The man they knew
After dinner, Clara and her two children would join each other in their back yard to play baseball in what had recently been the most pleasant weather on perfect spring evenings. When they moved to Lienz, Austria in early May 1945, she had brought three mitts and a few baseballs, the only physical memento of their life in America. Something about the warm breeze tonight reminded her of the joy she had felt being outside with her children in Southern Vermont. Her son Joseph was soon to be eleven years old and he was proud of the accuracy of his pitches. His younger sister Barbara fared very well keeping up with him in the game of catch. Upon arriving at their uncle’s farm, Joseph found a nice piece of narrow wood in the forest that they used as a baseball bat. Each day they threw the ball around outside for a couple of hours. Kids from neighboring houses began to take notice and slowly made their way over. Although their new friends had never played baseball before, Joseph and Barbara taught them the basics. Before long, Clara’s two children had made a solid pack of friends who welcomed them into their community.
