KAROLINA (Page 3) - A Story by Leonard Dreifuss

KAROLINA MEETS JOE

Fanny and Karolina were invited to the Prager's house, who were cousins, to spend the evening. It was Sunday evening, which was the only time most families could entertain, especially the Pragers.

The Pragers were non-kosher butchers. This meant the store was open, not only five days a week, but also on Saturday, which was the longest day. This left Sunday as the only day for recreation.

Recreation meant the gathering of the clan (relatives) and inviting them for a big Sunday meal. After the meal, the men would retire to the dining room, for a game of pinochle or poker, while the women would gossip in the sitting room, and talk about their families. It was also a chance to do some matchmaking.

Joe Dreifuss worked as a butcher for Max Prager. He was of German Jewish extraction, but American born. However, more important, he was single. Joe was not the tall handsome type that Karolina had perhaps visualized, but he was clean-cut, mannerly and considerate, so that he did appeal to Karolina. For Joe, it was love at first site and in his eyes, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever met, so that he wanted that evening when he met her to be the first of a lifetime of evenings. After several months of courting Karolina, Joe realized that he was serious enough and for the first time, considered marriage.

Joe was 26 and had family obligations so that previously, nothing was important enough for him to want to share those responsibilities. Joe asked Karolina to meet his parents and to introduce her as his fiancée.

KAROLINA MEETS JOE'S FAMILY AND JOE'S FAMILY'S ATTITUDE TO A GREENHORN

Many things went through Karrie's mind (it now became "Karrie" because this was endearing to Joe). "How would Joe's family accept a "greenhorn" (which was the accepted term for an immigrant)? How was she to act before these Americans?" These questions were very important, since Karrie knew Joe spoke and understood very little German while she could only carry on a limited conversation in her broken English of two years learning.

Karrie first met Joe's mother,who welcomed her in perfect German. She was tall, erect and aristocratic looking, and Karrie could see the same tenderness and understanding in her that she saw in Joe. Joe's mother was Swiss born.

Joe's mother explained that her husband, Leopold, was upstairs in the bedroom and she would like to introduce Karrie to him. Leopold, Joe's father, was in bed, pale and weak, wracked in pain from colon cancer. It was the last time Karrie saw Joe's father.

It immediately occurred to Karrie that Joe was practically the sole support of the Dreifuss household, along with Sam Dreifuss, 23, who worked as a salesman, and Walter, 17, who did not work. Joe had five sisters still at home, and one married sister, Ida Schlesinger.

Karrie felt readily accepted by Joe's mother and was very comfortable. However, his sisters treated her shabbily or, to put it better, simply ignored her. Karrie knew she was going to marry Joe regardless of anything, since he was the only one for her, and on June 5, 1910, Karolina Hess married Isaac (Joe) Dreifuss. This was the last day Joe handed his entire pay envelope to his mother as he now transferred this to his wife. Joe never had the feel of an extra dollar in his pocket, but nevertheless, he was a very happy simple man.

On June 18, 1911, Beatrice was born,

On June 10, 1913, Jeanette was born, and

On September 20, 1916, Leonard was born.

Joe registered for World War I but was not called because of the support for three children. Letters between Karrie's family in Germany and her stopped. Meanwhile, Joe worked hard to support his growing family. He was never a big wage earner, and life was a constant struggle. He never knew a vacation; Karrie never knew rest from washing, cooking and making Joe's small salary stretch to feed a family of five.

The years following saw the advent of the radio, which replaced the phonograph; the refrigerator, which replaced the ice box and the emptying of water each evening; gas jets were replaced by electricity; talking pictures replaced the silent movies; we no longer looked up in amazement when hearing an airplane; nor did we hear "old clothes" in the streets. We enjoyed peace until the clouds of war descended upon us.

Continue with Karolina's Story