What a wonderful picture. My grandmother Gertrud's parents: Jakob Schobloch and Luise, nee Unglehrt, around 1898. Gertrud adored her father. He became a prominent citizen of his town Lindau. Briefly, in 1919, he lead the town. He was a glass maker by trade, and died in 1933 from a fall off a scaffolding.

In Lindau, around 1933. my mom on the left, and her brother Lienhard in the middle. Also my moms' cousins Helen, Dieter and Kurt Dummler.

My grandmother was born April 30, 1898, the second of three children. Here she is at her confirmation in 1912. She is on the right, her sister Luitgard on the left. If you look close, my grandmother wears a beautiful golden necklace that has now been handed down to my daughter.

Gertrud Schobloch, around 1916, when she was 18 year's old, about to be engaged to an officer Ernst Reimann who soon died in world war 1.

Gertrud as a `ghost', ca 1920? taken probably in the summer house on the lake.

Fritz Schmitt, my grandfather, in about 1922. He was born to a single mother and never knew his father. He had a crippled right hand from a war wound. Despite this injury he was an excellent drafts man/ingenieur working for 40 years for a machinery-company called Escher-Wyss

Wedding picture of Gertrud Schobloch to Fritz Schmitt (1889-1962), in 1922. They would have three children: Ernst (1923-1943) who died on the eastern front, Waltraud, my mother (born 1926), and Lienhard (born 1929). They had, by all accounts, a very rocky marriage.

Christmas in Lindau around 1924. Gertrud with her husband Fritz is on the left, seated are the grandparents, behind them is Kurt Schobloch, Gertrud's brother, and sister Luitgard with her husband.

Three generations: my mom Waltraud, her mom Gertrud, and her mom Luise. Ca. Feb 1936 in front of their house in the Brougier Street in Lindau-Aeschach.

my mom and her brother Lienhard taken at the same occasion.

family picture in the 1950's. My grandfather Fritz on far left, my grandmother Gertrud, sixth from the left; my mom's cousin, aunt Helen, who gave me this picture, fifth from the left

my parents' wedding on July 28, 1957 in Lindau.

Gertrud visiting in Sweden, where my dad taught at the German School for 5 years

I am in love with this picture. It is my grandfather Fritz Schmitt holding me for the first time, during a summer visit back in Lindau in 1960. I love his wrinkled face, sinewy fore-arm, even his crippled left hand. He had a very hard life, yet his smile speaks of genuine love.

Taken in the summer 1990 on the porch of my parents' house. Hannah loved playing with Uroma's cane.

My grandmother passed away in March 1995 at the age of nearly 97.