It was a 100th Birthday celebration for the Kruer-Tewes Homestead in Edgewood (stories were told)

By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter

From a distance you thought it might be a school graduation party. When you scrambled for a parking space on Garden View Drive in Edgewood, well you knew it was something bigger.

The Kruer home — 100 years old. (Photo provided)

Much bigger.

Tom and Karen Kruer opened their doors to relatives – some 250 strong – as their home on 543 Garden View was celebrating a birthday.

A Centennial Birthday – 100 years old.

“My grandfather moved here and re-built this home in February of 1924,” Tom told the Northern Kentucky Tribune at the Sunday afternoon gathering on his one-acre lawn. “My mother was nine-years-old when we moved here. She grew up here.”

Tom Kruer’s grandfather was John Tewes, Sr. Yes – that Tewes — pronounced too’wus. This was the site of the original poultry farm.

And their poultry business, Kentucky’s only natural turkey farm, has been in operation since 1924.

The Tewes family has been in the region since at least 1854, according to records from the Kenton County Historical Society.

Welcome to the celebration (Photo by Andy Furman/NKyTribune)

John Henry Tewes, Sr., one of about 12 children of Anton Tewes – according to records – was born in Covington on April 16, 1888. He later married Gertrude Trenkamp and the family resided in the 900 block of Philadelphia Street. The couple had three children – John Henry Tewes, Jr., as well as Helen and Louise.

Helen eventually married a Kruer – raised six children – and Tom was number four.

As for John Henry Tewes, Sr., he worked in the machine tooling business in Cincinnati. He also ran his own machine tool business in Lewisburg from about 1908, as records state.

“He was an unbelievable woodcarver as well as stone mason and one of the first organic gardeners in the country,” Tom proudly said of his grandfather.

Birthday cake (Photo by Andy Furman/NKyTribune)

In fact, some of the pieces John Sr. carved still decorate Tom and Karen Kruer’s home, which was on display during the Sunday afternoon get-together.

Tom and Karen moved from Northern Kentucky after they wed, returned to the region in 1984 – and moved to 543 Garden View in 1985.

And as history would tell it, John Sr. had moved his family, as well as his well poultry business to some wide-open farm land off Charter Oak Drive which is now Edgewood.

That one-acre frame structure – the oldest home in the subdivision – still stands near the Garden Way intersection, address 543.

“John built this home by hand,” Tom explained, “As well as the barns that were needed for the business.”

It was at this Edgewood home that John Sr., invented, and patented, a process for coloring the feathers of baby chicks with vegetable dye. Sold as kids’ pets at Easter for just a quarter – the “Easter Chicks” brought in enough extra cash that Sr. paid off his loan – ahead of schedule.

That was just one, of the many stories shared by the Kruer/Tewes Families at the event.

And a toast! Pete Orzili, Tom Kruer, and Joe Tewes join in. (Photo by Andy Furman/NKyTribune)

“This party was strictly for relatives,” Tom said, “My son (Nathan) came in from Florida, but otherwise everyone in attendance was a local.”

Tom hinted he may have a second celebration for friends and neighbors – but wife Karen, for sure will have the final say on that matter.

Karen says she is in the process of talking to Marty Perry, National Register Coordinator, with the Kentucky Heritage Council, in Frankfort, “Trying to get the house on the National Register.”

Today, Dan Tewes — son of the late John Jr. – and his wife Darlene and their five children, continue to operate the family business, with help from their extended family. Dan runs the poultry operation.

The event was eye-opening for the family, as well as teary-eyed for some. For others, it was the first time meeting one another – ever.

Here is to hoping it will not take another 100 years for them to meet.

The post It was a 100th Birthday celebration for the Kruer-Tewes Homestead in Edgewood (stories were told) appeared first on NKyTribune .