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by Mabel Busdieker
Raymond and Celia Freese and Mabel Busdieker of the Cappeln area spent from June 18 to July 4 in Germany and Switzerland visiting relatives and friends, as well as sightseeing. After their Lufthansa plane landed in Frankfurt, they relied on their German Rail pass to travel from one city to another.
From Bingen a cruise on the Rhine River revealed ancient castles and many vineyards along the steep hillsides. According to the slope the vines were planted in designs like a patchwork quilt. At Koblenz there were war memorials to see.
They returned by rail to Rudesheim with a ferry trip back to Bingen.
The Black Forest area was viewed as the train wound its way from Freiburg to Titisee -- a quaint village surrounded by dark green forests.
In Basel, Switzerland, a bus tour of the city was taken with a visit to a paper museum, where a large water wheel was always turning and a five story building was filled with historical facts and antique printing equipment, some of which still operated daily. A visitor could make a sheet of paper from pulp.
Since this was Mabel's first trip to Germany, she was anxious to locate some Busdiekers. So after securing a list of Busdieker addresses, she wrote some german letters resulting in two amazing responses. One was an invitation to visit the place where Mabel's husband Lawrence's great-grandfather was born. It had been a Busdieker farm since 1784. The Ewald Busdieker family lived there now and cheerfully greeted the guests from America, inviting them to come inside the stone house to visit and eat a meal. Later they visited the nearby church at Buer, had a glimpse of the home of Ewald's brother Heinrich and family, and took a house tour at the home of the home of his sister Greta and family.
As the group reached the heart of Melle there on the side walk was an 83-year old Busdieker, founder of a furniture store in Melle. He had anticipated the arrival of guests from America and posed for pictures cheerfully. Möbelhaus Bußdieker, a very large furniture store, is now operated by his daughter Ellen and family. An assortment of wooden toys for the grandchildren was purchased there and mailed back to Missouri.
During the Westerkappeln - Cappeln exchange visit several years ago, Wilhelm Erke and his sister Magdalena Engelhardt stayed at Lawrence and Mabel's home. Now hostesses at their city home in Göttingen. Many years ago from miles around farmers watered their cattle at Geesmar Spring. Now that spring is still running, but completely surrounded by the city of Göttingen.
A tour of the Erke farm near Westerkappeln reveals computerized calf-feeding and modern swine finishing house facilities environmentally controlled. Wilhelm's son Mattius told of many government regulations that had to be met.
At Krefeld Ray's computer friend Chris Brock and family were hosts for one evening. Chris works with German charitable organizations, however, he was interested in emphasizing the many centuries some city buildings had been standing.
The cathedral at Cologne was an example of many centuries of construction and now visitors appreciate the beauty of the stained glass windows and unique architecture.
Tecklenburg was another scenic attraction featuring red-tiled-roofed homes with half-timbered construction as well as walls of a fort still remaining on a hill for tourists to see.
Near Westerkappeln several days were spent with Freese relatives, Günter and Friehelm Freese where horse stalls were now filled with concrete floors and used for woodworking shops.
Fritz and Wilma Bente's home featured the original Freese 1796 inscription above the fireplace.
Heinrich and Emma Lamping had built a new home recently so their son and family could occupy their former house. Food and flowers were in abundance everywhere.
While visiting the Paul relatives in Pattensen near Hannover, the was a fiftieth birthday party for Gustav Voss. His parents, Gustav and Irmgard (Paul) Voss were proud of how all the buildings were of identical brick construction, chicken houses remodeled as an apartment for a grandson's family, a barn area converted for a granddaughter's family residence, but still one stall remains for some sheep to find shelter at night. So in Germany as in America many changes are taking place
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