Does anyone know if it was the custom to have arranged marriages both in Russia and with the early VG? Thanks, Dennis Sewald

I remember being in the 6th grade at Thomas Elementary School taking German from a Volga German man named Mr. Franz. Because I didn't keep it up, I lost most of it. My grandparents NEVER spoke German publicly. But I would here them speaking German in the other room! smcginness1@cox.net wrote: Me too! I'd love to be able to speak German...as it is I learned from my daughter, who took German language classes in high school, how to say "I live for weekends!" in German, "My cat scratches me sometimes", and I know "vegates" (as you can see, I have no idea how to spell German words!) I should have demanded to be taught by my mom & my grandparents, but as they say, "We grow too soon old, and too late smart!" Sharon McGinness smcginness1@cox.net ---- "Reeves-Marquardt wrote: ============= If you think of "Book German," you might still encounter polite "Wie geht es Ihnen?" in Book German, as well as familiar "Wie geht es Dir?" Both are acceptable. Book German is often refered to as High German. This is the language of the theater, radio and TV. If you think "Home German," you think of dialects, often quite different from Book German. Here it helps to know the International Phonetic Alphabet because there are innumerable and subtle differences. And it is here that you might encounter high German dialects (southern) and low German dialects (northern). This is the study which continues to interest professors as they seek to describe the language used by our people at home, because it is geographically conditioned. On other occasions, High German is considered Book German, because it became, more or less, the standard language in the sixteenth century. The standard language enveloped characteristics of middle and southern parts of the German-speaking area. Low German (north) continued to be used--at home and to a lesser degree in literature even until today. But it is not the standard literary language. "High" and "Low" are geographical terms and have nothing to do with social standing. And I wish my mother had taught me her dialect--or any other German! Dona -- Have a great day :-) Sharon McGinness smcginness1@cox.net ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message Carla Wills-Brandon, Ph.D. www.CarlaWillsBrandon.com www.RapidResponseProgram.com "Angels are everywhere!"

Sharon, I guess you know that "vegates" is a corruption of "Wie geht es ihnen" or Wie geht es dir. I used to say "vegate" to my Grandpa Wagner, and he'd always come with "The gate is broken, but I'm okay." Thanks for the memory Marven Weitzel On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:49:21 -0500 <smcginness1@cox.net> writes: > Me too! I'd love to be able to speak German...as it is I learned > from my daughter, who took German language classes in high school, > how to say "I live for weekends!" in German, "My cat scratches me > sometimes", and I know "vegates" (as you can see, I have no idea how > to spell German words!) I should have demanded to be taught by my > mom & my grandparents, but as they say, "We grow too soon old, and > too late smart!" > > Sharon McGinness > smcginness1@cox.net > > ---- "Reeves-Marquardt wrote: > > ============= > If you think of "Book German," you might still encounter polite "Wie > geht es Ihnen?" in Book German, as well as familiar "Wie geht es > Dir?" Both are acceptable. Book German is often refered to as High > German. This is the language of the theater, radio and TV. > > If you think "Home German," you think of dialects, often quite > different from Book German. Here it helps to know the International > Phonetic Alphabet because there are innumerable and subtle > differences. And it is here that you might encounter high German > dialects (southern) and low German dialects (northern). This is the > study which continues to interest professors as they seek to > describe the language used by our people at home, because it is > geographically conditioned. > > On other occasions, High German is considered Book German, because > it became, more or less, the standard language in the sixteenth > century. The standard language enveloped characteristics of middle > and southern parts of the German-speaking area. > > Low German (north) continued to be used--at home and to a lesser > degree in literature even until today. But it is not the standard > literary language. > > "High" and "Low" are geographical terms and have nothing to do with > social standing. > > And I wish my mother had taught me her dialect--or any other > German! > > Dona > > > Have a great day :-) > > Sharon McGinness > smcginness1@cox.net > > >

Terry, My husband suffers from the same allergies! All tree fruit except citrus and all nuts that grow on trees. He can eat cooked or canned fruit, just not raw. He can eat melons and berries and all citrus and peanuts and seeds. He developed this allergie as an adult, probably about 15-16 years ago. Never had a problem before then. Also raw bean sprouts give him the same reaction. Ichy mouth and throat, nausia. Never severe enough for the hospital but I think that is because when it started happening he knew relativly quickly the cause was the fruit and nuts he was eating. I have never ran across anyone with the same allergies. He is not a Volga-german desendant, but of English-Spanish desent. Anne Hathaway -------------- Original message -------------- From: DannPlans@aol.com > Hello all - > > First of all, thanks to Kevin for the recipes. They're exactly the way my > family made them. My sister has a simple recipe for "Cheese Pockets" that is > made with lasagna and baked in the oven. If you're interested in the recipe, > let me know. And, Gary, thanks so much for the information on research -- I > realize how much time that took to set up the links on your web site -- > thanks so much. > > Here is my question I'm posing to the general Volga German public. I have > allergies, but mainly to fruit (not allergic to citrus and mellons). I am > 100% Volga German and my mother also had an allergy to fruit, but not to the > extent that I have. I am particularly allergic to apples. I'm wondering if > this is an allergy that Volga Germans have a tendency towards. > > Last Fall I was at a seminar in Kansas City and during the afternoon they > had snacks -- which always includes apples. I have had to deal with this > "healthy" snack when attending seminars over the years of my professional > career. > I spent 4 days in the hospital after that from an anaphylactic shock I had > that evening. My heart stopped, etc., so no kidding on the allergy. I had > not eaten any apples -- I just can't be around them. > > I have always told people that it was a common allergy (since my Mom had it > also), but no one seems to have ever heard of it. After getting out of the > hospital, I went on the internet to find what I could about allergy to fruit > (especially apples). It turns out that the allergen is from the skin of the > apples and the more ripe it is the more allergens it produces. Also, it > appears to be more of an allergy prevalent in Europeans. > > Just curious to know if this is a Volga German problem or if my family's > case is more isolated. > > Thanks to all who respond! It is quite a pain to be allergic to something > considered healthy. > > Terri Dann > > > > ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at > http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in > the subject and the body of the message

My Great Grandfather was born in Neu Messer and his wife was from Norka (both born in 1858). He is said to have teased her about speaking "slop bucket deutch". Do any of you have any idea what that might mean? Frederick Betz Apologies to Marvin and Sharon for the multiple messages.

My Great Grandfather was born in Neu Messer and his wife was from Norka (both born in 1858). He is said to have teased her about speaking "slop bucket deutch". Do any of you have any Idea what that might mean? Frederick Betz ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marven C Weitzel" <marvenw@juno.com> To: <smcginness1@cox.net> Cc: <gER-VOLGA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 5:13 AM Subject: Re: [GV] Becoming a US citizen 100 years ago > Sharon, > There are many different dialects of German, but the High German and Low > German refer to forms which many Germans use and Students who take German > in school learn. High German is simply the "Polite" form and Low German > is the "familiar form." Essentially, the polite form is used in speaking > with strangers or persons who command respect. The familiar form is used > in speaking with friends and children. For example, "How are you?" in > the familiar form is "Wie geht es dir?" while the polite form is "Wie > geht es ihnen?" I don't think my grandparents and most of the Volga > Germans used the polite form and were considered speakers of "Low > German." Kannst du das verstehen? > Marven Weitzel > > On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 1:22:50 -0500 <smcginness1@cox.net> writes: >> Gary, thank you for finding this info & passing it along. It's >> interesting that proficiency in speaking the English language was a >> prerequisite to becoming a citizen. I have often wondered why my >> grandparents & my mother didn't teach me or my brother any German. >> Over the years I've picked up a few phrases but I couldn't even come >> close to conversing in German, and that is one of a few regrets that >> I have. I asked my aunt why we were never taught German and she >> told me, in a rather exasperated tone I might add, that our >> ancestors were required to learn to speak English and so, even >> though they might converse with each other in German, they never >> made any attempt to teach it to us, and my mother was not allowed to >> speak German, even at home, although she did speak very fluent >> German when she was a child. Which brings me to another question: >> My mother always said there were two German dialects - "high" German >> and "low" German. Was this related to the concept of "upper" and >> "lower" villages? >> >> Sharon McGinness >> smcginness1@cox.net >> ---- gpmartens@sbcglobal.net wrote: >> >> ============= >> >> Have you wondered if you grand parents or great-grand parents were >> illegal >> aliens? That is, did they become citizensof the US, and what were >> the laws >> back 100 years ago. What were the requirements for becoming a >> citizen >> back in the late 1800's and early 1900's? >> >> This is a little lengthy, so if your not interested, delete the >> message >> >> ======================================================= >> >> >From Yahoo! Answers: What year were US citizenship requirements >> formulated >> "The general elements of the 1802 naturalization law remained the >> law of the land for more than a century. Congress made relatively >> few >> adjustments to the law during that time. Nevertheless, some of those >> >> changes promoted uniformity while others lessened the requirements >> for naturalization in certain cases, and still others denied >> naturalized >> U.S. citizenship to entire classes of persons. >> >> "The Act of May 26, 1824 provided that an alien who came to the >> U.S. while under age 18 might, after reaching age 21 and after five >> years residence, be admitted as a citizen without having previously >> made a declaration of intention. Often termed "minor >> naturalizations" >> because they related to immigrants who arrived in the United States >> as minors, 1824 Act cases were also called "one paper >> naturalizations" because no declaration of intention was required. >> The >> ease and speed of naturalization under the 1824 Act led to >> unfortunate >> abuses and frauds that continued until repeal in 1906. >> >> "Another exception to the two-step naturalization process was >> created >> for veterans who served honorably in the U.S. Army during wartime, >> allowing them to petition for naturalization without previously >> filing >> a declaration of intent. This class of "one paper naturalizations" >> was >> first introduced by an Act of July 17, 1862, and was extended to >> veterans of the Navy and Marine Corps on August 1, 1894. During >> World War I nearly 200,000 alien soldiers were naturalized under >> provisions of the Act of May 9, 1918, and additional legislation >> governing the naturalization of members of our armed forces passed >> in 1919, 1926, 1940, and 1952. >> >> "After passage of an Act of February 10, 1855, immigrant women >> were able to acquire U.S. citizenship without naturalization. They >> became citizens upon marriage to a U.S. citizen husband, or upon >> their husbands naturalization. Like children, who since 1790 >> acquired citizenship upon the naturalization of a parent, women >> derived citizenship from their husbands. A 1907 law took this >> concept >> further by providing that all U.S.-born women who married aliens >> would lose their U.S. citizenship upon marriage. It was not until >> 1922 >> that womens citizenship was separated from that of their husbands. >> >> For more details, see the history of women and naturalization on the >> >> Website of the National Archives and Records Administration. >> >> "While nationality law allowed some variation in naturalization >> requirements, by the turn of the 20th Century many Americans were >> concerned with variations in naturalization procedures and the >> increasing lack of uniformity. Each court charged a different fee >> and >> recorded naturalization on different forms. And it seemed each court >> >> had its own interpretation of what constituted "good moral >> character" >> or "attachment to the Constitution." Most disturbing was the >> prevalence of fraudulent naturalization under old laws that did not >> require either positive identification of the applicant nor proof >> that the >> applicant had been legally admitted as an immigrant to the United >> States. A Presidential commission investigated naturalization >> throughout the United States and reported their findings in 1905. In >> >> addition to documenting widespread fraud, the commission report >> recommended passage of new legislation to govern future U.S. >> naturalizations. >> >> "Consequently, the Naturalization Act of June 29, 1906 implemented >> most of the commissions recommendations. Because courts >> previously competed for naturalization business and naturalization >> fees, the new law set standard fees for all naturalization >> proceedings >> in all courts. Because incomplete naturalization records fostered >> fraud, the new law mandated standardized Declaration and Certificate >> >> forms be used by all courts and that copies of all naturalization >> records be forwarded to a supervisory Federal agency. The 1906 law >> created that agency by establishing the Bureau of Immigration and >> Naturalization (a predecessor of the current INS, which is now in >> the >> U.S. Department of Justice) in the U.S. Department of Commerce and >> Labor. >> >> "The 1906 Act also made knowledge of the English language a >> requirement for naturalization. Proficiency in English was >> considered >> essential to performing the duties of citizenship, the most >> important >> of which is to cast an informed vote. The commission report >> explained the requirement as follows: >> >> >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without >> the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> -- >> Have a great day :-) >> >> Sharon McGinness >> smcginness1@cox.net >> >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without >> the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Try to understand Platt-Deutsch, that will "really throw you through a loop"! Still spoken in some parts of northern Germany. It's quite a bit different. "Reeves-Marquardt, Dona" <dr03@txstate.edu> wrote: If you think of "Book German," you might still encounter polite "Wie geht es Ihnen?" in Book German, as well as familiar "Wie geht es Dir?" Both are acceptable. Book German is often refered to as High German. This is the language of the theater, radio and TV. If you think "Home German," you think of dialects, often quite different from Book German. Here it helps to know the International Phonetic Alphabet because there are innumerable and subtle differences. And it is here that you might encounter high German dialects (southern) and low German dialects (northern). This is the study which continues to interest professors as they seek to describe the language used by our people at home, because it is geographically conditioned. On other occasions, High German is considered Book German, because it became, more or less, the standard language in the sixteenth century. The standard language enveloped characteristics of middle and southern parts of the German-speaking area. Low German (north) continued to be used--at home and to a lesser degree in literature even until today. But it is not the standard literary language. "High" and "Low" are geographical terms and have nothing to do with social standing. And I wish my mother had taught me her dialect--or any other German! Dona ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message --------------------------------- Be a better Heartthrob. Get better relationship answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.

Me too! I'd love to be able to speak German...as it is I learned from my daughter, who took German language classes in high school, how to say "I live for weekends!" in German, "My cat scratches me sometimes", and I know "vegates" (as you can see, I have no idea how to spell German words!) I should have demanded to be taught by my mom & my grandparents, but as they say, "We grow too soon old, and too late smart!" Sharon McGinness smcginness1@cox.net ---- "Reeves-Marquardt wrote: ============= If you think of "Book German," you might still encounter polite "Wie geht es Ihnen?" in Book German, as well as familiar "Wie geht es Dir?" Both are acceptable. Book German is often refered to as High German. This is the language of the theater, radio and TV. If you think "Home German," you think of dialects, often quite different from Book German. Here it helps to know the International Phonetic Alphabet because there are innumerable and subtle differences. And it is here that you might encounter high German dialects (southern) and low German dialects (northern). This is the study which continues to interest professors as they seek to describe the language used by our people at home, because it is geographically conditioned. On other occasions, High German is considered Book German, because it became, more or less, the standard language in the sixteenth century. The standard language enveloped characteristics of middle and southern parts of the German-speaking area. Low German (north) continued to be used--at home and to a lesser degree in literature even until today. But it is not the standard literary language. "High" and "Low" are geographical terms and have nothing to do with social standing. And I wish my mother had taught me her dialect--or any other German! Dona -- Have a great day :-) Sharon McGinness smcginness1@cox.net

I did a presentation on South America for the Golden Gate Chapter of AHSGR and one of the things that I learned during my research was that many families chose to immigrate to South America, especially Argentina. One reason was for Catholic families, Argentina was a Catholic country.

Dona, My daughter spent a year and a half living and working in different parts of Germany, and she tells me that my interpretation of high and low German is incorrect. She described it much as you do, and said the polite and familiar forms are used in almost all dialects. I learned "Book German" in college and my mother couldn't understand me. Fred Koch makes a nice comparison of the Volga dialect with an area in Germany. My grandfather used the Ich (long I) for word I, and I just thought he had Americanized it until I studied Koch's comparison. As I recall he had the word listed with the long I instead of the short I which Germans use. Marven On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:10:56 -0500 "Reeves-Marquardt, Dona" <dr03@txstate.edu> writes: If you think of "Book German," you might still encounter polite "Wie geht es Ihnen?" in Book German, as well as familiar "Wie geht es Dir?" Both are acceptable. Book German is often refered to as High German. This is the language of the theater, radio and TV. If you think "Home German," you think of dialects, often quite different from Book German. Here it helps to know the International Phonetic Alphabet because there are innumerable and subtle differences. And it is here that you might encounter high German dialects (southern) and low German dialects (northern). This is the study which continues to interest professors as they seek to describe the language used by our people at home, because it is geographically conditioned. On other occasions, High German is considered Book German, because it became, more or less, the standard language in the sixteenth century. The standard language enveloped characteristics of middle and southern parts of the German-speaking area. Low German (north) continued to be used--at home and to a lesser degree in literature even until today. But it is not the standard literary language. "High" and "Low" are geographical terms and have nothing to do with social standing. And I wish my mother had taught me her dialect--or any other German! Dona

If you think of "Book German," you might still encounter polite "Wie geht es Ihnen?" in Book German, as well as familiar "Wie geht es Dir?" Both are acceptable. Book German is often refered to as High German. This is the language of the theater, radio and TV. If you think "Home German," you think of dialects, often quite different from Book German. Here it helps to know the International Phonetic Alphabet because there are innumerable and subtle differences. And it is here that you might encounter high German dialects (southern) and low German dialects (northern). This is the study which continues to interest professors as they seek to describe the language used by our people at home, because it is geographically conditioned. On other occasions, High German is considered Book German, because it became, more or less, the standard language in the sixteenth century. The standard language enveloped characteristics of middle and southern parts of the German-speaking area. Low German (north) continued to be used--at home and to a lesser degree in literature even until today. But it is not the standard literary language. "High" and "Low" are geographical terms and have nothing to do with social standing. And I wish my mother had taught me her dialect--or any other German! Dona

All those that applied for homesteads had to become citizens. This was a part of the process. In the homestead papers the citizenship papers are included. For a time those from Ellis County had to go to WaKeeny, KS to apply for homesteads since that was where the land office was located. The Declarations of Intent contain more information after 1906. Rosemary Larson ----- Original Message ----- From: "frank jacobs" <fjacobs@cox.net> To: <smcginness1@cox.net>; <GER-VOLGA@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 5:08 AM Subject: Re: [GV] Citizenship / Kansas Declarations of intent to become a citizen were collected at the Ellis County Courthouse in Hays, Kansas, Rush County, Shawnee County and other counties of the State. Ellis County was particularly interesting in that a local priest and historian collected most of the Volga German declarations for the 100th anniversary in of the migration to Ellis County. As to the registration of aliens during the WW I era, these county registries were ordered destroyed but one judge in either Shawnee or Wyandotte County (Kansas City, Kansas) never got around to doing so, so this particular registry still exists. ----- Original Message ----- From: <smcginness1@cox.net> To: <GER-VOLGA@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2007 10:47 PM Subject: [GV] Citizenship > When the Volga Germans came to Ellis County in the 1870s, were they > required to apply for citizenship? Where would they have applied - in > their county of residence, at a regional location, or at a state location > like Topeka or Wichita, etc.? And what about the Volga Germans who were > shanghaid to Argentina & then crossed the border into Texas & traveled to > Kansas? > -- > Have a great day :-) > > Sharon McGinness > smcginness1@cox.net > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Sharon, There are many different dialects of German, but the High German and Low German refer to forms which many Germans use and Students who take German in school learn. High German is simply the "Polite" form and Low German is the "familiar form." Essentially, the polite form is used in speaking with strangers or persons who command respect. The familiar form is used in speaking with friends and children. For example, "How are you?" in the familiar form is "Wie geht es dir?" while the polite form is "Wie geht es ihnen?" I don't think my grandparents and most of the Volga Germans used the polite form and were considered speakers of "Low German." Kannst du das verstehen? Marven Weitzel On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 1:22:50 -0500 <smcginness1@cox.net> writes: > Gary, thank you for finding this info & passing it along. It's > interesting that proficiency in speaking the English language was a > prerequisite to becoming a citizen. I have often wondered why my > grandparents & my mother didn't teach me or my brother any German. > Over the years I've picked up a few phrases but I couldn't even come > close to conversing in German, and that is one of a few regrets that > I have. I asked my aunt why we were never taught German and she > told me, in a rather exasperated tone I might add, that our > ancestors were required to learn to speak English and so, even > though they might converse with each other in German, they never > made any attempt to teach it to us, and my mother was not allowed to > speak German, even at home, although she did speak very fluent > German when she was a child. Which brings me to another question: > My mother always said there were two German dialects - "high" German > and "low" German. Was this related to the concept of "upper" and > "lower" villages? > > Sharon McGinness > smcginness1@cox.net > ---- gpmartens@sbcglobal.net wrote: > > ============= > > Have you wondered if you grand parents or great-grand parents were > illegal > aliens? That is, did they become citizensof the US, and what were > the laws > back 100 years ago. What were the requirements for becoming a > citizen > back in the late 1800's and early 1900's? > > This is a little lengthy, so if your not interested, delete the > message > > ======================================================= > > >From Yahoo! Answers: What year were US citizenship requirements > formulated > "The general elements of the 1802 naturalization law remained the > law of the land for more than a century. Congress made relatively > few > adjustments to the law during that time. Nevertheless, some of those > > changes promoted uniformity while others lessened the requirements > for naturalization in certain cases, and still others denied > naturalized > U.S. citizenship to entire classes of persons. > > "The Act of May 26, 1824 provided that an alien who came to the > U.S. while under age 18 might, after reaching age 21 and after five > years residence, be admitted as a citizen without having previously > made a declaration of intention. Often termed "minor > naturalizations" > because they related to immigrants who arrived in the United States > as minors, 1824 Act cases were also called "one paper > naturalizations" because no declaration of intention was required. > The > ease and speed of naturalization under the 1824 Act led to > unfortunate > abuses and frauds that continued until repeal in 1906. > > "Another exception to the two-step naturalization process was > created > for veterans who served honorably in the U.S. Army during wartime, > allowing them to petition for naturalization without previously > filing > a declaration of intent. This class of "one paper naturalizations" > was > first introduced by an Act of July 17, 1862, and was extended to > veterans of the Navy and Marine Corps on August 1, 1894. During > World War I nearly 200,000 alien soldiers were naturalized under > provisions of the Act of May 9, 1918, and additional legislation > governing the naturalization of members of our armed forces passed > in 1919, 1926, 1940, and 1952. > > "After passage of an Act of February 10, 1855, immigrant women > were able to acquire U.S. citizenship without naturalization. They > became citizens upon marriage to a U.S. citizen husband, or upon > their husband�s naturalization. Like children, who since 1790 > acquired citizenship upon the naturalization of a parent, women > derived citizenship from their husbands. A 1907 law took this > concept > further by providing that all U.S.-born women who married aliens > would lose their U.S. citizenship upon marriage. It was not until > 1922 > that women�s citizenship was separated from that of their husbands. > > For more details, see the history of women and naturalization on the > > Website of the National Archives and Records Administration. > > "While nationality law allowed some variation in naturalization > requirements, by the turn of the 20th Century many Americans were > concerned with variations in naturalization procedures and the > increasing lack of uniformity. Each court charged a different fee > and > recorded naturalization on different forms. And it seemed each court > > had its own interpretation of what constituted "good moral > character" > or "attachment to the Constitution." Most disturbing was the > prevalence of fraudulent naturalization under old laws that did not > require either positive identification of the applicant nor proof > that the > applicant had been legally admitted as an immigrant to the United > States. A Presidential commission investigated naturalization > throughout the United States and reported their findings in 1905. In > > addition to documenting widespread fraud, the commission report > recommended passage of new legislation to govern future U.S. > naturalizations. > > "Consequently, the Naturalization Act of June 29, 1906 implemented > most of the commission�s recommendations. Because courts > previously competed for naturalization business and naturalization > fees, the new law set standard fees for all naturalization > proceedings > in all courts. Because incomplete naturalization records fostered > fraud, the new law mandated standardized Declaration and Certificate > > forms be used by all courts and that copies of all naturalization > records be forwarded to a supervisory Federal agency. The 1906 law > created that agency by establishing the Bureau of Immigration and > Naturalization (a predecessor of the current INS, which is now in > the > U.S. Department of Justice) in the U.S. Department of Commerce and > Labor. > > "The 1906 Act also made knowledge of the English language a > requirement for naturalization. Proficiency in English was > considered > essential to performing the duties of citizenship, the most > important > of which is to cast an informed vote. The commission report > explained the requirement as follows: > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > -- > Have a great day :-) > > Sharon McGinness > smcginness1@cox.net > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Greetings: In addition to the formal and colloquial distinction, a distinction is made in the ethnic German classes taught at U of Kansas by professors familiar with the VG dialects, and that is the location of where the particular dialect originated, such as southern Germany is considered low German , Hessen might be middle and northern Germany as high German. However the most familiar usage I've seen is the formal to the colloquial for low German. |Maybe more industrial North happens to be more formal ? Frank Jacobs ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marven C Weitzel" <marvenw@juno.com> To: <smcginness1@cox.net> Cc: <gER-VOLGA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 7:13 AM Subject: Re: [GV] Becoming a US citizen 100 years ago Sharon, There are many different dialects of German, but the High German and Low German refer to forms which many Germans use and Students who take German in school learn. High German is simply the "Polite" form and Low German is the "familiar form." Essentially, the polite form is used in speaking with strangers or persons who command respect. The familiar form is used in speaking with friends and children. For example, "How are you?" in the familiar form is "Wie geht es dir?" while the polite form is "Wie geht es ihnen?" I don't think my grandparents and most of the Volga Germans used the polite form and were considered speakers of "Low German." Kannst du das verstehen? Marven Weitzel On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 1:22:50 -0500 <smcginness1@cox.net> writes: > Gary, thank you for finding this info & passing it along. It's > interesting that proficiency in speaking the English language was a > prerequisite to becoming a citizen. I have often wondered why my > grandparents & my mother didn't teach me or my brother any German. > Over the years I've picked up a few phrases but I couldn't even come > close to conversing in German, and that is one of a few regrets that > I have. I asked my aunt why we were never taught German and she > told me, in a rather exasperated tone I might add, that our > ancestors were required to learn to speak English and so, even > though they might converse with each other in German, they never > made any attempt to teach it to us, and my mother was not allowed to > speak German, even at home, although she did speak very fluent > German when she was a child. Which brings me to another question: > My mother always said there were two German dialects - "high" German > and "low" German. Was this related to the concept of "upper" and > "lower" villages? > > Sharon McGinness > smcginness1@cox.net > ---- gpmartens@sbcglobal.net wrote: > > ============= > > Have you wondered if you grand parents or great-grand parents were > illegal > aliens? That is, did they become citizensof the US, and what were > the laws > back 100 years ago. What were the requirements for becoming a > citizen > back in the late 1800's and early 1900's? > > This is a little lengthy, so if your not interested, delete the > message > > ======================================================= > > >From Yahoo! Answers: What year were US citizenship requirements > formulated > "The general elements of the 1802 naturalization law remained the > law of the land for more than a century. Congress made relatively > few > adjustments to the law during that time. Nevertheless, some of those > > changes promoted uniformity while others lessened the requirements > for naturalization in certain cases, and still others denied > naturalized > U.S. citizenship to entire classes of persons. > > "The Act of May 26, 1824 provided that an alien who came to the > U.S. while under age 18 might, after reaching age 21 and after five > years residence, be admitted as a citizen without having previously > made a declaration of intention. Often termed "minor > naturalizations" > because they related to immigrants who arrived in the United States > as minors, 1824 Act cases were also called "one paper > naturalizations" because no declaration of intention was required. > The > ease and speed of naturalization under the 1824 Act led to > unfortunate > abuses and frauds that continued until repeal in 1906. > > "Another exception to the two-step naturalization process was > created > for veterans who served honorably in the U.S. Army during wartime, > allowing them to petition for naturalization without previously > filing > a declaration of intent. This class of "one paper naturalizations" > was > first introduced by an Act of July 17, 1862, and was extended to > veterans of the Navy and Marine Corps on August 1, 1894. During > World War I nearly 200,000 alien soldiers were naturalized under > provisions of the Act of May 9, 1918, and additional legislation > governing the naturalization of members of our armed forces passed > in 1919, 1926, 1940, and 1952. > > "After passage of an Act of February 10, 1855, immigrant women > were able to acquire U.S. citizenship without naturalization. They > became citizens upon marriage to a U.S. citizen husband, or upon > their husbands naturalization. Like children, who since 1790 > acquired citizenship upon the naturalization of a parent, women > derived citizenship from their husbands. A 1907 law took this > concept > further by providing that all U.S.-born women who married aliens > would lose their U.S. citizenship upon marriage. It was not until > 1922 > that womens citizenship was separated from that of their husbands. > > For more details, see the history of women and naturalization on the > > Website of the National Archives and Records Administration. > > "While nationality law allowed some variation in naturalization > requirements, by the turn of the 20th Century many Americans were > concerned with variations in naturalization procedures and the > increasing lack of uniformity. Each court charged a different fee > and > recorded naturalization on different forms. And it seemed each court > > had its own interpretation of what constituted "good moral > character" > or "attachment to the Constitution." Most disturbing was the > prevalence of fraudulent naturalization under old laws that did not > require either positive identification of the applicant nor proof > that the > applicant had been legally admitted as an immigrant to the United > States. A Presidential commission investigated naturalization > throughout the United States and reported their findings in 1905. In > > addition to documenting widespread fraud, the commission report > recommended passage of new legislation to govern future U.S. > naturalizations. > > "Consequently, the Naturalization Act of June 29, 1906 implemented > most of the commissions recommendations. Because courts > previously competed for naturalization business and naturalization > fees, the new law set standard fees for all naturalization > proceedings > in all courts. Because incomplete naturalization records fostered > fraud, the new law mandated standardized Declaration and Certificate > > forms be used by all courts and that copies of all naturalization > records be forwarded to a supervisory Federal agency. The 1906 law > created that agency by establishing the Bureau of Immigration and > Naturalization (a predecessor of the current INS, which is now in > the > U.S. Department of Justice) in the U.S. Department of Commerce and > Labor. > > "The 1906 Act also made knowledge of the English language a > requirement for naturalization. Proficiency in English was > considered > essential to performing the duties of citizenship, the most > important > of which is to cast an informed vote. The commission report > explained the requirement as follows: > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > -- > Have a great day :-) > > Sharon McGinness > smcginness1@cox.net > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I can help you Martin. Sheri ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour

When you mention "Glace" or kläse it brings to mind my favorite breakfast on a cold winter morning when we came in for breakfast after milking and feeding the cattle. It was "Kartoffeln und Kläse". In addition to (potatoes and Kläse) she would put in some bacon and then break a couple eggs over it as she fried it. Ron ----- Original Message ----- From: Marven C Weitzel<mailto:marvenw@juno.com> To: rjamison@bresnan.net<mailto:rjamison@bresnan.net> Cc: GER-VOLGA@rootsweb.com<mailto:GER-VOLGA@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2007 11:28 AM Subject: Re: [GV] Dumplings My grandmother also made "Glace" (correct spelling Kläse with umlaut over the a). My mouth waters just thinking about them. My niece's husband, Tom Loewen, in Puyallup, WA., makes Kläse that are every bit as good as grandma's -- and he's not 50 years old yet. Grandma Weitzel would be 119 if she were still living. Thanks for the memories, folks. I may get my wife to try that recipe. Marven Weitzel On Sat, 18 Aug 2007 09:43:11 -0600 "Becky Jamison" <rjamison@bresnan.net<mailto:rjamison@bresnan.net>> writes: > Kevin, does that ever bring back wonderful memories! My grandmother > (Mollie > Koleber Margheim) made these just as you described, But the > dumplings were > called "Glace" and the Cheese Sacks were called "Cased Noodle". I've > made both > recipes quite a lot but they never turn out just like Grandma's! > Thanks for > sharing! > Becky Margheim Jamison > Canon City, CO > > > On Sat, 18 Aug 2007 08:23:02 -0500 > Kevin Rupp <krupp@ruraltel.net<mailto:krupp@ruraltel.net>> wrote: > > I have had a number of requests for this and finally getting this > out: > > > > Dumplings > > Two cups of flour, three eggs, salt, and a little water. Mix > everything > > together when adding the water just add enough to make the dough a > a firm > > moist batter. The dough should be stiff enough to use a tsp to > spoon out. > > Get a large kettle half full of water. When water is boiling > begin to spoon > > out about a 1/4 tsp amount of dumplings from the bowl at a time. > (The first > > time I made this my dumplings were huge!) After all dumplings are > in > > quarter about two potatoes and put into pot. While this is > cooking dice up > > a yellow or white onion and place into a small skillet with a > stick of > > butter and let cook until onions are translucent. When potatoes > are done > > drain and place back into pot. Add the onions and butter and > cook/fried > > until desired. I like to eat these with a can of pork n beans. A > very > > cheap meal. We have this a lot during lent on Fridays. > > > > (Some people add baking powder, some add milk. There are > different > > variations to this recipe.) > > > > Cheese Sacks > > I small containor of Dry Curd Cottage cheese. (Do not use the > regular > > cottage cheese that contains the way) > > 1 whole egg > > Chopped scallons > > Pepper and salt > > > > Mix together in a stiff mixture the above ingredients. Set aside. > Make > > noodle dough. (pretty much the same recipes as above less the > water) Roll > > out the dough and cut into squares. Add mixture to each square > and pinch > > them shut. One trick it to use egg yolks smeard along the edge of > the > > square to help seal the edges. Gently place them into boling water > and boil > > for about 20 minutes. Some sacks may open in the water. While > this is > > boiling make your ³Schmeltz². Take a stick of butter and a finely > chopped > > onion and let them fry together into a small skillted. You may > also take a > > slice of bread and cut into small squares and place into the > butter to soak > > up and fry. After the cheese sacks are complete pour the fried > breads > > squares/onions and butter over the cheese sacks and enjoy! > > > > Of course there are variations to this recipe as well. We > sometimes used > > Schwazenberan instead of cheese or you may also add the > Schwazenberan, mix > > with a little sugar and pour over the cheese sacks. > > > > > > Kevin Rupp > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > >GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes > >in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com<mailto:GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com> with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com<mailto:GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Declarations of intent to become a citizen were collected at the Ellis County Courthouse in Hays, Kansas, Rush County, Shawnee County and other counties of the State. Ellis County was particularly interesting in that a local priest and historian collected most of the Volga German declarations for the 100th anniversary in of the migration to Ellis County. As to the registration of aliens during the WW I era, these county registries were ordered destroyed but one judge in either Shawnee or Wyandotte County (Kansas City, Kansas) never got around to doing so, so this particular registry still exists. ----- Original Message ----- From: <smcginness1@cox.net> To: <GER-VOLGA@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2007 10:47 PM Subject: [GV] Citizenship > When the Volga Germans came to Ellis County in the 1870s, were they > required to apply for citizenship? Where would they have applied - in > their county of residence, at a regional location, or at a state location > like Topeka or Wichita, etc.? And what about the Volga Germans who were > shanghaid to Argentina & then crossed the border into Texas & traveled to > Kansas? > -- > Have a great day :-) > > Sharon McGinness > smcginness1@cox.net > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Gary, thank you for finding this info & passing it along. It's interesting that proficiency in speaking the English language was a prerequisite to becoming a citizen. I have often wondered why my grandparents & my mother didn't teach me or my brother any German. Over the years I've picked up a few phrases but I couldn't even come close to conversing in German, and that is one of a few regrets that I have. I asked my aunt why we were never taught German and she told me, in a rather exasperated tone I might add, that our ancestors were required to learn to speak English and so, even though they might converse with each other in German, they never made any attempt to teach it to us, and my mother was not allowed to speak German, even at home, although she did speak very fluent German when she was a child. Which brings me to another question: My mother always said there were two German dialects - "high" German and "low" German. Was this related to the concept of "upper" a! nd "lower" villages? Sharon McGinness smcginness1@cox.net ---- gpmartens@sbcglobal.net wrote: ============= Have you wondered if you grand parents or great-grand parents were illegal aliens? That is, did they become citizensof the US, and what were the laws back 100 years ago. What were the requirements for becoming a citizen back in the late 1800's and early 1900's? This is a little lengthy, so if your not interested, delete the message ======================================================= >From Yahoo! Answers: What year were US citizenship requirements formulated "The general elements of the 1802 naturalization law remained the law of the land for more than a century. Congress made relatively few adjustments to the law during that time. Nevertheless, some of those changes promoted uniformity while others lessened the requirements for naturalization in certain cases, and still others denied naturalized U.S. citizenship to entire classes of persons. "The Act of May 26, 1824 provided that an alien who came to the U.S. while under age 18 might, after reaching age 21 and after five years residence, be admitted as a citizen without having previously made a declaration of intention. Often termed "minor naturalizations" because they related to immigrants who arrived in the United States as minors, 1824 Act cases were also called "one paper naturalizations" because no declaration of intention was required. The ease and speed of naturalization under the 1824 Act led to unfortunate abuses and frauds that continued until repeal in 1906. "Another exception to the two-step naturalization process was created for veterans who served honorably in the U.S. Army during wartime, allowing them to petition for naturalization without previously filing a declaration of intent. This class of "one paper naturalizations" was first introduced by an Act of July 17, 1862, and was extended to veterans of the Navy and Marine Corps on August 1, 1894. During World War I nearly 200,000 alien soldiers were naturalized under provisions of the Act of May 9, 1918, and additional legislation governing the naturalization of members of our armed forces passed in 1919, 1926, 1940, and 1952. "After passage of an Act of February 10, 1855, immigrant women were able to acquire U.S. citizenship without naturalization. They became citizens upon marriage to a U.S. citizen husband, or upon their husband´s naturalization. Like children, who since 1790 acquired citizenship upon the naturalization of a parent, women derived citizenship from their husbands. A 1907 law took this concept further by providing that all U.S.-born women who married aliens would lose their U.S. citizenship upon marriage. It was not until 1922 that women´s citizenship was separated from that of their husbands. For more details, see the history of women and naturalization on the Website of the National Archives and Records Administration. "While nationality law allowed some variation in naturalization requirements, by the turn of the 20th Century many Americans were concerned with variations in naturalization procedures and the increasing lack of uniformity. Each court charged a different fee and recorded naturalization on different forms. And it seemed each court had its own interpretation of what constituted "good moral character" or "attachment to the Constitution." Most disturbing was the prevalence of fraudulent naturalization under old laws that did not require either positive identification of the applicant nor proof that the applicant had been legally admitted as an immigrant to the United States. A Presidential commission investigated naturalization throughout the United States and reported their findings in 1905. In addition to documenting widespread fraud, the commission report recommended passage of new legislation to govern future U.S. naturalizations. "Consequently, the Naturalization Act of June 29, 1906 implemented most of the commission´s recommendations. Because courts previously competed for naturalization business and naturalization fees, the new law set standard fees for all naturalization proceedings in all courts. Because incomplete naturalization records fostered fraud, the new law mandated standardized Declaration and Certificate forms be used by all courts and that copies of all naturalization records be forwarded to a supervisory Federal agency. The 1906 law created that agency by establishing the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (a predecessor of the current INS, which is now in the U.S. Department of Justice) in the U.S. Department of Commerce and Labor. "The 1906 Act also made knowledge of the English language a requirement for naturalization. Proficiency in English was considered essential to performing the duties of citizenship, the most important of which is to cast an informed vote. The commission report explained the requirement as follows: ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message -- Have a great day :-) Sharon McGinness smcginness1@cox.net

Have you wondered if you grand parents or great-grand parents were illegal aliens? That is, did they become citizensof the US, and what were the laws back 100 years ago. What were the requirements for becoming a citizen back in the late 1800's and early 1900's? This is a little lengthy, so if your not interested, delete the message ======================================================= >From Yahoo! Answers: What year were US citizenship requirements formulated "The general elements of the 1802 naturalization law remained the law of the land for more than a century. Congress made relatively few adjustments to the law during that time. Nevertheless, some of those changes promoted uniformity while others lessened the requirements for naturalization in certain cases, and still others denied naturalized U.S. citizenship to entire classes of persons. "The Act of May 26, 1824 provided that an alien who came to the U.S. while under age 18 might, after reaching age 21 and after five years residence, be admitted as a citizen without having previously made a declaration of intention. Often termed "minor naturalizations" because they related to immigrants who arrived in the United States as minors, 1824 Act cases were also called "one paper naturalizations" because no declaration of intention was required. The ease and speed of naturalization under the 1824 Act led to unfortunate abuses and frauds that continued until repeal in 1906. "Another exception to the two-step naturalization process was created for veterans who served honorably in the U.S. Army during wartime, allowing them to petition for naturalization without previously filing a declaration of intent. This class of "one paper naturalizations" was first introduced by an Act of July 17, 1862, and was extended to veterans of the Navy and Marine Corps on August 1, 1894. During World War I nearly 200,000 alien soldiers were naturalized under provisions of the Act of May 9, 1918, and additional legislation governing the naturalization of members of our armed forces passed in 1919, 1926, 1940, and 1952. "After passage of an Act of February 10, 1855, immigrant women were able to acquire U.S. citizenship without naturalization. They became citizens upon marriage to a U.S. citizen husband, or upon their husband´s naturalization. Like children, who since 1790 acquired citizenship upon the naturalization of a parent, women derived citizenship from their husbands. A 1907 law took this concept further by providing that all U.S.-born women who married aliens would lose their U.S. citizenship upon marriage. It was not until 1922 that women´s citizenship was separated from that of their husbands. For more details, see the history of women and naturalization on the Website of the National Archives and Records Administration. "While nationality law allowed some variation in naturalization requirements, by the turn of the 20th Century many Americans were concerned with variations in naturalization procedures and the increasing lack of uniformity. Each court charged a different fee and recorded naturalization on different forms. And it seemed each court had its own interpretation of what constituted "good moral character" or "attachment to the Constitution." Most disturbing was the prevalence of fraudulent naturalization under old laws that did not require either positive identification of the applicant nor proof that the applicant had been legally admitted as an immigrant to the United States. A Presidential commission investigated naturalization throughout the United States and reported their findings in 1905. In addition to documenting widespread fraud, the commission report recommended passage of new legislation to govern future U.S. naturalizations. "Consequently, the Naturalization Act of June 29, 1906 implemented most of the commission´s recommendations. Because courts previously competed for naturalization business and naturalization fees, the new law set standard fees for all naturalization proceedings in all courts. Because incomplete naturalization records fostered fraud, the new law mandated standardized Declaration and Certificate forms be used by all courts and that copies of all naturalization records be forwarded to a supervisory Federal agency. The 1906 law created that agency by establishing the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (a predecessor of the current INS, which is now in the U.S. Department of Justice) in the U.S. Department of Commerce and Labor. "The 1906 Act also made knowledge of the English language a requirement for naturalization. Proficiency in English was considered essential to performing the duties of citizenship, the most important of which is to cast an informed vote. The commission report explained the requirement as follows:

When the Volga Germans came to Ellis County in the 1870s, were they required to apply for citizenship? Where would they have applied - in their county of residence, at a regional location, or at a state location like Topeka or Wichita, etc.? And what about the Volga Germans who were shanghaid to Argentina & then crossed the border into Texas & traveled to Kansas? -- Have a great day :-) Sharon McGinness smcginness1@cox.net