This is a
post for Sepia Saturday 151.
The prompt
picture shows women at a telephone switchboard during the 1940s. My story about
a distress call dates from 1960.
My parents got their first phone in our new
home in Hoogeveen (Drenthe, Netherlands), 1959. In the summer of 1960, they received a distress call
from Aunt Riet, a sister of my father, and Uncle Cor. They were on holidays in Germany with their 2 young
sons, Henk (6y) and Hans (3y). I have discovered this story a few years ago by two postcards left in our
heritage. The postcards were damaged and it was a puzzle to decipher the
handwriting. Thankfully the date stamps were readable.
Germany
Rhineland-Palatinate, Marksburg 1960 06 29a.
Sender:
Aunt Riet and Uncle Cor.
This is the (free)
translation of the first card:
“Dear Jan, Aat and extended family. You must
have been surprised about our phone call. But Cor didn’t dare to continue
driving, because if we are stabbing halfway up a mountain we are less off. What
exactly is going on I’ll let you know. I hope you got the right place. Once we
get back I will send you a money order. For now thank you very much for the
effort. The weather isn’t very pretty at the moment. The wind is blowing pretty
hard. Also to you all hearty greetings from Cor, Riet, Henk, Hans.”
Germany Rhineland-Palatinate,
Bingen am Rhein 1960 07 04a.
Sender: Aunt Riet
and Uncle Cor.
The second
postcard tells us more about the emergency.
“Dear Jan, Aat and extended family. Thank you
for the quick help. We received the money in the morning and at 2 o’clock the
car was repaired. We continued our journey immediately and now we are close to
Bingen on the Rhine, very nice. Tomorrow we will go to Luxembourg and then we’re
easy going on the way back. At … we should be home. That money I’ll give you back
as soon as possible. It is still rather disappointing. But you do hear more
from us when we get home. Well,
hearty greetings and good bye. Cor, Riet, Henk, Hans. “
We kids however
(I was 15 at that time) did never hear about this story. There are no other
postcards or photos about it, so this is all we know. I’m sure they returned
home safely.
For more
calls look at Sepia Saturday 151.
12 opmerkingen:
That was so nice of your parents to help out! They were obviosly happy to help out the relatives, or you would have heard about it thru grumblind, lol.
I don't think you are ever ready for a distress call of any sort on the telephone especially when it's from a member of your family. Glad it all worked out well for them even though it's left you with a mystery.
The scenery on the postcards is enchanting - especially the first one.
Sometimes the messages on the back of postcards are even more interesting than the pictures on the front. Obviously, though, it was the pictures that caused the postcards to be saved.
Oh wow, I guess thanks for the quick help was very appreciated. Amazing some of the stories that our family keep from us, or would rather not share the details. My mother was always a very private person. Maybe someday you shall gain more knowledge of this! In any case, what lovely cards and the memories of their writing are such a treasure to have!
What an enthralling story based on a couple of wonderful cards. I suppose in the days before common currencies, credit cards, and international banks, such things would have been a fairly common occurrence.
Transferring money to a foreign destination must have been an adventure in itself. It is likely they had to go through the Post Office in those days.
Mysteries waiting to be unraveled are a great deal of the fun when going through boxes of memorabilia. How often we wish we could ask just one question ....
I'm sure your aunt and uncle were so appreciative of your parents' help. Car trouble is never a fun time, especially while on an out-of-town vacation.
Those are beautiful postcards!
Today there is less need for a distress call to family to send money since everyone seems to carry a credit card for such an emergency. It is interesting that the postcards were saved after all this time.
What a tale of woe averted by the goodhearted generosity of your parents....today sometimes I still get emails asking for $$ from folks I never heard of , a common scam which I simply delete from sight. It was better back when they called and sent these cards.
Sounds like they got help in the nick of time. What did they mean by "stabbing up the mountain", I wonder?
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