37 - Letter From Grandpa To Grandma - 18 June 1936

Click here to read story from beginning

Story so far: Grandma Cecile made on her way to visit her relatives back in her home village of Nieder-Mohrau, Czechoslavkia. She had crossed the United States by train, from Oregon on the Pacific coast to New York on the Atlantic coast. The Europa, a ship with the North German Lloyd ship line, had carried her across the Atlantic Ocean. She had reached her destination of Nieder-Mohrau and had written some letters, one home and one to Grandpa.

*****

Every good story needs a little drama. Only one day after Grandma had written her letter to Grandpa, he sat down on his side of the globe and wrote to Grandma. What did he have to say? The normally taciturn Grandpa Alois wrote seven pages, three sheets both sides, plus one more sheet on one side. Apparently he had something on his mind. Enter the drama - as translated by my friend Al:

Envelope Grandpa's letter came in

First page of the letter

Stayton, Oregon June 18, 1926

My far-away Cilli

[First page:]

When these lines reach you, you have been away already for over 3 weeks, for me twice as long, in the old home country with your much beloved siblings, relatives and our friends and since I am so far away from you, so you can now enjoy your life with your loved ones as you wish without my being in your way or me even finding out a little about that. It is probably also easy for you to find somebody with whom you are happy who was around with you and with whom you would rather be and where you can trust better when sleeping than with me, but the reason for me not being able to trust you…

[unnumbered page: ]

Well, I hope that you do not forget so much, even though you have lost your wedding ring which reminds you of your promise that you have given to me. You have said it yourself and also to many other people, namely that in the old home country they don’t take it that seriously with the marriage promise and since you showed it to me plainly enough how much you still care about me. Since you know, however, that is was my greatest happiness to take you into my arms, and to be able to sleep with you but you were not satisfied and I had to sleep alone and I had certainly thought that you would sleep with me the last night, but this was not worth much to you even though it might have been the last time in our life to be alone together and why did you not do it.

[page] 2

You have sent several post cards but I did not see a single word and now I have to be satisfied with my fate as good as God wills it, even if I cannot sleep at night and I have no peace during the day and my head feels like exploding but I am not angry with you because you did not tell me the reasons that you cannot love me anymore and I pray every day that God may protect you and keep you safe from all adversities

[unnumbered page:]

…with body and soul may keep you but perhaps you get to know me again. But if you don’t feel very well there which, however, I do not wish for you and even if it should be to my detriment and I cannot think that it is because of your sister alone that you would gamble away your whole happiness since, as you know very well,that it was not worth very much to her to see you since she did not have to leave anyone and that I wanted to send her your free passage, but often I believe that there are still other reasons that you went which, according to your opinion I did not have to know but I hope that I am mistaken and that you still love me which you could prove to me, so God willing, and that not one of us as punishment is being called away so that we cannot see each other again, but if you are despising me, then relish your [illegible]….

[page] 3

…..and that you may live as you like it and you may stay as long as you like and that you do not have a great longing for me as I do, as you asked the agent whether you could stop over in Florida on your way back and to see the land there which we own and you might plan to spend some time there and I would just like to know whether you still love me and that a day that I can be with you means more to me than all the land in Florida. You, however, may think differently, and if that is so you may be better off to stay with your loved ones in the old home country, I am satisfied with my lot to be alone until the hill of my grave which perhaps is not too far away, … whether you still love me or not only God knows and you alone with your answer …..

[Last page ? (not numbered) on top of this page is an insert: ]

I sent the “Josefs Blatt” (A German print newspaper, named after St Joseph, it was popular among the German Catholic community in the United States.) to your sister – did she receive it ??

The back of page 3

But I hope and pray that you come back again soon and that we can enjoy a happy and long life together. I feel strangely, however, a lot of time that we may not see each other again, I cannot say why that is. Should this letter of mine be unpleasing to you or not worthy of an answer from you then simply toss it into a fireplace together with remembrances of me. So I hope for the best and pray that God may protect you and that I can have you healthy and happy again and loving in my arms.

Alois

[unnumbered page: This is a separate page, just 16 lines, and clearly written, perhaps in anger, and quite different in tone from the other pages of this letter. - Al ]

The final sheet

If you think of your promise that you gave at the altar before God and the priest, to cherish love and faithfulness to me and to remain faithful to me and not to leave me until death parts and separates us and don’t do it willingly, because then it is not a promise, then just stay in your beloved home country and don’t appear anymore before my eyes.

Wow! I did not expect to read that! When I first got the translation from Al, I almost stopped this whole project. Never had I ever heard of any of this back story. Had Grandma really lost her wedding ring? Was something wrong between the two of them?

I almost felt like I was intruding into a personal space that I had no business in.

The letter itself does not read smoothly. Al found it difficult to translate, partly due to grammar, spelling and handwriting. Grandpa Alois only had a few years of elementary school, so he was not highly educated even though he was an intelligent man. Add to that, Beitels always did have a way of talking in slang that might not be easy to understand.

It is also possible that he started this letter, and then worked on it for a while, writing more each time without picking up from where he had stopped. On the back page of the first sheet he started writing two lines within one for three lines and then erased what was in the last line below. 

I talked to my cousins and my Aunt Virginia Beitel, who was still alive at the time. Had she ever heard of any of this? She was a teenager in 1936, so may not have been as aware as an adult might have been. She had no idea. No one had ever mentioned it as far as she could remember. My cousins urged me to press on to find out what was going on.

The next letter I sent to Al for translation was the one in the previous entry, the one from Grandma. It did not sound so brooding or mysterious. So, was this all in Grandpa's imagination, or would further letters give some indication of something else?

To see the photos closer, simply click on any of them and you will be able to scroll through them all.

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Story to be continued...... 

To read Post "38 - Marie Lulay's letter to Grandma - 18 June 1936 Click here

36 - Letter From Grandma to Grandpa - 17 June 1936

Click here to read story from beginning

Story so far: Grandma Cecile made on her way to visit her relatives back in her home village of Nieder-Mohrau, Czechoslavkia. She had crossed the United States by train, from Oregon on the Pacific coast to New York on the Atlantic coast. The Europa, a ship with the North German Lloyd ship line, had carried her across the Atlantic Ocean.

*****

Grandma Cecile had arrived at her sister's house in Nieder-Mohrau and had written a letter home. A couple of days later, she sat down and wrote a letter to Grandpa, this one written in German.

When I first started organizing these bits of memorabilia, I found the letters between Grandma and Grandpa, but they were written in German. Of course, that made me curious since I could only read English. This old couple - I barely knew them since I was so young when they died - they were typical for their time, stoic, quiet. What did they say to each other when separated by such a time and distance?

Here is Grandma's letter, translated by my friend Al:   

Envelope - with stamp removed

Top of first page

June 17, 1936

Dear Alois,     

Johann is at the Mims[name?]* and thus I am staying with Gustie. I think I am sleeping in my own bed, the remainder after the fire years ago.  It is really as we pictured it, and with all that, I have not yet seen Joseph and Hermann, otherwise I would be ready to go,  we discussed everything,  and I have seen quite a lot,  I went to the field with Gustie, we thinned the fodder beets that are growing there.  Yesterday we went to the funeral of Schipke Alexander, this sound so strange to me ….

Page 2:    …... that I would see him being lowered into the grave, he supposedly has often spoken about me and always asked questions.  He was the neighbor of Bernts  and he was a very prosperous farmer.  The older Bernts are doing quite well, that is the general opinion around here.  Yesterday I tried out the scythe at the old lady Berntin [name ?]** ,  it felt like a sickle.  I am happy that so many people are inviting me to their houses but I am not all that much interested in that.  Yesterday I also went to see the [name?]** Marie and our parent’s house.  I think today that I would like to go to our meadow near the forest but the Mimi  [name ??]***  cannot come along because of her asthma  and the Gusti is working from 4 in the morning until late at night.  I am feeling quite well and I hope to see you all again in good health and I am  yours   [name]****

*- Al wasn't sure of the name here, I think she was saying “Mina's”. Her brother Johann must have been staying at Mina's, so there was no room for her, she had to stay with Gustie.

** - Not sure who she was referring to here, Al could not make out the names.

*** - Again, I think she is talking about “Mina” or “Minni”, her sister. Grandma in her diary sometimes called her Minnie. Later I remember her being called Mina, all short for Hermina.

**** - A scribble, could be “Zilly” or "Ma" ED]

Bottom of letter, including signature

There are some interesting things to glean from this letter. We learn that first of all, Grandma Cecile obviously had saved some stationery from her train ride across the United States. The letterhead was clearly Northern Pacific. The envelope was matching paper, a gray color.

It must have taken about 3 weeks 

dates written on the front of the envelope

for her letter to make its way back around the world to Grandpa. Someone wrote the dates "17 June" and "6 July" on the front of the envelope. 17 June was the date Grandma wrote the letter. July 6 must have been the date that it arrived in Stayton, Oregon.

Grandma's reference to sleeping in her old bed because of a fire might be referring to a bad housefire that occurred in the house that was Gustie and her first husband, Alois Schrott's home. (It is mentioned in Hermann Schiebel's memoirs. He said they lost everything that night. Perhaps Grandma's old bed was a replacement for a bed that was lost in that fire.)

Most of the people mentioned are her relatives, Mina, Gustie, Hermann, Joseph and Johann are her siblings. Grandma's mother was a Bernt, so the Bernts she mentions are probably cousins or aunts and uncles. A few others must simply have been friends or neighbors.

Alexander Schipke, seems like there could have been a story there. A wealthy farmer who often asked after Grandma, but had recently died. Hmmm, sounds like Grandma may have left a broken heart or two behind when she left for America! He came close to getting to see her one more time, but instead she arrived in time to attend his funeral.

Grandma mentions that if she had seen her two brothers already, she would be ready to leave. She's only been there a few days. She must still have been homesick and wanting to leave. It's a familiar feeling, to go off on a big trip and then after arriving, wonder why you went. Then after you are there for a while longer, it becomes a great adventure. Grandma is still in the early stages of that feeling and a long ways from her long-time home in Oregon.

Her mention of wanting to go see "our" meadow near the forest when she mentioned seeing her parents house is intriguing. It must have been important to her, but a fair walk. Her sisters had neither the stamina nor the time to go there with her. Grandma always liked working outside, perhaps this meadow was where she worked or wandered as a child and developed her love of the outdoors.

To see the photos closer, simply click on any of them and you will be able to scroll through them all.

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Story to be continued......

To read Post "37 - Letter From Grandpa to Grandma - 18 June 1936" Click here

35 - Celebration in Nieder-Mohrau - 14 June 1936

Click here to read story from beginning

Story so far: Grandma Cecile made on her way to visit her relatives back in her home village of Nieder-Mohrau, Czechoslavkia. She had crossed the United States by train, from Oregon on the Pacific coast to New York on the Atlantic coast. The Europa, a ship with the North German Lloyd ship line, had carried her across the Atlantic Ocean.

*****

In her previous letter home, Grandma Cecile mentioned that they had held a celebration in the village for her. Fortunately at least a couple of photographs survived from that party. Two different poses of the same group of people can be seen in these photos. In the first, they are standing in front of trees. In the other, they are standing in front of a building, presumably the restaurant where they gathered.

Thanks to two of the people who were there as little girls - sisters Hedi Bernt Ramolla and Hermi Bernt Kotrc - those people have been identified.

The first image here is a scan of the photo/postcard of the group. This photo belonged to my aunt Betty Beitel Silbernagel.

The second image is an enlarged, cropped print that Hedi wrote numbers on so that she could identify the people. She was doing this at the request of Sr Agnes, who had told her that my cousin Marilyn Pursley and I were working on family history and wanted to know who the people were. Hedi sent this numbered image to Sr Agnes along with a letter with all the names.

Family & friends gathered around Grandma to welcome her

Hedi's key for identifying people at the celebration

Hedi and Hermi identified them all. Hedi wrote it down; Sr Agnes rewrote it for me, since Hedi's handwriting isn't the easiest to read. I added the descriptions of the people.

Hedi numbered the people, working from left to right, top to bottom, across the the picture:

1.*Rudolph Wehrberger - man at far left back row  (Sr Agnes wrote Wehberger, but it looks to me like Hedi put another "r" in there.)

2.*Amelie Wehrberger - lady, white dress, she & #1 were owners of the restaurant and friends of Grandma

3. Hedi Bernt Ramolla - 2 braids showing

4.*Hilde Schinzel - lady, face partly blocked,  ("all the Schinzel family were good friends of Mom")

5. Anni Bernt Binder - one braid to front,

6. Gisela Bernt Schulig - blonde tot in front of #5, 

7.*Alois Schinzel - man to right of #5,  friend of Grandma

8.*Anna Schober - young woman blocking #7's face, maid for Grandma's sister Gustie Weiss

9.*Hilde Wehrberger Hahn - girl directly in front of #8, with white edged collar, daughter of #1 & 2

10.* directly in front of #9, with white apron, Herti Ott, also daughter of #1 & 2

11. Mina Schiebel Bernt - lady to right of #8, whole face showing, Grandma's sister, Hedi's and all the other little Bernts' mother

12.*Erika Schinzel - blonde girl with bow in her hair, light colored print dress in front row, 

13. Hermi Bernt Kotrc - girl to right of #11, only eyes peering over boy's head, 

14.*Herbert Schinzel - little boy in front of #13, looking to right, 

15. Franz Bernt - tall man, center of back row, Aunt Mina's husband,  father of all the little Bernts

16. Hermann Bernt - tallest boy in front row

17. Cecilia Schiebel Beitel, Grandma! - in front and to right of #15, wearing light colored dress

18. Gustie Schiebel Weiss - to right of Grandma (#17), wearing dark dress with light tiny print,  Grandma's sister

19. Franz Bernt - middle boy in front row, right of #16, Hedi's brother who lived in Canada and visited the Beitels out in Oregon in the 1980's or 90's.

20.*Mr. Schindler - man wearing fedora in back row, a teacher and friend

21. Herbert Schallner - little boy in front row, buttons on his pant legs, wearing vest and dark collar on his suit, son of #22 & #24

22. Hedwig Weiss Schallner - lady to right of #20, big buttons on her dress, "(Gusti's only daughter, daughter of #18)" (Weiss/Schrott? - Sr Agnes wrote Weiss, but I thought she was Gusti's daughter with her first husband Alois Schrott, maybe Mr. Weiss adopted her?)

23.*Luise Ludwig - young woman, face only showing to right of #22, "friend of [Grandma]'s"

24. Joseph Schallner - young man to right of #22 & 23, "husband of #22, Hedi Weiss" - again , Sr Agnes wrote "Weiss" whereas I thought it was Schrott, maybe I'm wrong? Not sure where my idea comes from.

25. Hedi Schallner Fleischhauer - girl in front row, directly in front of #24, dark dress with white belt and buttons, "daughter of #22"

26. Wilhelm Weiss - man on far right, back row, smoking a pipe, watch chain on his vest, Gustie (#18)'s husband

27. Ilse Schallner Reiser - little girl on far right, front row, white dress with ruffles and dark ribbon bow, "daughter of #22 & #24"

Other notes that Sr Agnes made:

1.* friends of Cecilia Schiebel Beitel

2. All the Bernts are children of Nos. 11 and 15. (“Bernts” meaning Hedi Ramolla and all of her siblings)

A further note. Hedi wrote in the letter where she was doing the ID's , " I do remember everybody." She wrote "16 people are related family people, including your Mom, 11 are friends, 15 people are passed away, 9 are alive, 1- Anna Schober we lost contact" Best I can tell Hedi wrote this in early 2004. Where it says "Grandma", that is my addition.

The rest of Hedi Ramolla's letter:

I do wish Elizabeth and Marilyn luck with their family tree projects. I don't have any pictures of my parents with their brothers and sisters in one. When your mom emigrated to America, everyone went away. My father's brother to Berlin, his Sisters to Vienna and Tirol, Uncle Hermann to Schemel, Uncle Josef and Uncle Johann to Teschen. I also know that there are no pictures of our Grandparents. They lived and died in Nieder-Mohrau. I do know where most people lived and died. Like for instance, the Schinzel family, he was a teacher, their son was only 16 when he got killed because of the war. Erika was a nurse, she was married to a Polish man, they emigrated to America and she died very young from cancer.

The second photograph from the celebration in Nieder-Mohrau on June 14, 1936, is the next photo. It appears to be the same group of people, taken on the same day, since they are all wearing the same clothes. The only difference is that they are standing in front of a building, presumably the restaurant where they had all met.

The children appear to have been having fun, most of them have mischievous looks on their faces.

This photo, which is in postcard format, was in Grandma's collection with her diary. The dark around the edges is from smoke damage.

Grandma Cecile at her Welcome celebration

Using the other photo as a guide for identification, here are the names of people in this photo:

Back row in the top left corner:

Rudolph Wehrberger

Amelie Wehrberger - white buttons on dress

Hilde Schinzel - to right of open window

Alois Schinzel

Anna Schober - face partially hidden by boy in front of her

Grandma Cecile  - white dress

Franz Bernt - tall man behind Grandma

Mina Schiebel Bernt - to right of Grandma

Luise Ludwig - behind Mina

Gustie Schiebel Weiss - print dress

Johann Schindler - wearing hat

Hermi Bernt Kotrc - white collar

Wilhelm Weiss - smoking

Hedwig Schrott Schallner - right of Mr. Weiss

Joseph Schallner - upper far right

Front row, left to right, all children:

Hedi Bernt Ramolla - dark dress, hand over mouth

Hilde Wehrberger Hahn - white apron

Anni Bernt Binder - tall, with long braids

Gisela Bernt Schulig - little blonde girl with white collar in front of Anni

Herbert Schinzel - looking to the side

Erika Schinzel - big bow in hair

Herti Wehrberger Ott - white skirt

Hermann Bernt - tallest boy with white collar

Franz Bernt - shorter boy with big, white collar

Herbert Schallner - jacket & vest

Ilse Schallner Reiser - white dress,dark bow

Hedi Schallner Fleishhauer - dark dress, white belt, white bow & band in hair

To see the photos closer, simply click on any of them and you will be able to scroll through them all.

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Story to be continued......

To read Post "36 - Letter From Grandma to Grandpa - 17 June 1936 Click here

34 - Grandma's Letter Home - 15 June 1936

Click here to read story from beginning

Story so far: Grandma Cecile was on her way to visit her relatives back in her home village of Nieder-Mohrau, Czechoslavkia. She had crossed the country by train, from Oregon on the Pacific coast to New York on the Atlantic coast. The Europa, a ship with the North German Lloyd ship line, had carried her across the Atlantic.

*****

Now at long last, Grandma Cecile had arrived in her Old Home Country. The ship had arrived late on Friday, June 12, slowed down by the fog. By the time she got around to writing this letter, it was Monday, June 15.

She must have collected some stationery along the way. This letter was written on Northern Pacific paper, from her train trip across America. It is gray paper, folded to make 4 almost-square pages. She made use of every inch of the paper, writing in one long block of text.

Her grammar and spelling are not always the best. I added the paragraph spacing and an occasional extra period (she used some periods) just to make it a little easier to read. I tried to be true to her words, making a few additions in brackets to help make her message clear.

first page of the letter

Nieder-Mohrau

June 15, 1936

My Dear All at home: -----

We got to Bremen friday evening at 8:30 all the unloading & revisions took till about 10:30 then we went on the train which stood waiting, since some hours, because we were 10 hr. late, they couldn't go fast on account of fog.

But believe me I am not going t[h]rough bohemia on my way home. I thought I was lucky, but when I examined my papers, I found somebody must have been in my handbag. 

I know I was terrible sleepy and I had everything when I came to Prag [Prague] and didn't have anything to hunt in the bag I always held my hand over it. But just for a few minutes I drowst of [drowsed off] I cannot find my envelope where I had all those little picktures [pictures] in from Agnes and of course I made friends on the boat, they gave me their address I had quite a fat envelope full of all kinds of stuff. I know I did not lose it. But I believe somebody thought it must have been my money.

Thanks a tousend times [thousand times] I had my money in some other little thing, which was from my mother that fooled them. Those people there are not a bit nice. Even the car on the train had some kind of an offensive smell.

It's some country though otherwise. Everything to the inch is green and clover & alfalfa fields is so nice looking. They where[were] making hay everywhere.

And now I must tell you how I got here. I got to Grosstohl at 9:30 Saturday. Everything was dark - people where[were] going to bed even the depot was closed. I couldn't phone anywhere, because they lock up at night. I seen a light in the little house next to the depot and asked if there wasn't a chance to get some kind of a rig to bring me up but they thought there was no car in the whole village except one little truck car.

I thought they looked honest so I asked them if I could let my suitcase there over night and made up my mind to walk up to my sister Gustie. I had my sommer [summer] coat on and hong [hung] my winter coat on my shoulder - carried that paper bag & handbag & started out.

it must have been an hour I knocked on Gustie's window they answered right away & here I am. My brother Johann is at Mina'ts house so I stay here until he goes back to Oderburg again. 

The joy of seeing them is naturally a big one, but I couldn't stay here for nobody, I long to come home again.

They had a big celebration yesterday & I met many old acquaintances, but many I have to hunt on the grave yard.

I am writing again, when I am more rested. I dreamed this morning Tony went in the ditch and a policeman told me. Mom

Bottom of page 4

 

Her last sentence continued from page 4 back over to page 1

Arrow points to baggage claim area

It has been an eventful few days since Grandma Cecile last wrote home while the Europa crept through the fog toward Bremen. The ship was 10 hours late, then she had another train ride through Germany and Czechoslavkia for almost 24 hours. Arriving in the dark again, she faced a locked train station. With no car available, she made the decision to walk what was probably a couple of miles at least, since it took her about an hour. On top of all this, she was sure that someone had picked her pocket, or handbag, on the train as she was missing a fat envelope.

Her comment about not staying there and longing for home struck a note with me. I remember that feeling when I arrived at Longwood Gardens in early June 1972 after college graduation. It was as far away from home as I had ever been - on the other side of the country from Oregon - in Pennsylvania. I was tired, disoriented and ready to get back on the next plane and go home. Like Grandma, once I rested up, the whole world looked much better! Obviously Grandma was feeling stressed, dreaming that her second oldest son, Tony, had been in an accident serious enough to have have a policeman notify her!

The map in the last photo shows the directions from the train station to the offices of the North German Lloyd in Bremen, Germany. The statement at the bottom of the map was translated as:

"For all trains arriving in Bremen there are on the platforms officials of the North German Lloyd in uniform who are able, if desired, to give passengers advice and directions." 

The arrow at the bottom points to the baggage claim. Thanks to my friend Al Haunold for that translation.

Grandma Cecile also mentions a party to welcome her. There are a couple of photos from that party. They will be in the next entry. 

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Story to be continued......

To read Post "35 - Celebration in Nieder-Mohrau - 14 June 1936 Click here

33 - Memoranda Pages From "S.S. Europa Passenger List"

Click here to read story from beginning

Story so far: Grandma Cecile was on her way to visit her relatives back in her home village of Nieder-Mohrau, Czechoslavkia. She had crossed the country by train, from Oregon on the Pacific coast to New York on the Atlantic coast. The Europa, a ship with the North German Lloyd ship line, was carrying her across the Atlantic. The last two posts have been showing the pages of the Passenger List booklet that Grandma Cecile had among her souvenirs.

*****

In the middle of the booklet were nine blank pages for the convenience of the passengers to make notes about their trip. Grandma Cecile did use a few of those pages, but only one entry is in her own hand.

The first four pages are devoted to a talk given by Elfrieda Bernt's school principal on the day of her burial. We first learned of Elfrieda's death in the letter from Grandma's sister Minna/Mina in May 1936. 

The very first entry on the Memoranda page must have been added later to define what followed. The handwriting appears to be that of Sr. Agnes Beitel, Grandma's oldest daughter, who possessed this document until her death in 2009. Sr. Agnes's entry is followed by about 3 pages of neatly written German script. This handwriting does not look like Grandma's, but was probably written by one of her siblings once she arrived.

This is what was written in English:

Talk given by the school principal on the funeral day of little Elfrieda Bernt - (Mom's niece, Mina's daughter, Hedi's sister.)[1]

The translation of the German script, done by my friend, Al Haunold, follows:

Remembrances of a very difficult day of great sorrows:

Dear children!         3rd Feb. 1936 

Overcome with grief and with a suffering heart today we accompany on our last walk our dear friend and classmate. Filled with sorrows we find ourselves at her open grave in order to say good-bye, good-bye forever to our blond, blue-eyed

[Page 2:] Elfriede, who had to leave us unexpectedly and at such a young age, who was so full of life like you here, my dear children!

Never again will she be able to study and play with you, have fun and laugh. Her little innocent heart has quit beating, her bright eyes which always looked with amazement into the world are now broken and lifeless, her rose-colored mouth which happily would talk excitedly is now life-less and quiet as she herself wrote in her last home-work assignment put down on paper in her last sentence.

Dear children, when you come back to school again next Thursday, little Elfriede will be missing and her spot at the desk will be empty, but not so in your hearts. Think often about your dear school-friend and don’t forget her. And when – at some future date - you are older and grown up

The first two pages

[Page 3:] ... and reminisce about your time at school then please remember also your fellow student who had to leave you at such a young age.

Dear Elfriede, you dear trusting little girl: On behalf of our school which you loved so much, your teachers and fellow students who also loved you so much, I offer our last greetings and I give you our last good-bye. We will never forget you until the day when our eyes are closed forever.

Always, when we go to church on Sundays or visit the cemetery we will try to visit your nice quiet little spot where we have placed you today for your eternal rest. For all of us you were such a dear fellow student and therefore we will keep cherished thoughts of you in our hearts and in parting we sing for you our song of true friendship:

[Last page:] Slumber softly, dear Elfriede - - in the soil of our beloved homeland, which is filled with sorrow and weeps for you!

Following these emotional remarks, another sentence follows in German. It was written in pencil and appears to have been written by a different person. This was translated as:

“Words spoken at the open grave by her teacher Johann Leonhard” 

Al was not quite certain of the spelling of the name "Johann Leonard", the writing was not quite clear to Al, so that name might not be correct.

The next two pages  - note the different handwriting of the last three lines

Grandma Cecile did make an entry herself on the next page:

Lady, I was told, lost her purse, she complaint to me, she had $15 in it. If it only doesn't go like it went with my glasses and that envelope, that shows you can't trust anybody. No matter how honest people look. I left my coat on deck and better see, that it isn't taken. 

Grandma's note

Apparently Grandma was still concerned about the "long fingers" aboard the ship!

As mentioned, Sr. Agnes had this Passenger List booklet. It was not in Grandma's collection. Grandma must have given it to Sr Agnes after she returned home.

Sr. Agnes showed it to me on a visit I made to the convent to see her. I had copied pages from it then so that I could add them to my collection of Grandma's souvenirs. After Sr. Agnes died, my Aunt Virginia Beitel received the booklet with other mementos of Sr Agnes. Aunt Virginia knew that I was working on the story of Grandma's trip, so she then gave the Passenger List to me and it is now back with all the rest.  

To see any of the images up close, click on any of them and you will be able to scroll through them.

[1] - Sr Agnes is identifying Elfrieda as Grandma's niece and Mina's daughter. She refers to her as Hedi's sister, because Hedi was the one of Elfrieda's siblings that she knew the best. Hedi (Bernt) Ramolla lives in Canada and made several trips out to Oregon for visits as well as taking Sr Agnes with her to Europe on other occasions.

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Story to be continued......

To read Post "34 - Grandma's Letter Home 15 June 1936", Click Here