María Stolpmann (born Schnase)

My grandmother on my mothers side was born Schnase on the 15th of July 1901 in Flötenstein, Kreis Schlochau in West Prussia. Although I did not get to know her until around 1963 I know that she was a remarkable woman. She lost her husband in second world war and was forced by the Russian army to leave her home with 8 young children. Finally she settled down much later in Cologne in Germany were she lived for the rest of her life close to her children

As a young boy I was often in Cologne with my mother at my grandmothers place the whole summer. During those early visits I learned to speak german which has proved to be very helpful in my life. Grandmother Oma, as we call our grandmothers in Germany, was a very religous person and there was not a sunday she missed going to her Catholic Church in Gremberg. She is on the right on the picture with her daughter Hedwig Stolpmann who lives in Cologne.

My grandmother passed away on the 21st of December 1972.