Stahlke Adoption

Learning from History

Forest Park, a suburb of Chicago
June 28, 2010
7:30 am

A mother sits at the breakfast table with five of her six children. It's Monday morning, and the backtalk, squabbling, bossiness, and tantrums are driving her mad. Finally, the children are off to summer school, and Mom has a few hours of quiet time before lunch. She drives around near her home, exploring some sights that are new to her.

Chicago
May 17, 1895

A mother weeps as her son Theo dies. In a few days, she'll bury him at Concordia Cemetery in Forest Park, laying him to rest near his five siblings. She will read the headstones, remembering each child's birth and life before they were taken away:

CHRISTIAN J. F. KOSCHNICK
GEB. 29. MAI 1869
GEST. 7. MÄRZ 1873
[almost 4 years old]

HERMANN KOSCHNICK
GEB. 8. JAN. 1872
GEST. 8. MAI 1890
[8 years old]

LOUISE E. KOSCHNICK
GEB. 20. DEZ. 1877
GEST. 21. AUG. 1880
[2½ years old]

EMMA P. R. KOSCHNICK
GEB. 27. FEB. 1880
GEST. 15. FEB. 1882
[almost 2 years old]

BERTHA H. K. KOSCHNICK
GEB. 31. MAI 1881
GEST. 20. SEPT. 1881
[about 4 months old]

Soon, the headstone of her last child will join the others:

THEODOR KOSCHNICK
GEB. 19. DEZ. 1887
GEST. 17. MAI 1895
[about 8½ years old]

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Forest Park, a suburb of Chicago
June 28, 2010
10:00 am

The difficulties at the breakfast table don't look so bad anymore.

posted by Stahlkes @ 9:43 AM