Frohe Weihnachten (Merry Christmas)!

Theresa Hertges, who grew up in Polsnitz, Germany, around the time of World War II, sits in front of one of the Christmas trees at Ossian Senior Hospice. The 81–year-old has many heart-warming stories from her time growing up in Germany, including how their family celebrated the holidays. (Zakary Kriener photo)

 

 

Frohe Weihnachten
(Merry Christmas)! 

By Zakary Kriener
News/Soprts Writer
zkreiner@fayettepublishing.com

 

For Theresa Hertges of Ossian, the holidays have always been a special time. Her Christmas experiences date back to the 1930s, when she was a young girl growing up in the city of Poslnitz, Germany, during World War II.

Hertges recalls many memories from her childhood. Poslnitz, which is now in Poland, was not a very large city.

“My father was a schoolteacher, as well as the leader of the church choir,” noted Hertges, who was too young to sing in her father’s choir while in her home country.

The 81-year-old, who remembers how her mother would love to hear her father sing for her, inherited her father’s gift for singing.

“Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!’ sang Hertges in her native German language beautifully reciting the lyrics to “Silent Night,” her favorite Christmas carol.

Hertges, whose family name is Franz, had four siblings, Clemans, Maria, Joseph, and Mechthild, attributes her ability to learn the English language to her father.

“When I was young, my father wanted us to be fluent with speaking other languages, especially with the presence of American soldiers in Germany at the time,” explained Hertges. “We had American pen pals that us kids would write back and forth with, helping us to become more comfortable with reading and writing in English.”

The Ossian resident recalled her family’s Christmas celebrations, which included a big meal on Christmas Day.

“My grandmother was a very good cook. She passed many recipes on to my mother, which she used to create many wonderful classic dishes for our Christmas Day meal,” she added.

Theresa’s parents would take all of the children to the Midnight Mass every year.

“They took us to Mass to watch my sister sing in my father’s choir,” she related. “When we got back home, we would all be worn out and go right to sleep.”

Theresa remembered waking up on Christmas morning, after St. Nicholas had come.

“One of my favorite gifts on Christmas morning was chocolate,” she said with a big holiday smile on her face.

In 1959, the young German woman traveled to the United States where she married Donald Hertges. Together, the couple had five children, Mary, Jeanette, Andrew, Donna, and Donald.

For the past three years, the octogenarian has enjoyed living at Ossian Senior Hospice.

Theresa’s large family plans to come visit her for Christmas, which she is eagerly looking forward to.

She also plans to attend Mass at Ossian Senior Hospice earlier in the week, something that she never misses.

“Religion and my faith were taught to me early in my life Jesus is what Christmas is all about,” Hertges proudly closed. “Frohe Weihnachten!” Merry Christmas!.

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