Our German Summer 2014: Father and Daughter(s): Mainz, Kafenheim, Relatives, Cochem and Moselle River Area

Our 2nd night we stayed on the spectacular Moselle River in Cochem! Wow...it is breathtaking. We are in a darling old traditional hotel but the furniture is a combination of modern and even gaudy furniture, but in a cool, artsy way.
I have been having technical difficulties getting pictures uploaded though...

MAINZ: We stopped in the historic city of Mainz. Dad was anxious to see historic cities and revisit places he had been. Uncle Alvin came here often when he was in the service in the fifties. We walked to the famous church and as we approached, the bells began tolling. I remembered it was Sunday so, well, why not go to mass? Dad was keenly interesting in experiencing part of a mass anyway. This was really cool because we got to hear the beautiful organ and the men's choir singing in German. (There were many elderly men dressed neatly in white shirts and black pants who would gather to the right of the altar every time they sang.)

This is a photo of Mainz and the church

(I wish you could hear the singing better from this.)

Then, we got back on the autobahn, Yvonne driving the standard station wagon and m (i ie trying to navigate with a cheap and very antiquated GPS system....but Dad was chomping at the bit to get off the Autobahn and down by the Rhine. So we got ourselves to St. Goar, a cute little town by the Rhine. There we had lunch, bratwurst, sauerkraut and salad for Yvonne and Dad, a great roasted turkey salad for me, and of course some Pils beer.

Dad is telling me "NO!" He doesn't want to drive on the Autobahn....just along the Rhine.

The view from our restaurant in St. Goar. Notice the castle ruins (burg) on the right cliffs.

On our way to meet the Wagners and see the town where my great great grandfather Peter Fuhrman was from...

KAFENHEIM: We were pleasantly greeted by our kinfolk the Wagners. They entertained us on their deck with cheesecake, cupcakes made by their daughter Lina, and coffee. It is a stunning view of the country side from Wolfgang and Jurgen's homes which are at the top of a hill, near the old church (above). These brothers live side by side.

So actually most of those Fuhrman brothers were from Gamlen, but Peter Fuhrman married a girl from Kafeiheim thus he took up residence here.

The story goes that he had some financial problems that caused him to think about resettling in America once the Homestead Act was put in place. So he left his house, took his family and together with some brothers, they emigrated to Iowa. Once in America, all they had to do was build a house and farm the land (in the West) and it was theirs. These are notes from Dad about this:
Joseph Fuhmann, Grandpa John's brother, settled in Iowa City, Iowa. Mom would tell me there were brothers, Johann Josef and Josef Johann. Other Fuhrmann brothers were Henry (Heinrick) who settled in Lindsay and Jacob. Peter brought his family to Keokuk County, Iowa in 1867. I think two brothers died and were buried on the prairie in Keokuk County. Grandpa John's job was to herd the cattle on the prairie while they were in Keokuk County. When they moved to St. Joseph, Iowa, their first home was a sod house, very unhealthy.

Well later, Peter Fuhrmann was visiting Germany. He had plans to buy a ticket on the Titanic to get home. Chance had it that he was unable to get a ticket because they were sold out. Once he learned that the Titanic sunk, he showed his thanks to God by paying to have an elaborate 3 paneled relief added to the altar of the beautiful old church in Kafeinheim. Dad told me the altar in Kaifenheim was paid for by Joseph Fuhmann, Grandpa John's brother.

Dad and I in front of the church in Kafeinheim (standing in front of the old altar)

the altar commissioned by Peter Fuhrman as thanks to God for missing the Titanic

the top piece

The right panel

the left panel

the middle section

a statue in the church of Kafenheim

Nick (son of Wolfgang) showing us a picture of him as an altar boy

Jurgen showing us his picture as an altar boy

Eltz Castle: We met Wolfgang and Jurgen and their families (Nicole, Lena, Ben and Nick and Melanie). They took us to the castle Eltz which is a solid, fully intact castle from 13th century.
This castle is especially interesting because it has stayed in the same family for about 37 generations. Initially it was shared by three well-to-do families. The drive to this place was gorgeous, through wooded hillside. We also drove through beautiful rolling farmland, wheat and barley. We saw quite a few windfarms.

(Burg Eltz, copied from yahoo.com-images)

We got an English tour which was very interesting...to learn about life in the castle. There was also quite a collection of arms from the 13-17th centuries.

a corner of the wall around Burg Eltz

inside Burg Eltz

That evening we went to the house of the parents' of Wolfgang and met Beatrix and Marie Gertsen. Marie is 95 years old...she was very excited to meet us. Dad and her talked quite a bit, about the Fuhrmans who immigrated to Iowa.