MOVIE MONDAY -- SHE'S GOT BETTE DAVIS' EYES

Grandpa Charlie (Sherlock) acted in over 300 movies from 1932 to 1960.  Most of the time he wasn't listed in the credits, but typically only six to eight of the actors/actresses were listed.  Thank heavens for IMDB.com for their listings or otherwise I would never have the listing of all of his movies. Charlie's roles were usually small ones, anything from a character with a name and a small speaking part to on rarer occasions just part of the crowd.

My goal is to watch as many of Grandpa Charlie's movies as I can get access to.  So after ordering a few DVDs from Amazon.com, I have started my quest of watching his old movies.  I am not only enjoying seeing my Grandpa (who died in 1983) albeit onscreen, but also appreciating these old movies that I had never seen before. I never quite understood the fascination with old movies but now I have developed an appreciation for them.

Charlie's first movie was titled "The Dark Horse" and starred Bette Davis in 1932.  Charlie played the role of a man attending the Progressive Party's convention to elect the Governor. I wonder if back then they did have conventions to elect governors.  The premise was electing someone not because he was anywhere near the best person but to spite the other group and then to manipulate the person.  Wow, maybe times haven't changed that much!

The next movie I watched was "The Working Man" starring George Arliss and Bette Davis.  The story was about an aging shoe manufacturer and two spoiled rich young siblings from a rival shoe company.  Grandpa Charlie played the role of the waiter on a yacht in this 1933 film.  (The photo above of Grandpa Charlie acting as a waiter with Bette Davis (her back is to the camera is from another film -- Mr. Skeffington).  I am really enjoying watching Bette Davis as a young actress.

Back to the movies ---

VISITING AMSTERDAM

Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Theresa visited Amsterdam in 1961 and stayed at the Hotel Suisse.  They took a walk in Amsterdam with another couple.  Theresa doesn't say anything more about her visit to Amsterdam in her travel diary.

After we finished our Rhine River Cruise in August, we also visited Amsterdam.  Our first day in Amsterdam, we took a walk with another couple (my brother and his wife) and visited the flower market.  In the evening, we enjoyed a dinner canal cruise, touring the canals of Amsterdam.

When my grandparents visited Amsterdam in 1961, they bought a ceramic windmill that played music for each of their sons' family.  As a child, I remember ours sat on our TV in the living room.  So, one of my objectives when I visited Amsterdam was to find and purchase a ceramic windmill to display in our home.  I found the perfect one at Delft Blue.  Now, every time, I look at it in our entertainment center, I think about my Grandparents and about our recent trip to Amsterdam  Such great memories!

MY VISIT TO COLOGNE

We arrived at the Cathedral in Cologne (High Cathedral of St. Peter & Mary) at 10am on a Sunday in August.  Since Mass was being celebrated in the Cathedral, we were only allowed to visit in the back of the cathedral.

Since we couldn't visit more of the Cathedral that morning, we took a walking tour of the city.  Cologne was once a Roman settlement called "Colonia Agrippina".  Old Roman ruins remain in this city and we saw some of them.

After lunch, we had the opportunity to explore more of the Cathedral in Cologne.  We saw the beautiful stained glass windows and ornate gold shrine on an elaborate altar.  I thought the Cathedral was very impressive.

Of course, we took some photos re-enacting some of the ones my Grandma was in 1961.  I always liked this photo of her (in the red coat) in front of the Cathedral.  The problem was there were way too many people walking back and forth to take a photo where you would actually see us.  So instead we stood closer to where the photographer took the original photo.

From the two photos you will notice that things have changed.  There is no longer that small patch of grass in front of the cathedral.  Also, there is no longer a street in front of the cathedral but rather a "plaza" where people walk through or gather.

I loved my short visit to Cologne and to its magnificent cathedral!  I already have two things to do on my next visit to Cologne:
1. Take a ride on the Rheinseilbahn (the bucket ride over the city and river) to get an aerial view of the city.
2. Drink a glass of Cologne famous Kolsch beer.

GRANDMA THERESA'S VISIT TO COLOGNE

The first time I viewed the slides of Grandpa Charlie's and Grandma Theresa's month long trip to Europe in 1961, I was in awe of the photo of my Grandma standing in front of the grand Cathedral in Cologne.  As time passed, the Cathedral and the city of Cologne was not only placed on my "bucket list" but was placed near the top.

According to Grandma Theresa's diary -- while visiting Cologne, she made a visit to the "most beautiful cathedral".  Theresa and Charlie also visited with her cousin Richard Nebgen and his brothers Gunter, Sieglinde and Alfous Nebgen while in Cologne.  The photo above was taken during this visit with Grandpa Charlie being at the far right.


What would be for me a perfect way to visit Cologne?  Well, of course, on a river cruise down the Rhine.  That way I could cruise down the Rhine viewing castle after castle for hours,  I could visit my ancestral home towns, located near Koblenz.  And I could see the magnificent cathedral in Cologne!

How great would it be if I could re-create this same photo while I was in Cologne?  Well, I am planning on bringing some of her photos and see what happens.

WRAP UP OF VISIT TO MY GERMAN ANCESTRAL TOWNS

It was such a wonderful gift to be able to visit 4 of my German Ancestral villages while on my Rhine River cruise this past summer.  While it required extra effort on our part -- renting a car, getting to the car rental agency before it closed at 1pm and of course finding our way back to our ship -- it was well worth it!  I loved seeing the natural beauty of the areas surrounding Helferskirchen, Wirges, Staudt and Dernbach.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that these villages are growing larger and seem to be doing very well.  I wonder if I can find any photos of these villages from the 1700 and 1800's.

I enjoyed the peaceful moments while I sat in the churches where my ancestors attended Sunday Mass -- St. Boniface in Wirges, St. Laurentius in Dernbach and the cute little prayer chapel in Helferskirchen.

While my Grandma Theresa knew that her father Peter Joseph Nebgen was from Dernbach, Germany, I don't think she knew about her ancestors from Helferskirchen, Staudt and Wirges.  I wonder if she had known, would she and Grandpa Charlie stopped and visited these villages on their trip up the Rhine River in 1961?

DERNBACH -- THE HOMETOWN OF ANNA MARIA WITTAYER

My 2nd Great Grandmother Anna Maria Wittayer was born in Dernbach, Germany on 23 Oct 1841.   She married Baltazar Nebgen in Dernbach.  She also gave birth to her children -- Peter (1863), Nicholas (1865), Peter Clemens (1867), Emil (1876), Maria Rosina (1880) and Joseph Laurentius (1884) in Dernbach. Her son Peter Joseph (my Great Grandfather) was born in Eschelbach.  Anna Maria died in Dernbach on 6 Jan 1918.

Since Dernbach is just south of Wirges and southwest of Staudt, my husband and I decided to stop there on our way back to our river cruise ship.  We visited the St. Laurentius Catholic Church in Dernbach.  This church was built in 1863 which is probably where her children were baptized.

Behind the actual church building is another building, shown in the photo below.  I do love the large bell (in the above photo) that is located next to the church.

Dernbach was also the place of birth of Catherine Kasper, who was the founder of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ order.  There is a statue and plaque in her honor in this church.

REMEMBERING HEROES

While we were visiting the cemetery in Staudt, we saw a memorial slate with names on it.  It was titled "Den Heldentod furs Vaterland starben" (died a hero's death for the fatherland).  The memorial honored those from the village of Staudt who had died while fighting during World War I.  The following names had surnames of my ancestors (and thereby could be potential relatives)

Herm Jos Heibel        gef   19 7 15

Anton Manns             gef   11 9 15

Joh Christ Heibel      gest  29 11 18

The bottom of the plaque read "Gestiftet von der Gemeinde Staudt"  (Donated by the municipality of Staudt).