Sarah Maria Roth of Salzburg, Austria

By Julie Wardell

Sarah (10) is a unique part of the Roth family. Jakob Elias (8), Simon Gerold (13), Benjamin Josef (15), and David Mathias Josef (16) are her four brothers. She has no sisters! Her father, Erwin, says, “She is our princess and helps add the feminine side to our family along with her mother, Eva Maria.” Sarah’s brothers agree with their dad and are grateful for her many talents.

Playing the piano is one of her talents that they particularly enjoy. Sarah fills the house with the beautiful sounds of music. She has taken piano lessons for several years and is currently being taught by a Japanese student from the university. Jakob especially likes it when his sister plays the blues on the piano. Everyone in the family enjoys singing when she accompanies them in family home evening. “Abide with Me; ’Tis Eventide,” “Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel,” and the Primary song “Love One Another,” are her favorite hymns. Sarah also has a talent for dancing and is taking “steppin” (tap dance) lessons each week.

Sarah can often be found in the kitchen, whipping up something good for the family to eat. Although Jakob loves the soup she makes, and Simon thinks that her cakes are great, Sarah’s favorite thing to make is chocolate chip cookies.

The Roth family is active in the Salzburg Flachgau Branch of the Salzburg Austria District. Brother Roth is the branch president, and Sister Roth is the district seminary leader and the chorister in Relief Society. Sarah enjoys the lessons given in her Primary class as well as the class activities.

At school Sarah thinks math is great fun, and she does well at it. She also enjoys drawing, especially with crayons. At home she likes to read, sew, and watch TV and fairy-tale videos. “Western Lizzy” is her favorite book. She finds it fascinating to read about the adventures Lizzy has living on the prairie, then see how she depicts them in sewing her quilt journal. Sarah herself likes to design and sew clothing for her dolls. Someday she would like to be a dress designer.

She is always willing to help with the household chores. She and her brothers take turns doing tasks such as washing the dishes, setting the table, vacuuming, being a “basement runner” for Mom, keeping the different types of garbage separated and emptied, and feeding the pet hamster, Eric the Red.

In her spare time, she enjoys playing games with Jakob or going on bike rides with him. They also like to play soccer and basketball. Jogging around a nearby sawmill or the bakery can be fun too.

One of Sarah’s favorite things to do with the family is go out for hamburgers. She also loves to go on vacation with them as well as with her cousins, “The Gerolds,” to the island of Rab near Croatia. They all have fun swimming in the sea and bodysurfing with air mattresses. She and her ten-year-old cousin like to make sand castles and play dolls together.

Sarah loves her family very much and is grateful to be a unique part of it. “We have fun together! Wrestling with my brothers can be great fun. It is really special when we are all home.” Eating dinner together, having family home evening together, and praying together are all very important to her too.

Photos by Corliss Clayton

Sarah

Playing the piano

Running on the nearby hillsides with Jakob

Preparing peach dumplings

Sarah’s drawing of a clown

The Roth family

Feeding Eric the Red

Holding a bug

Sarah and Jakob bike riding

Playing a game with Jakob