Deck-Jungwirth Photo Scrapbook 1908-1977

Childhood

Susan (Susie) Jungwirth was the 10th of 11 children born to John and Katie (Meyer) Jungwirth. She and her twin brother Henry (Heinz) were born on December 17, 1911, in the family home at 2738 N. Southport Avenue, in Chicago. For information on Susan's parents and siblings, click here.

She was baptized "Susanna Catherine," on February 4, 1912 at St. Alphonsus Church; her godparents were uncle Nicholas Meyer and his wife Susie. Click here for family baptismal records.

Note: Birth certificates were not required by Illinois law until 1916, and Susan thought she never had one. However, a birth certificate was found in 1991, filed by the midwife, that named her "Frances." No wonder the county clerk couldn't find a birth certificate for Susan!

As the youngest girl in the family, Susie was doted upon by her mother and her older sisters (Kate, Gertrude, and Marie). Before they married, her sisters all worked and had money to spend on Susie for fancy hair bows and dresses. Susie's mother Katie often took her to the movies which, although silent, were extremely popular in the period from 1915-1927.

School Days

Susan attended St. Alphonsus School for 1st and 2nd grades. Click here for a 1923 map of the Lincoln-Belmont neighborhood, near the church.

In 1920, the family moved to 4231 N. Whipple St., and Susan completed elementary school at Our Lady of Mercy School. Susan is shown below with her 8th grade graduating class. She is in the third row from the front, second from the left.



At Our Lady of Mercy School, Susan met her lifelong friend, Eleanor Detmer. Here she also mastered the Palmer Method of penmanship, of which she was proud.

As a Roman Catholic, Susan would have been confirmed around 1923. As was the tradition then, she took "Agnes" as her confirmation (and middle) name.

Susan was a good student, and had hoped to attend high school, but her father would not permit it. It was uncommon, at that time, for girls to go beyond elementary school.

Teenage Years

After 8th grade, at the age of 14, Susan went to work in the bindery where her sister Marie worked. She is shown here (on the right) with Marie (Jungwirth) Montalbano, in 1929.

But Susan's world turned upside-down when, in 1926, her mother Katie died. Her despondent father John remarried the following year, and the Jungwirth children had frequent conflicts with their new stepmother, Margaret. One by one, the children still at home moved out to live with married siblings. Susan was not allowed to move out, however, and she spent four unhappy years at home.

Susan met Francis (Fran) Deck, reportedly at the funeral of one of his uncles, in the old Frontier St. neighborhood where her sister Marie (Jungwirth) Montalbano lived. Fran and Susan were married January 11, 1932; she was 20 years old, and he was 23.

Marriage and Family

In 1932, in the depths of the Great Depression, Fran and Susan Deck began their married life. At first they lived with Fran's parents, at 1211 Frontier Ave., in the parish of St. Joseph's Church.

Fran and Sue had three children, all born in Chicago:

Richard Raymond Deck, b. 8-Oct-1932 (shown at left with his parents)

Elaine Susan Deck, b. 22-Oct-1936

Laurence Francis Deck, b. 28-May-1939, d. 23-Aug-2000

Fran worked as a conductor for the Chicago Rapid Transit, and in maintenance for Cook Electric Co. A work-related eye injury kept Fran from World War II service.

They lived in various apartments in the Lincoln Park area, and some-times with relatives (since housing after WWII was especially hard to secure).

Although unusual for the times, Susan continued to work after marriage. For many years, she worked for Popular Mechanics ("Pops"). She was a member of the International Bookbinders and Bindery Workers’ Union, and attained journeywoman status.

Parallel Lives

Perhaps it was because Susan worked all her life, at a time when most women didn't. Or perhaps it was just the times. But Sue and Fran Deck led rather independent lives in the 1940s and early 1950s.

Susan went out with workplace friends to dinner and shows, socialized with her sisters and cousins, and cared for the children. Fran enjoyed the company of his own co-workers, bowling, and softball.

But all that changed on July 1, 1956, when Fran suffered a massive stroke. His whole right side was paralyzed, and he lost the ability to speak. No longer able to work, Fran remained at home for 10 years in Susan's care.

Meanwhile, daughter Elaine returned home with her newborn daughter, after her marriage deteriorated in 1956. Susan and Elaine lived together for the next 18 years, helping each other with their responsibilities.

Fran died July 26, 1966, due to lung cancer, at the age of 57.

Final Chapter

Susan's last employer, Fawcett-Haines Printing in Lincolnwood, closed around 1974, at the same time her personal life was changing. Her daughter Elaine had remarried and moved out, and for the first time in her life, Susan was living on her own.

She moved into a smaller apartment near Belmont and Harlem Avenues. For about a year, Susan enjoyed a brief retirement. She used this time for frequent visits with her children and eight grandchildren, shopping, and day trips with ladyfriends.

However, heart problems had developed over time, and had gone untreated. A series of heart attacks ended Susan's life on February 11, 1977, at the age of 65. She was buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery in River Grove, IL, next to husband Fran on February 14, 1977.