Mary Ann Niemczura was born in Massachusetts, reared in Colorado and now lives in Upstate New York. After studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Heidelberg in West Germany and Vanderbilt University, she earned five degrees in German Language, Literature, Culture, History and Geography. A consummate professional with a passion for teaching, she has taught German for forty-seven years and also taught in Germany as a Fulbright exchange teacher. She is married and has two children.
After gathering many memories as a result of her travels, she decided it was time to document some of them in the form of a poetical memoir called A Past Worth Telling. At heart, she is a storyteller and uses this technique in her classes.
By relating stories of her travels and her life, she has personalized her book for others to relate to. May they too enjoy the journey. She will travel to Germany in July 2014 to visit friends and to see firsthand the current school and teachers with whom she video conferences.
You can read reviews and purchase her book A Past Worth Telling on Amazon.com.
A Past Worth Telling (US)
A Past Worth Telling (UK)
A Past Worth Telling (DE)
Dr. Mary Ann Niemczura 
You have an exceptionally beautiful blog! And what a life you’ve lived and are still involved in! Wow! thanks for sharing, I look forward to spending more time with your work. – Orpheus
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How very kind of you to say so. Words of encouragement and praise are always appreciated. Life is an exciting journey and a winding road. May you enjoy yours!
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thank you! so far, indeed I am.
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Wow! I have never heard of anyone with five degrees, that’s amazing. As you might have seen I studied German at University and had a wonderful time at the University of Tubingen for one year. Heidelberg is a beautiful place too. I look forward to having a closer look at your blog and your book, I’ve never heard of a poetical memoir – how unique and intriguing. 😀
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Thank you for your kind words to me, Annika. I suppose you could say I am a lifelong learner. Tubingen is also beautiful. I hope you enjoy my blog entries and book. What have you done with your German since studying there? I am always intrigued with those who choose to study German which is NOT a difficult language at all. It’s very logical and easy to pronounce (most words). Happy writing to you as well, Annika. I love your name.
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I agree, I found German very easy but perhaps that is because I’m Swedish and so many words were similar. I just loved learning languages and have studied Spanish, Russian, French and Latin as well as I know some Greek. None to degree level though!! Languages are just fun. As I also loved literature this is what I took for my degree but as a career I always wanted to be a journalist so headed for that route after university, thus not using the German much at all alas! Isn’t life so much more interesting if you find every day a new learning experience – my grandfather continued to read and ‘study’ all his life and the family continues the tradition. My name is the diminutive form of Anna – little Anna, that’s so sweet to say you like it, thank you.
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My languages were Latin, French, Old Norse and Middle High German in addition to German. Whenever I gave an example to my students, and I had to give myself a name, I often selected to use Annika because I loved the sound of it. Sometimes I used Anja. Languages are fun, and I wish we had more opportunities to speak them in the US. My book was published last year which is when I began to blog and use Facebook and Twitter. I love blogging since I am a storyteller at heart. Thanks again for writing. I wish I knew Swedish. Maybe someday I will. Now I am back into my music with a voice coach. I studied classical piano and almost majored in it but chose German instead. It’s so much fun to read from others around the world. We are all more alike than we are different. Your photos and blog appeal to me very much.
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Hi Mary Ann—looking forward to our sharing–one educator to another 😉
My mom’s name was Mary Ann—a great and wonderful name—
thank you for stopping in for the visit on cookiecrumbstoliveby–
Blessing—julie
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I look forward as well. Where did you teach? Your mother had a good name! Hahaha. My mother’s name was Mary.
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I taught at Carrollton High School in Carrollton, Ga. I had grown up in Atlanta, landing a teaching position right out of college in Carrollton—I stayed making Carrollton my home—one grandmother was Mary and the other was Julia Ann—hence my being Mary Julia—with my dad having pinned me with “Julie” when I was a baby—a hodge podge to be sure 🙂 HA
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Love the back story. My mother’s mother was also named Mary. Both had Elizabeth as a middle name. My other grandmother was Anna.
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ahhh, I had always said had I had a daughter, I would have named her Elizabeth — but with just one son, oh well 🙂
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We named ours Thomas and Emily – different from either side of the family. We did not want a junior either. It is not easy to come up with names for children – at least it was not easy for either of us. Such is life.
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Us as well– Brenton — no Brenton within miles 😊
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What is the origin of Brenton? I don’t recall knowing anyone with this name.
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Celtic actually but we didn’t know that at the time—we had heard actually on a movie—a frontier couple in Australia had named the baby on the movie “brenton” and we both liked it—so when he was born and they asked us his name, I looked at my husband as I was leaving that up to him and he blurted it out —
now, with my roots being Scotch / Irish, it is most fitting that we chose such–as it mean hilltop—and he has had many hills to climb—he is 27, diagnosed with a learning disability as well as ADD with difficulty in focusing all in the first grade–school has been a long struggle—he is still in college—close to earning the elusive degree—but it has been a long time coming!!
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What a story! For a blog? Life is full of bumpy roads and hills to climb. A lifelong learner, I did five degrees and finished when I was 32. I just kept going and climbing and then taught for 48 years. Where there is a will, there is a way! I enjoyed your comment very much. Thank you.
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I’ve written about Brenton from time to time–mainly when I start the blog 3 years ago—he doesn’t like being fodder for the blog 🙂
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I understand. I try to speak without directly naming people. I might mention a math teacher friend but no name involved. Sometimes I include photos. Most often they are of my students or of nature. As I have become more comfortable, I include some family photos.
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me too 🙂
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No matter our best intentions, the pictures are often times there. Such is life.
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A kind thank you.
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Mary Ann, just to let you know I have included you in a list of favourite / recommended blogs in my latest post. https://annikaperry.wordpress.com It’s the Liebster Award! I thoroughly enjoy your blog and wanted to share it here through this award. Please do not feel under any obligation to accept, however should you wish the ‘rules’ are on my post.
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Annika, I am honored at this award and will join. I’ll answer and come up with questions during the week. You are so kind to say that of my blog and writing which I thoroughly enjoy. I am convinced that some bloggers need to combine their talents and publish a book called The Best of the Blogging World or something similar! Many people have commented to me that they know nothing of blogging and wouldn’t know how to do it. It’s not so mysterious, now is it? Again, thank you for the nomination.
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You’re welcome, Mary Ann and so happy you can do the award. Have fun – I kept adding events and ideas as they came to me during the week and then wrote up the post. I’ll look out for it. I can understand people’s trepidation at doing a blog but I read a lot before starting and then gradually found my feet. I read that you need a grounding reason for the blog – good advice. Personally I find it so important for the blog to have its own ‘voice’ – that makes such a difference. I love your idea of the book – that would be quite something. For my mother’s birthday I did put together a printed manuscript (bound etc) of my first years posts – it did look quite something and came to a lot of words!
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What a wonderful gift idea! Did you print out and assemble the pages or have it done professionally? I used Snapfish for all my photos and posters over the years and some photo books. If you used a professional source, please share with me so I can plan next year’s Christmas gifts for those people who “have everything and don’t need anything” because it is uniquely you and your own! Since my book was a poetic memoir and about the past, it was easy to pick topics from the past. In small chunks, it can become my book which I never thought I could write because it was such a daunting task. It really isn’t. One you put your foot in the water so to speak, you are compelled to continue. I feel the “need” these days to write and never thought I would say that. Thank you for the comment.
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Frankfurt born, my family settled in Belmont. Are you by any chance related to Jean with whom I attended East High? P. S. I shuffled around your blog…it is quite lovely and brought smiles to my face and heart with the wonderful photos. ღ
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What a small world! Indeed, I am related to Jean. We attended East High but I was one of the first graduating classes. Horseshoe Drive in Belmont. I believe we were one of the first on that street in what would have been the early 50s. I recall snakes coming off the prairie. I love your blog title. My book is a poetic memoir which takes the reader from my Massachusetts roots, to Colorado, to Germany(first in Heidelberg for three years and twice later as a Fulbright Exchange Teacher to Neresheim and East Berlin) and then to Upstate New York. Sheila lives in the state of Washington and the youngest lives in OK these days. I am the eldest and played the organ daily at CTK church in Belmont for five years. Let’s keep in touch. My last trip to Germany was 2014.
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We were on Constitution. Most definitely would love to keep in touch! My last trip back was a 4-5 years ago. Hoping to get back again soon now that I’m retired and have the time to travel. ღ
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Ditto. Constitution I know well. We shall keep in touch. What was line of work> I retired from 48 years of teaching German in Sept. 2015 and now have time for travel as well. 🙂
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I was mostly in the legal field. Now that I have the time, we’ll see if I have the $ for the kind of traveling I want to do! I’d love to go back to Germany but stay-I LOVE it there! 🙂
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I miss the good German bread. Life is quite different with the refugees flooding into Germany. I would like to get back at some future point but would like to see Norway again and try Finland as well. One can always dream. 🙂
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Ah…good German bread-nothing quite like it. We are seriously thinking of Norway since it’s not (yet) part of the EU (easier to visit and stay). Yes, the refugees have made it more complicated. I say dream away! ღ
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The schools have changed as well, and my German colleagues tell me that Germany sorely needs teachers who have the Arabic language to be able to teach the new refugee children. I recall a 6th grade English classroom I taught with two teen sisters from Romania who knew little German, and I was trying to teach them English. It is so very difficult to learn another foreign language IN a foreign language.
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You could stop at “it’s hard to learn a foreign language period!”
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I love learning and foreign languages are so much fun. I have a good ear which must come from my piano and singing background.
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My mom was that way. I struggle with my German. Decent vocabulary but crap grammar!
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At what age did you come to the US? This may account for the grammar end of things. I love grammar and treat German grammar like a mathematical puzzle. It is quite logical. German pronunciation is very regular. English grammar is supposedly easier but our pronunciations are not for foreigners learning it.
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Age 3. I was fluent when I came to this country but mom wanted to only speak English in the house so lost it. I get anxious whenever I have to converse with a native speaker now and my brain & tongue get twisted up. 😉
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It’s very normal. If you spend time in Germany, it will come back to you rather quickly. Students quite frequently asked me the same question three times before my brain decided which language I had heard and which language I would answer in. I understand that feeling all too well.
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Yup, that’s my problem. But you’re right, immersion is the best way to sink or swim. 🙂
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The last time we lived in East Berlin while I taught at the Pasteuroberschule, my children were in 2nd and 5th grades. When we returned to Germany as we did for a wedding, my son picked up the language more quickly and our daughter started speaking German when we returned home! I love the way the human brain absorbs languages. I think you would be fine after 3-6 months in Germany assuming you heard German, even a little, growing up.
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Hope springs eternal! ღ
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Yes. Keep moving forward. Happy Spring to you! Happy gardening as well.
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Thanks, Mary Ann. We got a fair amount cleaned up. Hopefully there will be some significant rain or snow now. 😉
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We always have significant amounts in our area. Too bad we can’t send it elsewhere. 🙂
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Hi again, I keep writing answers and then for them to disappear on wp today. Grrr. About the ‘book’ about my posts, I assembled it myself, which took hours and hours to format correctly. Then I had it printed by my son’s school printing department – who are far too cheap! They did a lovely job. How interesting how your book came together; they do say in small steps and it all quickly adds up. That feeling of ‘needing’ to write is wonderful!
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Thanks for the book information. I know for example that Facebook will create a book for you, but I would much prefer something from WordPress and will investigate further. My book “came together” within the span of three weeks of intensive writing 8-9 hours per day. The editing, formatting, proofing took months longer since I was teaching full time. Book written in July and finally published the following February. I agree on the NEEDING part of writing. Creative people are sometimes compelled to work on the projects differently than other folks. When I answered a colleague’s question about how long it took me, he looked at me with big eyes and remarked “Oh, so you are one of THOSE writers.” I didn’t realize that I was at the time, but I guess he was correct. You spent far much more time than I would on putting that book together. I will let the professionals do that end of it and free up my time for creating. There is great pleasure in creating with one’s own hands though! Happy writing.
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Danke, Annika Perry.
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Thank you.
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Thanks so much for following The Write Edge Writing Workshop! I hope you find the stories there interesting and entertaining. Have a wonderful week!
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My pleasure and happy writing to you as well.
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Quite amazing that you lived in Mass, Colorado, and New York state — a real cross-section of the USA. I’m glad to meet you and share our writing “habits”, and I look forward to following your travel log.
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Thank you so much for the visit. I enjoyed stopping by your many blogs. Happy writing and blogging! 🙂
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Thank you for those multiple visits! Too many things I enjoy writing about; can’t keep it all in one spot! Ha! Happy writing and blogging to you, also!
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Since my blog has themes similar to my book which is a poetic memoir, I can use almost any theme so it is convenient. 🙂
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Happy to discover and follow your blog after your follow to mine
Thank you so much
Aniota
https://femmeetinfos.wordpress.com
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My pleasure. 🙂
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It is a pleasure to meet you.
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You are welcome.
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Dear Mary Ann, you once wrote a comment in the ‘About us’ page, in which you stated that you studied German in Heidelberg. It is only now that I went through all the comments on that page. I am very sorry that I did not respond earlier. Your poems remind me of my own childhood in the postwar years. My friends and I spent entire days exploring and playing wild games in the woods also totally without supervision. Warm greetings from Canada!
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Dear Peter, first, thank you for getting back to me. Your dwelling place sounds serene and inviting. I imagine all the enjoyable hours your sons could play in nature and observe its wonders. We need more families to experience this freedom to explore and marvel at the wonders nature offers us. I love the four seasons here in Upstate New York and really don’t mind the snow that much. When I need a quiet place, I can always go to the nearby lake and sit on a bench and let the stress flow from me and into the lake and sky. Thanks for your warm greetings. I likewise send you greetings. Our first light snowfall came Oct. 26 this year. Have a wonderful week and stop by for another visit sometime. Much appreciated. ^__^
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Thank you, Mary Ann, for your kind words! You too are living in a very beautiful area. I guess the geographical location NY could be misleading and conjure up images of urban sprawl. For you live also in a region, where you can easily find tranquil places to relax. BC, Canada, is also a four-seasons wonderland. I looking forward to reading your next post. Thanks again!
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Thank you, Peter, for your kind words. Yes, we are lucky to have four seasons, lakes and many tranquil places to walk and relax and enjoy nature. My latest post is called Elixir of Life. Enjoy the rest of the week and stop by for another visit! Much appreciated. ^__^
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am much enjoying your site 🙂
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What a lovely and heartfelt comment I just found from you. Thank you for taking the time to explore and visit my site. Happy reading as well!
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Good to connect Mary Ann.. look forward to more of your poetry.
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Thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated.
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Hi Mary Ann! I read with joy that you´ve studied and taught German as I am one 😉 And I absolutely agree, it really isn´t a very difficult language and I wish more people would learn it! I think what might put most people off is that you can´t speak it just about everywhere like with English so why bother? I´m currently learning French which I find much harder to learn! 😀 Even Greek and Latin were so much easier! 😀 But it is a beautiful language and I´m determined to go through with it.
Wish you a wonderful day! Sarah
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Agree with you and languages. I had split minors with French and history. Latin in high school. Now I am singing in Polish and struggling with pronunciation. It is a great challenge to me as a lifelong learner. Thanks for another lovely comment from you, Sarah. I am glad you found me and visited my blog. Have a great day.
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I had Latin, English and Greek at school and learned Spanish at university. But I wish I had started earlier with French! 😀 Next on the list are Italian and Russian. So glad to have found another language enthusiast in you! 😀
Have a wonderful day! 🙂
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Languages make the world go round! Keep on learning languages.
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Totally agree! 🙂
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Enjoy the rest of your week and upcoming weekend. 🙂
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Mary Ann, thank you for visiting my blog recently. Your comment piqued my interest, and so does this “About” page. My father’s parents came to NYC from the Hanover, Germany area over a hundred years ago. My father grew up speaking German around the house, which served him well as a Chemical engineer, but I only learned a few numbers, preferring French in high school. He and my mother went back and met a number of relatives – maybe some day I will visit the area, too. Best of luck in your travels and explorations, both physical and intellectual.
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I have traveled throughout Europe and North Africa. With plane travel the way it is today, I am not a fan even though I have been known to fly occasionally. Great news about your Dad’s parents from Germany. You even know the city. Languages are great a teaching German was my passion for many moons.
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you’re welcome:
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Enjoy the weekend.
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congratulations on publication of your book Mary Ann. a HUGE achievement.
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Thank you, Libby. Along with the achievement came the hard work. Your comment is much appreciated.
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Thank you so much for the follow, Mary Ann! I have really enjoyed reading your blog this evening!
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You are kind to say so. Your comment is much appreciated.
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My pleasure, Mary Ann.
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Have a great writing-filled week!
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Thank you!
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My pleasure as always.
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Hi Mary Ann! Lovely to meet you. I’m so drawn to your poetical memoir; A Past Worth Telling. I have no doubt it is, with such an impressive resume. Maybe I’ll get to read one day but I should start with the blog first. 🙂 Thank you for visiting and following my blog. Much appreciated!
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Hi Khaya, always my pleasure. Your kind comment is much appreciated. Annika Perry has a way of bringing people together. I’ll be back for another visit soon.
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I did find the discussions of languages very interesting. I speak some languages (English, Spanish, French and Portuguese), but in school I learnt also German and Swedish. My mother tongue is Finnish. We love German language. Our TV shows German series (Krimis), which keep up our German skills. My wife speaks it and she had ordered from Germany a magazine “Freizeit Revue”, which reads and solves its puzzles. Every now and then we watch also in Internet German TV stations, like ZDF and ARD.
We have made three road trips to Germany lasting every time two weeks. Languages offer very much information about cultures and habits of foreign countries.
Matti
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It is good to know that I might be able to use my German skills as well as English. My husband has distant relatives in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia so he has been brushing up on his language skills. We also watch a foreign language television channel in many languages which is helpful in keeping our languages up to date. Thanks, Matti, for you lovely comment. Mary Ann
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Thank you for following my blog!
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WOW, look at that Mary. Hope i too be able to get even a quarter of those degrees in time 🙂 Looking forward to read.
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Thanks.
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Pleasure Mary
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“”__””
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🙂
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Best of luck. Where there’s a will; there’s a way!
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haha. Yes. Thank you Mary. My will is certainly showing me a way.
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Such is life! Thank you. “”__””
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Goodness! I lived as an expat (British) in Heidelberg and the surrounding areas from the early ’90s until 2004. Isn’t Heidelberg wonderful?! I enjoyed the way of life and the various people I met there. Learning the German cooking. And what a clever and beautiful language German is. All the best, Faith xo
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Faith, so kind of you to drop by. My time in Heidelberg was earlier than when you were there. As a twice Fulbright Exchange Teacher, I taught in Neresheim and then the second time in Berlin. My two children lived with me each year and attended German schools and became fluent in German. I am happy you visited and looked up the author part of my website. Take care and enjoy the week. Thank you and visit again. oxox
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Hi
I visited your site. Very nice & interested writeen blog. I like.
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rajkkhoja, thank you. Do you also write a blog?
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