The Herald Bulletin - 99 beers for 99 years

Sun, Mar 21 2010

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Henry Diedring will celebrate his 99th birthday Nov. 20th with his family and 99 beers.
John P. Cleary / The Herald Bulletin

Henry Diedring will celebrate his 99th birthday Nov. 20th with his family and 99 beers. Here Henry points to the family photos over his chair showing his family in their younger days; he and his wife; his three children; and five grandchildren. His four great-grandchildren are not shown. Diedring's entire family will home to help celebrate his 99th birthday.
John P. Cleary / The Herald Bulletin

Henry Diedring will celebrate his 99th birthday Nov. 20th with his family and 99 beers.
John P. Cleary / The Herald Bulletin

/ The Herald Bulletin

Henry Diedring will celebrate his 99th birthday Nov. 20th with his family and 99 beers.
John P. Cleary / The Herald Bulletin

Published November 20, 2009 10:39 am - ANDERSON — Hanging on the wall next to Henry Diedring’s sofa are some family photos, a visage of Diedring’s legacy which includes three children, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Today, the Diedring brood will celebrate Henry’s 99th birthday as well as his German heritage with 99 bottles of German brew.

99 beers for 99 years
Diedring plans to celebrate birthday, German heritage

By Sam Brattain

For The Herald Bulletin

ANDERSON — Hanging on the wall next to Henry Diedring’s sofa are some family photos, a visage of Diedring’s legacy which includes three children, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Today, the Diedring brood will celebrate Henry’s 99th birthday as well as his German heritage with 99 bottles of German brew.

His grandchildren have dubbed the event “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall,” which will also feature brats, sauerkraut and German chocolate cake.

“The original goal was to have 99 beers. My uncle would build shelves to put them on the wall,” said Kelly Diedring-Harris, one of five grandchildren.

“But it will probably be closer to 50 different kinds ... There might be 99 beers there but I don’t think they’ll all be different.”

Still, that’s not bad for a 99-year-old father of three, grandfather of five and great-grandfather of four who still goes to Cracker Barrel for breakfast twice a week.

Coming over

Diedring’s father originally immigrated to Canada in 1914 after hearing that the streets were paved in “gold.”

He planned on sending for the rest of the family after he earned enough money, but the start of World War I delayed the reunion.

In the meantime, Diedring lived with his mother and brother in the German city, Westphalia. His mother worked in a prisoner camp to support the family during the war, while Diedring and his older brother John were in school. Diedring has not forgotten about his time in Germany, as he looks to a photo of his first-grade class.

“That’s for remembrance,” says Diedring, pointing out himself in the photo.

Diedring was 10 when he finally boarded a ship for Ellis Island on Dec. 21. They celebrated Christmas and New Year’s at sea, with strangers and other immigrants. On arrival on Jan. 3, 1922, Diedring and his brother knelt and kissed the ground.