TURNS A SOMERSAULT AT 80. ~ Grandpa Brenckmann's July 4th Antics Amused the Children.

July 6, 1909
TURNS A SOMERSAULT AT 80.

Grandpa Brueckmann's July 4th
Antics Amused the Children.

The German Baptist Sunday school, Seventeenth and Tracy, held its annual basket picnic at Budd park yesterday. A crowd of children, with hands joined, danced in a ring, while a man stood in the center and sang a German holiday song. At the end of each verse he would do something and each one in the circle had to imitate him.

With the children, and apparently enjoying himself as much as they, was Henry Brueckmann, 80 years old. He made faces, clapped his hands, pulled his neighbor's hair and did everything suggested by the leader, until the latter turned a somersault. The children all went over in a hurry, and then besieged "grandpa" to turn one. And Grandpa Breuckmann, 80 years old, did turn a somersault -- a good one, too -- much to the delight of the children. There were 140 at this picnic.

The Swedish Methodist church Sunday school, 1664 Madison street, headed by O. J. Lundberg, pastor, and the Swedish mission at Fortieth and Genessee streets, held a big basket dinner in the east end of Budd park. About 150 enjoyed themselves.

Not far from them the Swedish Baptist church Sunday school, 416 West Fourteenth street, with Rev. P. Schwartz and a delegation from a Swedish church in Kansas City, Kas., headed by Rev. Carl Sugrstrom, was holding forth about 300 strong.

There were many family and neighborhood picnics in the park.