Has anyone ever entertained the thought of establishing a day to set aside for a Volga German Memorial Day ? We can all unite in thought and prayer on this day for our relatives who have both died & suffered for no reason ? This day can also serve as a day for uniting us all, & for keeping the flame lit for generations to come. Hope someone out there can make this happen. Charles Parcels < Weibert aus Messer > --------------------------------- Choose the right car based on your needs. Check out Yahoo! Autos new Car Finder tool.

Try the medical examiner's office or the hospital. On angels' wings, Chris Z Heritage Makers Independent Consultant www.christinastorycreations.com Greenfield WI ----- Original Message ---- From: "Sasilasiladi@aol.com" <Sasilasiladi@aol.com> To: ger-volga@rootsweb.com Sent: Friday, June 22, 2007 12:31:45 PM Subject: [GV] reports IM looking for an autopsy report of my brother who died in 1983 in spokane WA who would i contact connie ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. ------------------------------- 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

Interesting question, Charles. I hope others respond, although many of them are busy at the conference. In Fred Koch's book, The Volga Germans, there is a section on pages 191-192 called "Rivalry and Cooperation". His main point is that in later years adults got along well, but youthful rivalry sometimes got out of control. ". . .commercial relations developed between German and Russian villages and sons accompanied their fathers on inter community trips...". Apparently on market days the taunting sometimes turned into fights. My impression is that relations improved after the Bolsheviks came to power. The raids to seize grain that began in 1918 affected Russian and German farmers alike. On p. 261 Koch describes the Schippekrieg, or Shovel War. Russian and Volga German farmers organized a regional defense force near Kolb on the northwest side of the bergseite. It was soon crushed by a Red Guard unit. I am writing a fictional account of a harvest during those years. I know that Volga German farmers who hired laborers to work for them were branded as Kulaks and sometimes deported. I am wondering if they ever hired people from nearby Russian communities to help at harvest time. Fred Betz Messer and Neu Messer My sense is ----- Original Message ----- From: "Charles Parcels" <volgager4440@yahoo.com> To: <ger-volga@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, June 22, 2007 4:36 AM Subject: [GV] Russian/VolgaGerman Relationships > I am curious as to what the relationships were > between the Russians & the Volga Germans before 1900? Were they good, > fair, or just barely tolerable? I believe that before communism kicked in, > they both got along well, but I am really not sure. > > Thanks, > > Charles Parcels > > < Weibert aus Messer > > > > --------------------------------- > Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell. > > ------------------------------- > 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 >

Charles, I'm sure others will have lots to add to my thoughts, but relations between the Volga Germans and the Russians (both the government and the citizens) were adversarial from the beginning. Catherine had granted the "GVs" incentives that the Russians resented. This resentment was intensified after her death, culminating in the Russian government undoing many of the incentives - most notably the military service exemption, which led to the departure of many GVs in the 1870s. This is not to say that at the individual level there was "always" animosity. Ken Pelzel (Rohr, Dreher, Staab) ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

Not all relationships were bad, it's like everywhere else some people are prejudiced and others are not. Dave

I have just updated the convention website with the convention reports, Photos and Hays Daily News paper articles. Any problems let me know! Kevin http://www.volgagerman.net/Convention/2007_Convention_Page_1.htm -- Kevin Rupp 2301 Canal Blvd Hays, Ks. 67601 krupp@ruraltel.net www.volgagerman.net volgagerman@ruraltel.net

Last night I made a great find. I finally found my Poffenroth/Pfaffenroth ancestors emigration path. Seems they went from Yagodnaya Polyana, Russia -> Hamburg, Germany -> Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1907. They then must of spent four years in South America and Mexico before finally crossing in Laredo, TX in 1911 headed for Endicott, WA. I actually found botht the 1907 and 1911 records. Very cool. I have heard of others going through South America (often because of potential illnesses which would have kept them out of US ports), but I suspect this isn't very common. The four year stay in South America is also an interesting one. Were there German/Russian places where people lived down there? Now that I know all the family members, I had a chance to track a few children and such and am now looking for living relatives. So if any of you know the following, let me know. I haven't gotten the parents plugged into the Pleve charts either as they are just after the last census, so if there are any ideas here, let me know as well. John Poffenroth and Amelia ? were parents of Heinrich Poffenroth (b: 12/9/1863; d: 6/22/1944) Philip Lust and Mary Stang were parents of Anna Marie Lust (b: 3/2/1867; d: 12/6/1938) Heinrich Poffenroth and Anna Marie Lust married about 1884 Children include: 1. Elisabeth (b: 1890) who married 1912 to Peter Beutel One child at least, Adam Henry Beutel (b: 1919) 2. Anna Maria who married 1912 to Henry D. Schierman (father Henry M. Schierman) Two children: Sylvan (b: 1913) and Herbert (b: 1914) 3. Anna C (Ekatarino?) who married 1917 to Peter B. Poffenroth (b: 1894 in Calgary, Canada) Several children I found: Elma (b: 1917), Aldred (b: 1920), Delbert (b: 1924) 4. Henry (b: 1899; d: 1923 in Endicott, WA) At some point I want to track down where they lived in Endicott as well. The 1920/1930 census indicates in or near town, although they might of had farm land farther out like many. Hope everyone has a great weekend. I know this latest data sure made mine! --------------- Rick D. Anderson (rick.d.anderson@tektronix.com) Tektronix, Inc. Beaverton, OR 503-627-2630

Charles - maybe you could read "Lilia's Story" on my web page. In there you will read about their experience with the Russian families they had to live with when they were sent to Siberia. Thelma Mills http://mariental-louis.com On 6/22/07, KLpelzel@aol.com <KLpelzel@aol.com> wrote: > > Charles, > > I'm sure others will have lots to add to my thoughts, but relations > between > the Volga Germans and the Russians (both the government and the citizens) > were > adversarial from the beginning. Catherine had granted the "GVs" incentives > that the Russians resented. This resentment was intensified after her > death, > culminating in the Russian government undoing many of the incentives - > most > notably the military service exemption, which led to the departure of many > GVs > in the 1870s. > > This is not to say that at the individual level there was "always" > animosity. > > Ken Pelzel (Rohr, Dreher, Staab) > > > > ************************************** See what's free at > http://www.aol.com. > > ------------------------------- > 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 > -- http://www.mariental-louis.com/

I am curious as to what the relationships were between the Russians & the Volga Germans before 1900? Were they good, fair, or just barely tolerable? I believe that before communism kicked in, they both got along well, but I am really not sure. Thanks, Charles Parcels < Weibert aus Messer > --------------------------------- Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell.

Scottsbluff Star Hearld Scottsbluff, NE 21 Jun 2007 FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Doris Naoma Grauberger-Cotton, 79, passed away June 16, 2007, in Fort Collins. Memorial services will be held in Fort Collins at Christ United Methodist Church, 301 East Drake Road, at 1 p.m., Friday, June 22, and Oakbrook 1 senior center, 3200 Stanford Road, Friday, June 22, at 3:30 p.m. A memorial service will also be held at the Living Word Church of God, 605 North 7th Avenue, Sterling, CO, on Sunday, June 24, at 3 p.m. Because Doris has donated her body to science, there will be no viewing or visitation. Memorial contributions can be made to Hospice of Larimer County in Doris's name. She was born in Fleming, Colo., September 17, 1927, to Claude and Blanche (Plog) Saylor. Doris married Duane Hurley Grauberger Dec. 1, 1946, in Sterling, Colo. They lived on Duane's family's farm until Duane's death in August 1985. She married Joseph Cotton April 12, 1986, and moved to Grand Junction, Colo., where she lived until Joe's death in March 2000. She moved to Sterling to be closer to her family and lived there until 2003 when she moved to Fort Collins, to Oakbrook senior facility. She has made many friends and helped many others in each city in which she lived. She will be greatly missed. Doris is survived by her son, Dennis (Linda) Grauberger of Fleming, Colo.; daughter, Diane (Mike) Harrington of Fort Collins; son, Douglas (Cindy) Grauberger of Mitchell; daughter, Debbie (Steve) Miller of Aurora, Colo.; brothers, Clair Saylor of Scottsdale, Ariz.; Dale Saylor and Virgil Saylor of Sterling, Colo.; and sister-in-law, Rosalie Cote of Prescott Valley, Ariz. Doris had been blessed with 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Two husbands, Duane and Joe; a son, Donald Grauberger; a great-granddaughter, Shantel Norell; and a brother, Kenny Saylor, preceded Doris in death.

Journal Advocate Sterling, Colorado 06-20-2007 Florence Mae (Koenig) Luckey April 10, 1912 - June 16, 2007 Florence M. Luckey, 95, a longtime resident of Sterling, died June 16, 2007, in Thornton, due to complications of old age. Graveside memorial services and burial will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 20, at Riverside Cemetery in Sterling. Mrs. Luckey was born April 10, 1912, to Jacob Edward Koenig and Ethel Jane (Dickerson) Koenig in Sterling. She graduated from Sterling High School in 1929. In 1932, she married Roy Leo Luckey, a banker. In the years prior to his death in 1970, they lived in Sterling and were active in the Catholic Church. After her husband’s death, Mrs. Luckey moved to Boulder to be near her children. After a 23-year period in Boulder, Mrs. Luckey moved to Westminster. In 2002 she moved to Northglenn, to live with her daughter and son-in-law. She was the proud grandmother of 27 grandchildren and the very delighted great-grandmother of 40 and great-great-grandmother to 23. Grandmother was a good friend and confidant to her grandchildren, and nothing gave her more joy than to spend time with the great-grandchildren. Florence is survived by her daughter, Loretta and her husband Jerry of Northglenn; her son, Dick and his wife Pat of Aurora; her son, Bill and his wife Heather of Rockville, M.D.; her son, Dennis and his wife Linda of Westminster; her son, Joe and his wife Mara of Westminster; 27 grandchildren; 40 great-grandchildren and 23 great-great-grandchildren. Mrs. Luckey was preceded in death by her husband, Roy; daughter, Mary Ellen; son, Tom; her parents; and her brother, Perry “Bunk.” Memorial contributions may be made in Mrs. Luckey’s name to Hospice of the Plains Inc, 411 W. Main, Sterling, CO 80751. — Paid Memorial ---

Billings Gazette Billings, MT 20 Jun 2007 JOLIET - Alma "Johnie" Irene Hardt, 78, passed away Tuesday, June 12, 2007, at her home in Joliet. She was born May 27, 1929, in Laurel, the daughter of George and Pauline (Brenning) Hardt. She graduated from Billings Senior High School. Johnie moved to Sacramento, Calif., after graduation to work in retail sales at Carmichael Drug. She returned to Joliet to help care for her parents and worked as an Avon consultant for 24 years. Last November, she adopted "Suzy," a kitten, from her sister. Suzy quickly became the highlight of Johnie's life! In 2006, Johnie got a phone at her home and quickly made up for the years without one. She chatted daily with her sister Wilma, niece Sally and dear friend Sheryl. Alma is survived by her sister, Wilma (Ed) Tuomi of Billings; brother Harold (Betty) Hardt of Joliet; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by both her parents and her sister, Dorthea Knaub. The family would like to thank Sheryl Smith and Larry Mathis for keeping a watchful eye on Johnie and helping care for her. Memorial services will be held at the Joliet Cemetery on Friday, June 22, at 1 p.m. Arrangements are in the care of Dahl Funeral & Cremation Service. Published in the Billings Gazette on 6/20/2007.

Billings Gazette Billings, MT 20 Jun 2007 ALEDO, Texas - Dustyn Don Frank was born Oct. 5, 1981, in Billings. Dustyn attended school in Glendive, Mont., and graduated from Aledo High School in 2000. Dustyn was captain of the Aledo High School basketball team his junior and senior year of high school. He attended college at the University of Texas in Austin; Sam Houston State University in Huntsville; and Weatherford College in Weatherford. At the time of Dustyn's death, he was the director of All About Kids Daycare in Weatherford. Dustyn died in a vehicle accident in Aledo on June 17, 2007. Funeral services will be held Friday, June 22, at Aledo Methodist Church. Galbreaith-Pickard Funeral Home, 913 N. Elm St., Weatherford, TX 76086, 817-594-2747, 1-800-593-2747, is in charge of arrangements. Dustyn was preceded in death by his grandparents, Mary and Valentine Frank of Laurel; uncle Doug Frank of Laurel; and aunt Vicki Bjorgum of Billings, great-grandparents, Oscar and Evelyn Bjorgum Sr. of Billings, and Mathilda and M.I. "Pop" Merritt. He is survived by his parents, Donald and Danna (Bjorgum) Frank of Aledo; sisters Vicki Grizzle of Fort Worth and Amanda Frank of Aledo; nieces, Alyxandra, Victorya and Samantha Grizzle of Fort Worth; grandparents, Oscar and Jackie Bjorgum of Billings; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins of Billings and Laurel, Mont. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to Dustyn Frank Memorial, c/o Weatherford National Bank, PO Box 279 Aledo, TX 76008, 817-441-9551. Published in the Billings Gazette on 6/20/2007.

Scottsbluff Star Hearld Scottsbluff, NE 20 Jun 2007 Henry "Hank" Rieb, 90, died June 16, 2007 at the Golden Living Center in Scottsbluff. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Thursday, June 21, at the First Congregational Church with Pastor Matt Gordon officiating. Burial will follow in the Fairview Cemetery in Scottsbluff. Memorials may be directed to the First Congregational Church. Visitation will be Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the casket will be open at the church prior to the service. Arrangements are under the direction of the Colyer Funeral Home and friends may send condolences to the family at www.colyerfuneralhome.com. Henry was born April 25, 1917 in Windsor, Colo. the son of Peter and Marie (Bachman) Rieb. In 1924 the family moved to the Scottsbluff area where he was confirmed in the Zion Evangelical Church and it was there he met and later married Katherine "Kate" Green. Henry and Katherine were married in Scottsbluff on Sept. 6, 1936. Henry farmed until 1967 when he moved to Torrington where he began his career with the City of Torrington per-forming various jobs and eventually working for the water department until he retired in 1979. The family became members of the First Congregational Church when they first arrived in Torrington. After fifty-seven years of marriage, Henry lost his beloved wife Katherine on Oct. 24, 1992. Henry married Mildred Martin Feb. 14, 1995, and she died Aug. 4, 1996. Henry was a member of both the Moose and Elk's lodges in Torrington. He had a passion for polka music and was an honorary member of the Torrington September Fest. In his early 80's, Henry began taking classes, passed, and became a member of the Citizen's Force with the Torrington Police Department. Over the years Henry made many friends and always had a smile for everyone. He enjoyed working in his garden and had a special fondness for growing roses. He enjoyed a variety of sports, which included both the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Denver Broncos. However, his number one passion was NASCAR racing. He enjoyed making model horsedrawn beet wagons. He has a talent for seeing something and then going home to build it. Henry was full of life, a great storyteller, left his impression on everyone he met, and was never afraid of hard work. He led a full and productive life, was loved by many, and will be missed by all. Survivors include his sister, Elma Hilzer of Scottsbluff; children and their spouses, Marvin and Sandy (Hankins) Rieb of Torrington, Patricia and Tom Anderson of Brighton, Colo., Carol and Terry Lofink of Torrington, Nancy and Roy Brewer of Onalaska, Wis., and Cindi Rieb of Westminster, Colo.; grandchildren, Andrea (Rieb) and Jay Johnson, Scott and Tammy Anderson, Tom and Karen Anderson, Shellee (Rieb) and Wade Wells, Terry Conrad and Whitne Lofink, Michael and Brenda Brewer, Stephanie (Brewer) and Kent Manglitz, and Jodi (Brewer) and Paul Zaugg; seventeen great-grandchildren; a great-great grandson; and step-children, Larry and Linda Martin and Stan Martin. Preceding him in death were his parents; wife, Katherine; second wife, Mildred; son, Ronald; brothers, Carl, Herman, and Pete; and sisters, Rosie, Kate, and Mary.

Given the large number of German-American's that lived in Eastern Washington, I think it's ok to ask this question here. If one lived in Dusty, Washington in 1905-1915, what high school would you have attended? Maybe Colfax? Maybe most farmer kids didn't attend high school? At some point, Endicott got it's own high school. Does anyone know when this was? I traveled through Colfax yesterday and had a chance to stop into the Whitman County Library in downtown Colfax. I noticed Colfax yearbooks going back to 1915 or so. That would be a good resource for someone. I also noticed a few years of nearby high schools, but none from Endicott. Any suggestions or leads on tracking down some Endicott yearbooks? I did find a picture from Dusty Elementary school from 1910 or so that had some relatives in it. Interesting find. ------------------------- Rick Anderson (rick.d.anderson@tektronix.com) Tektronix, Inc. Beaverton, Oregon 503-627-2630

Obituaries Kibbey Fishburn Funeral Home Loveland, Colorado Florine E. Bauer (June 15, 1930 - June 16, 2007) Florine E. Bauer Florine E. Bauer, 77, of Loveland passed away June 16, 2007 at Longmont United Hospital. She was born June 15, 1930 in Johnstown, Colorado to Alexander Rutt and Mollie Achziger. She married Alvin Bauer on November 20, 1949 in Loveland, Colorado. They have lived in the Loveland area all of their lives. She was a secretary for Proctor Oil Company. She enjoyed flower and vegetable gardening, and playing with her great grandchildren. Florine is survived by her husband, Alvin Bauer of Loveland; daughter, Sandra Thoutt and husband Randy of Greeley; son, Harvey Bauer of Loveland; brother, Herman Rutt and wife Mildred of Longmont; sister, Rachel Wilson and husband Leroy of Loveland; 4 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Alexander and Mollie Rutt; 4 brothers, Alex, Elmer, Ray, and Dan. Funeral service, Wednesday, 1:00p.m., Kibbey-Fishburn Funeral Home. Interment, Loveland Burial Park. Viewing at the Kibbey-Fishburn Funeral Home, Tuesday, 5-7p.m.. Memorial contributions to Hospice care of Boulder and Broomfield counties in care of Kibbey-Fishburn Funeral Home, 1102 N. Lincoln Ave., Loveland, CO 80537.

Effective June 13, 2007 at http://www.ahsgr.org/ and www.ahsgrsoar.org The American Historical Society of Germans from Russian (AHSGR) proudly announces a major addition to the SOAR record site. KEYWORDED information, searchable by ALL surnames mentioned in the image with spelling variations and/or errors compensated for with SOUNDEX. The record site currently has 156,652 images with almost 6 million associated keywords to facilitate your research. The new information increases the collection spanning over 100 years by 55% with MORE OBITUARIES and NEW CATEGORIES including: AHSGR Journals - Personal Narratives, Historical Articles, Photographs and Folklore (1977-1997) AHSGR Work Papers - History of Germans from Russia (G/R) Settlements, Personal Narratives, Photographs and Folklore. (Complete set of 25 volumes, 1969-1977 - predecessor to AHSGR Journals) AHSGR Clues - Listing Surname requests from abroad and Researchers' names / addresses. (Complete set of 22 volumes 1977-1999) Cemetery Records - Records from known G/R Settlement Areas Ships Passenger Lists - 4,587 images extracted from G/R Records in Ships' Passenger Lists Surname Charts - Family Trees beginning with First Settlers' List of Germans migrating to Russia plus supporting documentation. (The supporting documentation will be moved to a separate database.) Indexed by Doris Evans. Stumpp Book - AHSGR Translation of Karl Stumpp's Emigration from German to Russia in the Years 1763-1862. (Listing colonies, colonists and dates of emigration from First Settlers' Lists.) Bohlender Book - Pictures and stories of over 800 Bohlanders, Bolanders, Bohlenders & Bolenders who began migrating to the US in 1709 and their German Russian & German Ancestors; also over 2,500 allied families of interest. Bessarabian Birth, Death and Marriage Records - These mid 1800 records for the villages of Alt Elft, Neu Elft, Dennewitz, Katzbach, Paris, and Platz often include parents, Godparents and male occupations. The newly updated records were available to convention attendees at the AHSGR Convention in Hays, Kansas, at substantially reduced rates. Some additional refinements will continue as part of the upgrade after our beta test but the site is operational. Dennis Zitterkopf

FYI - the final count for the registration, as far as I have been told, was 639!!! -- Kevin Rupp 2301 Canal Blvd Hays, Ks. 67601 krupp@ruraltel.net www.volgagerman.net volgagerman@ruraltel.net

Sorry I'm behind on this, but here you go ~ Kevin Convention Newsletter Friday, June 15, 2007 They signed up for the convention because their son¹s ³boss² was scheduled to speak: Bishop Werth from Russia. Bob (75) and Elaine (73) Corcoran of Sierra Vista, AZ., along with their pastor, Fr. Greg Adolph, decided to drive together to the convention. Their son, Fr. Tony Corcoran has been a missionary in Russia and works under Bishop Werth and they just wanted to meet the Bishop. What they didn¹t know was that Fr. Adolph received e-mail from Fr. Tony that he would come to the convention in Bishop Werth¹s place, but to keep that news secret from his parents. Even though Fr. Adolph was anxious to tell the news, he kept his promise through three days of travel. Just as they arrived at the Holiday Inn in Hays, their son, Fr. Tony, walked out to greet them. Elaine was so surprised and fought back her tears as they joyfully reunited. The morning¹s speakers had everyone on the edge of their seats. It seemed as though it just couldn¹t get better, and then it did! Dr. Chris Johnson, Kansas University, shared information the University has been gathering concerning various German dialects in Kansas. He pointed out differences in ³low German² and ³upper German² (Bukovina). By the 1920¹s there was dialect mixing, often by moving to different areas in Russia or marriage. The German we¹ve know is not ³textbook² but area dialects, basically dependent on what section of Germany your ancestors migrated from. The KU website from more information, which includes Germanic languages, literature. And recordings of German spoken is: www2.ku.edu/~germanic/LAKGD/Atlas_Intro.shtml Life Histories of German Women in Russia and to the U.S. by Leona Wasinger Pfeifer kept us all spellbound as we learned in more detail the general view of the women through time periods and how lives changes. I believe that old saying ³A woman¹s work is never done² must have come from a German/Russian wife and mother. Their duties were not only household, child care, making cloth and sewing it; they also planted and cured tobacco an planted and cared for garden, milked cows, fed animals and helped with harvest. And in all this ­ women were still held in low esteem. Marriages were pre-arranged and men made all the decisions. One of the men interviewed for the KU research lived in Schoenchen, just south of Hays. His daughter, Janel (Werth) Moore (Hays) commented that if there were two dialects in the marriage, the mother¹s dialect, the mother¹s dialect was the one the children learned as mothers were the primary teachers. Janel also remembers how furious her grandmother became when she learned I was the male who determines a baby¹s gender. Her grandmother angrily said: ³You men for years us women were blamed for having girls and all along it was the man¹s fault!² Janelle¹s grandpa was the only survivor of 7 children, so his dad advised him to marry a girl from a large family so he would have many children. Thank God I¹m a Volga Boy showcased Larry Weigel Jr, full of jokes and master of a variety of musical instruments. He quipped, ³I was told to have a light program with no message². Between his jokes, his nostalgic German music, and his description of his efforts to interest his grandchildren in their family tree, I¹d say he left quite a message of how to interest the young in their ancestry and their music. From the Ukraine to Spokane: 3 Ways of Preserving a family History was a fascinating journey of a family¹s history through mother, father and daughter¹s eyes. All three wrote their memoirs and all three had their views and separate and distinguished experiences. Once again we were encouraged to get busy and write our life¹s story. Alex emphasized it doesn¹t take any special education or technology skills; if you can talk, you can tell your story. You¹ll be glad you did. The Storytelling Contest was well worth attending; I only wish there¹d been time for the Honorable Mention winners stories to be read also, because each one of the three top stories were so different and touching. I believe it would be difficult to select winner¹s form the stories submitted. Hopefully, the three we were privileged to hear today will be printed in an AHSGR mailing. Our next speaker, Tatjana Schell from Munich, Germany passionately spoke about why it is so important to preserve our cultural heritage. Research and stories must be pursued as she pointed out that many things are disappearing, such as villages once occupied by our ancestors, dialects, and customs. Evan living in Germany, she has seen lack of interest among her peers and reluctance of elders to speak about experience, some probably too painful to talk about. Suppression of German language and religious practices led to them being forgotten. The White Slip Saga was not what I imagined it would beŠbut Justina Neufeld has a captivated audience as she narrated her harrowing experiences as a young girl in Russia in a totally different approach which took us a while to realize. A very touching and heartbreaking account of persecution, fear, peril, flight to safely only to face jeopardy again. A story of family torn apart, lost, and for only a few, reunited. On a lighter note, Lewis and Dona Marquardt made interesting and curious comparisons of G/R settlements in Emmons County, ND. and Ellis County, Ks. One big difference was how and why they settled where they did. The Ellis County immigrants wanted to live in villages and farm from there; the Emmons immigrants chose the free land which required living on it (farms) to acquire it. Ellis county settlers had to purchase their land. A college of musical talent entertained a capacity crowd tonight as we honored and remembered those who have gone before us but are not forgotten. A wealth of local talent shared their gift of music to end a very busy day in peace and perfect harmony. Opening invocation was by Fr. Kevin Weber of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Hays, Ks. Fr. Weber also sang solo ³Ave Maria². Closing comments and prayers were by Pastor Roger Dennis, St. John¹s Lutheran Church in Russell, Ks. Judy Hoffman Secretary ­ Sunflower Chapter Hays, Ks. -- Kevin Rupp 2301 Canal Blvd Hays, Ks. 67601 krupp@ruraltel.net www.volgagerman.net volgagerman@ruraltel.net

Greeley Tribune Greeley, Colorado 06-17-2007 Dorothy Schwindt Nov. 17, 1928-June 13, 2007 Age: 78 Residence: Loveland Tribute: Dorothy Mary Schwindt was born was born to Philip and Charlotte Frank and grew up in the Loveland/Johnstown area. Her parents and grandparents were German-Russian immigrants who settled and farmed in a little known area of the American West: the sugar producing farmlands of northern Colorado. Her family quickly integrated into the area that depended on immigrant families. As tenant farmers and factory workers, they quickly became part of the local fabric. She grew up in a family with 10 brothers and sisters. It was always fun to listen to stories of their childhood antics during the Great Depression and beyond. Mrs. Schwindt learned to work hard at a very young age on the farm and in the beet fields. The work ethic stayed with her throughout her life and was passed on as a value to all of her family. She attended schools in the Johnstown area, and at the height 5 feet 10 inches, she was involved in girls' basketball in high school. She was confirmed at the First Congregational Church in Loveland, where she also married William H. "Bill" Schwindt on Jan. 26, 1947. They celebrated 60 years of marriage in January. Mrs. Schwindt was a caring and generous person. She was always willing to set aside her own needs to help anyone struggling in her family. She was a strong woman who her family could consistently rely on, and she embodied a spirit for life few are lucky to possess. She enjoyed her six grandchildren and two great-granddaughters along with four adopted great-grandchildren. She loved flowers and cooked of some of the best German dishes ever made without a recipe, a talent that will be missed by her friends and family. Spending time with her grandchildren was one of her favorite activities, and they will forever cherish the wonderful relationship and lasting memories they have of their grandma. Mrs. Schwindt died Wednesday at North Shore Care Facility, Loveland. Survivors: Her husband, William "Bill" Schwindt; her daughters, Karen Scheck and husband Gary and Lola Johnson and husband Cliff, all of Loveland; six grandchildren, Angie Baldwin and husband Derek of Iowa, Garth Scheck of Wiggins, Leah Johnson of Washington, D.C., Katie Johnson of Loveland, Jonathon Schwindt and wife Tina of Colorado Springs and Jared Schwindt and wife Cammie of Loveland; six great-grandchildren, Sage Baldwin and Madysen Schwindt and four step-great-grandchildren. She also is survived by her sisters, Lilly Gieck of Lakewood, Gladys Sterkel and husband Vernon of Lakewood, Ruth Dill and husband Ed of Greeley; her brother, Melvin Frank and wife Joyce of Longmont; and brothers- and sisters-in-law; and about 20 nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by: Her parents; a son, William H. Schwindt Jr., and an infant son, Melvin Gene; a sister Olinda Bernhardt; and brothers Philip Frank, Sam Frank, Daniel "Jerry" Frank and Allen "Sonny" Frank. Services: 11 a.m. Monday at the First Congregational Church, Loveland. Interment: Loveland Burial Park. Visitation: An hour before services Monday at the church. Note: Memorial gifts may be made to First Congregational Church in care of Viegut Funeral Home, 1440 S. Boise Ave., Loveland, CO 80538.