Engle "Emma" (Ackerman) Margaret "Maggie" Buss

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Many variations of her name are seen. Her daughter Minnie wrote her mother's name as being Margaret (Ackerman) Buss. Married John J. Buss on May 23, 1911 in Immanuel Luthern Church, Flatville, Champaign Co., IL.

Maggie's oldest grandchild, Dale Buss, remembers these stories: When Maggie died, four of her brothers came to her funeral from Illinois. They did not bring their wives because they were afraid of John. Before they left they offered to take Minnie, Glen and Ruth back to Illinois, but John hated Maggie’s family and he refused. Several of John and Maggie’s children, over the years, had gone to Illinois for a few weeks every summer to visit Maggie’s parents. Dale thinks John let them go because Maggie’s mother bought the children clothes for school.

Dale remembers that his father Herman, as the oldest, felt some responsibility for his younger siblings and their children. Off and on, Edwin and Bill lived with Herman and Edith. At some point Herman brought 4 huge grain bins onto the property where they lived and fixed them up some. From Dale’s description he fixed them up as bunk houses. His grandfather John lived in the one farthest from Herman’s house. Herman's Uncle Chris's boys lived there off and on after Chris died. He thinks when Bill and Edwin stayed with them they lived in the house. He doesn’t remember how long any of them stayed but it doesn’t sound like it was constant. He remembers Edwin left and went to work for the CCC (Civil Conservation Corp); he didn’t say how long he was gone. Over the years as Dale was growing up, various siblings, nieces, and nephews came to the house for dinner many times although probably not always ... they came because they were hard up and needed a meal.