An Abundance of BlessingsToward the end of the Second World War the Russian and German armies met in a fierce struggle that pushed the front line across the Baltic States. Many people fled the fighting including a Latvian University professor and his family. With a few mementos and the clothes on their backs they traveled to Berlin. They reassured themselves that the fighting would be over in a few months and they would return to their small country by the amber sea. Although they lost a great deal-this story has more to do with what they found. In Berlin during heavy allied bombing, in displaced persons camps in Germany and their early years in South Dakota the kindness of strangers seemed heaven sent. In their most fearful hours when life itself was in the balance hands reached out to help them. In ways large and small their blessings accumulated and gave them hope. |
Contents
Bringing the Family to America | 1 |
Life on Center Street | 8 |
A Widows Warm Heart | 11 |
The Christopherson Farm | 13 |
Summer Ends | 24 |
October 1953 | 31 |
Parsla | 35 |
Aunt Erna Visits | 39 |
Liberty School | 71 |
Third Grade Among the Pines | 80 |
The Family History | 84 |
My Sister Laura | 89 |
Leaving Berlin | 100 |
Duksit and Parsla | 106 |
Epiphanies | 112 |
1986 | 151 |
Winter on the Horizon | 50 |
South Dakota in the Rear View Mirror | 54 |
The Farm on Spring Road | 63 |
Return to the Homeland | 155 |
Wild Apples | 161 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Andrejs Andrit animals Ansis arrived asked Momma Aunt barn boys Briedis family brothers brought cake couldn’t couple cows creek drove ducks Duksit Ernina Estonia father felt fence fields filled finally find fine first fish five floor flowers garden gave German Golkoski gone head homeland horse Jurit kids kitchen knew later Latvian Laura learned little creek lived looked lunch Milda milk Mimite Mintz Momma told morning mother moved never night officer older Papa Papa’s parents Parsla pick pulled Rainits realized remember Riga rodents Russian Sigulda snow soon South Dakota spent Spolite Star Prairie started stayed stopped story summer sweet corn talked things thought Tippy took train trip truck Vermil Vermillion walk wanted warm wasn’t watched winter Wisconsin wondered yard young Latvian Zimala