Saginaw in Saginaw County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Theodore H. Roethke Childhood Home / Theodore H. Roethke
Photographed By Joel Seewald, August 5, 2017
1. Theodore H. Roethke Childhood Home Marker (Side 1)
Inscription.
Theodore H. Roethke Childhood Home, also, Theodore H. Roethke. .
Theodore H. Roethke Childhood Home. Distinguished poet Theodore Roethke (1908-1963) was born in Saginaw and grew up in this house. The house was built around 1911 for his parents, Otto and Helen Roethke. Otto's borther Carl lived in the adjacent fieldstone house. Together, the brothers managed the William Roethke Floral Company, founded in 1880s by their father, Wilhelm Roethke, a Prussian immigrant. The company's extensive greenhouses once stood on the land behind these two houses. Theodore worked in the greenhouses with his father and his experiences inspired many of his poems. Roethke attended local schools and the University of Michigan, obtaining a masters degree in literature in 1936, and he taught at universities throughout the country.
Theodore H. Roethke. Theodore Roethke (1908-1963) wrote of his poetry: The greenhouse "is my symbol for the whole of life, a womb, a heavon-on-earth." Roethke drew inspiration from his childhood experiences of working in his family's Saginaw floral company. Beginning in 1941 with Open House, the distinguished poet and teacher published extensively, receiving a Pulitzer Prise for poetry and two National Book Awards among an array of honors. In 1959, Yale University awarded him the prestigious Bollingen Prize. Roethke taught at Michigan State College (present-day Michigan State University) and at colleges in Pennsylvania and Vermont before joining the faculty of the University of Washington at Seattle in 1947. Roethke died in Washington in 1963. His remains are interred in Saginaw's Oakwood Cemetery.
Theodore H. Roethke Childhood Home
Distinguished poet Theodore Roethke (1908-1963) was born in Saginaw and grew up in this house. The house was built around 1911 for his parents, Otto and Helen Roethke. Otto's borther Carl lived in the adjacent fieldstone house. Together, the brothers managed the William Roethke Floral Company, founded in 1880s by their father, Wilhelm Roethke, a Prussian immigrant. The company's extensive greenhouses once stood on the land behind these two houses. Theodore worked in the greenhouses with his father and his experiences inspired many of his poems. Roethke attended local schools and the University of Michigan, obtaining a masters degree in literature in 1936, and he taught at universities throughout the country.
Theodore H. Roethke
Theodore Roethke (1908-1963) wrote of his poetry: The greenhouse "is my symbol for the whole of life, a womb, a heavon-on-earth." Roethke drew inspiration from his childhood experiences of working in his family's Saginaw floral company. Beginning in 1941 with Open House, the distinguished poet and teacher published extensively, receiving a Pulitzer Prise for poetry and two National Book Awards among an array of honors. In 1959, Yale University awarded him the prestigious Bollingen Prize.
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Roethke taught at Michigan State College (present-day Michigan State University) and at colleges in Pennsylvania and Vermont before joining the faculty of the University of Washington at Seattle in 1947. Roethke died in Washington in 1963. His remains are interred in Saginaw's Oakwood Cemetery.
Erected 2000 by Michigan Historical Center, Michigan Department of State. (Marker Number S669.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1911.
Location. 43° 24.896′ N, 83° 59.244′ W. Marker is in Saginaw, Michigan, in Saginaw County. Marker is at the intersection of Gratiot Avenue (State Highway 46) and Post Street, on the left when traveling west on Gratiot Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1805 Gratiot Avenue, Saginaw MI 48602, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . 1. Theodore Roethke Museum. (Submitted on August 7, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.) 2. Theodore Roethke. Article about the poet and his works on the Poetry Foundation's website. Includes some of his poetry. (Submitted on August 7, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
3. Theodore Roethke. Article on Wikipedia. (Submitted on August 7, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
Photographed By Joel Seewald, August 5, 2017
3. Theodore H. Roethke Marker and Home
Photographed By Joel Seewald, August 5, 2017
4. Theodore H. Roethke Childhood Home Marker and Otto's Home
Credits. This page was last revised on August 8, 2017. It was originally submitted on August 7, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 312 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 7, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
