In 1898 Grandma Holtzman took a trip back to Germany to visit her grandparents. J. L. Holtzman had been courting her and wrote these lines:
Is it True? (For Ginga)
by J. L. Holtzman
In Ninety-eight in the month of May,
When nature looked so bright and gay,
And every heart doth joyful feel,
But ah! across our hearts does steal,
A sadness, a sorrow, a sigh and tears,
For from our midst a maid disappears,
To a far away country she longed to go.
We wish her God's speed and our overflow
Of the pleasures and joy, of a journey so long,
For that's what she said, she'd ever enjoy,
On the beautiful morn on the twelfth of May,
The C. B. and Q. from friends took away.
How long seemed the days to her for her, to depart
But finally came the hour to start.
With tearful eyes, with sobs and sighs,
With words of comfort, many good byes,
The man of the train the signal made
The fiery steed, a snorting, obeyed,
We watched the train, as it sped away,
Which took from us one so fair and gay,
We'll dry the tears, we'll shout and sing,
And pray God that the train may bring
Through his divine providence, keeping and care,
That soon again, her company we may share.
Before you return great things you will see,
For that is true on land and on sea,
In passing through cities great beauties behold,
Of which you will say not all can be told,
Make use of your diary, have ready the pen
Then from its pages you can ever glean
The sea in its fury its billows may roll,
And in the deck you may cease to stroll
When out on deep waters the shark he may sprawl
A wondrous thing, it, you surely will call,
So wondrous things around you, you'll see
But-ah in my stomach what is it– Oh! me, ah-ha-me.
Grandma Holtzman's memory box containing mementos from Germany. The name of the ocean liner is inscribed on the sashes. Ginga photographed her grandparents in front of the old family home.
