“Nun danket alle Gott” (now we all thank God)

After my Grandmother Ohnmacht passed away my Grandfather Ohnmacht moved to New Jersey and worked in Uncle William Ohnmacht's bakery. He left New York because he couldn't get a job in any of the bakeries in New York. I also think that he was broken hearted and needed a change. They sold the house that they owned on Hawthorne Street. My mother, Tillie was seven years old at the time and her brother, Al was 14. It must have been very traumatic for my mother to loose her mother and then right away pickup and move to New Jersey. She remembered that she couldn't take every doll that she had and could only bring one or two of them.

After working with my Uncle William for a few years they returned to New York and moved to Lindenhurst. He purchased a home on North 7th Street in Lindenhurst where he lived with his daughter, son and new wife Wanda. Wanda according to my mother was a terrible stepmother. At times she felt like she was Cinderella. I don't know how or when Gottlieb met Wanda but I do know that the family urged him to remarry because of his daughter, Tillie. They felt she was to young to go without a mother. Over time many of the family members became disenchanted with Wanda and so it came about that Wanda left my Grandfather in 1933. On the day that she left my cousin Adolph played the song "Now thank we all our God" over and over again. He also raised the flag. My Grandfather died on October 18, 1935 and left a will stating that "To my second wife Wanda, because she left my bed and board over two years ago, I give only five dollars ($5.00)." Wanda contested the will and received half of the estate as settlement.

""Now thank we all our God" is a popular Christian hymn. It is a translation from the German "Nun danket alle Gott", written circa 1636 by Martin Rinkart (1586–1649), which in turn was inspired by Sirach, chapter 50 verses 22–24, from the praises of Simon the high priest. It was translated into English in the 19th Century by Catherine Winkworth."