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Essay / Norma Jean Koch and her stories - 532
Norma Jean Koch, a woman of many words and many stories. Norma Jean Koch, or at Presbyterian Manor, Jean Koch, has a story with many twists and turns. It all starts with his grandfather, who was Count of Hathaway, in Germany. He and other counts came to the United States, probably as stowaways, and arrived at Ellis Island. From there he was supposed to meet a man to teach him a trade, but the man died on the long journey to New York. When that happened, he became a shoemaker. As soon as he had enough money, he married Anna Canterwin Valpol. Anna was a French professional seamstress. As Jean recalls: “All she needed to make a beautiful dress was a notepad, a pen and a measuring tape. In fact, I think she could measure it once and remember it for as long as anyone lives. From there she had her biological mother, who learned to sew the same way as Anna. Her parents met in the summer of 1920 and married in 1921. Less than a year later, the eldest in her family, Lucy, was born. Lucy's story ended with a tragic twist. After a heart attack and stroke, she made you...