We were in the midst of writing the story of Stone Croft’s origins when I got a picture from my dad. It was a photo of my great, great grandparents in Neuburg am Rhein, Germany in the late 1800’s before they set sail for Philadelphia. My Nana Gee (Florence Ertel) was quite a lady. When we spent the night with her, me and my sisters (Crista and Katie) felt like we were the most important people in the world. That was how she made you feel, like you were a prodigy, a brilliant star that shone bright. She sang to us in german when we fell asleep, her voice a gentle comfort. We didn’t know what the words meant at that time, but they made us feel safe. I suppose it is no wonder that Crista, Katie and I each studied the language and feel a sense of home when we get the chance to use it. It is for more reasons than the memories alone that the current work has been moved forward in time to the late 1800’s. The heroine, Florence, has already captured my heart and while this is not the story of Nana Gee, I hope to connect with her again through this.
S.S. Gee Buro 