Omaha daily bee., 1918-08-18

.Amcriea is my country" These
arc the words with which Mrs. Louise
Grcenhagen, German born and bred,
sent four OF her sons into the army
Of the United States to fight for the
land of her adoption, and these arc
the words she calmly reiterates as a
guiding example to other German
botn mothets in America.
'S-.s~ Mother of II children, all living
Mrs. Greenhagen displays with pride
her service flag with four stars OIL ii,
representing her four youngest sons,
all serving in the army. THE little
star is for Louis, my baby" she says.
for in his mothers eyes l9-year-old
Louis has never grown up.
Pete, aged 80, is at Camp Dodge,
among the soldiers in the last draft,
Christian (or Chris, as they call him., /,
enlisted In the ambulance corps and
is now across the water, somewhere
in France or Italy. Fritz, aged g. Ia
a sergeant, stationed at Fort Sill,
Okla, in the same company with his
brother, Louis. They are both i'll the
artillery. machine gun operators.
Mrs. Greenhagen expected Fritz
and Louis home last Sunday. The
boys did not want TO disappoint their
mother, SO they wrote a neighbor.
telling her that they had secured a
furlough and hoped to be home for
visit before crossing the water. The
neighbor told their mother, who
looked forward anxiously to their
visit, but they didn't come. and now
the mother fears that orders arrived
for them to proceed at once to the
coast and she may not see them be-
fore they leave.
Born in Germany.
Mrs. Greenhagen was born in Ger
many. As girl she went into SER
vice in Brehm in the family Of an
official there, where she remained un-
til she met and married her husband.
plasterer by trade. I'VE came to
America because there was not
enough for us to eat in Germany
says Mrs. Greenhagen. "In the last
few years before the war they wrote
ne it was better there than it used
to be, but | don't know"
In the spring Of 1883, a Mormon
missionary came to Brehm and paint
ed the beauties OF America in glow
ing colors. 1t was easy to live and to
: get rich in Iowa, land where .here
was plenty for everyone and TO
spare. Mr.. Greenhagen's brother-de-
cided to go and persuaded Mr.. Green
hagen to accompany him. There was
rot money enough. to take the wife
and three little children at that time,
SO arrangements were made that
they should wait and accompany
their relatives as soon as the money
could be provided. In November,
Mrs. Greenhagen received the pass
age money from her husband, and
went to see her relatives who were
to escort her. They were gone.
Not able to speak word of Eng
lish. burdened with three little ones,
the brave woman gathered up her
Belongings and made the trip alone.
The Germans in America all spoke
English" she said, "and they did not
Ike then to speak German. but when
they found ! was alone and unable
70 make myself understood, there was
always some friendly countryman to
translate for me and to tell me wha,
TO do"
Comes to Council Bluffs.
She reached Council Bluffs in
safety and rejoined her husband. The
brothers family had already reached
4 there and then had all gone away. and
to this day no word has come from
them.
Soon after they. reached the Bluffs
the great boom days OF Omaha be-
gan and the Grecnhaeens moved
across the river. They bought lit.
sle piece of property, and built the
home where they now live, on Mar.
tha street. Now it is. close to
liansconi park and we'll within the