Hannah

By Ruthanne Nopson

In the late summer of 1900, the Zimmer family, Jacob and wife Mable sailed from Germany to New York City in America. Their two daughters, Hannah age 11 and Lilly age 8 came too. Jacob wanted to start a new life and open a bakery in the city. He wanted to bake loav

• Language: English
• Publisher: ReadersMagnet LLC
• Release date: Mar 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9781960629081

Ruthanne Nopson

I was born in a small mining camp in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I started first grade as a five year old. Because there were not enough children for kindergarten and first grade, I was excited because now I could learn to read and write.My father was a gold miner so we moved to many camps. To keep busy I spent a lot of time at the local library and checking out books. I won a writing contest when I was in the seventh grade. the subjects were a rose, a piece of broken glass, or a pair of jeans. I choose to write about the pair of jeans. I had a passion for writing stories. Now I could write my own story.My husband and I raised three children in the Pacific Northwest. We have many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who gives me inspiration.

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This book is dedicated to orphans everywhere.

And in memory of Uncle Frank,

friend to every child.

Hannah

Copyright © 2023 by Ruthanne Nopson

Published in the United States of America

ISBN Paperback: 978-1-960629-07-4

ISBN eBook: 978-1-960629-08-1

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.

The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of ReadersMagnet, LLC.

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Book design copyright © 2023 by ReadersMagnet, LLC. All rights reserved.

Cover design by Kent Gabutin

Interior design by Dorothy Lee

Table Of Contents

Chapter 1 Hannah

Chapter 2 Sam Sam

Chapter 3 The Visitors

Chapter 4 The Decisions

Chapter 5 The Midnight Train

Chapter 6 Meeting David

Chapter 7 Driving Danny Boy

Chapter 8 Jiggidy Jig

Chapter 9 Getting Ready For The Christmas Party

Chapter 10 The Christmas Party

Chapter 11 The Engagement

Chapter 12 To Grandfather R’s House, We Go

Chapter 13 The New Year

Chapter 14 Wedding Plans

Chapter 15 The Village

Chapter 16 Off To College

Chapter 17 Those Lovely Weekends

Chapter 18 The Wedding Of David And Hannah

HANNAH

W

CHAPTER 1

Europe gave up generations of children, artists, writers, industrialists, and their finest minds in the nineteenth century. For decades, The immigrants came by ship to the new continent of America. Men of steel, renown, and wealth crowed onto vessels filled with the humble, weak, and brokenhearted, longing for the blessings of Liberty. But the angry sea had no favorites, charm, or repose, and all succumbed to the same icy fingers that brought the victims down to the hostile chambers of death in the Atlantic Ocean.

Among the poor was the Zimmer family from Wurttembergers, Germany, in the late summer of 1900. Jacob, a slight man about five foot four, with piercing eyes that make you listen to him, has dark brown thick hair and a full mustache, was high on dreams and low on money. Mable, his devoted wife, was frail but intense in spirit and devotion to her husband and children, Hannah, age eleven, and -Lilly, age eight. Hannah was not happy she was leaving the motherland. Their family life would change in language, customs, and food, but they are ready to support their Papa and help their Mama. Hannah felt uncertain and full of doubt about the future. Maybe this is a warning from God. In her heart, something was not going to turn out the way Papa planned. She pondered these things in the rough, sleepless nights on SS Alemania moving towards The New York Harbor. The grateful and tired passengers were anxious to leave their prison-like confinement. The last few weeks were full of discomfort, unsanitary conditions, people vomiting, and wrenching in pain.

After many days and weeks at sea, the Zimmer family of four stayed huddled together on the ship’s stern. After days of seeing nothing but the cold Atlantic Ocean, they felt like nameless shadows. Was Papa’s dream coming true? He wanted to enter the New York Harbor in daylight, and so it was.

The early morning light blanketed the New York City skyline with low clouds and fog. The cold rain and trembling waves didn’t keep the smile off Jacob Zimmer’s face.

Look kinder, look at the golden sun peeking through clouds stretching 0ver New York City. There she is, Lady Liberty welcomed us to her land of the free and home of the brave. Kinder, see how she stands tall with her torch held high and the book in her hand? Our names are in the book. Soon we will be part of The Promised Land. She is a grand lady that will light our way to a new life. We must give all we have to this blessed country; Lady Liberty will give back our dreams.

The SS Alemannia Captain guided his ship into New York Harbor at Ellis Island. The immigrants received paperwork to become American citizens and begin their new life. English was the first thing to learn. Hannah felt confident in learning English and knew words like hello, goodbye, please, and thank you. Papa knew a few words that he said were English. Mama is unsure about learning a new language. She will depend on the girls and Jacob to speak English. Lilly thought English sounded like a bunch of muttering. Lilly knew Hannah would be there for her. Hannah was always there.

The family had to learn English and American customs, find a place to live, and find a job for Papa.

They moved into a dreary, dark tenement building near Orchard Street in New York City. German Town’ was not far away. They wanted to settle close to the seventeenth ward, where many families from Wurttemberg had established their new homes. Jacob hoped his family would meet other German-speaking families. They had to move into the second floor of a tenement building. Jacob worried it would be hard for Mama to adjust to their new home. Hannah thought a dog or cat would be dumb to live in a place like New York City. The family didn’t have many personal possessions, so it didn’tt take long to put away the dishes and make up the beds in the two-bedroom apartment. Mama was sensitive to her children’s needs. She knew Hannah was struggling to adjust to their new life. Lilly happily curled up next to Mama, listening to a scary fairy tale story or planning tea

parties for her dolls.

One day Mama had an idea. She called the girls together. I know all of us are lonesome for Germany. It would be fun to do the same things here as in the old country.

Like what? said Hannah We could go on a picnic. Bake cookies, or we could have a sing-along.

Nothing here reminds me of Germany or our farm, complained Hannah.

That evening She went outside and sat on the rough cement steps and drab surroundings. After dinner on the farm, the families gathered at the Zimmer farmhouse. The men talked about farms and raising a garden, while the women spoke about children and baking. They would tell stories of the olden days. Sometimes the children thought the stories were fairy tales. They didn’t care; this was the best of times. The family was together, the young and the old. In the morning, the women would gather together in the village kitchens. They would bring bread dough and let it rise in the warming ovens. While waiting for the soft, sticky substance to rise and bake, the woman would sew or knit and catch up on the latest gossip. Small children ran around the kitchen or played outside. The men went to the nearby pool room or tavern. The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air. There would be different ovens in a few decades; people would recognize an unusual smell With a sigh, Hannah chose to try being happy. She looked at the wooden sidewalks. She remembered grassy meadows the children ran through, taking them on new adventures, smelling the fresh air, playing in the greenest pastures by the still waters, and making necklaces out of sweet clover. Crystalline, cold and pure, sparkling streams contently found their way to the nearest river or lake. It was fun to skip rocks on the streams; sometimes, the children would jump in for a swim in summer’s warmth. Trees dressed in their most beautiful apparel showed off their pink blossoms while shading regiments of flowers that loved the cool shade. She longed for a taste of the cold water from the creeks.

Foul-smelling water ran in ditches down the street in front of the tenement building. The pleasure of skipping rocks in a stream or climbing a tree is gone. Now Hannah can’t climb a leafy tree on a summer day. She had to climb cement stairs, and you can’t skip rocks in a wash basin. Buildings tall and gray took the place of the oak tree she loved to climb. Papa made a treehouse for all of the children. The sounds of the city were busy, people hurrying one way and people rushing the other way. She might hear a bird singing his little song if she had listened long enough, but she couldn’t see him. She felt sorry for the horses pulling their heavy burdens down the dusty streets. It must be hard for horses to live in the city. I am sure they would like to get away from here and lay down in the tender grass of their home, thought Hannah. She laughed, imagining being rescued by a white horse carrying a handsome prince and riding into the colorful sunset, melting into delicate pink and lavender, splashed with the palest red and brilliant gold. That only happens in fairy tales. She thought the sun rose and set in a different direction now that she was across the Atlantic. She would find out from Papa. On her way back up the cold stairs to her family, she saw a broom leaning against a door in the hallway. She shuttered at its sight. Her boy cousins told her stories about witches, and if she ever saw a broom, it probably belonged to a witch who chases little girls, and they were never heard from again. She ran upstairs and couldn’t wait to get into her home.

Tears dripped down Hannah’s cheeks, remembering the good times that once were and will never be.

November brought gray skies too strong to allow the weak sun to make its brief morning appearance. Icy raindrops pelted the grimy windowpanes, leaving little rivers of tears as if it was running down a young girl’s cheeks.

Papa’s pocket watch was resting on the nightstand, reminding Hannah and Lilly it was time to get up, get ready for school, and take care of Mama, who was very sick. The girls could hear Papa in the kitchen stoking the wood and coal fire on the stove and the happy tea kettle bubbling. It’s t time for tea Hannah tugged on Lilly’s brownish-red curls and said: Time to get up, little sister, silly little Lilly, silly little Lilly May."

I don’t want to get up. IT’S cold in here, complained Lilly Leiden, get up; you need to take care of Mama and get ready for school. Papa poked his head in the bedroom door and smiled at his two daughters.

We are getting up, papa, yawned Hannah. We will take care of Mama now. It is hard for the girls to see their Mama so sick. She was the healthy one that took care of everybody. The doctor thinks she has typhoid fever. Many people in the neighborhood and their buildings are sick with the same thing. It may have started on the ship. The doctor told the family to boil water for twenty minutes before washing dishes or cooking potatoes and tea. Many patients vomit, get dehydrated, and have a high fever. Papa hugged the girls and went out the door to his long workday at the livery stable. Jacob knew how to clean up after horses. The money he earned and saved was for his bakery. He hoped he brought enough from Germany to pay the rent and buy food.

Lilly, do you want me to walk you outside to the toilet? I know you don’t like to go there alone."

No! I’m going to use Mama’s chamber jar. But I do not want to go out in the rain!"

"May I remind you, silly little Lilly, we are not to use the chamber jar unless it is an emergency?’

Banana toes, this is an emergency!

I will make Mama some tea and soft, boiled eggs. Then, you brush her hair, help her get dressed, put face cream on her hands and feet, another thing, ordered Hannah. I do this every day, interrupted Lilly, don’t be so bossy, and go back into the ketch."Lilly got a towel, hairbrush, and skin cream ready to take to Mama.

Hannah was ready to dish up soft-boiled eggs and bread when she heard Lilly. Screaming, she wiped her hands on her apron and rushed into Mama’s bedroom.

Are you ok? Are you hurt? asked Hannah "Hannah, I think Mama is dead, cried Lilly. Look at her; she is not moving The girls looked at the lifeless form buried under heavy quilts.

They could not touch her.

The sisters held each other and cried. What are we going to do without, mama? cried Lilly.

Now we have to look after Papa, and he will have to look after us, said Hannah

Both girls ran through the kitchen and down the dim hallway. Together they knocked on Frau Bruno’s door. Slowly the door opened, revealing a tall, smiling lady. Her dark hair is tied to her head like a doorknob. More than ample bosoms rested like soft pillows on her thick waist. Her breasts moved like biscuits on the stew when she leaned over to speak to the children.

Gout morgen kinder, vote are you doing here so early, before school?

It’s our mama, sobbed the girls. Something is wrong; she won’t move or say anything. She might be dead."

Come in, mien liber, sit at the table with my sons, you know them. Gus, Charles, and Henry. The boys smiled shyly at the two girls. Sit down and have some bread and jam.

Don’t worry about a thing; I will take care of it for you. I am going now to check on your Mama. Then I will find your Papa. Hurry off to school; you can stay here until he comes home. I will tell him you will be here.

Frau Bruno searched for two hours to find Papa. Finally, she saw him coming out of a livery stable and told him his beloved wife, Mable, had passed away. Jacob nearly fainted and could not keep tears from flowing down his cheeks. Frau Bruno invited the family for supper.

She told Papa there was a German Lutheran Church not far away, and she would go with him tomorrow to plan funeral services. Frau Bruno also reminded Papa he should go to church more often. She would be happy to take the children.

About nine o’clock the following day, Frau Bruno knocked on Zimmer’s door. Lilly opened the door to a smiling lady who said, Guten Morgan, are you ready to go to the church?"

Come in, said Papa. We are ready.

The crispiness of autumn escorted the four mourners to their destination.

There is the church on the left. Can you see the steeple? Frau Bruno, almost out of breath.

Shadows-like silhouettes of four souls rippled up the long narrow stairs of the church. Papa opened the door for the ladies

and entered the narthex. The familiar odors of waxed floors and a small oil stove reminded them of their church in Germany.

They approached the sanctuary and saw tapers resting on the altar—the flickering candles inviting them to the House of God. Stained glass windows designed with figures of the Good Shephard and His flocks are watching over the congregation. When church members come to worship their Lord, chairs in straight rows wait for the worshipers, and the organ is anxious to play familiar hymns. Hannah felt a sense of relief when she looked at a message board written in German.

The little group heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming toward them.

Guten Aubin, said the medium-tall pastor with silver hair and dressed in clerical clothing, coming toward them. He extended his hand to Jacob and said, welcome. Are you