Bill Roberts

My great-grandmother Mary Kurz Lenz, Grandma Lenz as we called her, was born March 10, 1867. She was the youngest of six, and the only one born in Chicago— her sister and brothers were born in Germany. Grandma Lenz was four years old at the time of the Great Chicago Fire, and her brother Christian Kurz, called Chris, owned a brickyard— a good business as the city replaced wooden structures with brick ones. German connections also help: Grandma Lenz’s mother, Frederika Huttenlocher, was a descendant of Johan Sebastian Bach, and Emil Bach owned a Chicago brick company. My Grandmother Roberts remembered visiting the Bachs, who had their own family orchestra, and lived next door to Sharpshooters’ Park, which later became the site of Riverview Amusement Park!

I remember our dad driving my brothers and sisters on many Saturdays to visit Grandma Lenz at St. Paul’s Old People’s Home (as we knew it) on Mozart Street. We would visit Grandma Lenz for a while and then leave Dad and Grandma Roberts so we could play on the stage in the auditorium.

Although St. Paul’s House is now Paul House and Health Care Center, the auditorium and stage are still there. One of my props for those sibling performances was Grandma Lenz’ ornately-carved bamboo cane, 34½ inches from the top of the handle to the heel. That cane has been in my possession since at least 1967, when she celebrated her 100th birthday.

Grandma Lenz’ daughter Marie also lived to 100, and on December 1, Marie’s daughter Elizabeth reached her 100th birthday!

After her centennial birthday party, Grandma Lenz gradually declined, and died three months later. On my last visit I was being very solicitous, and just before I left asked her if I could bring her a glass of water. She said, “Well, if you can’t bring me a martini, some water will do!”