Page 1 of 16 
 
Washington Women’s Heritage Project records, 1900-2000 
University of Washington Libraries Special Collections 
Erna Dora Meerscheidt Bouillon 
October 2, 1980 
Cassette 2, Side 1 
 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  00:06 
Erna Bouillon, interviewed by Susan Ehlers for Washington Women's Heritage Project, October 
2, 1980, tape two, side three. [Tape stops and starts] Yeah, it's going,  it's going.  
 
Erna Bouillon  00:29 
Well, and my father went, in San Antonio, you see, he'd studied architecture at Heidelberg. And 
he didn't practice architecture straight, but he bought up land and would open up new additions 
and, build one or two beautiful homes, and then then go to another, buy up another section of 
land and build the homes. And this is the home he built for him, for our family, and that's the 
home I was born in, in that section right there. And my father said I was always the biggest one 
in the family, because I grew up in the, was born in the biggest house. He'd say that with a 
twinkle in his eyes.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  01:24 
Okay, you know what year your sister, Beulah was born? 
 
Erna Bouillon  01:27 
I haven't got, I didn't-- No, I haven't got those written down. Well she, she was, when was I 
born? 1893, she was six years older than I am, so that would be '93 and six, '99, would-- No, go 
the other way.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  01:54 
18-- 
 
Erna Bouillon  01:55 
18. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  01:56 
--1887  
 
Erna Bouillon  01:56 
Yes.  
 
Page 2 of 16 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  01:57 
And what year was Arthur born? 
 
Erna Bouillon  02:01 
Well, I don't know, he was probably, he was the first one, probably five or six years older than 
Beulah, because there were two babies after him that were lost, you know, a boy and a girl in 
Texas heat.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  02:21 
Around 1882 was [inaudible] remember. 
 
Erna Bouillon  02:21 
Mm-hmm. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  02:21 
[?I think you?] mentioned a cousin, first to--  
 
Erna Bouillon  02:29 
Oh, about the Alamo? About who made the boundary? No? 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  02:38 
No, this was some, when you first started talking before I got the tape recorder-- 
 
Erna Bouillon  02:43 
Oh, a cousin went with us to boarding school.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  02:46 
Oh, what was her name? 
 
Erna Bouillon  02:48 
Her name was Anna Meerscheidt. My father had-- 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  02:54 
You know which side of the family that was?  
 
Erna Bouillon  02:56 
That's the Meerscheidt family. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  02:58 
Yeah, that's father's side of the family?  
 
Erna Bouillon  03:00 
Yes. Only, of course, when we were in Germany, we used the von Meerscheidt, von Hullessem, 
we used our titles over there because they, they were all titled children. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  03:13 
Page 3 of 16 
 
Okay, first husband's name was? 
 
Erna Bouillon  03:20 
Harold, Harold Weeks. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  03:22 
That's right, and, do you know, remember what year he was born?  
 
Erna Bouillon  03:28 
Well, I've got that. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  03:31 
[Inaudible.] 
 
Erna Bouillon  03:31 
Born, he was a year older than I. I was born in 1893 and he was a year older. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  03:40 
1892.  
 
Erna Bouillon  03:42 
Yes. And have you got the date we were married? July 23, 1916.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  03:50 
Yeah. 
 
Erna Bouillon  03:54 
 I think.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  03:55 
Okay. Okay, and where was he born? 
 
Erna Bouillon  04:09 
Let's see, who are we talking about? 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  04:10 
Your first husband. 
 
Erna Bouillon  04:12 
Oh, in Chicago. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  04:18 
Okay. 
 
Erna Bouillon  04:19 
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And his mother was an art student, belonged to the Academy of Arts in Chicago and she was a 
Christian Scientist. And my, my husband was not, and his brother was not, but his brother was, 
married a very, was more religious than my husband, and he married a very religious woman. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  04:51 
Okay, and what year did he die? 
 
Erna Bouillon  04:58 
Well, let's see, he was about 58 or [5]9 years old, now, he was.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  05:09 
1940?  
 
Erna Bouillon  05:12 
Around there I think. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  05:14 
[Inaudible] He was about 58? 
 
Erna Bouillon  05:22 
Yeah. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  05:22 
And he died in Seattle? 
 
Erna Bouillon  05:27 
Mm-hmm. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  05:27 
And then second husband's name was Victor Bouillon. 
 
Erna Bouillon  05:35 
Mm-hmm, and now do you want to know when I married him?  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  05:40 
Let's see, no, the year of his birth.  
 
Erna Bouillon  05:42 
Oh, dear. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  05:43 
Do you have any idea?  
 
Erna Bouillon  05:45 
Now, wait. Oh, boy, I'm having as much trouble as you are. Now, what did you want to know? 
 
Page 5 of 16 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  06:09 
What year he was born and where. 
 
Erna Bouillon  06:15 
Victor Bouillon was born in Seattle. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  06:19 
Seattle. 
 
Erna Bouillon  06:20 
I don't know the-- He was three years older than I, so you can get his birth date from that. I was 
born in 1893, so he was born in 1890, wasn't he?  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  06:31 
Just a second. [Tape stops and starts] Okay, we'll try this again now. What year did he die?  
 
Erna Bouillon  06:33 
Who?  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  06:45 
Victor Bouillon?  
 
Erna Bouillon  06:48 
Well, I have that here. Now, let's see. I, he, I married him in '64--  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  07:04 
Yes. 
 
Erna Bouillon  07:05 
--and I was married to him two months less than six years when he died, here at The 
Hearthstone.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  07:14 
1970? 
 
Erna Bouillon  07:20 
Yeah, I think so. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  07:22 
He died in Seattle?  
 
Erna Bouillon  07:24 
In The Hearthstone, here. He was just under 80, I think two months under 80 years old when he 
died, December 13, '69 would have been 80 years old in a week or two. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  07:47 
Page 6 of 16 
 
September-- 
 
Erna Bouillon  07:49 
No, December. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  07:50 
Oh, December.  
 
Erna Bouillon  07:51 
Wait a minute, now, what was it? 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  07:53 
The month that he died. I think you said that. 
 
Erna Bouillon  07:59 
I said. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  08:02 
So, dead December 13? 
 
Erna Bouillon  08:11 
Mm-hmm. [Inaudible].  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  08:11 
'69, okay, what did your first husband do? 
 
Erna Bouillon  08:24 
Well, I had, had that written, that's all written up here.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  08:29 
No, your husband, your first husband, Harold Weeks.  
 
Erna Bouillon  08:31 
Yes, I've got that all, it's all written up here. Let's see, oh, here, it's a lot of information that, 
we've gone over some of it now. Dear me. Family record, or my record is page 244. 239, 243, 
here. Now, Harold Fairfield Weeks, born December 8, 1890-- I can't read it.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  08:32 
'92. 
 
Erna Bouillon  09:13 
18-- And married, July 23, we've got that, 1916. He died June, 1951. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  09:50 
Okay, what did he do for a living? 
 
Page 7 of 16 
 
Erna Bouillon  09:52 
Oh, well, it'll tell here. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, moved to Seattle in his teens, he was 
Northwest District Manager of Manning's, Incorporated for most of his working life. He was a 
manager from Vancouver BC, down to the northern coast of California. He didn't work in the 
restaurant, he just managed them, bossed them.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  10:31 
Okay, and what did your second husband do?  
 
Erna Bouillon  10:35 
Oh, he was a banker. He, he owned the bank in Ellensburg. He bought up all the stock and 
owned that bank, and he was very well off. He had two children by his first wife, two boys, but 
she was an invalid most of her life, she had asthma so badly. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  11:08 
Okay. And how, okay, you and Mr. Weeks had several children.  
 
Erna Bouillon  11:15 
We had four children, and one, one died, as I'd said, he'd got the wrong serum.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  11:24 
Okay. What was the oldest child's name? 
 
Erna Bouillon  11:30 
Now, wait a minute, Patricia Weeks. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  11:36 
Okay.  
 
Erna Bouillon  11:36 
Patricia Weeks. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  11:38 
When and where was she born? 
 
Erna Bouillon  11:42 
In Seattle, the 28th of April, 1917, Seattle, Washington. And then the boy that died was next, 
Lawrence Arthur Weeks, born January 16, 1920, in Seattle. And then he died July 3, 1933, in 
Seattle. Then, the next child was Josephine Weeks, born February 8, 1923, Seattle. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  12:26 
February 8, 1920-- 
 
Erna Bouillon  12:30 
1920-- 
 
Page 8 of 16 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  12:32 
'23.  
 
Erna Bouillon  12:33 
Wait a minute, yes, that's right, in Seattle. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  12:38 
And the last one? 
 
Erna Bouillon  12:39 
And she's married, her last name now is Aguilar, A-G-U-I-L-A-R. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  12:46 
A-- Excuse me, what was that again? 
 
Erna Bouillon  12:51 
A-G-U-I-- 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  12:53 
Okay. 
 
Erna Bouillon  12:53 
He had a Spanish descent. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  13:00 
Okay and the last one? You had four children? 
 
Erna Bouillon  13:04 
Oh, Michelle Erna Aguilar. Michelle, M-I-C-H-E-L-L-E, and the middle name was Erna, 
Aguilar. A-G-U-I-L-A-R. She lives in Arkansas now. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  13:21 
Okay. When was she born? 
 
Erna Bouillon  13:25 
Born December 28, 1951, wait a minute, [inaudible]. Yes, in Anchorage, Alaska. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  13:39 
She was way after the other two. 
 
Erna Bouillon  13:45 
1951, is that right? 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  13:49 
Oh, no, no, that's, that's her children.  
 
Page 9 of 16 
 
Erna Bouillon  13:53 
Oh. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  13:54 
That's Josephine's children.  
 
Erna Bouillon  13:57 
Oh, I must be, wait a minute.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  14:07 
Here we go, David. 
 
Erna Bouillon  14:09 
David Weeks. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  14:12 
Okay, that's your fourth son, fourth child?  
 
Erna Bouillon  14:15 
Yes, born the eighth of January, 1925, in Seattle. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  14:25 
Okay. 
 
Erna Bouillon  14:27 
And he married. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  14:30 
Okay. Patricia, did she? 
 
Erna Bouillon  14:35 
She didn't marry. She was hurt in an accident, she was burnt, she has no hair on her head. To this 
day, all the roots of her hair were destroyed, she's absolutely like a bald headed man, except a 
fringe from ear to ear about this high, an inch high. And she is retired, she retired at the age of, of 
62, she was so tired of working. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  15:02 
What did she do for a living? 
 
Erna Bouillon  15:05 
She got a master's in psychiatric social work, and she worked at Ryther Child Center, and that 
was the last job. They gave a big farewell, big farewell. She does such good work. She also 
worked in Germany during the war. She went over Germany and ran a recreational center for the 
boys that were flyers in the military in Germany with--  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  15:47 
Page 10 of 16 
 
For the Americans or for the--  
 
Erna Bouillon  15:48 
For the Americans. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  15:50 
Oh, you mean during the occupation? 
 
Erna Bouillon  15:51 
She was sent with a New York, New York Korea girl, she and the New York Korea girl went 
over to Germany. And then she traveled all over Germany, Europe, before she came home. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  16:03 
I see. 
 
Erna Bouillon  16:04 
And she turned down two marriages, really, three marriages, two of whom would have been 
millionaires. But she did it on account of her hair, head. She was so afraid, no matter how many 
wigs she had, that her husband would catch her without one at some time, and he'd be shocked, 
because she went to this McDonald's school, and she was-- They had a habit, the stairs, they had 
a habit of entering in the basement, and the stairs, zig zagged up, and the boys thought they'd 
have a good time. The girls wore a little French ballet, berets with a little tail up here, and they'd 
catch hold of that tail, they'd be on the higher run, and they'd pull it off. And when they pulled 
hers off, her wig came, and it scared them, and they ran to high heaven yelling, yelling, they 
thought they'd scalped her. Those crazy kids.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  17:13 
How old was she?  
 
Erna Bouillon  17:14 
Well, she was in the-- 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  17:16 
When she had the accident? 
 
Erna Bouillon  17:17 
She was three years and five months old, and her doctor was Dr. Park Weed Willis, he was head 
of the Seattle General Hospital, which was the best hospital in Seattle at the time. She was in the 
hospital a year, and she got the best of care and the best Seattle nurse that Park Weed Willis 
could find for her. And the nurse came home with her and stayed with her for six months. And 
the pus was that thick on her head. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  17:50 
So it was just the head, It wasn't too much the face? 
 
Erna Bouillon  17:53 
Page 11 of 16 
 
No, but she would have lost her eye. There was a scar that went right to the tip because she flew 
through the windshield. She was sitting on her aunt's lap, and her grandmother-- 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  17:53 
This was a car accident? 
 
Erna Bouillon  18:07 
Yes, her grandmother had a, on the Weeks side, grandmother, her grandmother Weeks' heart stop 
for a second, and she drove down a 15 foot bank onto some railroad ties, and they couldn't pull 
her out. She was caught twisted between the tires and the railroad ties. And my sister in law, 
Marjorie Weeks, remembered seeing workmen on the road, so she ran up the 15 foot bank, and 
up back a block or two, and got these workmen, and they came down, four of them, and they 
lifted that car up, and then they could pick her up. And the meanwhile, the radiator had broken 
and the hot water was running down on her head, and that's why, right here, she has hair, because 
that wasn't lying in the puddle. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  19:06 
I see, I see, okay and then--  
 
Erna Bouillon  19:09 
It was a tragedy. And she's so popular and so well liked, she made Junior Phi Beta at college and 
mortarboard president of her sorority and is so well liked. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  19:27 
I see. Okay, let's see. So Lawrence Weeks died at age 13 or so, so he didn't have any occupation. 
Josephine, did she ever work? 
 
Erna Bouillon  19:40 
Well, she went up to Alaska, just how kids do, they like getting away from home. And she was, 
oh, I don't know what she was doing. She was assisting the manager of business when she met 
her husband up there, married him, and I didn't see him, it was in the middle of-- And then she 
had a child, Michelle. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  20:14 
Okay, and you know what sort of business that was up in Alaska? 
 
Erna Bouillon  20:19 
Well, her husband was an engineer. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  20:23 
But you don't know what she was?  
 
Erna Bouillon  20:24 
She was something--  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  20:26 
Page 12 of 16 
 
She was working in the same business he was, is that it?  
 
Erna Bouillon  20:29 
No, he sat at another desk. She might, I don't know what work she did anymore. She just, just 
helped in general, I think, she hadn't really had any special training, 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  20:43 
Okay, and David-- 
 
Erna Bouillon  20:45 
Then she went back to school, after her children were grown, and got her degree in library work, 
and now is head librarian at Silverdale and, and she has a beautiful home on Bainbridge Island, 
and has the three children. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  21:12 
Okay, and David?  
 
Erna Bouillon  21:15 
David is a certified public accountant, so all my children have professions. Psychiatric, social 
work, she had a master's in that, and Joe has a library profession, and she's head librarian over 
there, and David is a certified public accountant. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  21:40 
Okay, and let's see, no adopted children. Hold on, I'm just trying to fill out this, you've really 
gotten quite a bit of information. Are you feeling tired or--  
 
Erna Bouillon  22:03 
No, that's all right, I just [inaudible]. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  22:08 
We've pretty well gotten through your family history. You don't remember your grandparents, I 
take it, that well. 
 
Erna Bouillon  22:15 
Well, there was a, I had a picture of the home-- 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  22:27 
I know. 
 
Erna Bouillon  22:27 
And-- 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  22:28 
Well that's [inaudible]-- 
 
Erna Bouillon  22:29 
Page 13 of 16 
 
Wait a minute, I can give you that history. Now, let's see, family records, page 239, 245 [pages 
turning]. They're making a third book now, the family. These, they made these, that was the first 
book, the little black one. Now, what did you want to know? 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  22:59 
Well, besides the thing is, do you remember your maternal grandfather's first name?  
 
Erna Bouillon  23:06 
Maternal that's-- 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  23:08 
Last name was Remer. 
 
Erna Bouillon  23:11 
Oh, well, let's see if I can find that. I don't know whether that'll be in here. [Pages turning] Let's 
see, Olga Meerscheidt, oh, Olga Remer that, that is hard to find. This is-- 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  24:08 
That's the Meerscheidt.  
 
Erna Bouillon  24:09 
That's the Meerscheidt family and Arthur Remer Meerscheidt. Oh, that's their children, see, 
descendants of Olga and Axel Alexander Meerscheidt. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  24:27 
Okay, since you're a little bit indefinite about that, we might as well-- 
 
Erna Bouillon  24:34 
What was the question, I get, forget when I-- 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  24:37 
I was just trying to find out your maternal grandfather's first name.  
 
Erna Bouillon  24:41 
Maternal, that's-- 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  24:43 
Your mother's father's first name. 
 
Erna Bouillon  24:52 
I'm not quite sure. I don't know whether that's [?Karl?]-- 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  24:59 
That's fine. Oh, are any of your brothers or sisters still living? 
 
Erna Bouillon  25:15 
Page 14 of 16 
 
I'm the only one left, and I am 87 years old.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  25:21 
Okay, do you know when Beulah died? 
 
Erna Bouillon  25:26 
Oh she, I have it here someplace, yes, but find it in a hurry, that was here someplace. Robert 
Trenckmann and, she married Robert Trenckmann, Robert Trenckmann. Junior that she had, 
senior, so it must be Robert Trenckman.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  25:55 
No, but when did she die? When did Beulah-- 
 
Erna Bouillon  25:57 
Well, I'm trying to see, she was, she was married to Robert Trenckmann-- 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  26:02 
At least the year.  
 
Erna Bouillon  26:06 
Beulah Anna Meerscheidt Trenckmann. Now, you've got her birth? 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  26:13 
Yeah, I got the birthday.  
 
Erna Bouillon  26:14 
Now, when she died. Beulah was a charter member of the hatchery and the grange, they lived on 
a ranch. She passed away August 18, 1958, after suffering a stroke. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  26:36 
Okay, and when did Emita die? 
 
Erna Bouillon  26:40 
Well, let's see if I can find her now, that's Beulah. Emita Carola Meerscheidt. She graduated 
from Broadway high school and she worked-- She was very religious, my Aunt Emma, in 
Germany, had been they, she knew a Bible inside out, my sister Emita. And they, I wrote a story 
of her life and I gave it to them at the church, they wanted it, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, [?her 
strength, here?]. It was, she died in a in a nursing home, I don't see any dates here, do you? 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  27:47 
Maybe she hadn't died at the time that was written? 
 
Erna Bouillon  27:57 
No, I, she died quite a while ago. It ought to be here. Now, I might have it in the story of her life. 
If you want it, I can get that.  
 
Page 15 of 16 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  28:27 
No, no, no, that, that's okay. 
 
Erna Bouillon  28:29 
That's in the wall closet.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  28:32 
Oh, well, how about Ilma? When did she die?  
 
Erna Bouillon  28:35 
She died about six months ago, and her husband died a month later. He was a Jenner, Ed Jenner.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  28:44 
Okay, and when did Arthur die? 
 
Erna Bouillon  28:49 
Arthur, he died on Mercer Island. Let's see that would be-- [Pages turning] Robert Trenckmann, 
now let's see here. Family Meerscheidt. 
 
Erna Bouillon  29:13 
It wouldn't be under your children. 
 
Erna Bouillon  29:20 
Yeah, it'd be under my life, wouldn't it?  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  29:27 
Yeah. 
 
Erna Bouillon  29:30 
Patricia, Josephine-- Arthur was my brother. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  29:36 
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.  
 
Erna Bouillon  29:38 
So he wouldn't be here. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  29:41 
Okay, Emita, Beulah, here, Arthur. 
 
Erna Bouillon  29:48 
He, him, this-- He, he was found February 20, wait a minute. He, he was, went on a walk on 
Mercer Island with his dog and he'd gotten attacked and fell backwards onto a rock, and he had, 
he died up there on the path. And the dog, it was like a movie, the dog came home, you know 
how intelligent they are, pulled on my father's trouser legs and pulled him up the hill. My father 
knew something was wrong, my father got the gardener, and the two of them went up and they 
Page 16 of 16 
 
found him dead on the path, on the rock off of the path, and they carried him home, that was on 
Mercer Island. 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  30:34 
So he was only about 30-some years old.  
 
Erna Bouillon  30:37 
I think he was 32 when he died. Let's see here, Arthur had been, here, he was found February 22, 
1914, and he was dead. I think that's 14? Yes.  
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  30:57 
Okay.  
 
Erna Bouillon  31:01 
And then here the dates of the two little children that died. You want those? 
 
Susan Lynn Ehlers  31:11 
Well, maybe. 
 
Erna Bouillon  31:15 
Karl, spelled with a K, Julius Meerscheidt died-- [Recording ends]. 
 