Feisty Lydia: Memoirs of a German War Bride

Edna Thayer
Minnesota Heritage Publishing (2009)
ISBN 9780979494086
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views (10/09)

 

Each time I read personal accounts of those who were affected by war, destruction and loss of their families my heart breaks. But Lydia Weber defied all odds and stood up for her rights and those of others during this tumultuous time.

Author Edna Thayer gives readers a highlight of Lydia’s life through various stories told by Lydia or her close friends.  One can tell through the author’s words that Lydia had an impact on all she met that left a long-lasting impression.

When Lydia was 14-years-old, the German government required all girls to live with families that were selected by the government to develop their skills in cooking, cleaning and keeping house. On the same note, boys were to live and work on farms. It was during this time that Hitler was well received by the Germans; no one had a clue about what was to come. When war did come, Lydia wrote to many soldiers to help boost their morale. Given that Lydia was a natural born flirt she told the soldiers she would be waiting for them when they came home.

In 1945 Lydia met her husband, John Ross, an American soldier who was stationed in Germany.  She initially met him when she was applying for a job-but he would not accept non-married women. Leaving rejected, Lydia knew she would marry that soldier.  However, little did Lydia know she was pregnant or that John would marry her? John was returned to the US where he would have to deal with red tape to get his wife and baby there. Thinking he had put money aside, he realized that his mother had used it all for her own pleasures.  Lydia traveled to the US on a troop ship and was anxious about what she would encounter once in the states. What she found was no electricity, no running water, and no bathroom, so she decided to try to get a loan to get a house of their own.

The remainder of “Feisty Lydia: Memoirs of a German War Bride” by Edna Thayer describes the fun, determination and working years of Lydia in America. There are personal stories from friends, family and co-workers. Through each vignette you can see that regardless of the obstacles Lydia encountered she overcame them through her determination. Lydia truly is a person that should inspire all readers to realize that regardless of obstacles in their life, they can achieve their goals. Readers need to remember that regardless of their problems, there are individuals in our world that survived worse.

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