Yes, you come from a very religious family...

Yes, you come from a very religious, adventuresome, creative family on Grandmother's side.

Both Dearma, Mina Lisette Nietzschke Hynson, and Pop, Charles Darby Hynson, were deeply religious as were their families of origin. Dearma's father's family produced many religious leaders, even back in Saxony. They seemed to favor the Moravian Church. Somewhere on that side is also a court historian. I don't remember whose court.

On that side, there was a lot of artistic presence. Wood carving seemed to be one of the big expression. Apparently all of "the boys" learned how to do it. We have the chair and the china cabinet carved by Frederick Nietzchke as well as a number of smaller items that were carved either by him or one of his sons in law, Walter Topp, who was also an organ Maker (married to Hannah).

I still have several pictures done by Dearma and I remember that she use to make beautiful earrings out of colored shells to make ends meet. I would guess that she began sometime around the depression but I remember them from when I was about 8 years old. (about 1951). Her mother ran a millnery shop which is a practical artistic expression. I would guess that "the girls" helped out there.

The Nitzschke family was know for their singing. The parents met at a church in New York City, not too long after the immigrated to the US. One or both of them sang in the choir. They seem to have passed on so many of the resources that they held dear. A very successful couple in so many ways. Louis Krieg was known to be a very pretty blue eyed woman, known as "The Angel". My sense is that she wasn't all that big a person physically.

Frederick , who was a big strapping fellow, I believe, was known to be strict, but well loved. Dearma told me two things about him that stick in my mind. First, as the leader of 10 living , out of 12?, children, all of whom were exceptionally bright, discipline could easily come in the form of a cat of nine tails. The fear factor was definitely there. It was probably a last resort thing, but with so many active, whirling dervishes to deal with at one time, it was probably a little of them or us mentality.

The second thing is that the whole family went to church every Sunday. Imagine getting all that many heads brushed and ironed clothes on. After church, the men in the congregation would meet that the Nietzchke home to discuss religion and philosophy in the parlor. Dearma was always so proud that she was the only child allowed to sit in on these discussions.

Apparently, the Nietzchke children were required to be in their home most of the time. My sense is that the friends came to their home for the most part. Which could be why they were so cohesive a group.

Apparently, it wasn't unusual for family members to spontaneously break into song. They sang opera as well as ditties and popular songs. One of "Uncle Fred's" children, Grace, told Grandmother (Toni Lawson, Nee Alice Louis Hynson) that the family made simple events like trolley rides into very fun events. Apparently the family was know for great humor and fun.

Dearma gave that to Grandmother, Toni. During the "Great Depression", they somehow found a way to give her piano lessons. She was a faithful attendant of the Episcopal Church. She has several perfect attendance metals. She sang at the National Cathedral Choir, Washington, DC. and she is quite proud that she was the page turner for the organist at the Cathedral.

Grandmother takes great comfort in her religion. I find her hands folded in prayer several times a day. At night, she repeats to me what her mother said to her and probably her mother's mother and so on...."God bless you, child." Being with her these last few years is something of a religious experience in itself.

I know far less about Grandfather's side in a religious context. I can tell you that he is a descendant of the first Episcopal bishop ordained on US soil and that to this day, one of the Bishops antecedents is pastor of a church in Frederick, MD, where I went to college. Grandmother (Lillian Blake Lawson) and Granddad (Francis WyattLawson, I) are buried in the grave yard of a church established by Bishop Claggett).

My sense is that, in general, there was a great deal of religious participation but more from a building/business side of it. They were the people who attended and built the churches and raised the money so that the spiritual leaders could do their calling. I know that Grandfather's sister, "Aunt Meda" (Almeda Lawson) was a devout Christian Scientist. Aunt Dot tried it out for a while, but in the end the family was more spiritual than religious.

Grandfather was very reluctant to be involved in religious dogma and considered himself to be a spirtual person, not a religous one. The religious difference was painful to Grandmother and caused a lot of problems in our family. Grandfather refused to attended church until he was in his 60s and had full assurance that there was benefit even when there was not belief in dogma. Although he tended to be a self contained person, I believe that he took comfort in "the community of believers". None of their children are religious in the kind of committed sense that the Nietzchke family still is.

I am trying to jot down what I remember so that you have a history to know and to share.

XXX


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"How I do anything is how I do everything."
T. Harve Eker

Jennifer Lawson Finlay