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The Elton and Marvel Jaus Vorkerk Family

Marvel met Elton at Young People's activities<ref>According to Margaret Vorwerk they were taking guitar lessons</ref> at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Moltke Township, rural Gibbon. In addition to church activities, involvement in other entertainment were good-wholesome movies and roller skating, each at a cost of $.25. After living with Elton’s folks for five years after marriage in 1944, they built their own house. Dad Jaus furnished the lumber - Elton and Roman would go to Nicollet and cut down the trees in Dad’s Woods,” haul the logs to the Jaus farm where the logs were cut into lumber. Elton used this lumber to build “Our Own Little House”, and have enjoyed it through the years.

Their two children -- Margaret and John, both attended Concordia Lutheran College, Austin, TX in Austin, TX for two years and Concordia Lutheran College in St. Paul for two more years, where she also met Ben Harris. She graduated in 1975. She taught Lutheran School in Amarillo, TX, for one year and in Plainview, MN for another year. After she and Ben were married in 1977, they moved to Houston, TX where they both taught in the [School]. Ben accepted a Call as principal to Our Savior Lutheran School,|Hutchinson, MN in 1982, and to Tomball, TX in 1985 as Minister of Music at Salem Lutheran Church. Margaret teaches at the Concordia Lutheran High School (Texas).

John went to Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO. After graduation in 1976 he worked for Texaco in LO, moving back to Colorado and is with the Forest Oil Co. He was married to Patricia Wright in 1982, and live in Lakewood, CO.

Marvel and Elton enjoy traveling, having been to all states west of the Mississippi River, especially enjoying Colorado and Utah. Another highlight of their travels was the trip to Germany in 1985, where they enjoyed seeing an abundance of flowers and window boxes laden with flowers. The enjoyment of these prompted building a German-architecture Garten-Haus surrounded by many flowers.

The following was added by Marvel’s sisters and brother.<ref>Myrtle Jaus Lyla Jaus Roman Jaus</ref>

Our mother died when we were 12, 11, 8, & 4 years old. Neighborhood girls were hired to take care of the house and family. (These “hired girls” were paid $17.00 per month). After Marvel had attended high school for two years, she was “fed up” with having hired help, and unselfishly elected to quit school. With some help and advice from Grandma Jaus and an aunt, she undertook the huge task of being homemaker for her father, two sister, one brother, and two unmarried uncles<ref>Otto Jaus and Herbert Jaus</ref> that lived with us. Quite frequently a hired man was added to that list. She did this faithfully for six years - until she was married in 1944.

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source:James Baur collection. The Baur/Jaus "God's Word is our Great Heritage" binder by Lyla Jaus Baur.