THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, August 2, 2024 Page 11 they left, the Meisters shared some family photos from the 1940s and also took a photo of their family gathered in front of Malden High School, the school of their father and grandfather. “We enjoyed our stay around Boston/Malden/Stoneham, Mass.,” Conny said in a recent email he sent to me. “We were lucky to meet so BABY MARITTA: Maritta (Frettstedt) Meister is shown with her mother, Hertha (left) and grandmother, circa 1946 or 1947. (Courtesy Photo/Meister Family) that Maritta was a later in life off - spring of his great-grandmother, Hertha’s mother. Meanwhile, with the war over and communications coming out of then-Russian-occupied East Germany certainly no easy task, the yearning to discover the full identity of Maritta’s birth father would have to be put on hold. The Meisters did research for years and revealed that Private Voigt – who apparently added an “h” to his last name for more common surname spelling, “Voight” – was sent to Japan after Germany, then discharged. The new Army veteran returned to the United States, fi rst back to Malden, where he grew up, and then to Stoneham, where he spent a greater number of years of his life. Mr. Voight, as he now spelled his name, did marry, but he never had any other children. He passed away in Stoneham in 2007 at the age of 87. He was employed by the Town of Stoneham for many years before his retirement and left his wife, Edith “Cookie” (Martucci) Voight. Edith passed away in 2012 in Stoneham. The road for the Meisters led to Malden High in May for one main reason: Maritta simply wanted to see the face of her father, William Voigt, Conny’s grandfather. That is when I met them and became fascinated by their story, hoping to help them see their wish granted. William Voigt entered Malden High in 1938 The Meisters knew that Mr. Voigt entered Malden High School, then just grades 10, 11 and 12, in 1938. We scoured the Maldonian yearbooks of 1938, 1939 and 1940, searching for his photo, fi guring he would have been in the Class of 1940. Unsuccessful on fi nding a named photo, Conny and Maritta kept looking. We enlisted the help of longtime Maldonian advisor and Malden High English Language Arts educator Jim Valente and still could not locate a photo or Voigt’s name. Then, a “Eureka” moment – still in existence at Malden High School is the “old-school” (literally!) index-card-like “Cardex” record-keeping system. Going back well over 100 years, there is a fi le cabinet that holds an index card for every student who ever attended Malden High School, in alphabetical order. So, what was burrowed in the tried-andtrue Malden High School Cardex fi les? Voilà! William Voigt’s inforThe Future Starts With Savings. SECURE YOUR TOMORROW WITH OUR 18-MONTH CD. *Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate of the date posted and is subject to change without notice. APY assumes the interest remains on deposit until maturity. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. Offer may be withdrawn at any time. A minimum of $500 is required to open a Certificate of Deposit and earn the advertised APY. Member FDIC | Member DIF MARITTA THROUGH THE YEARS: Here are some family photos of Maritta (Frettstedt) Meister through the years. (Courtesy Photo/Meister Family) mation – most importantly, William Voigt’s photo. Holding the Voigt Cardex card, with photo, aloft like it was pure gold, I walked out to the front of the offi ce and beckoned the Meisters into a nearby conference room. For the fi rst time ever, Maritta Meister could look at a photo of her birth father, William Voigt (Voight), and Conny Meister could see his grandfather. Yes, some tears of joy arrived with the monumental “Mission Accomplished” for the Meister family. A touching moment for the German girl in search of her father It was certainly a touching moment for Maritta and Jurgen and their son, Conny. “My mother was so happy,” Conny said. “So many years, never knowing what her father looked like, then to be successful in her search all of her life.” With the Cardex, we also discovered why he was not featured in the yearbooks. He never fi nished his time at Malden High, leaving the school after the third quarter, we believe, so he could go on to enlist in the U.S. Army. The Meisters stayed a few extra days, met some former neighbors of Mr. Voight in StoneWilliam J. Voigt was a student at Malden High School. ham and then returned to Germany, where Maritta and Jurgen live in Michelstadt, Hesse. Maritta has three children, including the youngest, Conny, and seven grandchildren. Conny lives nearby in Tubingen, Germany. Before many friendly and open-hearted people like you and really appreciated the help and hospitality,” Conny wrote. “Moreover, I would like to thank you all again for giving us the opportunity to have a look at the Yearbooks (and records) and thus to fi nally have a look at our father/ grandfather.” What a tremendous story, and everyone loves a happy ending. Maybe someday we will see it on the Hollywood screen. One never knows. MAP OF GERMANY: The arrow on this map of Germany indicates where Mehringen, Saxony-Anhalt in Germany is located in the country; about 100 miles southwest of Berlin. (Courtesy Photo) 18-Month CD 5.0% APY* There’s Every Bank, Then There’s
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