My Maternal Grandparents

My Maternal Grandparents

It was the summer of 1964 that my twin brother Bill and I met our mother’s parents in Offenbach, Germany for the first and only time. It was also our first airline flight and trip abroad by ourselves, though carefully organized by our mother. We were our maternal...

Oma and Opa, from Germany to New York

Oma and Opa, from Germany to New York

My paternal grandfather Wilhelm, from Uelzen in Northern Germany, came to America the way many immigrants did. A friend of his had already uprooted himself to find a better life here and implored my grandfather to do the same. With much cajoling he finally capitulated...

Language

Language

My mother Karola’s introduction to colloquial English posed some awkward and baffling moments for her. With a German background she wanted to embrace American customs and fit into the culture she had just entered. Neighbors near her residence introduced themselves,...