Winifred and Demetria spent a lot of time together. Winifred commented one day that Carl was of an age that he should find himself a good wife; one who knew how to run a household. A woman with a father-in-law like the Major would be fortunate indeed. Winifred had always been proud of her husband’s service in the Prussian army, and generally liked military men. Despite her pride in her German heritage, she never resented Grayson’s service in the Great War. Soldiers serve their country, she told him once. Then she boasted about just how many countries it took to finally force a change of government in Germany. Germany remained undefeated in the war, she bragged at dinner one evening. Grayson readily agreed, and spoke very highly of Field Marshall Hindenburg. He asked her what she thought of the new German government now that the Kaiser had abdicated. She said that more democracy was a good thing, but worried about the growing instability, particularly the economic situation. She was still in regular contact with family in Germany, and was well aware of the hardships they were facing. If we aren’t careful, she told Grayson, then Germany will be taken over by Gesindel (riff-raff). Her sister had written her about her two sons Hans and Günther, who were planning to join the National Socialists. Winifred wrote her back pleading that she should do everything possible to persuade them to stay away from the Brown Shirt thugs and the Austrian hobo.

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Demetria commented to Winifred that any man who had Ellen as his wife, was blessed by the Lord. She pointed out that Scripture says that such a woman is worth more than rubies. Eventually, the two decided that Carl and Ellen were a perfect match. Carl began coming over to the new house for dinner, and would often walk over to Terrance’s house in the early evening after farm work was done to sit and talk with Ellen. Then they rode to church together, went to Bible studies together and attended dances in town. Carl always made sure to ask Winifred’s permission before spending time with Ellen. Demetria told him that was the fitting and proper thing to do. Eventually, Winifred told Carl that her granddaughter was a woman, not a child, and could conduct herself anyway she saw fit. One day while baking bread, Winifred looked at Ellen and laughed. Ellen asked why she was laughing.

“In a virtuous way, of course, it never hurts to be a little friendly,” she said.

Ellen blushed and burst out laughing.

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Carl was building a small house on some land Grayson had given him. He told his father that he would propose once the house was done. Grayson agreed, and then promised to help him buy Ellen’s ring. Carl was tiring of working construction and odd jobs. He had a serious discussion with the Major about college, officer training and the army. Carl decided that Grayson was right, but was afraid of Ellen’s reaction. He was surprised one evening at dinner when Ellen stated that she thought the army was a good idea. She was thrilled to hear that after the army, he planned to work with Grayson in his new business. There would be no more farms or farm work he assured her. It wasn’t much later that Sarah was born. A year later Hitler sent German troops into Poland and war broke out in Europe. Grandma Winifred held out hope that Hitler would be deposed by the German military, which, as she put it, had no honor in taking orders from a fanatical corporal. A Putsch was all that was needed to restore sanity and honor in Germany. Carl told her that it was going to take a whole hell of a lot more than that. Eventually, he left for service in North Africa. In March, the family left for Westbridge. Ellen and Sarah moved into Margaret’s house. One day Sarah came home crying. Ellen and Winifred were in the kitchen roasting a turkey. Ellen turned around when Sarah came in through the kitchen door. She walked over to her and brushed the hair out of her eyes.

“Why are you crying, Sarah?”

“Dorothy said her dad died fighting the Germans,” Sarah said sobbing. “She said they all do.”

Ellen looked at her and smiled. Then she gave her a stern look.

“The war will end, and your father will come home a man of honor; you can be sure of that.”

Winifred Schmidt

Winifred is the youngest child of Cornelius and Hildegard Müller, and granddaughter of Ferdinand and Gretel Müller. Winifred's father and grandfather are officers in the Prussian army, and a family tradition holds that the family is related to the Hohenzollern family. Well, that's what Winifred is told. She marries Heinrich Schmidt, a Prussian officer who serves in the Franco-Prussian War. Following the death of Heinrich's first wife, Brunhilde, he receives permission from Cornelius Müller to court his daughter, despite that fact that she is 24 years younger. Heinrich served in the same regiment as Ferdinand Müller, whose brother Wilhelm married Heinrich's sister, Katarina Schmidt. The family immigrates to the United States in 1878 and Heinrich buys land from the government at a very good price in what would become Green Ridge Valley. Terrance is born in 1879, his brother Jürgen having been born in Prussia. Heinrich dies in 1922, the same year in which Major Grayson Larimore settles on land owned by Josiah Larimore, building a house very close to the Schmidt home. Following Heinrich's death, Winifred moves in with Jürgen and his son Otto. Terrance marries Myrna Williams, who dies giving birth to Helena, later called Ellen. Then Jürgen dies a few months later and Winifred, who spends all of her time taking care of Ellen, moves in with Terrance. 

Oma, as Ellen calls her, is not only an expert cook who delights other German families who move to Green Ridge Valley with traditional German dishes, she can also brew excellent German beer. She continues to brew beer during Prohibition, and thrills neighbors with her promise that should Carrie Nation show up in her neck of the woods, she will show the "drys" that Nation isn't the only woman who can swing an ax. Ellen studiously learns how to cook and bake from Winifred, and also develops a strong pride in their Prussian heritage. Winifred follows political developments in Germany with considerable trepidation, having quickly developed an enduring hatred of Hitler and the National Socialists, even writing to her sister in Munich and imploring her to prevent her two sons from joining the Sturmabteilung. She is a strong supporter of President Hindenburg, and Ellen soon shares her grandmother's views. Ellen's hatred of Hitler is so strong that she once angrily berated the editor of a local German-language newspaper for daring to put a picture of Hitler on the front page. Ellen also has a quick temper in general, something her cousin Otto teases her about. So Winifred enrolls Ellen in Matron Lorna Quigley's Ladies' Domesticity Academy, a local finishing school, and Ellen soon becomes what she would call a lady who "behaves in a fitting and appropriate manner." That said, the simple mention of Hitler's name could elicit torrents of angry German. Winifred takes great pride in Carl's service in Europe during the war, having decided that a destructive war is the only way to get rid of Hitler and his rabble. 

Winifred soon becomes close friends with Demetria Larimore, wife of Major Grayson Larimore and mother of Carl. Both women decide that Carl and Ellen are a "smart match," and Carl begins courting Ellen and finally marrying her. Soon afterwards, Sarah is born. When the Major moves the family south to Westbridge, Winifred goes with them, Heinrich and Terrance having died years before. The Major builds a small house for her next to his own so that Winifred and Demetria could continue to spend their time sitting on the back porch playing Pinochle and helping each other cook and bake. Winifred spends a lot of time at Ellen's house, and Sarah likes to listen to her mother and grandmother chattering away in German. It is grandma Winifred who taught Sarah the word Kröte , meaning "toad," and Sarah quickly begins referring to Mrs. Anita Lowery, Second School's Counselor, by this nickname. Winifred lives to a very old age and is remembered fondly by the people of Westbridge.  

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Carl Larimore was standing next to Terrance. Carl had a reputation as a fighter who never refused a challenge. Terrance knew that he did odd jobs, usually construction and some agricultural work. Now it was time for a new house. Not only was it too small, the roof leaked despite having been fixed several times. The wood around the porch was rotting, and Winifred complained often about mice. She would swat at them with a broom if they got close enough to her. The stairs leading to the second level also needed fixing. Terrance and Ellen each had a small bedroom upstairs. Winifred had a makeshift bedroom on the ground floor. She had trouble with her hips, and climbing stairs was difficult for her.

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Ellen’s grandmother was “off the boat” German, as Ellen put it. Ellen herself spoke fluent German. But she didn’t speak it around the house very often. When she spoke with Winifred, she chattered away in German. Sarah found it interesting, and later took German at school. Carl had no personal dislike of Germans at all. He had been particularly fond of Winifred, who was in regular contact with family in Germany and Poland. She told Ellen that President Hindenburg was a “good man, good soldier, and a good German.” Grayson spoke with respect of the Germans, telling Carl that they were “top notch soldiers,” something he learned during the Great War. But Winifred repeatedly called curses down on the head of Hitler and the Nazis. She sent money back home to be donated to any party running against the Strolch (thug) from Austria and his Gesindel (riff-raff). When Carl and Ellen had dinner with Winifred shortly before Carl was to be deployed, she looked at him and smiled.

“Kill all the Nazis you can; real Germans will thank you.”