June 11, 2014, would be Emma Hormel Fisher’s 150th birthday.

I wrote about her last year but I recently found correspondence from Jay C. Hormel that shared his admiration and respect for Emma’s husband, Levi Fisher. The couple lived in Austin from 1909 until 1922 when they relocated to California.

In April of 1952, Jay was communicating with Judge S.D. Catherwood regarding another issue, but he closes his letter with the following excerpt.

“Tomorrow we are all going down to Long Beach for a reception in honor of Levi Fisher’s 90th birthday. I haven’t seen him for something like three years, so I can’t tell you just how he is at the moment, but the last time I did see him he was certainly spry. You know his grandson is something like 6’6” tall and that high-legged boy lost one leg right near the hip during the war. When I walked in on them one day they were on a scaffold painting a ceiling — a one-legged boy and 87 year old Uncle Levi. And, the way they climbed down off that scaffold to greet me would really put two whole or younger men to shame.”

My assumption is that the tall boy Jay is referring to is his second cousin, Billy Ramsell. Billy was referred to as “the tall boy” in a family photo taken at George and Lillian’s Bel Air home so his size must have been an identifying characteristic.

Levi had an interesting life of entrepreneurship, receiving a patent in 1911 for a meat hanger. He then went on to market a scale made of tin cans which used rain water as weights. I have not found a clear explanation of how the scale worked but the Hormel news magazine, known as the “Squeal,” certainly gave Levi kudos for the invention.

Emma also had a creative side as she was credited with making the flag to honor the 123 service men (as of May 25, 1918) employed with the company in 1918. The flag was designed by Levi. Her name is also mentioned as the decorator of an exhibit space during the 1918 Mower County Fair. Export meats were on display showing the kinds of products being shipped to different Allied countries during the war.

Emma and Levi made a creative team and shared their talents well, and it seems, late into life since Levi was painting a ceiling at the age of 87.