Took Grandma back home...
May 11th, 2000, 04:17 PM
#1
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Took Grandma back home...
Hi Everyone! <BR> <BR>I just wanted to let you all know that Grandma and I had a great time. We saw pretty much all of the things that she really wanted to. It was really hard on her at times - particularly the plane ride. But, overall, it was a big success. I'll just share a couple of highlights: <BR> <BR>At the cemetery where her mother was buried in Karlsruhe, Germany, we were able to see her mother's name recorded in a book from 1927! We told the caretaker at the cemetery her mother's name and the year she died and he walked over to this large cabinet. He pulled out a book, flipped a few pages and there it was! That has to be the best filing system ever. The grave had been "reused" twice, but Grandma was so touched to see the name in the book, as she was only three years old when her mother died. <BR> <BR>Gram really wanted to see the Rhine. We got a taxi, as the streetcar stopped too far away from the river for Gram to walk. The cab driver told us we were stupid to take a cab (too expensive)but after he and Grandma got to talking he really warmed up to her. He ended up driving us to the river, taking our picture (we took his, too). He turned off the meter and drove us back to town for free, and brought Gram up to speed on everything that had happened in Karlsruhe since 1949. <BR> <BR>I want to thank everyone who responded to my posts about this trip, for the advice and the encouragement. I will always be grateful that I had the opportunity to spend this time with my very special Gram! <BR> <BR>Audrey <BR> <BR>
Jun 5th, 2000, 04:36 PM
#8
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Audrey, a special grandma and a special granddaughter.....must be in the genes. <BR>Perhaps you (or someone) can answer a question for me. I have wondered on my trips through Europe, where are all the graves? You mentioned reusing graves. How does that work?
Jun 10th, 2000, 08:46 AM
#9
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Judi, <BR>I don't honestly know how they reuse the graves. At the cemetery where my great-grandmother had been buried the plot had to be renewed (rented, paid for)every twenty years. If the buried person's family stays current on the rent, the grave will not be reused. Some of the graves in this cemetery were quite old (100 years or so), and some had only a family name on the headstone. I assume that this means all family members are "added" to the grave as they pass. <BR> <BR>As for the headstones, it seems that these are sanded off and reused, also. <BR> <BR>This cemetery was well off the road, I would never have seen it if we weren't looking for it. Now that you mention it, I don't recall seeing many cemeteries in Europe, either. <BR> <BR>Audrey <BR>
