Austrian Wrestlers

In my junior year in high school, a touring wrestling team from Austria was to come and have a match with our high school team. As good will, local families were asked if they could provide housing for the young men for the couple of days they were in town. As a student in one of the more advanced German classes, I was asked if my family might be willing.

Alfred and Siegfred were two young men that my parents hosted in our home. The hope was that by asking students in the advanced German classes that they would be able to help translate for their families. What they didn't really think of was that we had no practical knowledge of conversation in the German language, just drills and grammar.

Another stumbling block was that I was too shy to talk to them in English let alone try out my crude German. They were much older than high school students and seemed very worldly.

Dad took photos of the wrestling match and the next day they accompanied us to Penn State where Dad allowed them to help develop the film and prints. I can remember their confusion at we were going across the Seven Mountains. They laughed and told us in their broken English that our mountain were known as hills in Germany.

The taller of the two fellows, Alfred, was injured and did not compete in the match. Because of this he was probably carefully watching his weight while he healed. Thank goodness because I was no help in noticing that when Mom offered him food and he replied, "Bitte," she would give him a little "bit". Poor Alfred!

Missy, Me, Siggie, Dad, Alfred, Tracy. Our group shot before the fellows boarded their bus. The Juniata River is behind us as we waited in the lot at Tony's Restaurant along the 322 narrows.