The Kaiser & Schumacher Family Film Collection

CONSERVATION & CAPTURE

Grant year: 2019 Al Larvick North Dakota Grant

Grant recipient: Frankie Kaiser

Primary makers: Frankie Kaiser, Jacob Schumacher and Christ Schumacher

Original format: 8mm film, color, silent

Length/feet or running time: Entire collection, approximately 2000ft. 2019 grant supports approximately 1000ft of collection

Circa: 1960s and 1970s

Lab: The MediaPreserve

Digital capture format: High Definition, 1080x1920, aspect ratio 4:3, pillarboxed

Status:  Conservation and digital capture completed

Online Access: Coming soon

Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

Grantee

Frankie is the first child of Henry and Eva Schumacher, reared on a farm near Tappen, ND.  Roger’s parents are Joe and Magdalena Kaiser, and he was reared on a farm near Streeter, ND. 

The Kaisers were married in Napoleon on August 6, 1966, and lived there the first four years. Frankie was a hairdresser and Roger was a truck driver.  In 1970, they moved to Montana where Roger worked in road construction. They started farming in 1972, continuing that and truck driving until 2012, farming organically and raising cattle, mostly Simmental. 

After retiring in 2013, the Kaisers moved to Mandan, North Dakota that summer.  Roger still does local trucking seasonally.  Frankie’s interests include reading, genealogy, and scrapbooking-particularly scrapbooks about family history.

“I was raised west of Streeter, North Dakota. As a young married couple, we bought a movie camera in 1967, believe it was a Kodak, and took many 8mm films of family celebrations, local stock car races, snowmobiling, and our pet cats. I was also given several movie films taken by two uncles and they are included in this collection.  I felt honored to get them and will enjoy showing them again in a new format.” ~ Frankie Kaiser

Filmmakers:

The Kaiser & Schumacher Family Film Collection represents labors of love from three home movie makers. Frankie Kaiser is the primary maker of this collection, as well as its custodian.

Jacob Schumacher, who filmed several reels was a businessman in Streeter, North Dakota, owning Schumacher Electric (1948-1974). He owned the first television set in Streeter, North Dakota.

Christ Schumacher who mainly documented family gatherings, worked as an electrician throughout his career. Jacob and Christ Schumacher were brothers, and were Frankie’s uncles.

The Collection

The Kaiser and Schumacher Family Film Collection reflects a record of family and regional events in several towns in North Dakota during the 1960s and 1970s.

“Some, shot by my Uncle Jacob Schumacher depict the aftermath of a blizzard that swept across Streeter, North Dakota, which covered cars and a good part of many homes. Others filmed by Jacob are of 4th of July festivities in Streeter and of the Peace Garden up by the US/Canadian border of the state.

 The are several films in my family collection created by another uncle, Christ Schumacher (deceased), of family gatherings and my high school graduation in 1964 from Tappen High School in Tappen, North Dakota.

Films I shot include recordings of various parades in the North Dakota towns and cities of Tappen (1976, ‘78), Streeter (1976), Napoleon (1976). Three reels document an elevator fire in Belfield, North Dakota (c. 1970/71). There are several that feature stock car races and rodeos in various locations around the state. Others show family gatherings at Christmas and other social events that many home movie makers enjoy filming.” ~ Frankie Kaiser