where was I?

continued from here

     What a delightful dream you have of Paris. When I read that I was reminded of Henry Van Dyke's poem, "America For Me" In describing London and Paris about half way through the poem he said, "Oh, London is a man's town, there's power in the air and Paris is a woman's town with flowers in her hair." Yes, I went to Paris. It was one of the stops of a 49 day tour of the continent.  We visited 7 countries and found them all fascinating. No doubt there have been many changes since that summer of 1954 but I still remember the highlights. It was like walking in a dream through places I never expected to see. I seemed always on the alert for fear I would waken in my bed at home. there were Motmartre, Maximes, Folies Bergers, Bois de Bologna, Saint Chapelle, the left bank, Notre Dame Cathedral, the palace of Versailles and the Louvr with its haunting Mona lisa. These things I remember vividly and would like to see again.

     Maybe I had better make another promise to myself. One of our assignments when I was in the eighth grade was to make a promise and write about it. Our Teacher was way ahead of her time and a wonderfully imaginative person. She said, "A promise made is a debt unpaid so make a promise to yourself and you will surely keep it"  Along with my classmates I very solemnly made twin promises to myself - first that I would be a school teacher and second that I would go to Paris some day. My teacher was right. I did keep my promises to myself. Seven years later I began a teaching career which lasted for 47 1/2 years but it took my 36 years to get to Paris. I made it and loved it just as I had expected I would. I stood on the sidewalk in Montmartre and hugged myself I was so delighted to be there. It was on the way back from the Bois de Bologne that I saw the street sign with Pont de Ternes on it. It is pronounced Tern but spelled Ternes. The people are French. The next day I passed up a luncheon at the Eiffel Tower to walk back toward the coq Hardee restaurant where we had lunch the day before in hope of finding that sign and taking a picture of it. I did find it. I hunted up a policeman or gendarme and asked him about it. My inexcusable French forced me to write my questions which he answered for me. He told me the area and the street were named for a very old family who lived there. I should have tried to locate someone named Ternes in the phone book or through the gendarmes. When I came home I learned from a cousin that some researcher had found out that one of the Ternes men who fought in the German army during the Franco Prussian was fell in love with a French girl, married her and settled down in France. You see there is some romance in our history.

     I think I am on the trail of something now. Louise, my cleaning lady, has a brother living in a suburb of Paris and she has written asking him to try and get me the pages of the Paris telephone book with the name Ternes on it. If I get them I shall try to communicate with some of them and see if they know where their family began.  My French is inadequate but I am sure someone will help me out.  How is your (end of side one - beep) French? Maybe you would like to write too.

     The Ternes family was German. Mother Ternes was part French. She lived in a French community, Newport, Michigan, and spoke French. During the first world this led to some rather lively discussions at the dinner table. I have often wondered what Mother would have said had she found out, as I have since I have been researching family trees that her family could well have been more Spanich than French. Dr. Valade, mother's grandfather traveled from Spain to Canada to Newport, Michigan. That Dr. Valade was your great, great, great grandfather.

     Mother's father was August Loranger and her mother was Mary Valade. Mary died and August Loranger married again. His second wife had children of her own and was not too happy to have little Madeline Laura at all. She reportedly treated her so badly that her Grandmother Valade took your Great grandmother to live with her. Thus she was raised with aunts and uncles. this was the reason Mother always felt so close to Clara Valade Beckham. They are aunt and niece but raised as sisters.

to be continued

Comments

[tania]

is the letter dated? i'm sure you've said before, but i'm too lazy to go back and find out? have you decided how you are going to display it yet? this has got to be the coolest thing ever.

[Cindy G]

I am loving your posts about the letter you found. I really enjoy mysteries/treasures like these and always wonder about the history and families behind them.

[Heather H.]

thank you for contiuing to share this fabulous story. Can't wait for the next installment. Very cool!

[Junkyard Jen]

I'm really enjoying this! :)