Werner and Elizabeth Schumann, residents of Ingleside at King Farm, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Rockville, Md., know all too well that chances rarely come twice. They both left Germany early in their lives to find a fresh start in the United States. Later, the two overcame a deep historical and cultural divide and took the chance on each other. Now, they are enjoying an active retirement together.

Born in Germany, Elizabeth moved to the United States when she was 12. "I knew all of 150 words of English," she recalled. Despite the language barrier, Elizabeth excelled in school and went on to receive her Master's degree in social work from the University of Chicago. She worked for many years as a clinical social worker, including her most recent post at the National Institute of Health.

For Werner, the road to the United States was a bit bumpier. He lived in Berlin throughout World War II. Werner's father was a Nazi party member, and he remembers feeling very disillusioned with his homeland as a young man. "After the War, when I learned about the Holocaust and the general breakdown of society, it turned me very much against the country," he said. "I was very fortunate that I was able to come to the United States, where I got a fresh start."

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