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<DIV>As the day approaches when the present day church building is demolished on
Route One, consider its history. If you stand at the curb on Route One and
look to the upper reaches of the building, you will see the keystone with a date
of 1928 and the name Sonnenberg.</DIV>
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<DIV>This structure was built by the Sonnenberg family -- a German family who
established a bakery on the site, operated by family members for years. A
daughter, Elsie, lived in the town on Madison Street (behind Chambers Funeral
Home) until the 1990s. MISS (she carefully corrected you if you used any
other prefix) Sonnenberg was a very independent, interesting and feisty
lady. She was in her 90s when she moved to an assisted living
residence. The last time I was in touch with her, she was
planning her 100th birthday and arranging for the champagne to be available and
plentiful. MISS Sonnenberg was born in 1901 and moved into the town in
1928. <U>The Riverdale Story</U> provides a number of references to her
memories of the convenience of using the streetcar that ran into the District
and north towards Laurel. She also remembered the dirt streets in the town
that continued into the 1930s and beyond.</DIV>
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<DIV>Elsie Sonnenberg did not reach her 100th birthday, but died in her 99th
year -- the memories she left tell of a little town on the outskirts of the
Capital, content to stay little as long as it can. It would be worth
a trip up to Route One to see the building she occupied over time while it still
stands -- so sad that all of that history has been and is being lost.</DIV>
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<DIV>I understand that the business association, under the direction of Audrey
Bragg, has requested that the keystone be preserved and she will see that it is
carefully archived. Thanks for following up on this Audrey.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Ann
Ferguson</DIV>
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