Violet and Evelyn Krubaeck
From Hoopedia
Violet Krubaeck (May 26, 1909 in Chicago, Illinois – July 1976 in Eustis Lake, Florida) and Evelyn Krubaeck (1914 in Chicago, Illinois -- September 28, 1952, in Chicago, Illinois) are two sisters who rank among the top amateur women basketball players in Chicago during the 1930s. During the decade, Violet and Evelyn Krubaeck, played on just about every top team in the city, leading their teams to numerous championships and titles.
There were three daughters of German immigrants Herman and Martha Krubaeck--Violet (born 1909), Mildred (born about 1912), and Evelyn (born 1914), and all three played basketball and participated in other sports through the family church, Pilgrim Lutheran Church.
The older Violet Krubaeck made the break into the top amateur ranks first, initially building her career playing for the Welles Park Royal Arrows and becoming a track star for her Pilgrim Lutheran church track team. In 1927, she began playing center for the top women’s amateur team in the city, the Taylor Trunks Tri Chis. The rangy Krubaeck soon became one of the leading scorers for the Taylor Trunks.
Meanwhile, Mildred and Evelyn got their first amateur experiece playing on Pilgrim Luthern team that in 1931 and 1932 competed against other church teams and amateur teams in the city. Mildred played forward and Evelyn was captain and center.
Mildred did not continue in basketball after the Pilgrim Lutheran team, but in 1932 Evelyn was recruited by the May & Malone Girls. Along with Madge Kline, Betty Reidl, and the Williams sisters (Daisy and Jackie) in support, the Evelyn Krubaeck made the team the best in the city. They entered the Central AAU Women's Basketball Championships having achieved a 16-game winning streak during the year--having earlier won the American Tournament--and swept away all the competition to take their first and only Central AAU title. In their march to the title game, they first beat two old powerhouses, beating the Brownies 13-12 and the Jewish People's Institute Girls 39-15. In the championship game they edged the Cooperators of Waukegan, 16-15.
After the 1932 season, the May & Malone Girls lost their sponsor, and in the 1933 season the same team essentially competed as the Six Point Co-eds. The one difference was the addition of the great Violet Krubaeck, who with her sister Evelyn, the Williams sisters, Madge Kline, and Betty Reidl undoubtedly made the team a formidable outfit. Nonetheless, the Six Point Co-eds failed to win either the American Tournament or the Central AAU, losing both in the finals to a new power, the Spencer Coals. The one consolation was that Co-eds prevailed over the Coals in the finals of the Central States AAU championships.
In 1934 season, the Six Point Co-eds became the Rickett's Restaurant Girls (with new player Ruth McCracken) and won the American Tournament open title. In 1935 the Krubaecks and their teammates became the Andy Frain Usherettes, and won both the American Tournament and Central AAU major titles. In 1936, saw yet another name change, to the T. J. Courtney Girls, and the Krubaeck sisters and Ruth McCracken led the team in capturing the American Tournament's free-lance title. In 1937, the Krubaeck sisters and Ruth McCracken anchored the Alamo Theater Co-eds team, leading them to the American Tourney championship. From 1938 through 1940, the Krubaeck sisters and Ruth McCracken were members of the Queen Anne Aces had helped lead them to three consecutive American Tournament free-lance titles.
After 1940, the Queen Anne Aces was disbanded, and Violet Krubaeck retired. Sister Evelyn, however, joined with two other Queen Anne Aces, Frances Rospond and Stella Kiligen, and a bunch of younger players to form Brills Lassies in 1941. That team lost to the Standard Transformers in the title game of the American Tournament, which made ten title games in the ten years of the tournament that Evelyn Krubaeck had participated in. Evelyn, however, did not get much playing time in the Brill's Lassies, and may have retired after the 1941 season. Although it is possible she may have played with Ducky Sloans (which were Brills Lassies renamed) in 1942 and 1943.
Evelyn had married someone named Lakin, and had a daughter named Nancy around 1936. In a bizarre shooting accident at a shooting range on September 28, 1952, Evelyn was killed by her daughter who was putting what she thought was an empty pistol away. The newspaper made no mention of her basketball achievements. Violet had married a person named Joseph Klasen and settled down. She died in Florida in 1976 in complete obscurity, her great achievements in basketball completely forgotten.
