Dressmakers
The earliest dressmaker I found record of was Mrs. Mary WEY. She also ran a millinery shop and styled hair switches. Besides this, she made watch chains from human hair.
Miss Mae DISTOL had a shop in the old GEYERMAN building. She was assisted by Miss Myrtle BLUE. Miss DISTOL had her shop in the front of the building, but while P. REIFENBERGER was repairing, she moved to the back. After the remodeling the Tribune was in the back and the dress-making shop in the front. This change took place in 1903. She remained her until 1906.
In that year Miss Clara EHLERS came here to do tailoring and dress-making. Her sister later came and they advertised as “The Misses EHLERS.” In 1907 the Tribune and Central offices were to occupy the entire building, so the dressmaking shop moved into the LEISTICO house opposite the Methodist church.
Later that year, the EHLERS went back to Adrian, but we were not without a dressmaker as a Mrs. Dora RICHARDS had located in the MCNAB cottage in 1906. This is the Tony EBERT house located next to Mrs. Albert BAUMGARD. She remained here four years, then moved to Cooper, South Dakota.
In 1909, two more fair ladies, a Miss FRIED and Miss BUSCH rented the rooms over AHRENS Hardware (PALMER’S) as a dressmaking parlor.
Miss Tracy LIEPOLD from Heron Lake came her to do sewing as early as 1911 and continued to do so for many years. She did sewing at the John MCCARVEL home.
Mrs. Marie POWELL started sewing in October of 1916, and sewed 38 years, and now as Mrs. August ANDERSON for four years, a total of forty-two years, and is still in the business.
In 1922 Mrs. Henry HARTMAN did sewing. In the same year the Tribune carried this ad: ‘men’s and women's dresses and suits cleaned, repaired and pressed. Bring in on Tuesday’s. Bright Barber Shop’.
Mrs. John WEY, the former Mrs. WALKER, was a tailor by trade and did dressmaking and tailoring.
In 1926 Mrs. Bridget SILVER and Elizabeth BEHRENDS both ran dressmaking ads. Helen SMITH also completed a dressmaking school course.
Mrs. SILVER did sewing for many years. She had an advantage over many dressmakers when sewing children’s clothing. She had two “live twin models” for dresses. She tried the ones for the real slender, slinky ones on Danny and the more chubby numbers on Dennis. Mrs. Julia WEY, her daughter, also is a seamstress. Her latest masterpiece is a “deer skin” jacket made for Dan SILVER from the deer of his own choosing and shooting!
Mrs. John MCNAB has done sewing for this community for the past thirty years. She did dressmaking previous to her marriage. At present besides her regular trade she does altering for several Worthington Department Stores.
Nobles County Genealogy
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