John H. Gohde's maternal grandmother at age seventeen. John's maternal grandmother died before he was born.
"Mother went to work early and managed to come home in early afternoon, just about the time school was dismissed.
She became a 4-H club leader and taugh us to love outdoor life. Saturdays were reserved from then on. There were retreats all over those [Chattanooga] mountains, Look Out Mountain, Signal Mountain, Missionary Ridge, and Cameron Hill. All eight of the 4-H Girls enjoyed going on hikes, and a few times, over-night stays at a friendly campsite.
We learned the value of black gum trees, should we forget our toothbrush, and just which big green leaves were needed for sanitary purposes. Paper was scarece in those days."
...
My mother passed away January 31, 1945. She was forty-four years old.
It was the worst day of my life."
C. Gohde
A group picture of John H. Gohde's mother and paternal grandparents taken at Rye Beach, New York during the War World II period. John knew his German paternal grandparents as Oma and Opa.
Oma was born in Sweden. Opa was born in Alsace-Lorraine, on the French and German border. They lived as a family in Bremerhaven, West Germany. And, John's father was born in Germany and was three years old when his family immigrated to America.