Liebe Grüße aus Sachsen

Ein Gruß von Herz zu Herz the stamp says. A greeting from heart to heart. Loving regards.

Opa Max Ludwig (date unknown)

My maternal grandfather was born one hundred fifty-one years ago, in December 1853, in the German State of Saxony in the Ore Mountains near the Czech border. At the age of sixteen, in 1869, he emigrated to Wisconsin. He was a barber and a musician. At the age of seventy-six, in 1930 he had his thirteenth (and final) child with his second wife, my grandmother Grace. Opa was nowhere to be seen when Mom was born, having left Oma for good on the news that she was pregnant.

Grandma Grace in 1910 at the age of fifteen.

In 1991 I visited my grandfather's hometown in Saxony. I met very briefly with relatives who did not want to talk to me. who told me they had no American family. From the locals I learned that my relatives had been Stasi informants. While visiting I met a very friendly elderly couple by the name of Fritz and Lena Petsch. After returning home I wrote them. I have not heard from them for what must be at least ten years, if not more.

Yesterday I found a letter in my mailbox from the son and daughter-in-law of Fritz and Lena. As you can see above the letter was postmarked August 6th in Chemnitz. Fritz and Lena had both passed on in the last eight months. Their illnesses and passing have caused their family a lot of grief. Egon and Barbara are now going through Mom and Dad's belongings and recently found an old letter of mine. Having only heard of me they decided to try to find me. They have offered to try to re-establish contact for me with my unpopular relatives in the neighboring village.

Another trip to Saxony is on the horizon.