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From The Dubois County Daily Herald
Monday, July 1, 1957

Geh Rous Die Shed!
By A. T. Rumbach

Many of the old citizens of Dubois county thought they were talking good German when in reality they were using an ingenious mixture of German and English.

When my grandfather, Blaise Hettich, my parents, Christian and Maria Rumbach and two elder brothers arrived in Jasper from Baden, Germany, they were cordially received by grandpa’s brother, Mathias Hettich and his good wife, Aunt Paula (Eckerle) Hettich, a native of Jasper.   Wanting to be helpful in every way, Aunt Paula, referring to one of the big sea-chests in which they brought their clothes to America, said to my father:

“Geh, Christian, geh rous die SHED; hohl den HATCHET, und OPEN die BOX.   Rehm rous die SUITS and HANG sie on die FENCE in the BACKYARD und gib ihnen am gute AIRING.   By selle TIME is BREAKFAST READY.”

Dad was in a quandary what he was expected to do, for each of the capitalized words above were English and meant nothing to him.  But he had his first lesson in English, and as the objects were pointed out to him, he understood and made them a part of his own vocabulary.