Germany
Germany
Stories set here
- Tuesday and Saturday with MomThe narrator recalls Mom's busy senior years, her pride in getting seven children through school, and her family, friends, card parties, and crafts. Carol and the narrator stayed in Moline, married, had a child each, and worked at the Moline Dispatch and a beauty salon respectively. After Daddy died, the narrator cared for Mom on Tuesdays and Carol on Saturdays; both followed similar routines of errands and lunches paid for by Mom. The narrator humorously insists Mom's light auburn hair was natural. Mom traveled to visit children from California to Florida and to Germany after Charlie's transfer. Family contributions included clothes from Bob's boutique and goods from Iris and Bill's Ben Franklin store. The narrative closes with gratitude for Mom's care, strength, and devotion, including keeping ten people fed and dressed.
- Carol, a Sister Always NearDee's affectionate poem celebrates Carol as her childhood playmate and a sister who shares her appearance, mannerisms, and unspoken understanding. She recalls Carol's scooter injury, her skill in cooking, and her marriage and years in Germany with Charlie. The sisters cared together for their mother in her later years, and Dee affirms their enduring closeness despite living miles apart.
- Mom’s Records and a Lifetime of DevotionCarol recounts Ethel's birth in Newburg and her search for baptismal records when she needed a passport to visit Carol in Germany. The record supplied the spelling Kathrine, listed her father's first name as Edwin rather than the family's remembered Edward, and revealed a birth year of 1911 rather than 1909. Her already-engraved grave marker would remain incorrect, but she enjoyed learning she was two years younger. Carol also honors her mother's tireless work caring for the family, her support and guidance, and her life without an outside job after her first baby or learning to drive.
- Three Wonderful Months Together in EuropeMom spent three months visiting Carol, Charlie, and Chris in Germany, a highlight of her life. Bernie also visited, and the group traveled throughout Germany, Denmark, and Holland. Favorite stops included Anne Frank's house and hideaway in Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum with Rembrandt's Night Watch, Tivoli Gardens where ten-year-old Chris got lost, The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, and Hans Christian Andersen's home and the Museum in Odense, Denmark.
- Happy Years in the Rhine River ValleyCarol remembers life in Ingelheim as the happiest time of her life. She and Charlie worked at neighboring military units, while Chris attended school, learned German, and enjoyed sports. Her memories include skiing, castles, the Fasching Parade, wine festivals, weekend markets, European vacations, and visits and touring with Mom and Bernie.
- A Short Florida Stay and a Return to MolineAfter leaving Germany in July 1978, Carol and Charlie worked at the 31st ADA Brigade at Homestead Air Force Base in Florida. They returned to Moline in September 1979 and resumed their careers at the Rock Island Arsenal.
- Chris: Backyard Friendships, Soccer, and a Life in MusicCarol's determination to live in the Coolidge school district placed Chris near three boys who became lifelong friends. His enthusiasm for soccer led to memorable football kicks and the captaincy of Moline Senior High School's first soccer team. At Northern Illinois University, he turned toward guitar and a college band while earning his degree. He later released a CD, founded a record company, supported local musicians, wrote music journalism, and compiled a family recipe book presented at the 1999 reunion.
- Cards, Christmas Ornaments, and a Long-Awaited European JourneyWidowed Ethel maintained a full life of handcrafts, Christmas ornament making, evening cards and helping family members after divorces. She visited Diana in Florida annually. In 1979 Bernie fulfilled her dream of Europe with a visit to Carol, Charlie and Chris in Mainz and a family trip to Denmark. Ethel died during her 1988 Florida visit and was buried beside Floyd, with an incorrect birth year on her headstone that had never troubled her.
- Gathered Around the Radio: Music and Wartime NewsIris recalls the constantly playing radio and the Moline Daily Dispatch as the family's main news sources, including news that might affect Uncle Lloyd in New Guinea. The family mourned President Roosevelt around the radio, but also enjoyed singing and dancing to popular songs and big bands. She recounts Bill's description of overseas propaganda broadcasts mixing favorite music with frightening, specific military information; she attributes that information to spies within the U.S. government. She remembers divided reactions to the August 6, 1945 bombing of Hiroshima, her father's approval, and Harry Truman's presidency.
- The Lehman Family's Dunker RootsEdward Williams was born Emanuel (Manny) Lehman near Astoria in 1882, to Pennsylvania Dutch parents Michael and Lizzie Lehman. They owned a large farm in the Dunkers' community and reportedly had migrated from Hershey, Pennsylvania. The passage traces the Church of the Brethren from eight members in Germany in 1708 through persecution, refuge in Holland, and settlement in Pennsylvania, describing its baptismal practice, pacifism, simple living, and opposition to slavery. Emanuel's siblings were Mary, Henry, and Harvey.
- Brownie’s Dancing Days and a Lifetime of MotheringDespite grief at home and being refused a college education, Ethel found happiness in friends, dancing, and work. Mary Hill introduced her to Floyd, whom she married in 1928. Together they raised seven children, while Ethel survived a serious goiter and worked several jobs. In widowhood she enjoyed crafts, cards, grandchildren, and travel, including a cherished 1979 European holiday funded by Bernie. She died during a visit to Diana in 1988, remembered for her unqualified love.
- Manny's Family and Their Dunker RootsEdward Williams was born Emanuel (Manny) Lehman near Astoria in 1882 to Michael and Lizzie Lehman. The passage describes the Church of the Brethren's origins, persecution, migration, baptismal practices, and simple pacifist beliefs. A living Lehman relative said Manny's parents migrated from Hershey, Pennsylvania to Astoria, where they owned a large farm. Manny had a sister Mary and brothers Henry and Harvey.
Events here
job
Charlie's transfer to Germany
Transferred from the Arsenal to a missile base; Mom visited Germany when he was transferred.
marriage
Carol and Charlie marry in Germany
They married in Germany and spent a few years attending wine festivals, eating brauts, and drinking German lager and stouts.
Three months, when Carol, Charlie, and Chris lived in Germany
Mom's three-month visit to Germany
Mom visited for three months. Bernie visited during her stay, and the group traveled throughout Germany, Denmark, and Holland.
During the years in Germany
Working at neighboring units in Germany
Carol was secretary to the commander of a Nike Hercules Missile Battalion, next door to the 28th Ordnance Company where Charlie worked.
During the years in Germany
Visits and touring with Mom and Bernie
Carol remembers visits and touring with Mom and Bernie.
Family corrections
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