70 Years Living the American Dream

The number 70 means almost nothing for many of us that read this story, but for one individual on our island it has deep sentimental value. It has nothing to do with Marilyn Monroe marrying Joe DiMaggio, although that was big news back then, and to remind us how far we have come when we think that milk cost 91 cents a gallon, Swanson TV dinners were 89 cents apiece, and Skippy peanut butter was 37 cents for a 14-ounce jar. Eggs were 53 cents a dozen, Kraft Miracle Whip cost 47 cents for a quart jar, and fresh pineapples were 19 cents each. A movie ticket went for 70 cents, a daily newspaper cost a nickel, and an issue of Life magazine was 20 cents.

For one young man it will always be an important number as it marks the beginning of a journey that began 70 years ago when he first stepped on U.S. soil. That journey led him eventually almost 4,000 miles away from his homeland to a place he now calls home on Marco Island. Earlier in February he and friends gathered together to celebrate what it meant for a young man fleeing war torn Germany and coming to the United States.

Like many Americans who immigrated to the United States after World War II his life would consist of two segments. The first being their time prior to the immigration and the second being their time here in the United States. Such was the case for Norvert “Bert” Hoell who came to the U.S. in 1954 from Germany after the end of World War II but still recalls his early upbringing in East Prussia which was a portion of Germany.

Bert’s father was conscripted into service within the German Army during WWII and his family had little or no knowledge of his whereabouts or condition until after the war. Come to find out, he had been seriously wounded during a battle only 70 miles from where they lived while fighting the Russians who had invaded that portion of Germany. He was placed on a hospital ship and eventually liberated by British forces. It would be years before reuniting with his family later near Berlin.

For the Hoell Family, World War II would end in February of 1945 when the Russian forces overran the Eastern Front with Germany and Bert was 6 ½ years old. However, for the remainder of Europe war raged on until May 8, 1945 when Germany surrendered to Allied Forces. 

Bert still sings the praises of his mother for having the strength to hold the family together during these difficult times.

At the end of the war, and as a result of the partitioning of sections of Germany, the northern portion of East Prussia reverted to the Russians, which sought the ice-free shipping port located there, while the southern portion of East Prussia reverted to Poland.

They would be asked to renounce their citizenship as German citizens when the Russians took over that section of East Prussia, however, Bert’s mother refused, and they were placed on a train for “undesirables” for relocation to the Berlin area of Germany for reprocessing. 

The freight car they were placed had a pile of hay on one end and 25-27 adults, children and elderly at the other end for a weeklong transit to another reprocessing center in the Russian Zone where they were reunited with his father when they would eventually be relocated into West Germany.

Bert’s mother had a sister who had come to America in the early ’30s and settled in Clifton, New Jersey with her husband. Bert’s mother began reaching out to family to let them know they were safe now in the Hanover area of West Germany and she and her sister were in contact with each other. The discussions inevitably began regarding relocating to America.

In October 1953 after a six-year application process the family proceeded to the American Consulate in Hamburg, Germany and three months later they were on a boat steaming to America and a new life. They steamed directly into New York Harbor where the two sisters and their families were finally reunited. 

Upon his arrival here in the U.S. Bert began a whirlwind of experiences and wouldn’t let any opportunity pass him by. It seemed Bert had a natural talent for all things mechanical and he put that to good use, working first for another German gentleman fixing cars at his home in his garage and doing other odd jobs around the area. He would also first meet his future wife working at the automobile repair job when her father came across the street to check out his “nice German boy” working at the repair shop. 

He also wasn’t afraid to tackle most challenges in life. Upon turning 18 he showed up to the local recruitment office to qualify for the draft. Unfortunately for Bert he scored poorly in the language arts section of the testing. The Recruitment Officer, sensing the qualities of this recruit, recommended a local after-hours school which might help to hone those language skills.

Bert would again return for testing and this time pass that section of the testing. The recruiter went on to suggest that he sign up for the Air Force for four years in August 1955. Fast forward another four years and the recruiter’s insight into his potential paid off for both Bert and the Air Force, as he excelled regarding every challenge presented to him.

After discharge from the Air Force Bert went to work for a few companies prior to taking an offer with an upstart venture which had developed a packaging machine for the beverage industry. It wasn’t long before Bert was spending more time on airplanes squaring away issues regarding the machines which the company was manufacturing. It was a love affair that lasted 24 years, where he rose to the level of Service Manager.

In between all this Bert eventually married his wife Inge who has been with him now for over 64 years. Inge also immigrated to the U.S. after the war, but they never met before both families lived in the Clifton Park area of New Jersey

He and his wife later moved to Cincinnati where he worked for a company that had been licensed to manufacture and sell that same product. Working on the same product with the same customers was a dream made in heaven for him and his new employer.

While overseeing work being done for a new installation in Florida Bert made arrangements to fly his wife down for a long weekend during the Christmas Season. This enabled them to visit his old friend Buddy, who had done electrical work part-time when he worked for the initial company Bert worked for before moving to Cincinnati.

Bert was never a fan of Florida, having mostly worked in a factory atmosphere and gone back to a noisy air conditioner in the wall of a motel room to sleep for the evening. His friend Buddy, however, had discovered a different side of the state and never did anything but sing its praises.

He quickly changed his mind about Florida as soon as he crested the Judge Jolley bridge and walked into the open concept of his friend’s home with the lanai doors open and a light breeze blowing through and their Christmas Tree sitting there amongst the warm breezes. He admits today that journey to visit an old friend changed his mind about Florida. “When we came over that bridge we immediately fell in love,” said Hoell, and one thing led to another.

He wasn’t sure how he would tell his boss in Cincinnati that they would be buying a home in Florida, for he wasn’t sure how he would accept the potential idea of his working remotely from the Sunshine State. It was his boss who removed all doubt that it had been the right thing to do, especially after he told Bert he would send him a fax machine and would be saving the company money by living away from Cincinnati on his travels.

They rented the largest moving van available after the closing on the house, said goodbye to Cincinnati and started their new life in the Sunshine State, working remotely for the company before finally retiring a few years later and enjoying the Marco lifestyle, surrounded by friends, many of which came to celebrate Bert’s 70 years here in the United States, which he is extremely proud of today.