They say you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. The truth is, you knew what you had, you just never thought you’d lose it. While the virus is depriving us from our usual busy schedules, there is something to be said for the amount of family time, time to pick up new hobbies, or to complete those tasks you’ve been putting off for so long. These long weeks at home away from our club family have been tough, and we never thought we’d say we’d give anything to go to practice on Tuesday night! Life must go on, though and we are all adjusting to a new kind of normal.
We’ve been seeing a lot of mask making, birthday drive-bys, and reminiscing on all the good times. We’ve celebrated our “Virtual Banquet” on March 21st by posting photos and videos from the comfort of our homes, wishing we were together. We’re holding onto all the photos and memories from prior events, especially the annual Maifest at Brauhaus Schmitz which had to be canceled due to COVID19. We’ve seen a lot of baking and cooking special dishes from back home using our own Mahlzeit Cookbook and various other cookbooks from organizations we belong to. We’ve been watching some of our favorite musicians go “Live” on Facebook and other platforms and having watch parties with our friends. Hey Dino, we’re waiting on you!
These past weeks at home have brought new and exciting special moments for some of our members, new and old!
On April 25th, Alex, and Jenn Blank (Lineman) welcomed their first child into the world! Kurt Alexander Blank was born in Abington Hospital at 11:33 AM. Weighing 6 lbs. and 13 oz, Kurt is already so loved by many! Alex, Jenn, and Kurt are all happy and healthy and can’t wait for Kurt’s first club debut! A family drive by parade was planned by Jenn’s Uncle Tom and everyone enjoyed seeing little Kurt for the first time.
Later on, in the week on April 27th, Andrew Weyershaeuser and his wife Tessa welcomed their baby girl, Lola Rose Weyershaeuser into the world. Everyone is also in good health and we wish them many congratulations on their sweet new baby girl!
Luisa Martini of the Trenton Donauschwaben married Glenn Scheideler on April 4th over Skype. The Coronavirus did not ruin their special day! An officiant along with the parents of Glenn were present as their witnesses in their apartment while the rest of their family watched over Skype. They will be formally celebrating with all their family and friends at a later date once it is safe to do so. We extend our congratulations as they start their married life together!
Jason Karasow, current head coach of the Mens Major Team, and his wife Ashleigh recently bought a house in Flourtown, PA. We wish them a happy and healthy life in their new home!
On March 7th, the Mid Atlantic Jugend Einzel Competition was held at the Lancaster Liederkranz. Our Evangeline Noel performed with her partner Collin Creveling of Enzian Volkstanzgruppe from Delaware. Evie placed 3rd in her age group!!! We are so proud of her performance and the way she represents the German Hungarians.
Emma Walter, longtime cultural group member, is finishing up her senior year at Rider University. She will be completing her degree in Organizational Psychology and although her graduation ceremony is being postponed until November, we would like to congratulate her for her accomplishment! Emma served as a Resident Advisor throughout her time at Rider and she was also involved in many other clubs and associations. Emma, we are proud of you and cannot wait to see what the future holds for you!
Well, COVID19 has truly changed our lives in the blink of an eye! On the day when we can finally come back together again, we will thank God for all that we have in our club and in one another. We are so lucky to have our club life; our friends, our coaches, our teammates, our dance partners, our cousins, our aunts, uncles, second mothers and fathers… I could go on and on! As Winnie the Pooh says, “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” Except, we are not saying “Goodbye,” it’s “See you soon!” So, for now, keep “liking” those photos on Facebook, catch up with your friends and family on FaceTime, and brush up on those 110 banquet dance videos! The German Hungarians are here to stay, and we cannot wait until we can say, “remember when…”
