The Struggle to Survive

By Donald F. Megnin

A TRILOGY OF A FAMILY SAGA
Volume I: The Security of Silence

The first novel of the trilogy portrays the lives of Emilie and Friederich Malin originating in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in southwestern Germany. Emilie came from an upper middle Class family whose father was a newspaper owner/publisher. Tragically, she lost her father when she was 13 years of age and never quite got over the loss. She met an older man who was not only a prosperous businessman, but one whose family, her mother said, was from the lowest class in town. She ignored her mother's advice and married him. He became a father surrogate for her. She had everything she wanted. Her comfortable life style continued even though she discovered her husband had an unsavory appetite for women. She attributed his difficulty in relating to other persons because of a war wound as a soldier in the German army in World War I. He had lost his ability to speak in a normal tone of voice due to the incompetence of the field surgeon who cut the nerves to his vocal cords. He could only whisper and subsequently, Emilie became his interpreter with the customers for his business. He resented this dependence upon her and decided it would be best to emigrate to America as the rest of his family had done. Emilie did not want to leave Germany, but she felt herself trapped in a marriage from which she believed she could not escape. She was afraid of her husband's anger and felt, for the sake of their children, she would have to remain silent.

Volume II: A Conspiracy of Silence

A Conspiracy of Silence is the second novel of the trilogy and takes place initially in Germany as the family gets ready to leave for America. Emilie learns more about her husband's infidelities than she really wanted to know but felt there was nothing she could do about them. She believed them to be part of the past and her orientation was always to look towards the future. Upon arriving in the United States, Friederich buys two different businesses before deciding to buy a farm. He knew nothing about farming but thought he would have fewer encounters with other people on a farm. His handicap would not be such an overwhelming problem for him. His sisters and one brother-in-law go into farming with him from April to September only to find that the combined income from tourism, operating a gas station, dairying, and raising crops were insufficient to maintain three families. They leave him and his wife to return to the city. Friederich and Emilie have to do the work once carried on by four additional persons. Emilie doesn't see how they can do all of the farm work plus take care of the gas station and care for her family with a third newborn. But learning to milk, in addition to caring for their three children, cooking, planting crops and harvesting them, leaves her no choice but to work as she had never envisioned. In Germany she had been a Kindergarten and Elementary school teacher. Her husband tells her she has no alternative other than to continue to work the farm with him. The depression deprives them of any surplus savings and the devastating barn fires end their dairy operation. The work of last resort is to turn to the woods which Friederich does to cut firewood for income and logs with which to saw lumber and rebuild his barns. His proclivity for sex, however, continues to know no bounds.

Volume III: The Struggle to Survive

The Struggle to Survive is the final novel of the trilogy of this immigrant family. Emilie and Friederich have survived the transition from Germany to the United States. They have moved from an urban environment to a rural one. They have fallen to the lowest level of income. In spite of all of these difficulties, they survived to rebuild their barns, resurrect their dairy, expand

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 28, 2008
• ISBN: 9781465318381

Donald F. Megnin

Donald F. Megnin, the son of German immigrants, was born in Syracuse, New York, and grew up on a dairy farm while attending Fayetteville Grammar and High School during the early nineteen thirties and early nineteen forties. He received a scholarship from a Syracuse Industrialist to attend Syracuse University. He not only received an AB degree but also went on to receive his MA and PhD degrees from the Mawell School at Syracuse University. He also attended the Boston University School of Theology and served a Methodist Church in the Syracuse area for part of the time while he was a graduate student at Syracuse. He taught international politics at Slippery Rock University (one of the fourteen state-owned universities of Pennsylvania) until his retirement in 1994. He has written ten books since retiring and continues to take an interest in politics and religion.

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Copyright © 2008 by Donald F. Megnin.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Contents

Foreword

Preface

Chapter I

The Extended Family

Chapter II

Accidents

Chapter III

Mundane Events

Chapter IV

The Fourth of July Picnic

Chapter V

On the Road to Recovery

Chapter VI

A Child’s Perspective

Chapter VII

Notes on School

Chapter VIII

In the Quiet of the Night

Chapter IX

The Dynamics of Change

Chapter X

And No One Noticed

Chapter XI

The Interim Year

Chapter XII

The War Years

Chapter XIII

A Wartime Marriage

Chapter XIV

The War, Drawing to a Close

Chapter XV

The War in Europe Is Over

Chapter XVI

Volkmar Resumes Farming

Chapter XVII

That’s It!

Foreword

In this third volume in the series of the Malin family saga, Friederich and Emilie struggle to survive on the farm. Not only had they never had any training or experience working on a farm before the purchase of Valley Farm, but with the loss of their barns in a devastating fire, they had to decide what they would do. Friederich rejected Emilie’s wish to return to the city. This was his farm and no one was going to take it away from him. He certainly was not going to leave it. He turned his attention to the wood lots which were on each end of the farm. He took his axe and saw into the woods with his horses. He was determined to once again build his barns and buy cows with which to restart his dairy operation.

Preface

The nineteen thirties were a difficult time for persons living in industrial nation-states. The United States was no exception. The economic depression lasted from late October 1929 until World War II. It was only after the war started in Europe that the manufacturing system was once again put into full production not only to supply the Allies, but to gear up the United States for its own defense and then to wage an all out war on the Axis Powers. The impact of these pre-war years brought millions of Americans into poverty. Those who were fortunate enough to survive the initial years of impoverishment were gradually able to rebuild and overcome their losses. It was not an easy time for Americans. If it were not for the New Deal and the establishment of programs such as the FHA (Farm and Home Administration), the WPA (Works Project Administration) and the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp), even worse social conditions might have ensued.

For the Malin family, the thirties were a time of severe economic and emotional struggles, hardships, and living on the social margins of society. They came close to losing their farm, but Friederich wouldn’t allow himself to be coerced by the mortgage holders into foreclosure. His bluster and threats were taken seriously. He seemed able to overcome adversities by sheer force of will, determination, hard work, and a desire to hold on to his farm no matter what obstacles were placed in his way. He would not quit! In spite of the tremendous physical and emotional energy which he expended, he was still the same person whose psychological makeup kept him seeking sexual favors wherever he could exploit them including in his own household. Were it not for his sexual proclivities, he would, indeed, have won a journalistic award as the most unforgettable character most people would have ever met.

As the war years progressed, Friederich was hired as a tool and die maker by the Continental Can Company making parts for tanks and other military equipment urgently needed by the war effort. It also provided him with the income to pay off his mortgage before the war ended. He then returned to farming anticipating expanding his operation with the expected return to the farm of his elder son. As it turned out, however, Friederich’s behavior again caused a rift which left him and Emilie seeking help from the younger son to continue with the expansion of the farming operation. The younger son had helped during the war and while he was fortunate enough to be able to keep up with his high school class, he dropped out each spring to work the farm until his father quit his factory job. The time frame is the early nineteen thirties to the fall of nineteen forty-six.

The Author

Donald F. Megnin

Chapter I

The Extended Family

Grete and Billy had a daughter who was born early, as Gretel told her brothers and sisters. No one challenged her. They all knew. Hadn’t Friederich made an issue of it last year when he asked her, How long has she been pregnant? and Gretel confessed that was the reason for the speedy wedding with Billy Weiss.

Susan was a pretty little baby. She had blue eyes and curly blonde hair. Uncle Richard and Aunt Margaret were chosen as the godparents. Richard Senior wanted Karl and Anne as godparents, but Gretel wouldn’t hear of it.

No, it’s the nearest relatives of the same generation that acts as the godparents, Daddy! My brother and Anne are of our generation. That doesn’t make any sense.

Maybe not, but Karl has a good job and would be a good surrogate father should something happen to Grete or Billy. Riche and Margaret live too far away to be an active part of Susan’s life.

But we’re here! If anything should happen to Grete or Billy, then we would take over the responsibility for Susan. Whoever lives closest to them will have the most contact with her at any rate, Daddy. No no! Riche and Margaret will come home for the baptism. That’s all that matters right now.

Susan was baptized in the Mt. Tabor Church by the Reverend Wilhelm Schedding. He thought Susan was a big baby to have only recently been born. He checked through his records, and sure enough, the wedding had only been this past August. And here the baby’s baptized in February. He didn’t say anything to the Haussmanns or the Weisses. Far better they’re at least married, he said to himself.

The reception, following the baptism, was held at the Haussmanns. All of the relatives were invited. Only Friederich and Emilie did not attend. When Gretel wrote and invited them, Friederich smiled as Emilie read the invitation.

Dear Emmy and Friederich,

After church on Sunday, February 10, at twelve noon, we are having the baptism for Susan. You are cordially invited to attend and then come to our house for a reception. We do hope you can come. You can bring the children along too if you like. The Malins, the Brendels, the Kesselrings, the Klumpps, and the Weisses will all be here. We’d like to introduce you to the Weisses and our new granddaughter. It should be a nice time to get together again.

Let me know if you can come. I’m getting the food and the drinks lined up so that there should be plenty on hand for all of the guests.

Best wishes to you both and we hope to see you in church or here for the party.

Affectionately yours,

Gretel Haussmann

That’ll be the day! I’m not going. And there’s no reason why you should go either. It’ll only cost us money.

It would be nice, Papa, if we could go. But it would cost us about two dollars just for the bus tickets. Maybe we should invite everyone to come to the farm for the Fourth of July this year. Could I write Gretel and invite them to come?

All right. Then we ought to invite the Dietzes and the Fleckhammers too.

Oh, could we? That would be very nice to have everyone come for the 4th? Is there anyone else we should invite?

What about Herr Grossmann? We should invite him too.

Do you think we should? Wouldn’t Elise get upset if he came?

The hell with what she thinks! We can invite whomever we please!

Okay, Papa. I just thought since she no longer works for him, she wouldn’t feel comfortable having him around.

Well, that’s just too bad! We’ll invite him anyway.

The Friederich Malins were not the only ones invited who did not attend Susan’s baptism. Gustav Kesselring didn’t come either. He wasn’t invited since Bertha had moved into her own apartment with Pete and Norma. Gustav was getting crankier and was drunk more often than sober most of the time. In fact, the foreman at Easy Washer sent him home one day because he was afraid he might hurt himself on the lathe.

Listen here, Gus. If you come to work like this again, I won’t just send you home, I’m going to fire you! Do you understand?

Yes, I know. My wife told me the same thing. She left because I kept on drinking. I’ll give it a try.

Gustav went home and really put one on. He awoke the next morning at his usual time of five o’clock. He vaguely recalled the conversation he had with the foreman the previous day. He didn’t take a drink that morning and came to work sober.

So you took my advice, didn’t you? Well, watch your step, Gus. There are lots of guys who would love to have your job, the foreman warned.

The baptism was conducted after the church service. Riche and Margaret stood with Grete and Billy and the baby next to the baptismal font. The grandparents sat with the other assembled guests in the front pews. Pastor Schedding congratulated the young couple and expressed his hope that your lives will reflect the same example of Christian values, which your parents have reflected for the sake of your baby daughter.

Susan was very wide-eyed as the water dripped over her head. She didn’t seem to know whether she should cry or laugh. She laughed as her mother picked her up and kissed her.

You’ve got a happy baby, Margaret, Pastor Schedding responded. The audience laughed as they heard him.

She takes right after her Grandfather Haussmann, Pastor, Gretel said out loud.

As the two couples turned to walk back up the aisle with the baby, she said, You’re all invited to my house for coffee and dessert.

Gretel and Richard returned to the house with Riche and his wife. Grete and Billy took his parents with them. Grandmother Malin and Aunt Katharina came with Karl, Anne, and Billy. Elise and her daughter came with the Klumpps. Billy Weiss’s twelve brothers and sisters carpooled and came in four cars. The crowd of cars was so thick in front of the Haussmanns that they had to park around the corner on Hier and Highland avenues. There was only room for Riche’s and Billy’s cars in the Haussmanns’ driveway. The huge elm tree that stood at the entrance to the driveway made it very difficult to drive past. Only the younger drivers even attempted it; the others didn’t for fear they might scrap their cars against the tree.

Everyone tried to sit around the huge dining room table, but there were not enough chairs. The overflow guests sat in various chairs and sofas in the living room The relatives of both the young couple sat in their divided contingents; the Weisses all sat together on one side of the room. The Haussmann and Malin relatives and friends all sat on the other. The dividing line was who spoke German and who spoke English. Since Grandmother Malin and her sister only spoke German, needless to say, they sat among those who conversed with them in German. Billy Weiss’s father had heard his grandfather speak only German when he was a little boy, but he had not spoken it since the old man died. He couldn’t say or understand more than a dozen German words. When Grandmother Malin asked him, Kannst Du deutsch schweza? Can you speak German?

He responded, Not anymore. I haven’t spoken it since Grampa died.

Of course, Grandmother Malin didn’t understand his answer. What did he say? she asked Karl.

He says he hasn’t spoken it since his grandfather died more than forty years ago.

After that she didn’t try to carry on a conversation with him, except to say, Es war schoen in die Kirche! It was a nice service!

Mr. Weiss agreed. He only understood church but thought she was probably referring to the baptism.

After the Weisses had had their coffee and cake, they left. The rest of the family and friends stayed and talked on into the evening. Cold cuts, beer, and wine were available. Since beer had only recently been permitted to be sold again in the United States, the menfolk preferred to have several bottles of beer, followed by the homemade wine Richard made. As they were chatting, Grandmother Malin said, It’s too bad Friederich isn’t here. He’d have enjoyed this party too!

He was invited, Mother! He just didn’t want to come, Gretel said.

Why don’t we get together on the farm like this next summer? They’ve got plenty of room in their camping ground, Grandmother countered. We could get the whole family together again with our friends. I’m sure Friederich wouldn’t mind.

Karl Klumpp took up the suggestion. That might not be a bad idea, Grandmother. All we would need are some tables and chairs. They’ve got two or three camping tables out there already, if I remember correctly. If we took a few card tables and some folding chairs, we’d have more than enough room for a big picnic.

That’s a good idea, Karl joined in. Why not the Fourth of July? We could set off firecrackers and have a keg of beer and pitch horseshoes and play cards. That’s a great idea!

The more they talked about a Fourth of July picnic, the more enamored they became of it.

Who’s going to ask Friederich if it’s okay with him to use his camping ground? If he would be against it, then we’d have to look for some other place, Gretel said.

Let’s take a ride out there this next Sunday and talk with him, Karl suggested. He should be told what a good time he missed today, anyway.

Can we go along, Karl? Gretel asked.

Sure. You, Richard, and Grandmother in the backseat and Anne, Billy, and I in front. There’s plenty of room.

The next Sunday was a cold, blustery early-March day. There were snow flurries in the air. The temperature was in the mid thirties. Gretel used two blankets in which to wrap themselves for the ride out to Valley Farm. Anne wrapped Billy in a huge scarf she brought from Germany. Even with their long coats and woolen hats, plus the blankets, the wind seemed to penetrate the canvas sides of the Maxwell.

I hope the Malins have their stove working, Gretel said out loud. It’ll be cold in the house if it isn’t.

I’m sure they’ll have the stove going, Richard said. Friederich’s cutting lots of firewood. It shouldn’t be a problem.

Can we go down into the woods? Billy asked. We could do some target practicing.

What? You want to shoot? Grandmother asked.

Yes. Friederich has an old dump down by the creek in the ravine, Grandmother. We’ve gone down there a number of times to shoot at cans and bottles, Karl volunteered. Actually, Billy and Volkmar are quite good at it. Even Fritzle wants to try and shoot.

He’s too young for that, Karl. Why, he’s only a little over five! Gretel retorted.

Better that he learns how to shoot from us than if he should try and do it by himself, Karl answered.

My dad helps Fritzle hold the gun, Tante Gretel. It’s too heavy for him to hold by himself, Billy assured her.

I still think he shouldn’t be using a gun, Grandmother stated. Aren’t there any games you boys can play?

We go down in the woods and build a dam on the creek, Grandmother. But it’s a little too cold to do that now. When it’s warmer, we can get right in the creek.

Isn’t that dangerous if the children go down to the creek by themselves? Grandmother asked Karl.

The only time there’s really any water of any depth is in the spring. By the time summer comes around, most of it isn’t deep enough to drown in.

It’s a beautiful creek, Grandmother, Gretel said. I like to go down to the edge of the woods and put my feet in it. The water is so clean and cold. It’s really refreshing.

They didn’t say any more. Each one was lost in his own thoughts. Gretel wondered what Friederich would say about having a picnic at the farm over the Fourth of July. She still remembered the arguments they had had when they left the farm in ’29. Has Emmy thought over what I yelled at him? I still can’t see how she can live with him.

Richard thought about the ducks and chickens he had left on the farm years before. He enjoyed taking care of them. If I just had a little more room, I’d like to have some in my backyard, he thought to himself.

Grandmother remembered how beautiful the springs were in Germany. The apple and cherry blossoms would be in full bloom now, she thought. The spring season was much farther ahead in Vaihingen than it is here. I would have planted a good part of my garden already, she mused.

Anne was deep in her own thoughts too. She never really liked to visit the farm. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the country. It was Friederich whom she didn’t like. She knew he didn’t like her. She usually made excuses of why she didn’t want to go. But Billy (she thought Wilhelmle was not very American) just loved to visit the farm and play with his cousins. Yes, she recalled. Karl had wanted more children. But I didn’t! The only reason we had Billy was I didn’t insist on Karl using condoms that one time. Well, it’s worked out better than I thought, she told herself. We’ve got a real nice boy who’s very smart, but we’re not having any more!

Karl thought about the seed he had bought that time when he and Friederich planted alfalfa on the hill. I still haven’t gotten anything back on that three hundred dollars. And then there’s the Fordson tractor that we bought. I wonder if I’ll ever see anything from that purchase? I can’t ask Friederich for any money now. He doesn’t have any. I’m at least working every day and earning a weekly paycheck. Karl knew Anne wanted him to say something to Friederich about the money he owed him. But he didn’t have the heart to do it. Especially now that Aunt Katharina was staying with them and helping out in the house. Friederich and Emilie could really have used her help taking care of Fritzle while they worked the farm. But Anne wouldn’t think of it. No, he told himself. We go out to the farm pretty regularly and eat there almost every weekend. No. I can’t ask my brother for any money now.

Billy thought about whom they were going to visit. He liked his cousins, especially Inge. She was just a year and a half older than he. Volkmar was old enough to tell him what to do. Fritzle would do whatever Billy asked. Inge liked to tease Billy. Whenever he was quiet, she would come up behind him and say boo. It startled him, and he would chase her around the yard. If he caught her, he tried to wrestle her to the ground. He wasn’t strong enough, but he enjoyed the attempt. She was too strong for him. I wish I had a sister, he thought to himself.

They arrived at the farm around three o’clock. Friederich was taking a nap. Emilie and the children were playing Chinese checkers. It was a game the Haussmanns had given the children that previous Christmas. They enjoyed playing it. Sunday was really the only day Emilie had to play games with the children. She had too much to do on the farm during the rest of the week. The children were at the newly opened Fayetteville high school during the week. It included all grades from kindergarten through senior high. The school bus picked them up each morning in front of the house and brought them back each afternoon around four fifteen. Henry Borjewski, the bus driver, turned the bus around in their driveway. It was the end of the Fayetteville School District at Valley Farm. The Onondaga county line was the eastern demarcation line for the district. The old schoolhouse in Mycenae only housed the weekly church services on Sunday mornings and the community suppers each month. The children no longer had to walk to and from school every day.

Billy ran into the house. Hi, Tante Emmy. We’re here! Grandmother, Uncle Richard, Tante Gretel, and my folks are here too!

Well, isn’t that nice, Emilie responded.

They all went out the kitchen door to the car just as the rest of the family was getting out.

Hello, Emmy, Gretel said as she gave her a hug and a kiss. Have you been sleeping?

No. The children and I have been playing Chinese checkers.

Each of the men shook hands with Emilie as they said hello. Anne and Grandmother also hugged her and gave her a kiss. Grandmother hugged each of the children and gave them some chocolate kisses she had collected in her purse.

Ja Fritzle, wie geht’s dir? How are you? Come here and give me a kiss.

Fritzle dutifully went to his grandmother and was going to kiss her cheek. She turned her head at the last second, and he kissed her on the mouth instead. He didn’t like this at all and rubbed his hand over his lips.

You don’t have to do that. I’m not poisonous! Grandmother rebuked him.

The other adults laughed.

You don’t want to kiss an old woman, do you, Fritzle? Uncle Karl said. No, boys don’t even kiss girls, do they, Fritzle? And he and the others laughed again.

I’d like to kiss Inge, Billy said.

Oh no, you don’t! she said. And the chase was on. Billy ran after her, and if Volkmar hadn’t helped him, he wouldn’t have been able to catch her. They cornered her by the garage, and Billy kissed her on the cheek. She didn’t like this and yelled. Aunt Anne called out, Billy, leave her alone. If she doesn’t want to be kissed, she doesn’t have to! Did you hear me?

Yes, Momma.

Just then, Friederich came out. The noise had awakened him.

Hello, Fritz, Richard and Karl said almost at the same time. Have you had a nap? Richard asked as they shook hands.

Yes. I do that each Sunday afternoon.

They all shook hands with Friederich. It was an unusual handshake. He took the end of the fingers of the person whom he was greeting and shook them. He never took the whole hand of a person in his. Actually, all of the relatives shook hands this way. It was almost as if they were afraid their hands would be lost in someone else’s grip. By only extending the hand to grasp the ends of the other person’s fingers, they could drop them very quickly and have access to their own hand if it should be necessary. Only Grandmother gave him a hug and a kiss. He didn’t reciprocate. He just accepted her kiss on his cheek. Gretel and Anne shook hands with him.

Come on in, Emilie invited. I’ll make some coffee. I just baked yesterday, so we’ll have some kuchen too.

If you don’t mind, Emmy, the children and I are going down to the creek and have some target practice, Karl said. We’ll be back up in a little while.

Okay, we’ll have it ready for you when you come back.

Karl got the .22 rifle out of the trunk and took a box of cartridges along. The children ran on ahead. The ground was still soft from the winter, with little patches of snow along the fences where the drifts had been especially high. Billy ran to the first one and started to make a snowball. He threw it against a tree and proceeded to make another. This time he threw it at Inge. She didn’t like this one bit and was going to rub his face in the snow when Uncle Karl yelled. Okay, that’s enough. We don’t throw snowballs at each other!

Inge dropped the handful of snow. Volkmar suggested, Who can hit the elm tree on the corner?

They all began to make snowballs and tried to see who could hit the tree the most. Volkmar was the only one who hit the tree every time. The other three rarely hit it until they were almost on top of it. Fritzle hit it as often as Inge if he stood five feet from it. Volkmar rarely missed it when he was within twenty feet of it.

They reached the creek dump and looked for bottles. Uncle Karl told them where to set up their targets. Since the water was still rather high from the melting snow, he told them to set the bottles on the branch of a chokecherry tree next to the embankment. Volkmar was the only one of the three children who could reach the branch. It became his job to set up each of the targets as they were hit. Billy had his rubber boots on, so he was designated as the bottle retriever from the creek. Uncle Karl let each of them shoot at the target one at a time until each one had had a shot. Volkmar kept track of who hit the bottles most often. Usually, if a bottle was hit directly in the middle, it would shatter. If it was only nicked and fell down, he reset it for the next shooter. Uncle Karl rarely took a shot and only when everyone had missed the bottle at least twice in the shooting sequence. He was an expert marksman from his army days. After the box of fifty bullets had been fired, the children and Uncle Karl returned to the house for hot chocolate, coffee, and cake.

You missed a really nice baptism, Friederich, Gretel began.

Friederich didn’t say anything. He kept smoking his cigar. Richard had brought several along for each of the men. They talk about everything under the sun over coffee, cake, and cigars, Grandmother used to say. Inevitably, in whichever room they were, it was blue from the cigar smoke.

Sundays are my days to rest, Friederich replied.

It was probably very nice, Emilie exclaimed. It would have been nice for us to be there too.

Yes, it was, Gretel continued. Pastor Schedding did the baptism in both German and English so the Weisses could understand it too.

Ja, it seems a shame that more people don’t speak German, Grandmother said, somewhat irritated. I can’t understand how people who have German names can’t speak it!

They want to learn English as quickly as possible, Anne stated. You can’t blame them for that. If they’re going to live and work here, they should learn English. I’ve got a lot of Germans in my naturalization class who aren’t spending enough time on their English lessons. I think you should learn English too, Grandmother!

Anne spent two days a week as a volunteer at the Naturalization Service Office. She not only helped those Germans who had a problem reading directions for job applications, but she also helped them in filling out forms for mortgage applications and filing for citizenship classes. She also taught spoken and written English twice a week to newly arrived immigrants from Germany.

I don’t need to learn English! I can get along just fine with my German!

So long as you stay in the family, that’s true, Grandmother, Gretel countered. But as soon as you have to go shopping outside of our neighborhood, one of us has to go along to translate for you. You’re just fortunate you have us or one of the grandchildren who can speak for you.

Na, I’m too old to learn another language. Has Aunt Katharina made an effort to learn English? She gets along well without it.

Yes, but if she wasn’t living with Karl and me, she wouldn’t be able to go anywhere either, Anne reminded her.

Grandmother didn’t say any more. She drank her coffee and ate her cake. She softened it in the coffee. She knew she couldn’t change anyone’s mind. She sat there, quietly fuming with a hurt look on her face. She had gone over that conversation with all of her children many times since she arrived in America. She was determined she wasn’t going to learn English, and that was all there was to it!

Friederich, we wanted to ask you and Emmy if we could have a Fourth of July picnic on the farm this coming summer, Gretel said. We’d like to ask all of our relatives and friends to come. You could ask Mariele and her husband to come too, Emmy. Anyone who is a friend or relative of our family would be invited.

How many people are you expecting? Friederich asked.

Well, let’s count them. There would be you five; three Karl Malins; four of us Haussmanns, if Riche and his wife can come; Grete, her husband, and baby; and the three Klumpps. We should ask the Dietzes; that would be three more. They haven’t been here since they moved to Illinois. There’s Grandmother and Aunt Katharina, Elise and Waltraude, and the Fleckhammers. If they come, that would be another three.

How about the Bocherts? Emilie asked. That would make five more.

That would be thirty-three, Karl counted.

Where would they all sit? We don’t have that many tables and chairs, Friederich said.

I can bring some card tables and chairs, Karl suggested.

Billy can get a truck from work and bring them out, Richard added.

We do have two large picnic tables in the camping ground that we could put together, Friederich said thoughtfully. We could even carry this dining room table out if we needed it. Yes, I guess we could seat almost that many if you brought out some additional tables and chairs.

We would all bring out the food, Friederich. You don’t have to worry about that, Anne and Gretel added.

I could make the potato salad and noodles, Emilie volunteered.

We’ll supply the meat, Gretel and Anne said. We can do that, can’t we, Karl?

A large roast pig would be just about right for so many people, Richard said thoughtfully.

Yes, but who’s got a big-enough kitchen to cook a pig? Gretel asked. I certainly don’t!

Why do we need roast pork? Why don’t we stick to hot dogs and hamburgers? This is a picnic, after all, Anne said.

Billy can bring a couple of kegs of beer, Richard said.

Sure, Karl agreed. I’ll bring the soft drinks, and Anne can bring the coffee and coffeemaker from work.

I’m sure the Klumpps, Dietzes, Fleckhammers, and Bocherts will also bring some food and drinks. There shouldn’t be any shortage, Gretel concluded.

All right. If you arrange the food and tell everyone that you’ve mentioned they should come, I’m agreeable to the picnic, Friederich said.

After a few more cups of coffee and laughs at Richard’s jokes, the families returned to Syracuse. They were satisfied the Malins would cooperate with their plans for a Fourth of July celebration.

X X X

Pete Kesselring reluctantly accepted the Haussmanns’ rejection of him as their daughter’s suitor. He was still in love with Grete. He began courting another girl with the same first name. It wasn’t long after Grete and Billy got married when Pete married Margaret Swonk. It was a small wedding. Only the immediate families were in attendance. His father wasn’t invited. Bertha wouldn’t think of it.

What? You want to invite that reprobate? I don’t even want to see him again, Peter. I don’t see how you could stand to have him at your wedding!

But, Mrs. Kesselring, wouldn’t it be nice to have Peter’s father there? Margaret said quietly. You know, if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be marrying your son.

You don’t want him, Peggy! He’d probably be too drunk to even come to church. No, I don’t want Peter to invite him. You can tell your father to give you the money instead of inviting him, she told Peter.

Yeah, I guess she’s right, Peggy. I don’t want him coming drunk to our wedding. Ever since Prohibition’s over, he hasn’t been sober for more than a day at a time! Pete concurred with his mother.

I’d still like to meet him sometime, Mrs. Kesselring.

Don’t waste your time, Margaret. He’s not worth it.

The first time the