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remembering you

July 14, 2020
its been 9 years that you are with the lord & lots have been happening to our country & i am very sure you will not be happy with it . you are now at peace with the Lord & till we meet again . have a good time with your love one in heaven . thanks for the memories.

Hey.......I KNOW what happened!!!

August 24, 2011
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You're supposed to put the dough in the pan and THEN slice the top of the dough before the bread does it's last rise in the pans!!!!   My dad was explaining that in "his" way but I know what he was trying to say.  ROTFLMAO!!   CALL ME!!!

Thanks Omar.  THIS makes me miss my dad. :(  We are lucky to be able to see it.

 

The Brothers Chess Tournament

August 20, 2011

This picture is very precious. Peter, his youngest brother (on the left), comes to visit Hans for coffee at 3pm. After coffee, they play a game or two of Chess. Sometimes you will sense who loss...Hans would suddenly say..."I dont want to play anymore".. Then there is silence. The next day they would play as if nothing happened..A happy union of the two daily...

Hanne's Last Christmas 2010

August 20, 2011

Hans and I had a wonderful life together. This picture was taken last December 2010. This is Hans' last Christmas with us. We will miss him. I love you Hanne...

Brunch, the hearing aids & the dentures.

August 7, 2011
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This video was taken a few months back when Missy & I took Hans, our dad, out to brunch. His grandaughter Sophia tagged along too.  He not only finished his brunch, but he finished Missy's too and enjoyed EVERY bite. No food ever went to waste on a Becker table.....EVER. HOWEVER, you may have noticed he once again "forgot" to wear his hearing aids.   He always said they made things worse. Personally, I think it was all about selective hearing. LOL My dad was the quintessential example of the old school world trying to keep up and exist with modern times.  Sometimes I think my dad's simplerler way of living is the best way to live. This was a good day with some good laughs. 

Hans's Grandchildren

August 7, 2011

In this photo are Sophia and Katie (being bottle fed).  Benjamin was not in the picture as of yet. He came a couple years later. They lit up his life...

It's kind of spooky....

August 7, 2011

My sister, Missy, it the SPITTING image of our father, Hans.   This photo of him looks JUST like her.   It's spooky.   Missy's husband, Larry, jokes that he is married to "minni Hans".   Missy's manerisms also copy my dad's as well.   Photos tell all...

The three precious Children of Hans

August 7, 2011

Starting from the left is Melissa "Missy" (Hans' youngest daughter), their cousin Dawn (Peter's eldest daughter), Gabriella "Gaby" (Hans' middle daughter) and Susanne "Susie" (The eldest daughter of Hans).

Hans adored and loved his three daughters. He was happy when they come for coffee. They are his pride and joy.

The Coat of Arms of the Becker Family

August 5, 2011

The Coat of Arms is how each Night was identified during the "Nights and Shining Armor" days. They carried their Coat of Arms on their Shield and sometimes on their Armor. This is the Becker Coat of Arms. When we were in Rottenburg o.t.Tauber in Bavaria, We had the honor to stay in a hotel that existed during that Era. Yes , the Night's metal outfit was displayed on the floor that we stayed in. The ambiance was also bringing us back to that time.  There is a draw bridge that protected this small town. The guards rolled up the draw bridge at night to protect the town and its people. The town is surrounded with the moat so when the bridge is up, nobody can come in or leave without the guards knowing. The town was also protected with tall huge wall with watch towers around it. 

A Birthday celebration

August 3, 2011

This picture was taken on Christa's birthday 1994. Christa and Noor lived up on the hill of Saratoga (Belnap St). Peter and I drove from Santa Cruz, Karola drove from Brentwood. Hans and Terry drove from San Jose. So we had a toast "Prost" then finished up the bottle of Champagne, they sang German songs...had a lot of fun..had more wine..and had more fun again..

Meinl Kaffee

August 3, 2011

Meinl Kaffee was founded by Julius Meinl (Oma's father). He is from Vienna, Austria. Its known symbol is a Moor with a big golden earring and a red fez.

A funny story about Hans :

The Becker children lived in Berlin with Oma's mother. Oma's mother asked Hans to buy an eight of  pound of coffee from a roasting coffee company which is about 8 blocks from their Berlin house. Oma didnt want to buy more because she fears that the aroma would somewhat fade. So it has to be bought daily. Hans loved soccer. This coffee buying business interferred with his soccer. He thought he had a bright idea. There was a store a block away that sold the same coffee, same packaging an all. As soon as Oma opened the seal and sniffed...her faced darkened and called Hans ..."Sagamahl..wo hast DU den Kaffee gekauft?" (Tell me..where did u buy this coffee?". He then realized he was busted. Oma asked him to return this coffee to where he bought it..then go to the coffee roasting company which is 8 blocks away.. and be back soon because Oma wants her kaffee at Drei Uhr ( 3pm)..Mach Schnell ! (and hurry up!)

Hans Bread

August 3, 2011

Hans bread is another tradition that was handed over to us by Hans himself. He started baking this bread in San Francisco in 1957. His bakery was known for this German Sourdough Rye Bread. Oma had to bring the sourdough starter from Germany. It was delivered to all the stores from Santa Rosa all the way to Santa Cruz. He also shipped the bread to Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. It was a very popular and good business. The bakery was operated and ran by the Becker family.

There is a funny story behind this bread:

Hans baked a batch one day and there was something wrong with the bread. The dough did not rise and the bread was very hard after it was baked. He could not sell these to his customers. So he and his brothers decided to go the zoo and feed the animals with these. There was a very greedy Camel that thought he could swallow the whole loaf. To Hans' distress the Camel started to choke. The bread was clearly stuck in the throat. Hans feared the worse. He sheepishly inquired to his brothers: "How much does a Camel cost?". He was sure that this camel will not see another daylight. After gulping several times and so obvious that the animal is in distress, he finally did swallow it. Now that was a big relief to our Master Baker...

The Becker children with Opa

August 3, 2011

This picture was taken in Saratoga in 1987. Christa and her family lived in a 7 acre property on Hill Ave in Saratoga known as the Hales Mansion with Opa and Oma. Oma passed away in 1973. Hans and Terry lived in a smaller house next to Christa. This picture was taken in the backyard of where Hans and Terry lived. The round table they had was a "kaffe und kuchen" place in the summer time. We had a lot of fun barbques there.

Die Drei Aeltesten (The Three Oldest)

August 3, 2011

This picture was taken in the La Rinconada home of  Christa and Noor in 1995. The eldest of the Becker children is Hans...Then comes Christa..then Peter... the three of them always have fun reminscing the good and bad times before and after the war. Karola and Adolf were very young during the teenage years of the three oldest.They all love to sing Old German Folk songs.

Kaffezeit in the Becker Family

August 3, 2011

The picture above was taken in 1948 in Delitzsch, Germany when Hans was released as prisoner of war. Hans was forced to work in the coal mine in Belgium. This is the first picture of the family being together again after the war.

The Kaffe und Kuchen (coffee and cake) is very important in the Becker household. It has to be at Drei uhr (3:00 pm). This tradition has been passed on by the Meinl side of the family, which is Oma (their mother's family). Oma's father Julius Meinl was the founder of Meinl Kaffe in Austria. It was the biggest coffee roasting company in Europe. Opa is German. Therefore the Becker children are half Austrian and half German.

The kitty in Oma's lap is Pummerl. This cat ravaged the dollhouse of Karola, shredding it to pieces. That beautiful dollhouse was built by Hans for Karola. The dollhouse was just a week old. Karola was so devastated. This same cat was loved by Adolf. He went fishing everyday to catch a fish for Pummerl. He then came home and fried the fish for the cat. Adolf does not eat fish.

Making Bread

July 26, 2011

So, I finally decided to learn how to make Hans Brodt about a year ago.  It required that I confiscate the ever so sacred yeast culture...as old as the 50's when Uncle Hans began as a baker in San Francisco. 

He gladly gave me a small amount of the precious goo.  Then I requested the recipe along with some assistance in the making of the bread.  The next day we trundled along driving to the store picking up all the necessary tools of the trade and baking supplies.  

All I remember was that the both of us had a really great time for a full day ending up at my house to begin the bread ceremony.  Naturally, it took 3 days to get it to the final baking phase, but the whole experience was certainly a religious one and Uncle Hans even came the last day to ensure that the bread had been kneeded properly. 

The most memorable part of the experience was unquestionably cutting a very large end-piece and slabbing butter on it.  Less than 8 minutes out of the oven and I could wait no more.  The first bite...  The first bite was beyond anything I could put into words.  Yes, better than sucking face!   

My mother now is with Uma, Upa and Uncle Hans and...  "Es ist drei uhr und Kaffee ist vertich..." every day.

Hans enjoyed a nice red whenever he could.

July 23, 2011

 This photos was taken in the backyard of his daughter, Gabriela's, house during a warm summer night.

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