Will County IL Archives Obituaries.....Pauli, Lena Gretzler Grecke September 1921
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Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com November 10, 2006, 10:36 pm

Herald, Sep 12, 1921
Pioneer Hotel Owner, 86 Dies After Short Illness

Mrs. Lena Pauli, Resident of Joliet Since 1883, Succumbs; Had Thrilling 
Adventure in Brazil Expedition

Sep 12, 1921, Herald

Mrs. Lena Pauli, 86 years old, pioneer hotel proprietor of Joliet, who has 
operated the National, once the center of social and business activity of 
Joliet, for 36 years, died yesterday at her home in the hotel following a 
short illness.

Since the middle of August, Mrs. Pauli, who has occupied a place unique in the 
history of Joliet, has been unable to supervise the hotel which she has 
managed for more than a quarter of a century.  For the last 10 days she has 
been critically ill.

Pall bearers at her funeral will be old neighbors and friends, several of whom 
have made their headquarters at the hotel for 25 years.

Born in 1835

Born Feb. 11, 1835 in Wurtemberg, Germany, Mrs. Pauli, who was Lena Gretzler 
before her marriage, accompanied the wife of the German consul to Brazil as 
companion 70 years ago.  The trip which was made several thousand miles into 
the interior of South America, was always the source of stories as Mrs. Pauli 
related her thrilling experiences.

She was the only daughter in a family of four children.  Her father was a 
cooper and brewer in Germany.

On June 4, 1873 she was married in Southport, England, to Christian Grecke.  
Mr. Grecke died in 1881 in Detroit, Mich. In 1882, she was married in Detroit 
to Carl Pauli, who died July 14, 1902.

In 1883 they came to Joliet and took rooms at the National hotel.  For a year 
they operated a boarding house and in 1885 took charge of the National hotel.

Supervised Hotel

Since 1885 Mrs. Pauli has supervised the hostelry, doing all its buying and 
directing the business end.  She was known to a host of Joliet and visiting 
people who stopped at the hotel were she resided as “mother.” 

The hotel itself is one of the historic spots of Joliet.  It was erected in 
1888 and was enlarged with a brick annex 20 years later.

In Joliet’s halcyon days when packet lines flourished on the Illinois and 
Michigan canal, the passenger dock was just south of the old Jefferson street 
bridge and the National hotel was the popular place in Joliet.  It was also 
the social center and dances and other entertainments were given there.  The 
National ran the first bus line in Joliet, making the Rock Island trains after 
the road was opened here in the early 50’s.

Summoned by Gong

In its early days the boarders at the hotel, some of whom were engaged in work 
along the canal, would be summoned to dinner and supper by the pounding of a 
gong.  It is said that the bell could be heard from the upper basin to 
Brandon’s road.

Candles were used for illumination in the rooms.  It also became a popular 
place for the country members of the board of supervisors and other visitors 
from rural districts.

Plans for the reoccupation of the canal were of interest to Mrs. Pauli who 
followed the course of its proposed development for many years.

Abraham Lincoln was said to have stopped at the hostelry at one time and 
Stephen A. Douglas was also reported to have been a visitor together with a 
host of other notables.

Pall Bearers Selected

Mrs. Pauli was proud of the historical significance of the hotel and of the 
distinguished guests who had stopped there.  The main bay of the building she 
had painted in red, white and blue and often told of the guests who had made 
headquarters there before, and after she took charge.

Pall bearers will be Charles Pearce, Fred Grassle, Casper Wanner, George 
Lehman, Wally Patterson and E.A. Henry.  Mr. Lehman has boarded with Mrs. 
Pauli 25 years; Mr. Patterson 24 years and Mr. Henry 15 years.

Funeral services will be held at the hotel Tuesday afternoon at , the Rev. 
Carl Kurth, pastor of St. Peter’s Lutheran church officiating.  Burial will be 
in Oakwood cemetery.

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