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Published on 07/22/1996 All articles from this issue

Families meet after writing 47-years worth of letters

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By Carolyn Barnes

Special to the Town Crier

It's a special feeling to finally meet people you've corresponded with for 47 years

"They're really just like our family after so many years of letters," said Los Altan Joseph Maurer, a systems software engineer for Apple Computer.

Forty-seven years ago, in the wake of World War II, Maurer's family almost starved in a tiny southern Bavarian village. His young father had lost both legs in combat, and there were nine children to feed.

An American couple, Elva and Earnest Miller, received the Maurer's name and address from an international exchange program and began sending food, outgrown clothing, and holiday checks. But most importantly, they sent friendly letters of concern and encouragement to the impoverished Maurers.

"My mother found a translator in the next village and paid with eggs to have the letters translated," Maurer said. "This connection was so important to us."

"I never knew about the eggs," said Elva Miller, sitting at Maurer's kitchen table July 14.

"When I started to learn English, it would take most of the day to write to Mr. and Mrs. Miller," Maurer said. "Even when I moved to France, I continued to correspond with the Millers, and so did others in my family who remained in Germany."

Maurer, his wife, Ghislaine, and their four children moved to Los Altos in 1991 on international assignment for Apple.

"But even though we were on the same continent with the Millers, if we had vacation time, we needed to return to Europe. So we still hadn't met them," Maurer said.

The Millers, now retired, decided to drive from their home in Fort Myers, Fla., to Los Altos in order to meet an actual Maurer (they had pictures galore of three or four generations of Maurers, which were sent along with letters over the years).

"We were afraid we'd miss them, and they'd move back to Europe without us ever getting together," Miller said. "We've covered 5,700 miles in the last two weeks.'

Miller thought nothing of driving 400 miles out of the way to visit old friends enroute.

Two weeks ago, 47 years of pictures were spread over the Maurer's table: Maurer and his brother as toddlers; Maurer's legless father shoveling snow from a homemade sled; weddings; family reunions; babies.

"We didn't have a lot of money - we were newlyweds when we started writing - but we sent what we could when they needed it, and then just kept writing," said Elva Miller.

"This story is a very important part of my life," Maurer