Len and Gerry Wichern

Len and Gerry Wichern (Stein)

Leonard "Len" Wichern and Gertrude "Gerry" Stein were married February 17, 1930, in Manhattan.  
Len was 29, and Gerry was 25.  Both were born in New York.  They had two daughters, Sue and Jane.

Len, Gerry and Sue Wichern in front of their well,
Cone Hill Road,
Richmond, Massachusetts, 1950

Howard Stein writes: "A very good picture of the family, except Jane.  Standing in front of the well in Richmond.  (The house had a well with a bucket that was lowered to get water;  cold water;  only the very rich had wells that produced hot water.)  Remarkably, Sue as an adult when I last saw her  some 50 years ago looked remarkably like a grown up version of the child in the picture."

In 1910 Leonard Wichern (8) and his brother Alfred (5) lived with their parents Henry (31) and Mamie (33) and his aunt Hannah (42).  Their address was 391 Grand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.


The 1910 Federal Census lists Henry's occupation as Truck Driver.  Henry and Mamie were born in New York, but all 4 of their parents were from Germany and spoke German.  I don't know why Henry is listed as "widowed." Maybe it's a transcription error. In handwriting "Md" looks like "Wd."

"Here are a lot of pictures of Len Wichern.  He loved his canoes and his canoe trips.  

Len Wichern in a canoe
 Circa 1920's

"The photo above could have been an outing of the Sebago Canoe Club or it could have been on a trip I think I heard he once made to Hudson’s Bay in Canada."  Note: This is not the same canoe as Howard's at lake Hopatcong.

Howard says:  "In fact, his last canoe, an aluminum canoe, is in my possession our at our cottage at Lake Hopatcong.  I registered it with the antique boat society and it is a Grumman Aircraft canoe, not even Grumman Boat, made  in the first year Grumman made any boats at all.  It is made from (WW II) surplus  aluminum right after the war ended and is made of very heavy gauge aluminum.  Len worked for a company named Hazeltine on Long Island, which I believe was located just adjacent to Grumman, so maybe he knew someone or something. Even the air pockets on the canoe are still sealed tight.  The paddles he gave me with it are wrapped at the grip points with deer hide pieces tied with rawhide."

Len Wichern with his tent, canoe and car

New York, circa 1925

"As to the canoe on top of the car, I'd sure like to see that.  Good research ought to be able to identify the car.  It might be interesting.  Look at how it had "suicide doors" which means a back door that was hinged at the back and opened at the front.  Almost no cars were designed that way;  the last I know of was a Lincoln in the early 1960s, I think,  that was remarkable for its doors. It might be a peculiar brand;  in my lifetime Len owned a Nash, two Kaiser Travelers (those were three door cars), a Chrysler Imperial, a yellow 1959 Cadillac, and some other notable or odd vehicles."

Len Wichern (left) and friend
circa 1920's

Len Wichern at camp circa 1920's

Len Wichern at camp circa 1920's

"The two man saw (two person, but I would like to meet the other than male gendered person who used this back in the 1930s) is also out at Hopatcong.  Or one of his saws, at any rate.  I know he had more than one.   Jane gave it to me a few years ago."  - Howard

Len with his two man saw
Probably in Massachusetts, 1930

"The tree being sawn is not out at Hopatcong.  Best I can recollect Len never visited Hopatcong.  I don’t know the location of the tree; probably Massachusetts."

More from Jane:  Uncle Len loved to plant trees.  Especially fruit trees.  If left alone to do it, it wouldn't have been an orchard but a forest.

Len Wichern, Richmond, Massachusetts, 1942

Jane Says:   "Dad planting a tree in 1942.   I wish he would have stopped at that one.."

The park bench picture [below] would seem to be in Joyce Kilmer Park  which runs between 161st Street and 164th Street, and between the Grand Concourse and Walton Avenue in the Bronx.  I think Uncle Len is facing west, with the Grand Concourse in the distance behind him and I think I see the tower of All Hallows School on 164th Street to the northeast of him.  I have no idea of the year, but it is a classic pose with his pipe.  He was the only pipe smoker in the family.

Len at Joyce Kilmer Park

New York City, winter 1963

"As I write this Jane is in Richmond.  The family home is still in the family.  Ten acres, a house, a barn and now a studio.  All on Cone Hill Road, including the town cemetery."  - Howard 

Jane Wichern says:  "I believe all of these photos are from the 1920’s except for the obvious one on the park bench (1963) and maybe the one where he is sawing ..  that might be from the 1930’s."


Below are some photos of Len's wife Gerry Wichern (born Stein)

Gerry Wichern (born Stein)

Gerry Wichern
New York

Jane:  "Two early photos of Gerry ... she said the one with the scarf on her head was a costume .. she was doing some sort of singing performance (and sometime I’ll tell you the story of her crazy singing teacher .. I have tons of photos of her).  Then I thought you would like the one where she is behind the typewriter.. 1958."

Gerry Wichern (born Stein)
New York, 1958

Here is a family tree from MyHeritage to help everyone figure out who is who.