With Recipes and Traditions

The following is a collection of family history through recipes, traditions, and artful expressions.

By: Bobbi Jo (Exner)Williams

Who I Am

Born: Bobbi Jo Exner to Lewis David Exner and Evelyn Ann Exner on November 8th, 1972.

Lewis D. ExnerBorn September 7th, 1942Served in the US Navy (1960-1969)Son of Anna Elizabeth and Luther D. Exner and sibling to 3 brothers and 2 step-brothers*Aboard the USS Enterprise in the Pacific during the Vietnam War when an explosion occurred.

Evelyn Ann SteigerwaltBorn September 16th, 1941Daughter of Erma May and Clifford Steigerwalt and sibling to 10.

Parents

Went to school together and danced on the same square-dance team.

USS Enterprise 1969

Family Tree

Our Heritage

Pennsylvania Dutch

~ Being of Polish and German descent and residing in the Southeastern area of Pennsylvania.

Barn at my parent’s house.

Where I Am FromThe first major emigration of Germans to America resulted in the founding of the Borough of Germantown in northwest Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania in 1683-1685. Mass emigration of Palatines began out of Germany in the early 1700s. My father believes that this is when his Great Grandfather emigrated to the area.

Religious persecution, political oppression, and harsh winters drove thousands to Pennsylvania. They came from Germany, France, Holland, and Switzerland. The Germans began to abandon their homeland as early as 1606. Persecutions and murders spurred from the Reformation and Thirty Years War (1619-1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism, paralyzing the Palatines. As the Palatinate was ravaged by wars, their boundaries were also unsettling. Wars, like the War of the Grand Alliance (1688-1697), and the war between Holland and France during (1674-1675) also negatively affected the Palatines. As the devastation mounted so did the emigrations, resulting in approximately 100,000 Palatines to settle in Pennsylvania alone by 1750.

The Language

Pennsylvania Dutch English Standard English Modern German

Make wet? Is it going to rain? Wird es regen?

Outen the lights. Turn off the lights. Mach das Licht aus.

The candy is all. There is no more candy. Die Süßigkeiten sind alle.

Don't eat yourself full. Don't fill yourself up. Iss dich nicht voll.

There's cake back yet. There is cake to come. Es gibt da noch Kuchen.

Red up the room. Clean the room. Räum das Zimmer auf.

It wonders me. It makes me wonder. Das wundert mich.

Hurrieder Faster Schneller

Spritzing Lightly raining nieseln

Rutsching Squirming auf dem Bauch rutschen

SchusslichClumsy with things usually due to

hurryingschusselig

Doplich Clumsy with self Tollpatschig sein.

Yah, well. Whatever, or It makes no difference Ja, wohl.

Wutz Pig (when someone eats a lot) die Wutz

Kutz / kutzing Vomit / vomiting die Kotze / kotzen

WonnernausA polite way of saying "None of your

business"

Schtriwwelich Uncombed or stringy strubbelig

Brutzing, Gretzing Whining/complaining Jammern, Klagen

Wuntz for a second/real quick Ein Moment.

Dippy ecks over easy, soft-boiled eggs Spiegeleier

Mox nix irrelevant Das macht nichts OR Macht nichts.

Nix Nootz/Nix NootzieMisbehaving(usually referring to a

little kid)Nichtsnutz

Schnickelfritztroublemaker(usually referring to a

little kid)Störenfried

All None left/All gone alle / leer

Right Like exactly the same as Genau wie

My Home

I grew up in a 100 year old farmhouse that my father and his three brothers were born in, and my grandmother and her sister and brother were born in too! My parents still live there in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country.

Nana (Stuckley)Steigerwalt’s Homemade Pot Pie

1 Beef Roast with juice reserved3-4 Potatoes1 Onion~Cut up onion and roast and place in large pot. Cook until roast is brown and onion is soft. Reserve broth. Add 4 cups of beef stock to pot. Bring to boil.Noodles:3 cup flour ½ cup crisco2 eggs ½ cup milk1tsp. Baking Powder Pinch of salt~Mix all ingredients and roll out flat with rolling pin. Cut into 1 inch squares and add to boiling beef broth. Cook until noodles are soft, stirring often.

Erma May Steigerwalt (1922-2010)This recipe is a favorite of mine. My mom tells me that her grandmother used to make this because it was so cheap. They used to use the beef stock leftovers and stretch their food dollars. Because she was raised during the Great Depression, she was vary frugal. My Nana Steigerwalt had 11 children to include my mother, Evelyn Ann (Steigerwalt) Exner.

Nana(Miller) Exner’s Potato Candy

2 (1 lb. each) boxes powdered sugar1/2 c. hot mashed potatoes, drained1 sm. jar crunchy peanut butter

Mix sifted sugar into potatoes a little at a time by hand. (Don't panic when potatoes liquefy as the first sugar is added. This is what it's supposed to do. Just keep adding sugar until it is pastry consistency.) Sprinkle wax paper with additional powdered sugar. Take baseball-sized ball of mixture and roll out like pastry. Spread with peanut butter and roll like a jelly roll. Wrap rolls in plastic wrap; chill and slice.Makes 2 rolls.

Anna Elizabeth Exner (1922-2004)~The potato candy recipe was passed down to her from her mother (Lizzie Miller). I used to spend many hours making this with her. She told me once that her mother got the recipe from her mother and that it was a celebratory food after the Great Potato Famine of 1845. They were so happy to have the potatoes, that they came up with all sorts of creative foods from them.

• My Great Grandfather was drafted after the Selective Service Act of 1917 was placed into affect during the start of WWI. He served in the Army.

•My Father served in the US Navy for 9 years and was aboard the USS Enterprise during the Vietnam War when an explosion occurred and killed 27 of his closest comrades.

•6 of my uncles were also in the military during the Vietnam War era.

•My brother served in the US Navy for 4 years during the Gulf War.

Connections to Historical Events