| Life Story |
Martha Schnuelle worked as a weaver at TKWM in 1908-1909.
Martha was born in Harbine, Nebraska to August and Sophie (Stock) Schnuelle on Jan 25, 1888. She was the oldest of four children. At age 14 Martha went to Beatrice, Nebraska to work. There was a huge strike at the woolen mill there during that time. One has to wonder if Martha gained her skills as a weaver working there.
Martha’s little sister Anna, age 10, died on 25 Nov 1904 in Nebraska. In February 1905, Martha’s father sold his farm and moved the family to Oregon. In August 1905 he purchased land in Salem, Oregon from A. Bush and began farming.
Sometime in 1905 another of Martha’s little sisters, Elsie died in Salem, OR at age 7-8. She is buried at City View Cemetery. Losing two children in a years’ time must have been very difficult for the family. This left two children, Martha and her little brother Lorenz. The family lived at 2305 Nebraska Ave during this time.
City directories show Martha worked as a weaver at the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill in 1908-1909. Martha met and married an ambitious young man named Max Gehlhar on Dec 24, 1911. Max graduated from Willamette University Law School in 1907. He became the County Clerk for Marion County in 1910. Max served two, two-year terms as county clerk. Max had already purchased ten acres in the West Side Fruit Farm District by this time. Only a start of what he would acquire in their lifetime.
After their marriage Max erected a number of small bungalows. In 1913 he and Martha moved into one of these three small homes at 640 N 20th in Salem and lived there for a number of years. They lived here when their only child, a son named Mark Gale Gehlhar was born on March 31, 1916.
In November 1916, Max was elected District Attorney for Marion County. He held this office until he resigned effective September 1, 1920. After his resignation Max and Martha moved to the Gehlhar fruit farm in Polk County. This farm was 160 acres and produced cherries & prunes from his Kingwood Orchard. In the early 1920’s Max acquired the property along First St in West Salem where he built the Gehlhar fruit dryer in 1926.
In January 1930 Max traded 30 acres of his fruit farm for property inside the city occupied by the Tyler Drugstore on S. Commercial and a storeroom and residence east of the high school occupied by the Palm Grocery. Max owned one of Salem’s oldest buildings at 290 N Commercial St. It was built around 1884 and housed the old First National Bank. The family lived at 1007 Edgewater in West Salem and kept this as commercial property.
In 1931 Max became the first State Director of Agriculture. In 1935 fire destroyed the Gehlhar prune dryer next to the Gehlhar cannery in West Salem. The cannery was saved. Max built and managed Oregon Fruit Products Co until he retired in 1951, and son Mark took over the business. This business remained in the Gehlar family for 76 years until sold in 2011.
Max was also head of the Cherry Growers Association for many years. He was also an organizer of the Oregon State Fair. Max and Martha also played a key role in organizing and operating Salem Electric cooperative. Martha was considered a business woman working alongside her husband.
In 1958 Max purchased the Anderson building on the corner of Commercial and State. He had no plans for the building, just added it to his list of properties. By this time Max & Martha had moved to 1340 Ruge Ave NW. They lived there at the time of Max’s death on September 23, 1969.
In 1973 Martha gave a “substantial” trust to the Salem Hospital. The funds were used to pay off the newly completed 4th floor. This area was dedicated as the Max and Martha S. Gelhar Surgical Floor. They also established the Max and Martha Gehlar Nutrition Education Fund at the Salem Hospital.
Martha moved to the Woodburn Care Center after Max passed away. She remained there until her death on Mar 22, 1981. She was survived by her brother Lorenz Schnuelle, her son Mark Gehlar, two grandchildren, Paul Gehlar and Daphne Gehlar Schneider, two great-grandchildren, Megan and Daniel Schneider. Martha was buried alongside Max in City View Cemetery. |
| Salem City Directories |
1905 Martha L Schnuelle, boards at 2305 Nebraska av, Salem, OR
1907 Martha Schnuelle, boards at 2305 Nebraska av, Salem, OR
1908 Martha Schnuelle, boards at 2305 Nebraska av, Salem, OR, occupation: weaver TKWM
1909 Martha Schnuelle, boards at 2305 Nebraska av, Salem, OR, occupation: weaver TKWM
1910 Martha Schnuelle, boards at 2305 Nebraska av, Salem, OR
1911 Martha Schnuelle, boards at 2305 Nebraska av, Salem, OR
1915 Gehlhar Max H (Martha S), County Clerk Courthouse, residence 640 N 20th, Salem, OR
1917 Gehlhar Max H (Martha S), District Attorney, residence 640 N 20th, Salem, OR
1928 Gehlhar Max (Martha S) fruit grower, home 1007 Edgewater W Salem
1971 Gehlhar Martha S (widow of Max) retired, home 1340 Ruge St NW Salem |
| Federal / County Census Records |
1900: Martha Schnuelle, Age 12, Birth Date: Jan 1888, Birthplace: Nebraska, USA, Home in 1900: Jefferson, Jefferson, Nebraska, Race: White, Gender: Female, Relation to HOH: Daughter, Marital Status: Single, Father’s Name: August Schnuelle, Father’s Birthplace: Wisconsin, USA, Mother’s Name: Sophia Schnuelle, Mother’s Birthplace: Germany, Attended School: 1, Additional Household members: August Schnuelle age 41 (father), Sophia Schnuelle age 35 (mother), Frank Mielke age 27 (boarder), Anna Schnuelle age 6 (sister), Elsie Schnuelle age 3 (sister).
1910: Martha L Schnuelle, Age: 22, Birth Date: 1888, Birthplace: Nebraska, Home in 1910: 2305 N 21st St., Salem Ward 6, Marion, Oregon, USA, Race: White, Gender: Female, Relation to HOH: Daughter, Marital Status: Single, Father’s Name: August Schnuelle, Father’s Birthplace: Wisconsin, Mother’s Name: Sophia W C Schnuelle, Mother’s Birthplace: Germany, Additional Household members: August Schnuelle age 51 (father), Sophia W C Schnuelle age 45 (mother), Lorenz Schnuelle age 6 (brother)
1920: Martha Gehlhar, Age: 31, Birth Year: 1889, Birthplace: Nebraska, Home in 1920: 640 N 20th, Salem, Marion, Oregon, Race: White, Gender: Female, Relation to HOH: Wife, Marital Status: Married, Spouse’s Name: Max Gehlhar, Father’s Birthplace: Wisconsin, Mother’s Birthplace: Germany, Additional Household members: Max Gehlhar age 33 (husband), Loring H Schnuelle age 16 (brother of Martha), Mark Gehlhar age 3 (son)
1930: Martha S Gehlar, Birth Year: 1889, Gender: Female, Race: White, Age: 41, Birthplace: Nebraska, Marital Status: Married, Relation to HOH: Wife, Homemaker? Yes, Home in 1930: 1007 Edgewater NW, Salem, Polk, Oregon, USA, Age at First Marriage: 23, Father’s Birthplace: Wisconsin, Mother’s Birthplace: Germany, Additional Household members: Max Gehlar age 43 (husband), Mark G Gehlar age 14 (son)
1940: Martha Gehlhar, Age: 52, Estimated Birth Year: 1888, Gender: Female, Race: White, Birthplace: Nebraska, Marital Status: Married, Relation to HOH: Wife, Home in 1940: 1007 Edgewater St NW, Salem, Polk, Oregon, Inferred Residence in 1935: West Salem, Polk, Oregon, Highest Grade Completed: High School, 4th year, Additional Household members: Max Gehlhar age 54 (husband), Mark Gehlhar age 23 (son)
1950: Martha L. Gehlhar, Age: 62, Birth Date: 1888, Gender: Female, Race: White, Birth Place: Nebraska, Marital Status: Married, Relation to HOH: Wife, Home in 1950: 1007 Edgewater St NW, Salem, Polk, Oregon, USA, Additional Household members: Max H. Gehlhar age 64 (husband) |
| Digital Newspapers |
The Fairbury Gazette – 31 May 1902 – p 4. Gone to Work in Beatrice, Nebraska
The Plymouth News – 25 Feb 1905 – p 5. Moving to Oregon
Statesman Journal – 17 Aug 1905 – p 2. Deeds Recorded
Statesman Journal – 18 Jun 1909 – p 3. Max Gehlar to Be Lieutenant
Statesman Journal – 15 Oct 1909 – p 4. Gehlar Land Purchase in West Salem
Statesman Journal – 20 Sep 1910 – p 3. Max Gehlhar Candidate for County Clerk
Statesman Journal – 24 Dec 1911 – p 5. Marriage Licenses
Statesman Journal – 24 Dec 1911 – p 15. Max Gehlhar Breaks the License Record
Statesman Journal – 20 Apr 1913 – p 9. Three Homes Built for Max Gehlhar
Statesman Journal – 16 Aug 1913 – p 5. Max & Martha make a trip to Gates
The Capital Journal – 24 Aug 1920 – p 5. Max Gehlhar Quits Job as Prosecutor
Statesman Journal – 28 Nov 1920 – p 5. Max and Martha move to the Gehlhar fruit farm in Polk County
The Oregon Daily Journal – 24 Aug 1920 – p 4. District Attorney at Salem Resigns
Statesman Journal – 28 Nov 1920 – p 5. Max Gehlhar move to the Gehlhar Fruit Farm
Statesman Journal – 10 Aug 1921 – p 6. “This is the Life,” says Old Farmer Gehlhar
Statesman Journal – 13 Sep 1921 – p 5. Running Independent
Statesman Journal – 28 Jan1930 – p 5. Property Inside City is Traded for Fine Farm
The Capital Journal – 4 Mar 1931 – p 10. State Boom for Gehlhar as Head of New State Agricultural Department
Statesman Journal – 3 Oct 1935 – p 1. Fire Destroys Gehlhar Dried in West Salem
The Capital Journal – 28 Dec 1935 – p 5. Dinner Hosts at their home corner of Patterson and Edgewater St
The Fairbury Journal-News – 5 Feb 1942 – p 3. Visiting Family in Nebraska
Corvallis Gazette Times – 8 Dec 1942 – p 3. Ceremony Read Sunday in Salem (son Mark’s wedding)
Statesman Journal – 1 Jun 1949 – p 5. Salem’s Oldest Bank Building to Lose Story
The Capital Journal – 24 Sep 1969 – p 27. State’s First Agriculture Chief Dead
Statesman Journal – 31 Aug 1973 – p 2. Hospital is Trust Fund Beneficiary
The Capital Journal – 23 Oct 1973 – p 16. A reward that will last …
Statesman Journal – 7 Jul 1977 – p 1. A Quiet Place
Statesman Journal – 13 May 1978 – p 60. Dedication of Salem Hospital Remodel
Statesman Journal – 24 Mar 1981 – p 12. Martha Schnuelle Gehlhar Obituary
Statesman Journal – 26 Mar 1981 – p 32. Funeral Notice
Statesman Journal – 6 Mar 1993 – p 1. West Salem pair gives land to Audubon Society
Statesman Journal – 9 Nov 2016 – p A2. Refuge Ankeny Hill Nature Center |
