Page 26 - December 2021 Issue.indd

My greatest surprise of the prisoners of her own day, far more complex as If you would like to read my article,
came many years later, as we had kept the “enemy” shooting at her brother A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON
in contact with our 16 year old Franz. overseas is also working shoulder to ABUSE, MARRIAGE, AND DIVORCE,
He had went to college, then married shoulder with her on the family farm. it is found in my blog archives, dated
and had a large family and became 6/25/2019.
a wealthy business man, due to a Often remembering the words of
navigation invention he had made. her grandmother, Ella Mae, Gloria
chooses to forge a path true to her own
It was an afternoon in 1970 when a independent spirit. She even takes a
Washington taxi stopped at our back job at the Feed Store, owned by Martin

door and a man carrying an armful of Sutton (after whom the Ridgely Park is
flowers knocked on our back door. I named), hoisting heavy sacks of grain
opened the door and recognized Franz over her shoulder in her denim overalls.
Krautcreamer. We hugged and both did Gloria knows that Franz is more than
cry. He had planned this stop because just a good looking, exciting diversion,
we were the American friends who had and she believes their love is worth “For unto us a child is born,
smiled and showed kindness to a scared taking whatever risks are required. unto us a son is given: and the
16 year old boy imprisoned in a foreign government shall be upon his
country in war time, this he never Although the Ridgely Rails Legacy ends shoulder: and his name shall be
forgot. We all had dinner, including with this novel, the story of Gloria’s called Wonderful, Counselor,
the taxi cab driver, and talked for hours. family continues in the next series with The mighty God, The everlasting
Franz then had to leave to catch the her niece, Natalie, in the Time Returns Father, The Prince of Peace.”
plane to Florida, where he was opening Series, set in the town of Greensboro,
a business offi ce. He made us promise Maryland.
to visit him in Germany. His family had Janet Dove, stylist
For more information on how to
grown to eight children.
purchase my novels, or to learn more
We did visit Franz in Germany. His about my other series, you can go to CUTS • COLOR • PERMS
home was a 16-room restored castle my website, RebekahColburn.com. You HIGHLIGHTS
on the Rhine River! We got a deluxe can also view my blog articles between 920 Gay St., Denton 410-310-4586
tour of Germany and it was such an April and July of 2019 for more details
enjoyable trip, we later made a second about the Ridgely Observation Tower, Appointments ONLY!
trip to visit the Krautcreamer family. All Breyer’s Condensing Plant, and German Please call to schedule
because of giving a helping hand to a Prisoners of War on the Eastern Shore. Merry Christmas!
stranger in war time, our family made
good friends with a German family
twenty years later.”
My own Franz is a composite character
inspired by these two stories. As Gloria
comes to terms with her failed marriage
with a local who still works at the
Breyer’s Condensing Plant where she
must help her father deliver milk from
their dairy cows, you glimpse a picture
of Ridgely in the 1940s. There was
even an observation post where men,
and eventually women too, took turns
watching the skies and documenting
every aircraft that flew over. They
practiced blackouts, darkening all the
windows whenever the siren was heard.

Gloria’s mother, Sophie, had endured
the Great War and her life had been
dramatically shaped by its events.
Now, Gloria must face the challenges

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