Title: Scharfens Leave Germany
General Information about Item:
- Verbal Folklore
- English
- Germany
Informant Data:
- Theresa Theurer lives in central Wisconsin and is part of a large German family, most of whom live in the area. This was collected on November 6th, 2017 via telephone.
Contextual Data:
- Social Context: This story was typically told in conjunction with the story of the Schafen’s trip across the Atlantic, usually at large family reunions.
- Cultural Context: This shows why some families may have left their home countries and what it was like for them before they left.
Item:
- Gertrude Scharfen had already decided that she and her four youngest children would leave for America in the spring before Christmas. Her husband was dead, and she working to support them all was exhausting. She knew it was going to be their last Christmas in Germany, so she spent a whole lot of time cooking the meal. Everybody came, including Gertrude’s two oldest daughters and their families. The food was delicious, and after the meal Gertrude gathered everyone around and showed them their exit documents and a letter from her friend in Nebraska. She told them they would be leaving for America, but that her two married daughters would stay. The two oldest were especially sad, but the four younger children were all excited for the adventure. So, they began preparing for their spring journey.
Collector’s Name: Hannah Pinkerton ‘19
Tags/Keywords:
- Immigration, Christmas, Germany, United States