I'm writing this blog to share my experience I had recently visiting a wonderful family in Switzerland that has a connection to my great-grandma. It was an amazing trip where I got see the country my great-grandma grew up in. I will be throwing out quite a few names of people so I'm making a key of them to reference back to during my blog, in case it gets too confusing. I want to mention that the stories I write are coming from the little knowledge I have and also from what I heard during my trip.
Mary----My great-grandma
Ferdinand----My great-grandpa
Betty----My grandma who is the youngest of Mary's 12 children.
Joslyn and Kyla ----My daughters.
Sepp----Mary's "boyfriend" from Switzerland.
Walti----Sepp's grandson.
Beata----Walti's wife.
Maya and Andy----Walti's daughter and son-in-law.
Lani and Kai----Maya and Andy's children.
Mary was 21 years old and her parents told her she had to leave Switzerland and move the US. She was to work and send money back to them. Mary was very upset because she had a "boyfriend", Sepp, that she cared a lot for. Her parents insisted so she told them, "Alright, but I am going to marry the first man I meet!"
Ferdinand was already living in the US but went back to Switzerland to get his girlfriend and bring her back to the US with him. Sometime on the boat a doctor pointed to Mary and told Ferdinand, "You should marry that girl, she looks like a healthy one." Walti and his family said the story they heard was that they doctor said Mary had nice teeth and that made her a healthy one. Whatever the doctor said was enough for Ferdinand to ditch his girlfriend and he went after Mary. Mary and Ferdinand married that same year!
Mary lived in the US for 50 years before she decided to visit Switzerland. At this point her children were grown and Ferdinand had died many years previously. When she arrived in Hergiswil, Switzerland she went up to the house Sepp had lived in and knocked. Sepp happened to still live there! From my understanding Sepp's wife had also passed by the time Mary had come back. I'm not sure how many trips Mary made to Switzerland after that but besides staying with relatives in another part of Switzerland, she was always welcome in Sepp's home and she spent a lot of time there with his family. Other family members of mine have visited Switzerland and they also stayed at Sepp's house. Mary was over 70 years old when she first came back to Switzerland and she is remembered for being so strong. She would go out on hikes, walk around and she didn't tire easily. It is very clear that the doctor was right, she was a healthy one!
99 years after Mary first left Switzerland, my family (myself, husband and daughters) visited Hergiswil. We were so fortunate to have my Grandma Betty reach out to Walti and Beata to start the introductions for a meeting. It is a very busy time of year for Walti and Beata but they took time out of their schedule to meet my family. First we met Walti on the morning of July 5th. He had a busy morning already planned but we were able to meet for coffee, he showed us fun things to do with the children and then took us to the house Mary used to stay at. It is no longer in his family but we stood in front of the house, took some pictures and listened to Walti talk about his memories of the house. It was surreal to be standing in front of the house my great-grandma had been to many times and in the village she knew so well. After walking around a bit, Walti invited us to his home for dinner. While we didn't want to intrude, the offer to meet his wife and other family members was just too good to pass up.
Later that evening we made our way up to Walti and Beata's house. The view of Lake Lucerne and Mt. Pilatus (Mary had hiked that mountain many times in her life) was breathtaking. Walti and Beata had a very full house with Maya, Andy, Lani and Kai visiting from California. Maya's mom and grandma were also staying at Walti and Beata's house. Joslyn and Lani were about the same age and became instant friends. Kyla and Kai are both 4 and hit it off quickly as well. There were many times during the night we thought the Mary/Sepp story will continue on through Kyla/Kai. At one point Kai went in the backyard and was gone for just a couple minutes. Kyla then ran after him saying, "I'm miss Kai!" Maya said Kai isn't always very talkative but he took to Kyla right away and they were inseparable. Kyla must take after her great-great-grandma and have good teeth and is healthy :)
It was an amazing experience for me to be sitting around a table with people who knew my great-grandma and also to see how the Mary/Sepp story had been talked about for so many years. Just like myself, Maya also grew up hearing of the story about her great-grandpa and Mary. I'm not sure when Sepp and Mary met but Walti recalled hearing that Sepp took Mary to a town event. We related it to Prom where it was a dance or celebration type thing that you had to bring a "date" to. He asked Mary to go with him. I'm not sure when that was but we know Mary left for the US in 1914 and prior to that she was quite smitten with Sepp. That makes this story about a century old.
If Sepp was anything like his grandson,Walti, than I can see why Mary went knocking on his door after 50 years. My family and I have been blessed by meeting such a wonderful family that took us in with open arms. They shared their home, their food and their stories. The time I spent with them will be remembered forever and I sure hope this isn't our last encounter with this amazing family.
Mary----My great-grandma
Ferdinand----My great-grandpa
Betty----My grandma who is the youngest of Mary's 12 children.
Joslyn and Kyla ----My daughters.
Sepp----Mary's "boyfriend" from Switzerland.
Walti----Sepp's grandson.
Beata----Walti's wife.
Maya and Andy----Walti's daughter and son-in-law.
Lani and Kai----Maya and Andy's children.
Mary was 21 years old and her parents told her she had to leave Switzerland and move the US. She was to work and send money back to them. Mary was very upset because she had a "boyfriend", Sepp, that she cared a lot for. Her parents insisted so she told them, "Alright, but I am going to marry the first man I meet!"
Ferdinand was already living in the US but went back to Switzerland to get his girlfriend and bring her back to the US with him. Sometime on the boat a doctor pointed to Mary and told Ferdinand, "You should marry that girl, she looks like a healthy one." Walti and his family said the story they heard was that they doctor said Mary had nice teeth and that made her a healthy one. Whatever the doctor said was enough for Ferdinand to ditch his girlfriend and he went after Mary. Mary and Ferdinand married that same year!
Mary lived in the US for 50 years before she decided to visit Switzerland. At this point her children were grown and Ferdinand had died many years previously. When she arrived in Hergiswil, Switzerland she went up to the house Sepp had lived in and knocked. Sepp happened to still live there! From my understanding Sepp's wife had also passed by the time Mary had come back. I'm not sure how many trips Mary made to Switzerland after that but besides staying with relatives in another part of Switzerland, she was always welcome in Sepp's home and she spent a lot of time there with his family. Other family members of mine have visited Switzerland and they also stayed at Sepp's house. Mary was over 70 years old when she first came back to Switzerland and she is remembered for being so strong. She would go out on hikes, walk around and she didn't tire easily. It is very clear that the doctor was right, she was a healthy one!
99 years after Mary first left Switzerland, my family (myself, husband and daughters) visited Hergiswil. We were so fortunate to have my Grandma Betty reach out to Walti and Beata to start the introductions for a meeting. It is a very busy time of year for Walti and Beata but they took time out of their schedule to meet my family. First we met Walti on the morning of July 5th. He had a busy morning already planned but we were able to meet for coffee, he showed us fun things to do with the children and then took us to the house Mary used to stay at. It is no longer in his family but we stood in front of the house, took some pictures and listened to Walti talk about his memories of the house. It was surreal to be standing in front of the house my great-grandma had been to many times and in the village she knew so well. After walking around a bit, Walti invited us to his home for dinner. While we didn't want to intrude, the offer to meet his wife and other family members was just too good to pass up.
My family in front of the house.
Later that evening we made our way up to Walti and Beata's house. The view of Lake Lucerne and Mt. Pilatus (Mary had hiked that mountain many times in her life) was breathtaking. Walti and Beata had a very full house with Maya, Andy, Lani and Kai visiting from California. Maya's mom and grandma were also staying at Walti and Beata's house. Joslyn and Lani were about the same age and became instant friends. Kyla and Kai are both 4 and hit it off quickly as well. There were many times during the night we thought the Mary/Sepp story will continue on through Kyla/Kai. At one point Kai went in the backyard and was gone for just a couple minutes. Kyla then ran after him saying, "I'm miss Kai!" Maya said Kai isn't always very talkative but he took to Kyla right away and they were inseparable. Kyla must take after her great-great-grandma and have good teeth and is healthy :)
Amazing view from Walti and Beata's house.
It was an amazing experience for me to be sitting around a table with people who knew my great-grandma and also to see how the Mary/Sepp story had been talked about for so many years. Just like myself, Maya also grew up hearing of the story about her great-grandpa and Mary. I'm not sure when Sepp and Mary met but Walti recalled hearing that Sepp took Mary to a town event. We related it to Prom where it was a dance or celebration type thing that you had to bring a "date" to. He asked Mary to go with him. I'm not sure when that was but we know Mary left for the US in 1914 and prior to that she was quite smitten with Sepp. That makes this story about a century old.
Back row: Alethea, Josh, Beata, Walti, Andy (Kai on his shoudlers) and Maya
Front row: Joslyn, Kyla and Lani
If Sepp was anything like his grandson,Walti, than I can see why Mary went knocking on his door after 50 years. My family and I have been blessed by meeting such a wonderful family that took us in with open arms. They shared their home, their food and their stories. The time I spent with them will be remembered forever and I sure hope this isn't our last encounter with this amazing family.
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