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I will be adding photos and letters in the late spring.

To read the one letter written in 1932 written BY Larry (age 6) click here: 11-23-1932 Larry. Additonally he is mentioned in the following 1932 letters: 9-9-1932 Wachdorfs; 9-16-1932 Irene; 9-30-1932 Irene; 10-21-1932 Irene; 11-4-1932 Irene; 11-25-1932 Irene.

Wachdorf letters from California 1953-1969 almost all mention Larry, but letters written BY Larry include the following (to be added as transcribed): 1954 Jan 19, 1954 Feb 11

Additionally there are audio recordings from California that feature Larry and his parents chatting, and singing "In the Good Old Summertime."

 

Click on image to enlarge. Once enlarged, to zoom, move cursor to right of image, back onto image, and click again.

1934 2nd from the wall in the first row in his class at St. Martin's, photographed by his father's friend Wm. Gotsch	Altar Boy Larry (with his sister Dolores)
July 1944 Bunky's wedding, Larry is groomsman on left and Ed on right, brides' maids names unknown	Larry on the left learning a putting technique from his brother Art	January 1954 Larry below, friend Richard "Hertzy" Stalzer above, in California
brothers Ed Jr, Larry and Jerry

From his mother's baby calendar: Lawrence Oscar Wachdorf was born at the Lying In Hospital on Thursday, *** at 10:36 a.m. Godparents Henry J Pfleger Jr. and Madeline Wachdorf. (Henry J. Pfleger is not really Henry Jr, but Henry the second, since he is Oscar's son).

Note: only Larry and Dolores were born in the Lying In Hospital. All the other children were born at home.

1930 census, 334 W. 54th St.:

Edward J. Wachdorf owns home value $6000, has a radio. 41, married at 21, occupation: agent for Sinclair Refinery.

Wife Irene, 42, married at 21.

Son Edward, 19, shipping clerk

daughter Irene, 17, doing bookkeeping for a stationary company

son Arthur, 15, no occupation

son Henry, 12

son Gerald, 10

son Francis, 7

son Lawrence, 4

daughter Dolores, 11 months

sister-in-law Adele Wachdorf (no longer Pfleger), age 45, married at 40 (though husband Harry Wachdorf is living down the street with his parents), occupation: seamstress for Dept. Store.

His sister Dolores said all the other boys went to De La Salle High School but Larry got a Scholarship to St. Rita's. She said they all teased him about it, and said it was a girl's school.

1-15-1955 letter by his father to his siblings:...Some day even the walls will collapse with that vibrant, resonant voice of his. It was bad enough when he was imitating the seals but since he has found the range through those records he buys, he's a tyrolean yodeler, trying to shame Toscanini. We have very understanding neighbors or we would have been reported long ago. The way he contorts masters in the bath room at all hours of the day or night, you can realize how benevolent people can be if they know he is just moderately mentally deranged or on the verge. When he has the floor, we might just as well sit down. Literally speaking, he occupies the whole floor, even the ceiling looks down on him with awe.

2-16-1955 letter by his father to his siblings: ...His bedroom is in reach of the peach trees and summer is coming and he will have new ideas as to what nice, big, round peaches are for. He'll get up some morning, reach for his driver and POW there goes our peach crop. One never knows who or what is going to catch it next. He has his Mom always yelling, Oh Larry stop that as she gets up with the chair tied to her back or she loses her apron all together... [all her sons used to tie her apron strings to the chair.]

9-22-1956 letter by his mother: Well dearie do you know your brother has gone back to college--he goes four nights a week...and believe me it really keeps him hustling as now he only has Saturday to go golfing as he is really studying hard...He said it was mathematics but when I look at all the rulers and drawings, charts and everything else he has I wonder what he is really taking up. Anyway, I hope it is really what he wants...