Evening star., 1947-05-22
Austrian Fioncee Brings Vienna
Bouquet for Vienna (vo.) Home
By George Beveridee

DS44~S ~
By George Beveridee
Maria Teelbacher today settled
down for long -swaited look at
Vienna, Va. after presenting her
fiance with bouquet of slightly
wilted flowers she had bought two
days ago in Vienna, Austria.
Miss Teelbacher was one Of 81
Austrian brides -to-be who landed
here yesterday when their Pan
American plane was forced to by
pass New York City because of bad
weather.
The man Miss Teelbacher most
wanted to see, Stanley Mehr, 20, an
Agriculture Department economist,
didn't show up at the airport. He
was waiting in New York for her
plane to arrive, as he had been since
it first was expected on Sunday.
Plan to Live in Silver Spring.
So she sat calmly for three hours
at the airport until friends of Mr..
Mehr arrived to take her to the
home of friends, Mr.. and Mrs. Sid
ney Gottlieb, at Vienna, Va.
Miss Teelbacher, having sent all
her mail to the Vienna address,
thought that was her prospective
husbands home. Mr.. Mehr merely
had been using it as a permanent
mailing address. however, Mr.. Gott-
lieb said. After their marriage and
a honeymoon in New York, the
Mehrs will live in an apartment at
500 Ritchie avenue, Silver Spring,
Md.
During the wait at the airport,
Miss Teelbacher tightly clutched the
flowers she had brought. Missing
from the bouquet were few roses,
which customs official explained
may not be brought here because of
plant quarantine regulations.
Others to Meet Fiances.
The small. 21-year-old girl speaks
little English. But she told of meet
ing Mr.. Mehr in June, 1945, when
he was stationed in the Army near
her home in Linz, Austria.
Most of Miss Teelbacher's wait at
the airport was shared by the other
Austrian flancees. who had to wait
confirmation from New York that
$500 bonds had been posted to in
sure their marriage within three
months. Later, some left Washing
ton to go directly to their destina-
tons. Others boarded trains for
New York to meet the former serv-
icemen waiting there.
Six of the women, widows or di-
vorcees, had children with them
The Oldest was 9, the youngest, S
months.
Children Are Quiet.
For the most part, the youngsters
sat quietly with their mothers. They
got their first American treat when
airport personnel discovered they
had never tasted ice cream. Large
cups Of 1t were promptly furnished.
Four-year-old Kurt Aplethaler
viewed the strange food with some
suspicion until his mother induced
him to try it. He soon was making
sizable inroads in the cup, OCCASION
ally looking up at his mother to
comment: Gut"
Another youngster, Ernst Saffert,
s, marched out of the customs office
carrying large violin case. The
boy later opened it to show the other
children a battered, worn violin.
His mother, Mrs. Jaroslava SAT-
fert, explained Ernst's father, who
was a fine violinist, used that instru-
ment when he was 8 years old and
began taking lessons. Mr.. Saffert,
she said, was killed in italy and the
violin was one of the few family
possessions saved when her home in
Vienna was burned after bombing.
To Marry Rancher.
Ernst will begin taking lessons in
two years. she said.
Mrs. Saffert is on her way to
Brentwood, Calf, where she will
marry John Matthews, rancher.
She met Mr.. Matthews in England,
while she was employed by the Allied
military government In 1945. Mrs.
Saffert said. Also sitting by her
side was her 4-year-old daughter,
Christa.
Two former GIs, Zane g. Todd,
%, of Evansville, Ind, and Carl e.
Miller. "a, of Johnstow1, Pa, made
the trip with their Austrian brides
to-be.
Mr.. Todd. who for most OF his
three years overseas was an out-of-
uniform Army investigator, told re-
porters all the girls making the trip
had been thoroughly investigated by
Army counter intelligence officers TO
make certain they have had no con-
nection with the May Party.
Some Girls Barred.
Even girls whose aunts or uncles
were known Nazis have been barred
from entering the country" he de-
clared.
Mr.. Todd said that after short
trip to New York, he would bring
his fiancee, Miss Irene OelschIaeger,
back to Washington for visit be-
fore going home to Evansville. i
You see he explained. the Aus
trian people are exposed to strenu-
Gus propaganda program being car
ried on by the Communists to con-