Biography/Notes

Baptismal note: Baptised January 3, 1870 in St. Boniface Catholic Church, New Riegel. The sponsors were Joseph Plentz and Elizabetha Meyer.

In 1876, Joseph began parochial school at St. Boniface in New Riegel. During the winter, he stayed in town with his grandparents Plentz. From 1881 to 1890, Joseph attended the public school which was located one mile north of New Riegel. He was a member of the choir from 1887 on. During the winter of 1890, Joseph was unable to attend school. He stayed home to help clear 5 acres of heavy timber so the land could be farmed. The following spring, two neighbor boys passed their examinations for teaching and Paul and Josephine decided that Joseph should have the same opportunity. From then on, they allowed him to attend school from the beginning of the term. The following spring, he attended Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio, and passed his examinations.

Joseph began teaching in the fall of 1892. He had intended to teach the home school because his dad was one of the directors. He met a member of the board from a school two miles west, and they offered him a better package. Joseph taught two months at the parochial school, six months in the public school, and finished the last two months in the parochial school. He walked three to four miles to the different schools and earned $30.00 a month at the parochial school and $37.00 at the public school. In the fall of 1892, he went to St. Francis, Wisconsin to study the organ under Professor John Singenberger. His class completed two years of study in one. He played in a band when he was 15 and directed at 16. He also played in an orchestra. He took clarinet lessons from Professor Boos of Tiffin. In the fall of 1893, he attended Heidelberg and took lessons from Professor George Spiess who was the best organist and pianist in the area. In 1893, he returned to St. Francis until Christmas. On the way home, he stopped in Chicago to see the World's Fair. He and his cousin Ed spent seven full days there.

In 1895, Joseph was hired to teach at the public school in Menominee, Nebraska and also play organ and direct the Menominee St. Boniface Church choir. He taught at the public school called the District School. He received $50.00 a month for ten months for teaching and $25.00 a month for the church work. The choir was in bad shape when he arrived. He started with 8 members and recruited 14 more. He patiently worked with them until they were considered one of the finest choirs in the area. After completing his first year of teaching in Menominee, Joseph returned to Ohio and married Rosa Elizabeth Rumschlag the daughter of Bernhart and Anna Margaret (Osterheld) Rumschlag. Joseph and Rosa were married June 30, 1896 in St. Boniface Church. They were married by Father Aloys Malin. The witnesses were Loretta Huss and Bernard Rumschlag. In August, the newlyweds returned to Menominee and Joseph received a raise of $7.50 per month from the school.

At the end of February 1898, the family returned to Ohio so Joseph could go into business with his Uncle John Peter, the blacksmith. It took Joseph three months to realize he wasn't happy and sold out his interest. He was then hired by Rev. Miser to teach in the parochial school. He also took charge of the choir at Our Lady in Carey, Ohio. Joseph bought a home at a sheriff's sale for $480.00 a block from the main corner in Carey. It needed a lot of repairing but Joseph was able to do the work himself. Because his salary was only $400.00, Joseph intended to return to Menominee. When Rev. Miser learned of it, he promised to raise his salary as soon as possible. After three years of waiting and no raise, Joseph took the job in Menominee.

Joseph and his family remained in Menominee until 1904 when they decided to move to Ft. Jennings, Ohio. On the trip back, they were accompanied by Elfrida Huss. She had gone with the family to Nebraska in 1901. On their trip back, they visited friends and family along the way and stopped to view the World's Fair at St. Louis. The family lived in Ft. Jennings for two years. Joseph was principal of the school, organist, and director of the choir. In the fall of 1906, Joseph moved his family to Jacobs Prairie, Minnesota, a small community southwest of St. Cloud. There he taught school for thirteen years. He worked for St. James Parish Church.

In May 1919, Joseph moved the family from Jacobs Prairie to a rooming house at 418 5th. Ave. S. in St. Cloud. While in St. Cloud, he was contacted by Superintendent Boerger of the Roscoe School Board who was offering a teaching position. Having just left the job at Jacobs Prairie, Joseph wasn't really interested but he relented and accepted the position. He was paid $125.00 a month and another $10.00 for being the church organist. He only intended to stay for one year, but they gave him a $25.00 a month raise and he stayed for four years. It was a difficult time because he rented a room in a boarding house while Rose stayed behind in St. Cloud and ran the rooming house.

By 1925, Joseph found employment at the US Veterans Hospital as a music teacher for $40.00 a month. He also gave private lessons. Rose was still busy running the rooming house in their home, mostly for students at St. Cloud Teachers College.

Children of Joseph and Rose (Rumschlag) Huss:

1. Armand Frank
2. Crescentia
3. Petronella Josephina
4. Sylvan