Local Author Speaks at Oswego Rotary Club

The speaker at the May 19 Oswego Rotary Club meeting was local author and Rotary member Valerie Hutchinson. She talked about her recently published book Strength, Strudel and Song.
The book is her grandmother’s story. Valerie’s interest began with stories and family pictures shared by her mother. This motivated her to search for more information on her family history.
Valerie’s grandmother, Antoinette Sietmann, was born in 1899 in Leoben, Austria and emigrated to New York City in 1918. There she married Albert Salzenburg, a butcher and fellow immigrant. The book is a story of their struggles and the challenges of the historical era in which they lived.
The book’s title reflects three important characteristics of Antoinette’s life. Her strength got her and her family through the difficulties and tragedies they faced. This determination got her from working as a maid and in a factory to eventually owning her own business in Saratoga NY.
Strudel represents her hospitality and her ability to bring and keep her family together. This ability is also reflected in the third word: song. Antoinette loved singing and music, as well as laughter and food, was a vital glue that held the family together.
For Valerie this story expands from one about her grandmother to one about immigrants and, beyond that, to all people. The book is written to illustrate the importance of family and mutual support. It is, however, also an inspiration for all who face struggles in their life.