worldwide newspaper printed in German. The cousins did not subscribe to the paper—but friends did—in fact, friends in Joplin.
But because there was not a female in the household, the boys were sent to a foster home in Kansas City, Missouri. Now known as Fred and Hank, they were enrolled in eighth grade.
Alfred would take the Greyhound bus to Kansas City to visit the boys every other weekend with the goal of bringing them to Joplin. Eventually an aunt living in Israel was found and thankfully she wanted to move to the U.S. She was more than willing to be the “woman of the house” and make a comfortable home for the boys in Joplin. Henry and Fred entered Joplin schools as sophomores, graduating from Joplin High School in 1951. Both were active in R.O.T.C. Henry had a love for the piano, learning from Alfred.
Fred Taucher, Joplin High School
After graduation both boys were hired at Newman Department Store in entry- level positions. Henry had planned to attend college but was drafted into the Army in 1952. Henry made the Army his career, retiring as a major. Henry continued to play the piano and settled in Southern California. He married Moira Bell at the age of 36.
Henry Taucher, Joplin High School
Fred applied to Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, but was denied because he did too well on the English portion of the test and was accused of cheating! He took his citizenship test in Rolla. Fred enlisted in the US Army in 1951 and learned the early stages of the IBM office automation. He returned to Joplin, but after six weeks and not finding any Joplin businesses using the new IBM equipment, he moved to the Pacific Northwest. Fred eventually became president and CEO of Corporate
Management, Inc. and Corporate Computer, Inc. While living in Everett, Washington, he became active in world-wide Holocaust education.
BACKSTORY ON FELIX & ALFRED TAUCHER
Felix was born in Breslau, Germany in 1912 and Alfred in 1915. Hitler’s German forces invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. By 1940, the brothers were living at the Joplin Y.M.C.A. Both men registered for the US Selective Service Draft of World War II, but never served.
Once in Joplin, Felix went to work at Miller Manufacturing at 928 Virginia in Joplin. It was a clothing manufacturer that started in 1934 owned and managed by two local Jewish families. He remained until he retired in 1973. He married Dana Webb, a co-worker, in 1964. Felix died in 1982 and is buried in Galena, Kansas.
Alfred was injured while still living in Germany causing him to have a “hunchback.” Unfortunately, the Nazi Party prevented him from receiving the medical help he needed. Alfred was a music teacher and taught piano to pupils in his home. His newspaper advertisements said he was certified by the State Department of Education and graduated from the European Conservatory of Music. He was also an employee of Newman’s Department Store. Newman’s was also owned by a local Jewish family. He received his US citizenship in June 1948. Alfred never married, died in 1967, and is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery. Both men were members of the Joplin United Hebrew Congregation (702 S. Sergeant) and B’nai B’rith.
Taucher Home 2nd & South Jackson Avenue
During World War II, Joplin residents participated in fund raising activities through the following relief organizations:
Joplin Jewish Welfare Federation,
United Jewish Appeal, Joint Distribution Committee, United Palestine Appeal, National Refugee Service
In reference to a fund raiser at the Joplin Jewish Welfare Federation’s annual dinner meeting in June 1941, George Potlitzer said that, “the whole Tri-State area is requested to join in this campaign so that by the material help and the moral support of their non-Jewish neighbors, our small group of Jewish citizens in this district may be heartened in the humanitarian effort in which we are engaged.” At the time, Mr. Potlitzer and his family lived at 219 S. Sergeant which is now inside the Murphysburg Historic District.
SIDEBAR
As a young child growing up next door to Felix and Alfred Taucher, Carole King recently told HMP that they were wonderful neighbors. Ms. King explained, “The Tauchers kept their house in pristine condition. They kept to themselves but were always friendly. Alfred was a wonderful pianist and a strict piano teacher. My mother was also an accomplished pianist and a strict teacher. Both Mr. Taucher and my mom taught students from their home studios; they were over-the-fence colleagues in music.”
Robert Cooper Walsh House
Robert C. (1863-1911) and Mary Ford Walsh (1865-1918) were the first owners of this
house. They lived here with their seven children. By 1910, the couple had moved across
the alley to 114 S. Byers Avenue. Mr. Walsh was widely known in business and social
circles of Joplin. He was involved in the lumber company for 14 years and was the
president of the Walsh-Thompson Lumber Co. at the time of his death.
Robert and Mary are buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Webb City, Missouri.
FRANK CARMANY WALLOWER
Frank C. Wallower was one of the notable pioneer developers and operators of major lead and zinc mines in both Missouri and Oklahoma. He was the son of one of Joplin’s even earlier builders, Mr. Elias Zollinger Wallower, who came from Pennsylvania in 1890.
Frank married Marie Russert in 1906. She was born on July 11, 1882. She died at the home on December 21, 1920 after contracting a cold which later became complicated and culminated in acute blood poisoning. She was widely known throughout the city and was chairman of the cafeteria committee of the Y. W. C. A.
Frank married Marie Elizabeth Lambert in 1926. She was born on June 9, 1898. Her name was also Marie and she also died at the home. On March 14, 1929, she died of septic pneumonia after an illness of only 48 hours. She was socially prominent and a director of the Woman’s Club. She was active in the mining transactions of her husband and his associates. Marie had nearly completed work for a degree as a certified accountant before her premature death at the age of 30.
Frank was one of the organizers of the American Zinc Institute, was its national president in 1923 and served on the board of directors until 1956. He was a Legion of Honor member of the American Institute of Mining and Petroleum Engineering.
In 1925, Frank became general manager and one of the receivers of the Southwest Missouri Railroad Company. He liquidated the property in 1939 after operations were suspended. (See the A. H. Rogers House at 623 W. Fourth Street on the virtual tour.)
Frank was one of the organizers of the American Zinc Institute, was its national president in 1923 and served on the board of directors until 1956. He was a Legion of Honor member of the American Institute of Mining and Petroleum Engineering.
In 1925, Frank became general manager and one of the receivers of the Southwest Missouri Railroad Company. He liquidated the property in 1939 after operations were suspended. (See the A. H. Rogers House at 623 W. Fourth Street on the virtual tour.)
After closing out his mining interest in 1932, he organized the Tri-State Casualty Insurance Co. in Oklahoma, and in 1945 the Tri-State Fire Insurance Co.
In 1937, at age 54, Frank married his third wife, Juanita Hammonds (born in 1904), at the groom’s father’s house in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. After the wedding, Juanita continued her position as manager of the Keystone Hotel in Joplin. Earlier she had modernized the hotel and placed it on a sound financial footing. Interestingly, Frank’s father founded and owned the Keystone, Joplin’s first major hotel. It was demolished under “urban renewal” in the late 1960s.
After closing out his mining interest in 1932, he organized the Tri-State Casualty Insurance Co. in Oklahoma, and in 1945 the Tri-State Fire Insurance Co.
In 1937, at age 54, Frank married his third wife, Juanita Hammonds (born in 1904), at the groom’s father’s house in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. After the wedding, Juanita continued her position as manager of the Keystone Hotel in Joplin. Earlier she had modernized the hotel and placed it on a sound financial footing. Interestingly, Frank’s father founded and owned the Keystone, Joplin’s first major hotel. It was demolished under “urban renewal” in the late 1960s.
Side bar of Redell Motor Car Co.
In June 1916, Redell Motor Car Co., at 520 Virginia, printed an advertisement in the Joplin News Herald proudly listing the local men and women in the Tri-State District that owned a Cadillac. Next to each name was the city where they lived and their affiliation such as mine operator, clothing merchant, attorney, capitalist, etc. However, for the women on the list, Mrs. R. F. Campbell, Mrs. W. V. White, and Mrs. Nina M. Bryant, only the city where they lived was listed.
