I have lots of favorite picture. Here is one of them taken by me in 1974.
The picture is of my Grandmother Maria, her son Karl, sitting next to her, who was my Dad and her oldest son Willi who was my uncle. I took it on my Dad’s 50th birthday in our apartment in Düsseldorf, where I grew up. I guess back in 1974 no one smiled for the camera. Everyone already had their beer and Schnaps. Coffee and cake would have been in the afternoon.
In Germany when you have a birthday, you invite your family. You serve coffee and homemade cakes around three o’clock. In the evening you serve a cold dinner like homemade potato and pasta salads and cold cuts together with beer, whine and juice for the little ones. The birthday person will receive small gifts and/or flowers from the guests.
Back to the picture, starting with my Dad. His name was Karl Franz Wilhelm Krings. He was born 25 January 1924 in Düsseldorf, married my Mom there in 1946 and died 21 May 2006 in Bad-Neuenahr where he had lived after his retirement as flower whole saler. He came to visit me here in the United States four times and loved every moment.
My uncle’s name was Wilhelm Joseph Hubert Krings. He was the oldest of his siblings and he was born 30 October 1907 in Düsseldorf. He married his wife, Ellie, in 1945 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and died there 13 June 1981. Uncle Willi had moved to Garmisch early on because of his severe asthma. I remember him always wheezing when we would go for walks. He was a funny and happy guy. He drove an American car and he was so proud of that. No one else in the family had one. When he would visit Düsseldorf, he always requested that my Mom would make him this special lima bean dish. He couldn’t get in Garmisch. One year when he drove down to come to my first communion, he entered the Autobahn (freeway) the wrong way. He had with him my maternal aunt and my two cousins whom he had picked up in Munich. They were very lucky that nothing happened. The police did impound his car and my Dad had to go rescue them.
My Grandma’s name was Maria Johanna Becker. She was born 12 July 1885 in Hamminkeln, near Wesel. She married my Grandfather, Wilhelm Krings in 1907 in Wesel and died in 1975 in Willich, near Viersen not far from Düsseldorf. She had her first child, uncle Willi in 1907 and the last one, uncle Richard in 1929, eight children altogether. During WW1, her husband and my Grandfather fought in France and Russia and survived and came back. In 1943 in WW2 she lost one of her sons, Josef, in a Russian battle. In 1948 another son, Hans, who also had fought in WW2, died. During WW2 three of her apartments were destroyed during aerial raids by the British. In 1952 her husband and my Grandfather, died suddenly at home. Grandma was always calm and loved her family. She faithfully went to church every Sunday.
So why is this one of my favorite pictures? First of all I took it. I was already a budding photographer back then. My Dad had a camera and we used it a lot. I spent a lot of time with my Grandmother. We picked her up every church after Sunday and walked to our apartment for lunch. From about 1970 to 1980 summer vacations were spent in Garmisch where we would go and visit Uncle Willi and his family. Nothing but good memories. Looking at this picture I still miss my Dad and I am glad I took this snapshot back in 1974.
Do you have a favorite picture. Please leave a comment below.
Genealogy Is An Adventure 