Happy birthday to Grandmother?

Sat., January 19, 1935 - Went up to the schoolhouse about 9:30.  Took about 2 hours to get the room warmed.  Howard didn't come, it's 8 degrees below zero tonite.  We played 500 Rummy until 11:30.
Sun., January 20, 1935 - Didn't get up until 10:30.  Embroidered all p.m.  About 14 degrees below zero this afternoon.  Had ice cream this evening -- just set the pan with mixture outside and let it freeze.  Tasted very good.
Mon., January 21, 1935 - Everybody except Ruby and Robert in school.  Still very cold.  About 16 degrees below zero tonite.  Grandmother is 82 years old today.

Usually Dorothea is Grussmother, right?  Oh, well.  It's all good.  I hope she had a good birthday.

The lady on the right in the photo is Dorothea's sister, Martha.  While I remember hearing about family in Holyrood, Kansas on occasion, I do not recall learning much about her or her clan.  A quick trip over to ancestry.com provides good information.

I have found her husband's name was Peter Hermann (Henry) Siemsen, born on Fehmarn Island, like all of Dorothea's and Martha's ancestors.  I need to read up some more, but one thing that jumps out about Peter/Henry is that his brother Johann Heinrich Siemsen, died at sea.  Both Holland and Indonesia are mentioned, which could mean someone is mistaken or perhaps he was living in Holland and was traveling and died in the waters off Indonesia.  I may have to research some more.

In sorting through the oodles of information available, I am not sure of the right name for Dorothea's sister.  Her tombstone should be the best guide, I would think and it reads "Dorathea Magdalena Siemsen -- nee Kahler".  But other family trees and records include the following names in various orders, one had three of the four:  Martha, Magdalena, Dorathea, Dora.  I also found the name of the ship she and her family traversed the ocean on in order to arrive at New York in 1899.

Here are some details:

     The GRAF WALDERSEE was built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg in 1898 for the Hamburg America Line and was one of four sister ships. This was a 12,830 gross ton ship, length 561.2ft x beam 62.2ft, one funnel, four masts, twin screw and a speed of 14 knots.

     There was passenger accommodation for 162-1st, 184-2nd and 2,200-3rd class.

     Laid down as the PAVIA she was actually launched on Dec. 10, 1898 as the GRAF WALDERSEE and commenced her maiden voyage from Hamburg to Boulogne and New York on April 2, 1899.

     In Autumn 1910 she was rebuilt to 13,193 gross tons and with accommodation for 408-2nd and 2,310-3rd class passengers.

     She started her first Hamburg - Philadelphia crossing on Oct. 28, 1910 and her last Hamburg - New York - Hamburg voyage started on June 27, 1914.

     On March 23, 1919 she was surrendered to the US government under the war reparations scheme and was used to repatriate American troops from Europe and later as a naval transport.

     In 1920 she was ceded to Britain and managed by P&O Line until 1922 when she was sold to Kohlbrand Werft, Hamburg and broken up. -- [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.1,p.405] [Merchant Fleets by Duncan Haws, vol.4, Hamburg America Line]

The family arrived in September 1899, so the ship was still fairly new then.