German exchange student hopes to find old classmates

A German woman wants to reconnect with Fairfield, where she attended school as an American Field Service exchange student more than 60 years ago.

Ingeborg 'Inga” Asmussen attended Fairfield High School as an American Field Service exchange student during the 1952-1953 academic year. She stayed with H.L. (Si) and Helen Sellers at 605 S. Main St. Another German, Dieter Müller, was also an exchange student at Fairfield that same year. Inga, her husband Joachim, and Dieter all flew from Germany to attend the Class of 1953's 40th reunion in 1993.

'If the Fairfield High School Class of 1953 had given out awards for longest distance traveled, two classmates would have won the contest hands-down,” reported The Ledger in its Oct. 6, 1993 article about the two Trojan alumni traveling so far for the reunion.

A few months ago, Inga wrote to The Ledger to say that she is still alive and well, living in Flensburg, Germany. She is now a member of a team of senior hobby writers. About four times each year, the local magazine 'Flensburg Journal” publishes the group's articles on matters dealing with elderly people.

Inga told the group it would be nice to reflect on her time in the United States in the 1950s, the relationship between the two countries, and especially on the evolution of Fairfield. How has the town changed in the 65-plus years since? Are any of Inga's former classmates still in town, and what are they up to?

Those who wish to contact Inga directly can email her at akshaiam@t-online.de, or call her in Germany at 461-182-5050. To call Germany, dial 011, the U.S. exit code, then dial 49, Germany's country code, and then the number of the person.

Residents with information or a message they wish to pass along to Inga may also bring it to The Ledger, and we will ensure she receives it.

Inga wrote to The Ledger, 'With many thanks, I am sending best greetings from the most northern city of Germany” to the most Midwestern city in America.

Sadly, The Ledger does not have any contact information for Dieter, or know anything of his whereabouts. The 1993 Ledger article indicates that he returned to Germany and became a lawyer specializing in commercial and international private law. He had returned to Fairfield seven times in the 40 years since he first set foot in town, and had visited the United States 30-40 times, mostly on business trips.

Dieter married and had two sons, both of whom studied in the United States, and one of them even in Fairfield. Dieter participated in track and basketball during his time here. He once told The Ledger that he was surprised at the number of athletic opportunities in the U.S.

'I was not so much interested in the studies as the sports,” he said. 'I remember the unforgettable odor – the mixture of root beer and sweaty feet.”

When Dieter returned to Fairfield in 1993, he said the town hadn't changed that much in the prior 40 years, with a few exceptions. He noted that there were no longer two bars and a liquor store on the square like there was in 1953.

'I think it's discriminatory to people who like liquor once in awhile,” he joked.

Dieter and Inga were sad to see Gaumer's Drugstore had closed, once located on the northwest corner of the square. They described the drugstore as 'an institution for the high school kids.”

'My real English course was not at school – it was at Gaumer's,” Dieter said.

The Ron Blough family initially hosted both exchange students, until Inga went to live with the Sellers family. Inga kept a nightly journal of her activities abroad, missing only about 5-10 days when she ran out of money to buy a new notebook. The yearbook described Inga as being 'engrossed” in her classes, active in choir, and eager to learn about America. Her favorite experience was performing in an operetta.

Dieter, who hails from Cologne, was asked in 1993 if he still felt connected to Fairfield after so many years.

'We have been, in a certain way, Fairfielders,” he said. 'It has never been erased from our lives.”