Etta Johanna Poets
Spelled Pöts in German (Rhymes with Boots)
Birth date: November 20, 1860
Birthplace: Emden, Ostfriesland, Germany
Dies 23 August 1949 at Age 88 in Edgerton, MN
Ten children
<Etta & family at their farm in Leota, MN
POETS FAMILY
(Also see husband GH'S biography under 'NAMES' 'RELATED USA' 'GH Masselink')
Etta Johanna Poets Masselink (Pöts in German); * 1860 Nov 20, Emden, Ostfriesland, Prussia (now Germany); + 1949 Aug 23 Edgerton, Pipestone, MN at age 88; Wife of Gerrit Hendrik (GH) Masselink, 10 Children born in MI and IA. Etta Poets' (rhymes with boots) family has a long history in Emden and her ancestors are probably Huguenots that emigrated from France to Emden sometime during or after 1562 because of Huguenot persecution; Etta is oldest of four children; Her mother dies of diphtheria when Etta is a young girl; Her education ends at the 8th grade.
Father: Paul Reemt Poets; * 12 Oct 1831 Grimersum, Niedersachen, Germany; In April of 1910, her father, Paul, lives at 15 Brandenburger Strasse, Emden, GE; Etta's father and mother marry in Germany. Father remarries around 1872 after the death of his wife and Etta's mother.
Stepmother Dorther Drost; * abt 1848 Germany (Etta's stepmother and mother of stepsister Katrina)
Brother Reemt Poets; Emden, Germany; In 1897, he sends about $100 in German Marks to Etta and that money saves their Iowa farm from foreclosure.
Etta's stepsister Katrina (Katharin) Poets Kruger; * abt 1874 Germany; Parents both born in Germany; 14 April 1910 emigrates at age 37 with nephew Jacobus Fritzen (on the same ship (President Lincoln) bringing GH and Etta back from a visit to Germany) to GH's farm in Minnesota; Both Katrina and Jacobus are classified as aliens in the U.S.; 1910 May 3 Census; Age 37 and living with nephew, Jacobus, on GH's farm; 1925 Iowa State Census: Age 51, Living as of 1925 Jan 1 in Grundy Center, Grundy IA; Married to Folkett Kruger.
Nephew: Jacobus Fritzen; * abt 1893 Germany; 1910 Immigrates with Aunt Katrina Poets to GH's farm in MN, both are classified as an alien in the U.S. 1910 census; Age 17 on 1910 May 3 census date; Both parents born in Germany; He is a carpenter who does day jobs in MN; Nephew of Etta
Aleida Soenelda Poets; * 1862 Jun 20 Emden Niedersachsen, Germany; + 13 Jul 1938 in Emden at the age of 76; Possible relation of Etta.
Wilhelm Poets; * 1867 Emden, Germany; On 1936 Jun 3, arrives in New York City aboard the Königstein accompanied by a Miss G Masselink; Possible in-law of Etta.
Etta Johanna Poets Genealogy Timeline
1831 Etta's father, Poet Reemt Poets, born on 12 Oct 1831 in Grimersum, Niedersachen, Germany.
1860 Etta Johanna Poets Masselink (Pöts in German); * 1860 Nov 20, Emden, Ostfriesland, Germany; + 1949 Aug 23 Edgerton, Pipestone, MN at age 88; Wife of GH Masselink, 10 Children born in MI and IA.
1862 Aleida Soenelda Poets; * 1862 Jun 20 Emden, Niedersachsen, Deutschland (Germany); + 13 Jul 1938 in Emden at the age of 76; Probable relation of Etta.
1867 Jan Wilhelm Poets; Born in Emden, Germany; 1936 Jun 3; Arrives in New York City aboard the ship Königstein accompanied by a Miss G Masselink.
1872 Father Poet Reemt Poets marries Dorther (Dross?); * abt 1848 Germany (Mother of Etta's stepsister Katrina).
1872 When Etta is 12 years old, her father, Paul Reemt Poets, remarries. Etta is sent to work as a maid in the home of Rev. Middendorf, pastor of a Reformed Church in Emden. The Middendorf's are a cultured aristocratic family who live in a beautiful and gracious home as one of the leading families in Emden. During her youth, Etta is accustomed to living among wealth and gentility, far removed from her primitive log cabin life in Michigan some ten years later.
1874 Etta's Step-Sister Katrina (Katherine) Poets Kruger is born around 1874 in Germany; Both parents are born in Germany; 1910 Immigrates (age 36) with nephew Jacobus Fritzen on the same ship bringing GH and Etta back from a visit to Germany to GH's farm in Minnesota; Both are classified as an alien in the U.S.; 1910 May 3 Census; Age 37 living with nephew, Jacobus, on GH's farm; 1925 Iowa State Census: Age 51, Residence as of 1925 Jan 1: Grundy Center, Grundy IA; Married to Folkett Kruger (who is age 65).
1878 At a young people’s meeting at Rev. Middendorf’s church in Emden, Gerrit Hendrik (GH) Masselink meets 16-year-old Etta Johanna Poets who is a maid in the Reverend’s home “and a budding romance developed”. His rustic Grafschaft background must have been a sharp contrast to Etta's life in the pastor’s genteel home. At the time they meet, GH is a drafted soldier in the Prussian Army and is stationed in Emden.
1882 AUG 11 Based on the glowing reports GH sends, GH's father Hendrik, Hendrik's new wife, Hendrik's daughters Fenne, Hendrikjen, Harmina, and Aleida, and GH's future wife, Etta Poets, emigrate together to Michigan. They depart from Antwerp, Belgium on 11 AUG 1882 via the ship Belgenland to New York and travel in "steerage"; The purpose of their voyage is: "permanent sojourn". As a 21-year-old single woman, Etta is shown on the ship's manifest as "head of household".
They all travel by train from New York to Detroit to Allegan County, Michigan. GH meets them at a tiny rail station just north of Hamilton (later a hatchery) called Fillmore Station. The train is late, and GH had been waiting for a long time. When the train finally arrives, it overshoots the depot. Running after it on the cinder station platform GH tumbles headlong and tears his Sunday suit on the cinders. He hardly notices it, as he was so overjoyed seeing his Etta again. This happy story was often retold by GH's family members.
1882 DEC 4 GH and Etta are married in the parsonage of Rev. Willem Coelingh in Kollendorn (East Overisel), MI. This date is always remembered in their family home. Happy days are now ahead. The honeymoon started in a drafty one room log cabin built before Etta's arrival by GH and his neighbors from the logs they felled during the summer of 1882. GH was always a good man with an ax and could lay it in a split of wood with great precision. The cabin was furnished with a large log serving as the table and smaller logs used as chairs along with a bed using corn husks for a mattress. Their purchased item is a Franklin wood burning stove. Happiness was heightened when it became necessary to hollow out a log for their firstborn. It seemed that the Lord was prospering them, and the little log cabin often resounded with the singing of Dutch and German Psalms along with the few known hymns. They lived there for about ten years, and it is where six of their ten children were born: Henry, Paul Reemt, Gertrude (Gertie), Andrew, Herman and John. Etta later recorded in German the date of their marriage in their Dutch family Bible. They later move to Iowa, to Minnesota, and then to Michigan.
1891 or 1892 Their Dutch language family Bible was purchased from a salesman who came to the door of their Fremont, Michigan home. It is a great financial strain on their meager resources, but it is a must on GH's want list because of his great love for the Bible. Significant family events are recorded in Etta's German handwriting, to include the family's marriage, births, deaths, and special remembrances. This Bible is kept on a small table and is used frequently. (Author of this website, Thomas Masselink, possesses this Bible owned by GH).
GH sells their Michigan farm, and the family all move to Iowa.
1893 It was now summer, and with six small children, the going was a bit rough. GH got a job which he kept during most of his stay in Meservey helping a butcher. Together they would slaughter cows and hogs. In addition to a small wage, GH also got chitterlings (the head, tail, feet, heart and liver of the carcass). From these, Etta would make head cheese, bean soup, and other edibles. Along with their garden, they had food for the table and now and then, he was allowed to take home a piece of meat.
1893 Etta's nephew, Jacobus Fritzen is born around 1893 in Germany; In 1910, he immigrates with his Aunt Katrina Poets to GH's farm in MN.
1897 The mortgage on the farm is due, so GH borrows one hundred dollars at the bank for taxes and interest on the mortgage. At the end of the year, with neither the money to pay the loan or the interest on the mortgage, the sheriff makes arrangements for a bankruptcy sale. The prospects were bleak for the family which in the meantime had been blessed with the birth of two more sons, George and William. On the very day when things looked the worst, GH goes to the Post Office where there is a letter from Etta's brother, Reemt Poets of Emden, Germany. He wrote that he had heard of the Panic in America, and thinking that they might need some money, enclosed a postal money order for 400 marks. GH cashes the money order at the Post office and receives $104. From there, he went to the bank and gave the teller $100 for his note. The banker is amazed and asks where GH got that much money. GH replies that "The Lord sent it". With the remaining $4.00 he buys a pound each of coffee and sugar, and still has $3.23 when he returns home. This day was never forgotten in the GH Masselink family and proves to be the "darkest before the dawn".
Later, the banker buys their farm for a home site and immediately sells GH a 160-acre bank-repossessed farm located a few miles south of town. Here their last child, Edward, is born.
1900 Census: Etta is 39, living in Grimes, Cerro Gorda, IA; Married 18 years; Nine children, eight living (son Herman died at the age of 2).
1910 Etta (49) and GH (52) visit their homeland in Germany. On 1910 Apr 2, the depart for the return trip to Edgerton from Hamburg, Germany with second class accommodations aboard the German steamship President Lincoln of the Hamburg-Amerika Line and arrive in Cuxhaven; Boulogne-sur-Mer; Southampton; New York. Their nationality on the ship's manifest shows them as "American" and their residence is shown as Edgerton, MN. They are accompanied on their return trip by Katrina Poets and Jacobus Fritzen (See below). See web site for pictures of their ship:
http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/HAPAG2.html#anchor792478
1910 Etta's sister, Katrina Poets, immigrates with their nephew, Jacobus Fritzen, on the same ship (President Lincoln) as GH and Etta, their destination is listed as Edgerton, MN (GH's farm in MN), both Katrina and Jacobus are classified as aliens in the U.S. 1910 census; Age 37 and 17 respectively on 1910 May 3 census date; Parents born in Germany.
1914 JAN 11 The four oldest children are all married and the remaining family, to include their five youngest children, moves to Grand Rapids, MI. Their four oldest remain in Minnesota and are farmers in the Edgerton-Leota area. The younger children are taken to Grand Rapids to give them an education in the Christian School system. This is a significant event in their lives. In GH's Dutch family Bible under the heading Herinneringen (Remembrances), Etta writes just one entry on this page and her handwritten note in German is translated as: "We came to Grand Rapids, Mich on 11 Jan. 1914 with 5 young children so they could go to the Christian School". The four youngest boys become ordained ministers in the Christian Reformed and Presbyterian Churches; John, William and Edward also have doctorates in theology.
1915 JUL 13 Etta's father dies in Emden, Germany.
1920 Census: Etta (59) lives in Moulton, Murray, MN; Etta is now a naturalized citizen.
1927 SEP 2 GH dies of a fever; Etta writes in German in the family Bible, translated as: "My beloved husband dies on 2 Sept 1927 in Holland MI; Buried in the Leota's Church Cemetery September [no date]".
1929 Etta (69) is a widow and lives in the parsonage of the Trinity Reformed Church (220 Davis Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI) with her youngest son Edward, who is the church's pastor since OCT 1927. Another son, William, is the pastor of Alpine Christian Reformed Church since 1929. William lives with his wife Mary in the Alpine CRC parsonage at 961 Alpine Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI.
1940 Census: Etta (79) has owned her house at 740 11th ST SW, Grand Rapids, MI since before 1935; House is valued at $1,700.
1942 Etta (82) Lives at 740 or 742 11th ST SW, Grand Rapids, MI (Son William's draft card says 742 11th Street).
Towards the end of her life, she lives with her son Andrew in a two-family house in Edgerton. Andrew's wife Bena has difficulty taking care of her, probably due to Etta's oncoming dementia. Looking back on her life in the United States, Etta now often remembers the elegant house she lived in as a young girl in Emden, Germany. Andrew responds by reminding her that she only lived in that elegant house because she was hired to be the maid [From age 12-18].
1949 AUG 28 Etta (88) dies in Edgerton, MN and is buried in the Leota Cemetery in Leota, MN; Death Certificate #1949-012589 shows that the cause of death is three days of Acute Myocardium. [Most cases of myocardium in the United States originate from a virus, and the disease may remain undiagnosed by doctors due to its general lack of initial symptoms. The disease may also present itself as an acute, catastrophic illness that requires immediate treatment. Although the inflammation or degeneration of the heart muscle that myocardium causes may be fatal, this disease often goes undetected.]
Spelled Pöts in German (Rhymes with Boots)
Birth date: November 20, 1860
Birthplace: Emden, Ostfriesland, Germany
Dies 23 August 1949 at Age 88 in Edgerton, MN
Ten children
<Etta & family at their farm in Leota, MN
POETS FAMILY
(Also see husband GH'S biography under 'NAMES' 'RELATED USA' 'GH Masselink')
Etta Johanna Poets Masselink (Pöts in German); * 1860 Nov 20, Emden, Ostfriesland, Prussia (now Germany); + 1949 Aug 23 Edgerton, Pipestone, MN at age 88; Wife of Gerrit Hendrik (GH) Masselink, 10 Children born in MI and IA. Etta Poets' (rhymes with boots) family has a long history in Emden and her ancestors are probably Huguenots that emigrated from France to Emden sometime during or after 1562 because of Huguenot persecution; Etta is oldest of four children; Her mother dies of diphtheria when Etta is a young girl; Her education ends at the 8th grade.
Father: Paul Reemt Poets; * 12 Oct 1831 Grimersum, Niedersachen, Germany; In April of 1910, her father, Paul, lives at 15 Brandenburger Strasse, Emden, GE; Etta's father and mother marry in Germany. Father remarries around 1872 after the death of his wife and Etta's mother.
Stepmother Dorther Drost; * abt 1848 Germany (Etta's stepmother and mother of stepsister Katrina)
Brother Reemt Poets; Emden, Germany; In 1897, he sends about $100 in German Marks to Etta and that money saves their Iowa farm from foreclosure.
Etta's stepsister Katrina (Katharin) Poets Kruger; * abt 1874 Germany; Parents both born in Germany; 14 April 1910 emigrates at age 37 with nephew Jacobus Fritzen (on the same ship (President Lincoln) bringing GH and Etta back from a visit to Germany) to GH's farm in Minnesota; Both Katrina and Jacobus are classified as aliens in the U.S.; 1910 May 3 Census; Age 37 and living with nephew, Jacobus, on GH's farm; 1925 Iowa State Census: Age 51, Living as of 1925 Jan 1 in Grundy Center, Grundy IA; Married to Folkett Kruger.
Nephew: Jacobus Fritzen; * abt 1893 Germany; 1910 Immigrates with Aunt Katrina Poets to GH's farm in MN, both are classified as an alien in the U.S. 1910 census; Age 17 on 1910 May 3 census date; Both parents born in Germany; He is a carpenter who does day jobs in MN; Nephew of Etta
Aleida Soenelda Poets; * 1862 Jun 20 Emden Niedersachsen, Germany; + 13 Jul 1938 in Emden at the age of 76; Possible relation of Etta.
Wilhelm Poets; * 1867 Emden, Germany; On 1936 Jun 3, arrives in New York City aboard the Königstein accompanied by a Miss G Masselink; Possible in-law of Etta.
Etta Johanna Poets Genealogy Timeline
1831 Etta's father, Poet Reemt Poets, born on 12 Oct 1831 in Grimersum, Niedersachen, Germany.
1860 Etta Johanna Poets Masselink (Pöts in German); * 1860 Nov 20, Emden, Ostfriesland, Germany; + 1949 Aug 23 Edgerton, Pipestone, MN at age 88; Wife of GH Masselink, 10 Children born in MI and IA.
1862 Aleida Soenelda Poets; * 1862 Jun 20 Emden, Niedersachsen, Deutschland (Germany); + 13 Jul 1938 in Emden at the age of 76; Probable relation of Etta.
1867 Jan Wilhelm Poets; Born in Emden, Germany; 1936 Jun 3; Arrives in New York City aboard the ship Königstein accompanied by a Miss G Masselink.
1872 Father Poet Reemt Poets marries Dorther (Dross?); * abt 1848 Germany (Mother of Etta's stepsister Katrina).
1872 When Etta is 12 years old, her father, Paul Reemt Poets, remarries. Etta is sent to work as a maid in the home of Rev. Middendorf, pastor of a Reformed Church in Emden. The Middendorf's are a cultured aristocratic family who live in a beautiful and gracious home as one of the leading families in Emden. During her youth, Etta is accustomed to living among wealth and gentility, far removed from her primitive log cabin life in Michigan some ten years later.
1874 Etta's Step-Sister Katrina (Katherine) Poets Kruger is born around 1874 in Germany; Both parents are born in Germany; 1910 Immigrates (age 36) with nephew Jacobus Fritzen on the same ship bringing GH and Etta back from a visit to Germany to GH's farm in Minnesota; Both are classified as an alien in the U.S.; 1910 May 3 Census; Age 37 living with nephew, Jacobus, on GH's farm; 1925 Iowa State Census: Age 51, Residence as of 1925 Jan 1: Grundy Center, Grundy IA; Married to Folkett Kruger (who is age 65).
1878 At a young people’s meeting at Rev. Middendorf’s church in Emden, Gerrit Hendrik (GH) Masselink meets 16-year-old Etta Johanna Poets who is a maid in the Reverend’s home “and a budding romance developed”. His rustic Grafschaft background must have been a sharp contrast to Etta's life in the pastor’s genteel home. At the time they meet, GH is a drafted soldier in the Prussian Army and is stationed in Emden.
1882 AUG 11 Based on the glowing reports GH sends, GH's father Hendrik, Hendrik's new wife, Hendrik's daughters Fenne, Hendrikjen, Harmina, and Aleida, and GH's future wife, Etta Poets, emigrate together to Michigan. They depart from Antwerp, Belgium on 11 AUG 1882 via the ship Belgenland to New York and travel in "steerage"; The purpose of their voyage is: "permanent sojourn". As a 21-year-old single woman, Etta is shown on the ship's manifest as "head of household".
They all travel by train from New York to Detroit to Allegan County, Michigan. GH meets them at a tiny rail station just north of Hamilton (later a hatchery) called Fillmore Station. The train is late, and GH had been waiting for a long time. When the train finally arrives, it overshoots the depot. Running after it on the cinder station platform GH tumbles headlong and tears his Sunday suit on the cinders. He hardly notices it, as he was so overjoyed seeing his Etta again. This happy story was often retold by GH's family members.
1882 DEC 4 GH and Etta are married in the parsonage of Rev. Willem Coelingh in Kollendorn (East Overisel), MI. This date is always remembered in their family home. Happy days are now ahead. The honeymoon started in a drafty one room log cabin built before Etta's arrival by GH and his neighbors from the logs they felled during the summer of 1882. GH was always a good man with an ax and could lay it in a split of wood with great precision. The cabin was furnished with a large log serving as the table and smaller logs used as chairs along with a bed using corn husks for a mattress. Their purchased item is a Franklin wood burning stove. Happiness was heightened when it became necessary to hollow out a log for their firstborn. It seemed that the Lord was prospering them, and the little log cabin often resounded with the singing of Dutch and German Psalms along with the few known hymns. They lived there for about ten years, and it is where six of their ten children were born: Henry, Paul Reemt, Gertrude (Gertie), Andrew, Herman and John. Etta later recorded in German the date of their marriage in their Dutch family Bible. They later move to Iowa, to Minnesota, and then to Michigan.
1891 or 1892 Their Dutch language family Bible was purchased from a salesman who came to the door of their Fremont, Michigan home. It is a great financial strain on their meager resources, but it is a must on GH's want list because of his great love for the Bible. Significant family events are recorded in Etta's German handwriting, to include the family's marriage, births, deaths, and special remembrances. This Bible is kept on a small table and is used frequently. (Author of this website, Thomas Masselink, possesses this Bible owned by GH).
GH sells their Michigan farm, and the family all move to Iowa.
1893 It was now summer, and with six small children, the going was a bit rough. GH got a job which he kept during most of his stay in Meservey helping a butcher. Together they would slaughter cows and hogs. In addition to a small wage, GH also got chitterlings (the head, tail, feet, heart and liver of the carcass). From these, Etta would make head cheese, bean soup, and other edibles. Along with their garden, they had food for the table and now and then, he was allowed to take home a piece of meat.
1893 Etta's nephew, Jacobus Fritzen is born around 1893 in Germany; In 1910, he immigrates with his Aunt Katrina Poets to GH's farm in MN.
1897 The mortgage on the farm is due, so GH borrows one hundred dollars at the bank for taxes and interest on the mortgage. At the end of the year, with neither the money to pay the loan or the interest on the mortgage, the sheriff makes arrangements for a bankruptcy sale. The prospects were bleak for the family which in the meantime had been blessed with the birth of two more sons, George and William. On the very day when things looked the worst, GH goes to the Post Office where there is a letter from Etta's brother, Reemt Poets of Emden, Germany. He wrote that he had heard of the Panic in America, and thinking that they might need some money, enclosed a postal money order for 400 marks. GH cashes the money order at the Post office and receives $104. From there, he went to the bank and gave the teller $100 for his note. The banker is amazed and asks where GH got that much money. GH replies that "The Lord sent it". With the remaining $4.00 he buys a pound each of coffee and sugar, and still has $3.23 when he returns home. This day was never forgotten in the GH Masselink family and proves to be the "darkest before the dawn".
Later, the banker buys their farm for a home site and immediately sells GH a 160-acre bank-repossessed farm located a few miles south of town. Here their last child, Edward, is born.
1900 Census: Etta is 39, living in Grimes, Cerro Gorda, IA; Married 18 years; Nine children, eight living (son Herman died at the age of 2).
1910 Etta (49) and GH (52) visit their homeland in Germany. On 1910 Apr 2, the depart for the return trip to Edgerton from Hamburg, Germany with second class accommodations aboard the German steamship President Lincoln of the Hamburg-Amerika Line and arrive in Cuxhaven; Boulogne-sur-Mer; Southampton; New York. Their nationality on the ship's manifest shows them as "American" and their residence is shown as Edgerton, MN. They are accompanied on their return trip by Katrina Poets and Jacobus Fritzen (See below). See web site for pictures of their ship:
http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/HAPAG2.html#anchor792478
1910 Etta's sister, Katrina Poets, immigrates with their nephew, Jacobus Fritzen, on the same ship (President Lincoln) as GH and Etta, their destination is listed as Edgerton, MN (GH's farm in MN), both Katrina and Jacobus are classified as aliens in the U.S. 1910 census; Age 37 and 17 respectively on 1910 May 3 census date; Parents born in Germany.
1914 JAN 11 The four oldest children are all married and the remaining family, to include their five youngest children, moves to Grand Rapids, MI. Their four oldest remain in Minnesota and are farmers in the Edgerton-Leota area. The younger children are taken to Grand Rapids to give them an education in the Christian School system. This is a significant event in their lives. In GH's Dutch family Bible under the heading Herinneringen (Remembrances), Etta writes just one entry on this page and her handwritten note in German is translated as: "We came to Grand Rapids, Mich on 11 Jan. 1914 with 5 young children so they could go to the Christian School". The four youngest boys become ordained ministers in the Christian Reformed and Presbyterian Churches; John, William and Edward also have doctorates in theology.
1915 JUL 13 Etta's father dies in Emden, Germany.
1920 Census: Etta (59) lives in Moulton, Murray, MN; Etta is now a naturalized citizen.
1927 SEP 2 GH dies of a fever; Etta writes in German in the family Bible, translated as: "My beloved husband dies on 2 Sept 1927 in Holland MI; Buried in the Leota's Church Cemetery September [no date]".
1929 Etta (69) is a widow and lives in the parsonage of the Trinity Reformed Church (220 Davis Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI) with her youngest son Edward, who is the church's pastor since OCT 1927. Another son, William, is the pastor of Alpine Christian Reformed Church since 1929. William lives with his wife Mary in the Alpine CRC parsonage at 961 Alpine Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI.
1940 Census: Etta (79) has owned her house at 740 11th ST SW, Grand Rapids, MI since before 1935; House is valued at $1,700.
1942 Etta (82) Lives at 740 or 742 11th ST SW, Grand Rapids, MI (Son William's draft card says 742 11th Street).
Towards the end of her life, she lives with her son Andrew in a two-family house in Edgerton. Andrew's wife Bena has difficulty taking care of her, probably due to Etta's oncoming dementia. Looking back on her life in the United States, Etta now often remembers the elegant house she lived in as a young girl in Emden, Germany. Andrew responds by reminding her that she only lived in that elegant house because she was hired to be the maid [From age 12-18].
1949 AUG 28 Etta (88) dies in Edgerton, MN and is buried in the Leota Cemetery in Leota, MN; Death Certificate #1949-012589 shows that the cause of death is three days of Acute Myocardium. [Most cases of myocardium in the United States originate from a virus, and the disease may remain undiagnosed by doctors due to its general lack of initial symptoms. The disease may also present itself as an acute, catastrophic illness that requires immediate treatment. Although the inflammation or degeneration of the heart muscle that myocardium causes may be fatal, this disease often goes undetected.]