Who is (was?) Hildegard Schulte? Why do we have this book? (This is a question that I find myself asking quite often when roaming through some of the library's uncataloged historical treasures.)
The title page offers further illumination:
The Schulte School of Cake Decorating, right here in Omaha! I wanted to know more. A quick Google search indicated that a revised edition--probably a bit more slick than this, since it contained 108 pages and photographs--was published in 1958; this edition can be found on a few used-book sites. Ours seems to be an earlier first version, possibly produced in the early years of Hildegard's career as a cake decorator--although her obituary, published in the Omaha World Herald on December 8, 1981, says that already in the 1940s she was known as "the cake lady" because of her skills as a cake baker and decorator, and that even then she was teaching in Omaha and abroad. She had actually graduated from pharmacy school, but confined her concoctions to the kitchen. An Omaha World Herald article published May 1, 1949, remarked that she had "a frosting idea for practically every occasion" and had even made a set of sugar earrings and brooch to match (I like the idea of edible accessories--perhaps nostalgia for those candy necklaces we had when I was a kid). I wish I had a good picture of some of those cakes (or better yet, the sugar earrings!) but the best I can do is post a couple of her cake designs here.
The 1951 Omaha city directory does not have a listing for the Schulte School of Cake Decorating (or any Schulte school), though it does give separate listings for Hildegard M. Schulte and her husband, Ellwin R., both living at 2542 Chicago St. Ellwin was a pharmacist at O'Brien Drugs (they had met at pharmacy school). Not until 1954 is there any mention of the Schulte culinary entreprises, and even then it is merely appended to Mrs. Hildegard Schulte's directory entry: "cooking school" as an occupation. Finally, in 1955, the Schulte School of Cake Decorating & Fancy Cookery rated its own separate directory entry. By 1956 it was the Schulte School of Cake Decorating & Candy Making, and in no time its entry was in bold font.
1961 was the last year the school was listed with Hildegard as the proprietor; in 1962 it was not listed at all, although Ellwin and Hildegard were listed. By 1965 Ellwin had retired, the house on Chicago St. had fallen victim to the new freeway, and the couple were living on Keystone Dr. In 1967, the Schulte School of Cake Decorating reappeared at 7002 Grant St., under the management of Ellwin and Hildegard's son, John J. Schulte, and operated there until at least the early 1970s.
Ellwin passed away in 1967 (Omaha World Herald obituary, 26 July 1967), but Hildegard carried on with her creative pursuits. She was interviewed by the Omaha World Herald in 1972 (OWH, 2 April 1972, p. 85), and although she claimed to be retired (her obituary, in contrast, says she retired in 1977, the same year she was presented with a life membership in the International Cake Exploration Société), she obviously never stopped learning, teaching, creating. She had learned tole painting, taught classes, took organ lessons, and made huge quantities of pastry treats and panoramic sugar Easter eggs for family, friends, and nursing homes.
Hildegard passed away at the age of 82 on December 4, 1981. The nature of her art was more transitory than most, but we still have The Art of Cake Decorating....
I really enjoyed this information. I also have just read the post about "Ace and Ann's" neighborhood bar...
ReplyDeleteI grew up not far from the place and my dad spent more time than he should have there as well as at another nearby neighborhood favorite, Kopeckys bar on the corner of 24th and Vinton Street.
The bar in the Prague Hotel on about 13th street just a few north of Martha street was another place to hang out if you were in the area. It is still in operation, but I don't know if they still serve the kinds of great food they used to have on Fridays and Sunday afternoons. these wonderful posts sure bring up a lot of memories for me personally.
Martha, Keep 'em coming. I am hooked.
My comments on Hildegard Schulte. She was my dear friend from when I was 25 until her death.
ReplyDeleteShe was nothing short of genius,working with sugar as well as many other art forms. Her little gingerbread people were unbelievable, beyond cute!
She befriended me, a complete stranger, at a charity event where she sold, then donated the proceeds from the most outrageously gorgeous cookies and candies that I had ever seen. She invited me to her home to see her work and began to teach me, a young mother who had never touched a pastry bag, her art form after I admired her work but mentioned it was just a bit above my budget. That is how my love of sugar and my relationship with Hildegard began. I was in awe that she could be so generous with her time and talents. We soon became dear friends and saw each other several times a week and she never failed to surprise & inspire me. Hildegard literally changed my life in more ways than I can describe. Her generosity was legend and in no way exaggerated. She loved making her best work for those who could little afford it and giving to them made her as happy as a small child at Christmas.
I still think of her and almost feel her hand on mine as she patiently showed me her magic. My work will never come close to the artistry that she shaped in icing. but she brought to me a gift of working with pastry, icing and decorating that I had never imagined.
She was a tiny, cherub of a woman, with boundless energy and patience as she shared her visions of dancers, bunnies, and scenes in sugar that I could have never imagined, could come from my hands. If she could imagine it, she made it in icing.
Her genius didn't stop at icing. She made candies of every description, fabulous cakes, taking hours on end for the smallest details to be perfection. And even came up with a glitter that she called "Stardust" when a spill dried to a sparkly puddle. She seized every opportunity to make something beautiful from almost nothing. She was the most optimistic human being I have ever known, only getting a bit down as she aged and was frustrated with the effects of arthritis on her hands and how it hampered her creativity at times.
She hoped that in a next life or heaven she would be young again and be able to find joy and work with her beloved sugar again. She often dreamed of a heaven with just such a place where she was making icing ornaments and painting for Jesus and the angels. She was a very spiritual person and spoke of the next life like it was as real in every way, without the disabilities of old age. She believed we would all be young again.
To know her was to love her and respect her. She started me on my career in pastry and baking by having me take over many of her public demonstrations and events in the area. I was no Hildegard, but some how I managed to do my best to do her proud and found her joy so contagious that today, at almost 70, I still love it! After years working a dual career in the health care field and baking/decorating and a bit of writing about food, at 55, I finally jumped off the cliff and attended the best French Pastry School in America. I was much older than my peers but wanted to learn more about making fine chocolates, blowing sugar & other things that you just can't get from by reading books.
I thought of her every day. Hard work yes, but so much to learn and do. I began to remind myself of my dear friend as she got older. But so far, the hands are still hanging in there.
Who knew that admiring a cookie that you couldn't quite afford to purchase for your little ones could lead to such a life changing relationship. She gifted me with a whole new life, filled with joy and the ability to pass on her gifts and share her joy with students when I began to teach as well.
In many ways she has continued to live in and through me. I have not a fraction of her talent nor skills but I have every bit of her love of the art of sugar and try to emulate her spirit and generosity every day. Hildegard was a gift beyond measure.
Thanks so much for your comments! She sounds like an amazing person, and I'm so happy to know more about her.
ReplyDeleteMy Grandmas store in Benson was just revealed and is the first time we have seen it ourselves, but there is no history of it right now. It was called Hildegard's heavenly Cakes. It was posted on facebook. My grandma got alzheimer's and her legacy was not passed on to most of the family. We as grandchildren each have a small piece of her work and few pictures. This has encouraged me to research the information I do have.
DeleteI am Heather M. Schulte and would love to see my Grandmother's book. Where is it now?
ReplyDeleteGoogle "Hildegard Schulte cake decorating" for this and more sources: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Cake-Decorating-Hildegard-Schulte/dp/B0007E59PU
DeleteI would like to talk to anyone who knew my granny Hildegard. Barbiz77@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteSchulte Cake decorating books were given out to classes.. Anyone still have one.. Let me know
ReplyDelete..
Hi Martha,
ReplyDeleteIs there any way to get a copy of my Grandmas Cake decorating book you posted on January 30, 2012.
The Art of Cake Decorating by Hildegard Schulte?
I posted on March 17th 2017, and as I get older and find very little about her (even from other family members) because her Alzheimers, we never even got to see any of her work for years. When she passed away, the only memento I have of her are some of the small gifts she gave us as kids that survived the 75 tornado and the memories of her baking all our birthday cakes and making homemade ice-cream out camping. I do have the memories of her teaching me how to hollow out eggs and cut an opening in them. We painted the outside and inside with little scenes. When we were done, she got a wood base and a tree branch and we drilled little holes in the top to put string through to hang them. When we were done, she took me to a nursing home (I have no idea where) and we donated it to them. That was probably one the of best memories I have of spending one on one time with her. She was always traveling and teaching when we were kids. We spent many a nights with her at the house on Franklin st. which was her last home before having to move to (what was then) Skyline Manor because of her Alzheimers. I remember helping decorate her yard with all the things she made for each holiday. I do believe she even won a prize from a World Hearald Christmas decorating contest. There were so many other circumstances that we never understood as kids, but I never knew why and to this day, do not have any idea what happen to all the beautiful things she made. I am blessed to still have a few of the original (as you called them) panoramic Easter eggs, and very few pictures, that mostly came from other family. I have the second book that was published from my parents who also continued the "Star Dust" business for many years.(they have both been gone for many years) I still have some Star Dust myself to use to decorate my own families baked goodies. It will never go bad. Anyway, I just happen to be going through some family things and remembered this posting. I had too much going on in my life being a caregiver to pursue this request, but I really would love to have a copy to put with the little I do have as memories of my Grandma. I would be happy to pay for it. If you want, you can email me at vorris62@yahoo.com and we can correspond privately from there. Thank you so much for your consideration.