It is about time that I show you this.
It was taken in 1925 and shows my mother's cousin Johanna. Wan't she cute?!
She personally gave me the tiny framed picture, when I visited her in Ohio in 1997. By then Wyatt was living in Ohio, too, we had just started dating. It was my first visit to the US, all about sucking in impressions, new love, lots of questions about whether I could live here, be happy here... Very intense. But that is another story...
When Johanna gave me the photo, she said that is was taken on Ellis Island, when she immigrated with her family to the US. However, I just took the photo out of the frame to scan and then carefully peaked under the glued-on back and there it says "Johanna in kintergarden". Now I wonder, if she had to spend some time on Ellis Island and visited a school, before they were allowed to move on? I'll have to do some research about that.
Just a few weeks ago I found out through another one of my mom's cousins, that by now Johanna's husband Bob has passed away and she lives in a nursing home and is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. I remember she had a lot of albums, quite a few pictures of my family, that I had never seen before. Again, I am certain, that they are lost, Johanna probably not remembering anything about them and the younger relatives..? I just don't know, we are not in touch.
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That is a beautiful photo. Maybe it is not too late to reach out and say hello. She may not remember you, but it is always nice to get a card in the mail and know that someone is thinking about you. Perhaps you could send the photo and the story of meeting her. The photo will probably bring back memories for her. The earliest memories are usually the last to go with Alzheimer's.
ReplyDeleteThat is a beautiful photo and a beautiful story that accompanies it. I hope to hear your story one day!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Tracey