Mom, Dad, my older brother, and I arrived at Union Station in Columbus, Ohio at 5 :00am, after an all-night train ride from Grand Central Station, New York.

Why Columbus? In those days immigrants needed sponsors that promised jobs for the adults and a place for the family to live. Our sponsor was Christ Lutheran Church, of Bexley, Ohio (a city within Columbus’s city limits).

Ma and Pa Peters, a retired couple, opened their home to us. After arriving, we ate a huge American breakfast of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and toast.

That morning we attended Easter Sunday services at Christ Lutheran. We stood at the front of the church, were introduced, and were welcomed by the church members who had arranged for employment and housing.

Without a sponsor, we could have not come to America.

Thinking back for the three previous months, our “baths” consisted of washing with a rag and a bowl of cold water. Fortunately, before attending church, we took turns bathing in warm water. We had lived in our clothes, without laundering, for the entire 12 days aboard ship.

Thankfully, in our two suitcases, was a second set of clothes for each of us. If we stank, the kind Christians welcomed us anyway. I’m sure Mom and Dad were concerned about the cleanliness issues. I didn’t care. I had eaten a good breakfast!

Thank you Christ Lutheran. Happy Easter to all. He Is Risen.