The interesting moment of graduating high school in 1909 was documented by Miss Sofie “Daisy Deane” Albert in a book gifted to her by the sister of Gisela Wild, victim of an infamous Peirce City crime and subsequent riot. Listed as item #38 in her list of graduation presents, “The Girl Graduate – Her Own Book” was a blank hardcover book gifted by Theresia Wild, designed to allow the recipient to journal their personal experience as a high school graduate.
“Daisy” was born Theresia Sofia Albert on August 10, 1888 in Peirce City to Friedrich “Fred” Albert and his wife Emelie “Amelia” Schmidt Albert, the 5th of 7 children. Fred was born in Frieburg, Germany in 1858 and immigrated in 1874 to St. Louis. By 1879. he’d met and married Amelia and in 1882 they settled in Pierce City with their 2 first-born children. Fred was a baker, and he lived and worked from his home on Commercial Street. Before 1910, Daisy went by her given name, either Theresia or Sofie. She adopted the nickname “Daisy Deane” in her early teens and was known as Daisy the rest of her life.
Growing up in Peirce City during its heyday, she witnessed the many events that shaped the town and hobnobbed with those we know today as the city’s elite. We know this by the entries she made in her graduation journal, documenting the 113 gifts received from families and business people from all over the city. Notable names included members of the Buchner, Pfaff, Locke, Raupp, Sheldrupt and Wild families. Topping the list at gift #1 was a postal album presented by John Lucas, whom she would marry in 1911.
The book provides a glimpse of the day, including well wishes from teachers, newspaper clippings of the Baccalaureate Sermons delivered at the Congregational, M. E. and Baptist Churches, plays performed at the Raupp Opera House and more. The writings are fading, the paper darkening and dissolving; we’ve scanned all pages with entries and created the linked PDF for your own perusal. The original book is to be donated by the Society to the Harold B. Wright Museum in Pierce City for its permanent home.
