Rosette Anna Meinikat, née Lauterbach, was my paternal grandmother and the wife of Gustav Meinikat. Meanwhile, thanks to the family record book my cousin holds, I have found out that granny was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but we still cannot figure out how she came to Germany.
Another clear date is from an old wedding certificate, stating that my grandmother married my grandfather, Gustav Meinikat on June 11, 1929.
My grandfather loved that woman and married her despite her having had one son already, Karl, whom my grandfather adopted, loving him as if he had been his own, and he never made a difference. Through this, up to now I know that my uncle was clearly my grandfather's son.
Anyway, it must have been hard back than to be an unmarried woman with a child, and I do not know what had happened and led to all this. All I know is that my grandmother met my grandfather, the two fell in love, got married, and this is where my own story begins, to put it thus.
On May 25, 1930, the couple had another son, Friedrich Wilhelm (aka Fritz), my father. And since my grandparents never made any difference, the two brothers were raised in the most beautiful way possible. They were close as any brother could be, which never changed till that day when my uncle was taken home.
World War II, again, changed the fate for my grandmother and her two boys. My grandfather was recruited and sent to the front. Eventually, he was fatally wounded and passed away in a soldiers hospital in Salzburg, Austria, where he is also buried (Kommunalfriedhof).
Ever since then, my grandmother would live for her sons, trying to help and see them into their own lives; my uncle got married and had his son, in 1958 my father married my mother, and in May 1961 I was born.
And while we lived in Gummersbach and my grandmother in Gelsenkirchen, which is approxiately 55 miles from Gummersbach, grandmother tried to see us as often as she could, which was usually quite a journey, because neither she nor my father had a driver licence or a car. Which did not stop her from visiting us, anyway.
While I cannot remember very much, my parents smilingly told me old stories about my two grandmothers having had a sort of secret rivalry when it came to spoiling their granddaughter (me). Apart from that, though, they got on really well.
There is one episode I actually recall, it was one of our last visits to granny in Gelsenkirchen. Maybe it was the flat she lived in, situated in an old house, with 5 other families living in this house, dark rooms, small windows, everything seemed just gloomy and threatening. To me, at last, this was something that impressed me, though negatively.
But I remember that there was an old cupboard, and behind a glass door, there was a porcelain kitten sitting there, and I remember that I adored this kitten, as I literally grew up with cats around, so they were 'my' animals. I remember that I stood there for what seemed an eternity, and then my grandmother would open that cupboard and take the kitten out, placing it into my open hand. She gave it to me, and I remember vividly that the joy was incredible. Somehow, this was one of my unforgettable treasures, and I sure do not refer to the porcelain kitten. It was rather this moment of complete joy and happiness my grandmother had given me.
In early 1964, however, her health started to worsen, she had a liver disease leading to a liver cirrhosis, and she sadly passed away on July 2, 1964.
And yet, I owe her so much, she was one dear and tender heart to give me love, make me smile and my heart rejoice, and for that, I shall always love her and treasure her memory.
Thanks for all of you who kindly remember and honour her life, this means very much to me.
Another clear date is from an old wedding certificate, stating that my grandmother married my grandfather, Gustav Meinikat on June 11, 1929.
My grandfather loved that woman and married her despite her having had one son already, Karl, whom my grandfather adopted, loving him as if he had been his own, and he never made a difference. Through this, up to now I know that my uncle was clearly my grandfather's son.
Anyway, it must have been hard back than to be an unmarried woman with a child, and I do not know what had happened and led to all this. All I know is that my grandmother met my grandfather, the two fell in love, got married, and this is where my own story begins, to put it thus.
On May 25, 1930, the couple had another son, Friedrich Wilhelm (aka Fritz), my father. And since my grandparents never made any difference, the two brothers were raised in the most beautiful way possible. They were close as any brother could be, which never changed till that day when my uncle was taken home.
World War II, again, changed the fate for my grandmother and her two boys. My grandfather was recruited and sent to the front. Eventually, he was fatally wounded and passed away in a soldiers hospital in Salzburg, Austria, where he is also buried (Kommunalfriedhof).
Ever since then, my grandmother would live for her sons, trying to help and see them into their own lives; my uncle got married and had his son, in 1958 my father married my mother, and in May 1961 I was born.
And while we lived in Gummersbach and my grandmother in Gelsenkirchen, which is approxiately 55 miles from Gummersbach, grandmother tried to see us as often as she could, which was usually quite a journey, because neither she nor my father had a driver licence or a car. Which did not stop her from visiting us, anyway.
While I cannot remember very much, my parents smilingly told me old stories about my two grandmothers having had a sort of secret rivalry when it came to spoiling their granddaughter (me). Apart from that, though, they got on really well.
There is one episode I actually recall, it was one of our last visits to granny in Gelsenkirchen. Maybe it was the flat she lived in, situated in an old house, with 5 other families living in this house, dark rooms, small windows, everything seemed just gloomy and threatening. To me, at last, this was something that impressed me, though negatively.
But I remember that there was an old cupboard, and behind a glass door, there was a porcelain kitten sitting there, and I remember that I adored this kitten, as I literally grew up with cats around, so they were 'my' animals. I remember that I stood there for what seemed an eternity, and then my grandmother would open that cupboard and take the kitten out, placing it into my open hand. She gave it to me, and I remember vividly that the joy was incredible. Somehow, this was one of my unforgettable treasures, and I sure do not refer to the porcelain kitten. It was rather this moment of complete joy and happiness my grandmother had given me.
In early 1964, however, her health started to worsen, she had a liver disease leading to a liver cirrhosis, and she sadly passed away on July 2, 1964.
And yet, I owe her so much, she was one dear and tender heart to give me love, make me smile and my heart rejoice, and for that, I shall always love her and treasure her memory.
Thanks for all of you who kindly remember and honour her life, this means very much to me.
Rosette Anna Meinikat, née Lauterbach, was my paternal grandmother and the wife of Gustav Meinikat. Meanwhile, thanks to the family record book my cousin holds, I have found out that granny was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but we still cannot figure out how she came to Germany.
Another clear date is from an old wedding certificate, stating that my grandmother married my grandfather, Gustav Meinikat on June 11, 1929.
My grandfather loved that woman and married her despite her having had one son already, Karl, whom my grandfather adopted, loving him as if he had been his own, and he never made a difference. Through this, up to now I know that my uncle was clearly my grandfather's son.
Anyway, it must have been hard back than to be an unmarried woman with a child, and I do not know what had happened and led to all this. All I know is that my grandmother met my grandfather, the two fell in love, got married, and this is where my own story begins, to put it thus.
On May 25, 1930, the couple had another son, Friedrich Wilhelm (aka Fritz), my father. And since my grandparents never made any difference, the two brothers were raised in the most beautiful way possible. They were close as any brother could be, which never changed till that day when my uncle was taken home.
World War II, again, changed the fate for my grandmother and her two boys. My grandfather was recruited and sent to the front. Eventually, he was fatally wounded and passed away in a soldiers hospital in Salzburg, Austria, where he is also buried (Kommunalfriedhof).
Ever since then, my grandmother would live for her sons, trying to help and see them into their own lives; my uncle got married and had his son, in 1958 my father married my mother, and in May 1961 I was born.
And while we lived in Gummersbach and my grandmother in Gelsenkirchen, which is approxiately 55 miles from Gummersbach, grandmother tried to see us as often as she could, which was usually quite a journey, because neither she nor my father had a driver licence or a car. Which did not stop her from visiting us, anyway.
While I cannot remember very much, my parents smilingly told me old stories about my two grandmothers having had a sort of secret rivalry when it came to spoiling their granddaughter (me). Apart from that, though, they got on really well.
There is one episode I actually recall, it was one of our last visits to granny in Gelsenkirchen. Maybe it was the flat she lived in, situated in an old house, with 5 other families living in this house, dark rooms, small windows, everything seemed just gloomy and threatening. To me, at last, this was something that impressed me, though negatively.
But I remember that there was an old cupboard, and behind a glass door, there was a porcelain kitten sitting there, and I remember that I adored this kitten, as I literally grew up with cats around, so they were 'my' animals. I remember that I stood there for what seemed an eternity, and then my grandmother would open that cupboard and take the kitten out, placing it into my open hand. She gave it to me, and I remember vividly that the joy was incredible. Somehow, this was one of my unforgettable treasures, and I sure do not refer to the porcelain kitten. It was rather this moment of complete joy and happiness my grandmother had given me.
In early 1964, however, her health started to worsen, she had a liver disease leading to a liver cirrhosis, and she sadly passed away on July 2, 1964.
And yet, I owe her so much, she was one dear and tender heart to give me love, make me smile and my heart rejoice, and for that, I shall always love her and treasure her memory.
Thanks for all of you who kindly remember and honour her life, this means very much to me.
Another clear date is from an old wedding certificate, stating that my grandmother married my grandfather, Gustav Meinikat on June 11, 1929.
My grandfather loved that woman and married her despite her having had one son already, Karl, whom my grandfather adopted, loving him as if he had been his own, and he never made a difference. Through this, up to now I know that my uncle was clearly my grandfather's son.
Anyway, it must have been hard back than to be an unmarried woman with a child, and I do not know what had happened and led to all this. All I know is that my grandmother met my grandfather, the two fell in love, got married, and this is where my own story begins, to put it thus.
On May 25, 1930, the couple had another son, Friedrich Wilhelm (aka Fritz), my father. And since my grandparents never made any difference, the two brothers were raised in the most beautiful way possible. They were close as any brother could be, which never changed till that day when my uncle was taken home.
World War II, again, changed the fate for my grandmother and her two boys. My grandfather was recruited and sent to the front. Eventually, he was fatally wounded and passed away in a soldiers hospital in Salzburg, Austria, where he is also buried (Kommunalfriedhof).
Ever since then, my grandmother would live for her sons, trying to help and see them into their own lives; my uncle got married and had his son, in 1958 my father married my mother, and in May 1961 I was born.
And while we lived in Gummersbach and my grandmother in Gelsenkirchen, which is approxiately 55 miles from Gummersbach, grandmother tried to see us as often as she could, which was usually quite a journey, because neither she nor my father had a driver licence or a car. Which did not stop her from visiting us, anyway.
While I cannot remember very much, my parents smilingly told me old stories about my two grandmothers having had a sort of secret rivalry when it came to spoiling their granddaughter (me). Apart from that, though, they got on really well.
There is one episode I actually recall, it was one of our last visits to granny in Gelsenkirchen. Maybe it was the flat she lived in, situated in an old house, with 5 other families living in this house, dark rooms, small windows, everything seemed just gloomy and threatening. To me, at last, this was something that impressed me, though negatively.
But I remember that there was an old cupboard, and behind a glass door, there was a porcelain kitten sitting there, and I remember that I adored this kitten, as I literally grew up with cats around, so they were 'my' animals. I remember that I stood there for what seemed an eternity, and then my grandmother would open that cupboard and take the kitten out, placing it into my open hand. She gave it to me, and I remember vividly that the joy was incredible. Somehow, this was one of my unforgettable treasures, and I sure do not refer to the porcelain kitten. It was rather this moment of complete joy and happiness my grandmother had given me.
In early 1964, however, her health started to worsen, she had a liver disease leading to a liver cirrhosis, and she sadly passed away on July 2, 1964.
And yet, I owe her so much, she was one dear and tender heart to give me love, make me smile and my heart rejoice, and for that, I shall always love her and treasure her memory.
Thanks for all of you who kindly remember and honour her life, this means very much to me.
Family Members
See more Meinikat or Lauterbach memorials in:
- Find a Grave Meinikat or Lauterbach
