Courageous Love: Theresa (Schmidt) Liebmann

My grandmother grew up Catholic in Hungary, and given away in an arranged marriage to a man who beat her and expected her to maintain the house and work in his brickyard. She divorced him and was excommunicated, forcing her to come to America. I cannot even imagine the courage needed for a woman, alone and with no family help or resources, to come to this new land. Fortunately, she met my grandfather Johann Heinrich Liebmann, a Lutheran, and they had five children, including my father Henry. Times were tough. The depression took away my grandfather’s job, and their attempt at farming failed. But, after World War II, my father was able to buy them a new farm. Theresa died when I was only three and I barely remember her tiny yet powerful frame. But, her courage inspires me still today.