My mother in law, Waltraud was an amazing woman. She was born in World War 2 in Germany. Her dad was a soldier. First he was in France, and then they sent him to Russia. I don't really know if he believed in the "cause" of the Germans. I'm sure most of the men in those days had no choice. They had to serve in the Army. Waltraud only recalls seeing him two times. She was raised in the house of her grandmother. It was her, her brother, and her mother. They were very poor. The only toy she had was a rubber ball. When she was in kindergarten, England began bombing Hanover (only 40 miles away). She saw the planes, she heard the bombs, and she could smell the smell of burning sulfur as Hanover burned. After the war she remembered that the Americans came. They were very kind. They also gave her the first chocolate she ever had. She loved sweet things. She never saw her father again. He died in a camp in Russia. Her mom received no pension from the government because know one came forward to confirm his death. For 5 or 6 years after the war, they lived on only the food they could grow in the garden, and one pig they raised each year. They also raised money by renting rooms in the house. Finally someone came forward to confirm the death of her father. Waltrauds mom was bitter. Waltraud never was. She was full of love and grace. She loved God. This love was transforming.
The photo is of Waltraud & Nicole when she was 2 years old.
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