Christoph+Mandler

Christoph Mandler By Stephen Chow

 I was an honest cigar-maker.  First under a company and then by myself.  Many thousands of cigars I would hand-craft and peddle.  The newspaper even recognized me for it.

 Several German organizations called me their own.  The Turnverein, the Krieger Verein, and the Mannerchor,  Each had its way of promoting our heritage in America.

 My community embraced German heritage.  The town was good and the cigar-business was good  Until the war broke out and we were viewed with distrustful eyes

 Then they forced our newspaper to stop writing in German.  The tongue of their enemies as they saw it.  They threatened to change our names.

 But still I made my cigars, <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1in;"> And peddled on foot. <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1in;"> My business survived the hatred.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1in;"> I was the last in my family to die. <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1in;"> I slipped away peacefully, in a hospital, <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1in;"> Glad that I had worked hard and made many cigars.

by: Marissa Diekhoff
 * Christoph Mandler**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">The name is Christoph, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">But call me Christ, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">For I am American now.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">I came from Germany, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">Leaving my whole family behind, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">To start a new life for myself.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">I met my wife Bertha, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">Had five sons and one daughter, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">Truly living the American dream.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">I started a business, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">Selling cigars <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">From the privacy of my own basement. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">My cigars were renowned, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">Fine Havana tobacco, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">Individually crafted by hand.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">When I wasn’t at work, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">I loved a good song, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">And would dance the night away.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">I can dance no more, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">In this hospital bed, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">A heart monitor the only melody.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">After 91 years <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">Of hard work and play, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">I can die a happy man.

<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 18pt;">Christoph Mandler By Tegan Hunter Born in Daubringen, Germany, Learned cigar making when he was young, Forced to serve in the German military, Moved to America when it was done, Married Bertha three years later, Lived in a cozy house in Bloomington, He raised five children, Bertha, Berthold, Heinrich, Paul, Karl, and Christian, Rolled cigars for Tryner and Richardson, Created their more popular brands, Started his own business, Rolled 1600 cigars a week by hand, In the build up to World War 1, Germans lost popularity, Christoph would have felt the pressure, German businesses lost prosperity, Lived out his life in Bloomington, Although two of his sons died young, Buried next to Bertha, After he died at age ninety one.