Much change has occurred in American life since the faceless photograph of young Louise Woerner and her string of fish was taken. Had Louise been born at the turn of the 21st century rather than the earlier part of the 20th, there is little doubt that the photo would have been entirely different: it would not present 25 lifeless fish hanging from a line. A contemporary photo, almost certainly taken with a smart phone camera and posted to Facebook or another form of social media, would display an agile, physically fit female in her late teens lifting a single, live bass by the lower (non-injurious) lip. The caption might say, “The largest of many trophy ‘catch and release’ fish caught today”. It might possibly be a “selfie”, but for sure, it would prominently feature Louise’s face along with a very large, solo fish soon to be released. The photo post would earn many “likes” on the social web. Louise’s picture evokes a similar response from most individuals that see it – “she must have been an exceptional angler”. It is difficult not to speculate about her angling ability and the kind of life she led. I certainly did.
Mary Louise Woerner, known also simply as Louise, was born October 27, 1916, in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, to Albert H. and Gertrude (née Walker) Woerner. Her father, a 1909 University of Pennsylvania Civil Engineering graduate, subsequently became an executive with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. During his 43-year tenure with the B&O, he received numerous promotions requiring him to relocate his family to various geographical locations serviced by the railroad. When Louise was thirteen years old, the family moved to Garrett, Indiana.
In 1930, the Woerners purchased a home at 515 Franklin Street, across the road and down a few houses from the George M. Schulthess family. Fourteen years previous, Schulthess, along with Henry S. Dills and Carl H. Heinzerling, founded the Creek Chub Bait Company (CCBC), that would eventually become the world’s largest manufacturer of artificial fishing lures. The three bait company owners and their respective families maintained a close business relationship in Garrett, Indiana, for 62-plus years. During that period, due to the eventual death of first-generation family members, surviving owners rotated through assorted executive positions (president, vice president, secretary/treasurer, etc.), taking on decision-making responsibility.
In addition to their business relationship, the three families who produced artificial fishing lures also had a close-knit social affiliation with each other and with countless local friends in Garrett. Louise Woerner and her family were among those friends. The Woerners were close neighbors; Louise went to school with younger CCBC family members; her parents participated extensively in the communal network of the small town; and Louise’s father held the superintendent’s position for Garrett’s primary employer, the railroad.
The bait company’s owners were also heavily engaged in providing the civic leadership and other services the town needed to be successful. George M. Schulthess (original CCBC President) was one of Garrett’s leading citizens for more than forty years. He was mayor of Garrett on numerous occasions and was a longtime member of the Common Council and the Board of Works. George was active in the Democratic Party, president of the Garrett Industrial Association, member of the Chamber of Commerce, member of both the Elks and Eagles social clubs and active within the Presbyterian Church. The Heinzerling family owned and operated the town hardware store, thereby providing an essential service for four decades. Commonly well known among town residents, the Heinzerlings were extremely social and involved individuals; they sponsored many community activities throughout the years. The Heinzerling involvement also extended beyond Garrett: Henry D. Heinzerling served as president of the Indiana School Boards Association.
Articles in Garrett’s town newspaper, the Clipper, reveal some of the social network of Louise’s environment that brought her into close connection with the owners of the Creek Chub Bait Company. Following is a summary of various events:
During 1933, the officers of the Girl Reserves of Garrett High School included President, Mary Louise Woerner and Secretary, Mildred Schulthess.
Gordon S. Dills, Howard Schulthess, Harry D. Heinzerling, Albert H. Woerner and Le Roy Schulthess were among candidates who received degree work in the Golden Jubilee class, Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, in 1938.
In January, 1939, the newly-appointed committee members of the Garrett Municipal Golf Course met with the mayor and city council members to discuss the operation of the course. Harry D. Heinzerling, Howard Schulthes and A. H. Woerner were among the new committee responsible for all activities at the club.
In July 1939, Ladies’ day at the Garrett Country Club began with golf at 9:30AM followed by a luncheon-bridge at 1 o’clock. The committee Chairman was Mrs. C. H. Heinzerling who was assisted by Mrs. A. H. Woerner.
In May, 1940, Austin Van Houten, Chairman of the Sports and Pastimes Committee of the Garrett Country Club (and Sales Manager for CCBC) urged all club members to be present for the golf opening. Other committee members who assisted Mr. Van Houten included Howard Schulthess and Harry Heinzerling.
During June, 1941, Mrs. C. H. Heinzerling and Mrs. Harry D. Heinzerling served as hosts at the Woman’s Home Missionary Society twilight tea given at the C. H. Heinzerling home; Mesdames A. H. Woerner and Mary Louise Woerner served the refreshments.
Beginning with her secondary school days, Louise participated in the social life of a small Indiana town and felt the influences of the bait company that was a key component of the community both economically and socially; it would have been impossible to ignore its influence. CCBC, a foremost town employer (at one point employing over 100, largely local women) was involved in many aspects of town life, including a company-sponsored women’s basketball team; Garrett appears to have been a fine place for families to prosper.
Unfortunately, the individual that taught Louise to angle is not revealed. It is also unknown if Louise was personally responsible for catching all of the 25 bass in the photograph, although the inscription does state “Louise Woerner and her string of fish”. Louise was, without doubt, closely associated with some of the most avid, inventive anglers of the day and she was a highly agile, physically fit individual. Following her years at Garrett High School, she was a graduate of Philadelphia’s prestigious Littlefield Ballet School of the Dance and later became a member of its subsequent entity, the Philadelphia Ballet. Littlefield was the first American ballet company to achieve both national and international fame. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that Louise did indeed land all those fish. It is unclear if Louise remained a lifelong angler; she was, however, an ultimate dancer. Prior to 1940, she was the instructor for the Violet Reinwald School of Dance in Garrett where she also demonstrated her talent as an accomplished musician with multiple varieties of keyboard instruments.
During the spring of 1942, Louise’s father Albert accepted another promotion and relocated with his wife Gertrude to Washington, Indiana, where keeping with his fondness for community service, he became president of the Washington Community Association and was highly instrumental in promoting many town projects. Louise, however, opted to stay in northern Indiana, eventually moving to Fort Wayne where she continued to teach dance with the Violet Reinwald School. Subsequently, Louise also settled in Washington where she opened a dance studio behind her parent’s home at 515 SE First Street on the corner of Southside Avenue. In January, 1956, she expanded her dance instruction business by opening a second studio in Jasper, Indiana, at 704 Main Street. From this location, her business was also capable of facilitating instruction for pupils from Huntingburg, seven miles south. Consolidated dance reviews were presented in Washington’s Indiana Theatre. On May 17, 1961, Louise organized a Spring Dance Review there for all her students in southern Indiana; it was to be her last because she discovered she was suffering from breast cancer.
Louise’s cancer metastasized and on December 31, 1961, in Our Lady of Peace Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky, Mary Louise Woerner succumbed to Carcinoma of the Breast at the untimely age of 45 years. Her mother, Gertrude, survived her. Upon Gertrude Woerner’s passing, the Woerner estate transferred to Christ United Methodist Church, Washington, Indiana for a scholarship fund. Unfortunately, for Louise and other women of those times, routine periodic mammograms were just beginning to be widely used as a diagnostic tool for asymptomatic women to detect breast cancer at an early enough stage to save lives. Initially I had speculated about Louise’s angling ability and the life she led; I now realize that hers was a talented and honorable life. At present, I catch myself speculating on what she might have been as a ballerina, musician, teacher and possibly bass pro angler had she ever had the desire for that and opportunity to live beyond 1967, when the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society was formed.