Post by Merced LifeWriting Class on Aug 21, 2008 10:41:27 GMT -8
Around 1926 my grandfather Hugo, my mother’s father was losing his eye sight. The eye doctor’s diagnosis was cataracts. At that time the operation was very dangerous and unsuccessful in many cases. What to do? What would happen if he would become blind? and unable to take care of his family.?
The custom in Jewish families in those days was that if there was an emergency the husband’s family was obliged to take care of the bride and her close relatives. So the search went on to find a wealthy husband for my mother.
There were invitations to tea parties, dances, theaters and opera.. It didn’t take long to find a nice, good looking very rich young man. The families met and they agreed on a very high dowry, too much money for my grand father. He was so afraid to become blind that he agreed and he felt honored that such a wealthy family wanted his daughter.
My mother was 17 years old very beautiful and madly in love with a young engineer....who found a job in China.....(a contract for 4 years ). They promised to wait for each other.......They couldn’t get officially engaged because the young man was very poor.
My mother was heart broken...she could not go against her father’s will. My parents got engaged and married 6 months after.
It was the wedding of the year.......They sent away for real orange blossoms to Italy to hold the veil and her dress was beautiful. I am lucky to have her wedding pictures, I can imagine how sad she was that day.....thinking about her love the young man in China.
They went on their honeymoon to Venice, toured Italy and Monte Carlo.
After the wedding my grandfather had cataract surgery, he had to lay in bed for 3 weeks motionless with 2 sandbags on each side of his head. The operation was successful.....he didn’t loose his eyesight......and my mother was married to a man she didn’t love.
By the time the young man came back from China I was 3 years old.He came to visit us.......it must have been very sad for both of them.
The custom in Jewish families in those days was that if there was an emergency the husband’s family was obliged to take care of the bride and her close relatives. So the search went on to find a wealthy husband for my mother.
There were invitations to tea parties, dances, theaters and opera.. It didn’t take long to find a nice, good looking very rich young man. The families met and they agreed on a very high dowry, too much money for my grand father. He was so afraid to become blind that he agreed and he felt honored that such a wealthy family wanted his daughter.
My mother was 17 years old very beautiful and madly in love with a young engineer....who found a job in China.....(a contract for 4 years ). They promised to wait for each other.......They couldn’t get officially engaged because the young man was very poor.
My mother was heart broken...she could not go against her father’s will. My parents got engaged and married 6 months after.
It was the wedding of the year.......They sent away for real orange blossoms to Italy to hold the veil and her dress was beautiful. I am lucky to have her wedding pictures, I can imagine how sad she was that day.....thinking about her love the young man in China.
They went on their honeymoon to Venice, toured Italy and Monte Carlo.
After the wedding my grandfather had cataract surgery, he had to lay in bed for 3 weeks motionless with 2 sandbags on each side of his head. The operation was successful.....he didn’t loose his eyesight......and my mother was married to a man she didn’t love.
By the time the young man came back from China I was 3 years old.He came to visit us.......it must have been very sad for both of them.