She emigrated with her parents, six siblings and a cousin from Schoenwerd, Switzerland in Mar 1922. "Our ship picked up some Polish refugees who were fleeing their homeland and took them to Ellis Island with us," said her brother, Jacob Wernli. "We spent a few days on Ellis Island, which seemed like a penitentiary," he added. "When we landed, we had to take off all our clothes and they hosed us down. The men and women were separated, but I didn't like taking off all my clothes in front of those old, beared men."
When the Wernli family left Ellis Island, they boarded another boat bound for New Orleans. From there they boarded a train for Houston. The Wernli trek continued a short time later to San Antonio. "From Houston to San Antonio the land was completely barren except for an occasional farmhouse," he added. I remember asking my mother if we had come to the end of the world, it was so desolate." The Family settled in Kenedy because they had relatives there.
In the beginning, the immigrants split up and the children lived with different aunts and uncles until their father bought a farm. "Rosa did not want to live on a farm," her brother recalled. She got a job in Kenedy, but moved to San Antonio as soon as she could find work here. She was 19 at the time. Her job was in Civil Service at Fort Sam Houston where she worked in the laundry for 42 years. "She worked very hard," said her brother.
"Until last year, she still climbed on her roof to clean out the gutters," said her brother. "I was afraid she would fall, but she didn't want me to clean the gutters."
She met her husband while he was stationed at Fort Sam Houston. When he became ill with diabetes, she nursed until his death in 1970.
"My sister was X-rayed one time," said Wernli, "and the doctor discovered an arrested case of tuberculosis. He prescribed a bottle or two of beer every day to get her vitamins. She never drank beer before the doctor told her she should," her brother said. "After that, she built up her health with the beer."
Services were held at the Faith Lutheran Church with the Rev. Paul F. Garrity officiating. Arrangements were by Porter-Loring of San Antonio.
When the Wernli family left Ellis Island, they boarded another boat bound for New Orleans. From there they boarded a train for Houston. The Wernli trek continued a short time later to San Antonio. "From Houston to San Antonio the land was completely barren except for an occasional farmhouse," he added. I remember asking my mother if we had come to the end of the world, it was so desolate." The Family settled in Kenedy because they had relatives there.
In the beginning, the immigrants split up and the children lived with different aunts and uncles until their father bought a farm. "Rosa did not want to live on a farm," her brother recalled. She got a job in Kenedy, but moved to San Antonio as soon as she could find work here. She was 19 at the time. Her job was in Civil Service at Fort Sam Houston where she worked in the laundry for 42 years. "She worked very hard," said her brother.
"Until last year, she still climbed on her roof to clean out the gutters," said her brother. "I was afraid she would fall, but she didn't want me to clean the gutters."
She met her husband while he was stationed at Fort Sam Houston. When he became ill with diabetes, she nursed until his death in 1970.
"My sister was X-rayed one time," said Wernli, "and the doctor discovered an arrested case of tuberculosis. He prescribed a bottle or two of beer every day to get her vitamins. She never drank beer before the doctor told her she should," her brother said. "After that, she built up her health with the beer."
Services were held at the Faith Lutheran Church with the Rev. Paul F. Garrity officiating. Arrangements were by Porter-Loring of San Antonio.
She emigrated with her parents, six siblings and a cousin from Schoenwerd, Switzerland in Mar 1922. "Our ship picked up some Polish refugees who were fleeing their homeland and took them to Ellis Island with us," said her brother, Jacob Wernli. "We spent a few days on Ellis Island, which seemed like a penitentiary," he added. "When we landed, we had to take off all our clothes and they hosed us down. The men and women were separated, but I didn't like taking off all my clothes in front of those old, beared men."
When the Wernli family left Ellis Island, they boarded another boat bound for New Orleans. From there they boarded a train for Houston. The Wernli trek continued a short time later to San Antonio. "From Houston to San Antonio the land was completely barren except for an occasional farmhouse," he added. I remember asking my mother if we had come to the end of the world, it was so desolate." The Family settled in Kenedy because they had relatives there.
In the beginning, the immigrants split up and the children lived with different aunts and uncles until their father bought a farm. "Rosa did not want to live on a farm," her brother recalled. She got a job in Kenedy, but moved to San Antonio as soon as she could find work here. She was 19 at the time. Her job was in Civil Service at Fort Sam Houston where she worked in the laundry for 42 years. "She worked very hard," said her brother.
"Until last year, she still climbed on her roof to clean out the gutters," said her brother. "I was afraid she would fall, but she didn't want me to clean the gutters."
She met her husband while he was stationed at Fort Sam Houston. When he became ill with diabetes, she nursed until his death in 1970.
"My sister was X-rayed one time," said Wernli, "and the doctor discovered an arrested case of tuberculosis. He prescribed a bottle or two of beer every day to get her vitamins. She never drank beer before the doctor told her she should," her brother said. "After that, she built up her health with the beer."
Services were held at the Faith Lutheran Church with the Rev. Paul F. Garrity officiating. Arrangements were by Porter-Loring of San Antonio.
When the Wernli family left Ellis Island, they boarded another boat bound for New Orleans. From there they boarded a train for Houston. The Wernli trek continued a short time later to San Antonio. "From Houston to San Antonio the land was completely barren except for an occasional farmhouse," he added. I remember asking my mother if we had come to the end of the world, it was so desolate." The Family settled in Kenedy because they had relatives there.
In the beginning, the immigrants split up and the children lived with different aunts and uncles until their father bought a farm. "Rosa did not want to live on a farm," her brother recalled. She got a job in Kenedy, but moved to San Antonio as soon as she could find work here. She was 19 at the time. Her job was in Civil Service at Fort Sam Houston where she worked in the laundry for 42 years. "She worked very hard," said her brother.
"Until last year, she still climbed on her roof to clean out the gutters," said her brother. "I was afraid she would fall, but she didn't want me to clean the gutters."
She met her husband while he was stationed at Fort Sam Houston. When he became ill with diabetes, she nursed until his death in 1970.
"My sister was X-rayed one time," said Wernli, "and the doctor discovered an arrested case of tuberculosis. He prescribed a bottle or two of beer every day to get her vitamins. She never drank beer before the doctor told her she should," her brother said. "After that, she built up her health with the beer."
Services were held at the Faith Lutheran Church with the Rev. Paul F. Garrity officiating. Arrangements were by Porter-Loring of San Antonio.
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