Around Ravenna / Opinion / Ravenna
Around Ravenna: A Ravenna resident’s family journey through Germany
- Angie Reedy
Planes, trains and automobiles were part of a three-week vacation. Jack Trauth of Ravenna flew to London to visit his daughter, Karrie, and her wife, Angela. He and Karrie flew to Switzerland to meet his son, Jim, his wife, Mariana, and grandson Evan. Adding to the excitement of the outing were travel by a dual-gauge railroad, a cog rail, a zip line, a funicular (a cable railroad, especially one on a mountainside, where ascending and descending cars are counterbalanced) and a vintage paddle wheel boat.
They visited Kleinfischlingen, in the Palatinate region of Germany, to see the birthplace of their Trauth immigrant. While in Kleinfischlingen, they had the opportunity to meet Kurt Von Nida and his wife, Regina, who welcomed them and showed them around the village. Regina is a former mayor of 12 years. Kurt is a Renaissance Man, with widely varied interests. He is a retired pharmacologist, genealogist, botanist with hundreds of native plants, and an archeologist.
He was instrumental in the dig that produced a Gallic grave and two Roman graves – the first probably from the late B.C. period and the latter from the early A.D. He also spoke of positive effects of the Mennonites, who came to the region in the 1600s.
On the genealogy front, Kurt was able to show that the father of the Trauth immigrant was not a native of the village. He was brought there to be the local teacher when the previous teacher died.
Immaculate Conception Parish will have a Fall Festival Dinner/Dance from 5:15 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11 at the Immaculate Conception Hall, 251 W. Spruce Ave., Ravenna. Doors open at 5:15 p.m.
They will be serving appetizers, dinner, dessert and soft drinks as well as coffee, beer and wine. They will also have a 50/50 raffle, baskets, sideboards, and dancing. The event is open to adults 21 and older. Tickets are $50 each, pre-sale only. Call the parish office at 330-296-6434 during business hours. For more information, call Katrina Braden at 330-274-6572. Sounds like a lot of fun.
I recently had a talk with Rhonda Johnson, admissions and marketing director of Vista Veranda, about Dementia Live. According to Rhonda, Dementia Live is a powerful hands-on experience that helps people truly understand what it feels like to live with dementia. Using special headphones, gloves and glasses, participants get a glimpse of what it’s like to deal with vision changes, hearing distractions and even the loss of fine motor skills.
“In just 20 minutes, you’ll walk through a series of simple tasks that can give a glimpse of how someone experiencing dementia might see the world, and then join a short conversation about what you experienced. This really helps make the most of it. Nearly everyone walks away saying, ‘I had no idea it felt like that.’ It’s eye-opening and incredibly helpful,” she said. “Vista Veranda is committed to supporting families, not just residents. Hosting events like this is part of how we serve the whole community.”
I hope you will take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to attend this program. It’s free and open to the public from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9 at Vista Veranda at 141 Chestnut Hill Dr., Ravenna.
Contact Angie Reedy at 330-297-7228 with your Ravenna news.
Angie Reedy