Marvin, Would you, please, include me in your e-mail list on the compilation of stories about POW's. My Mom grew up on a small farm outside of Bayard, Nebraska, and has told bits and pieces of stories about POW's. I am going to have to go back to her and get more of the details. My Grandmother spoke German and occasionally told of prisoners or gangsers showing up at the farm. She was born in Russia (of German descent), and was one of those that did not want any one to know, so she kept a whole lot of things to herself. She did not want other people knowing that she could converse with the prisoners, when they came. Things like that, so those stories were not even told to us grandkids. When she died, her obit said she was born in Wisconsin, and when her children got to her papers, everything was gone. They believe she had burned everything. But I am trying to piece together her family's past and travelings, and the stories of the POWs really give a person a lot more incentive to keep going!! Thank you!! E-mail to: _Suz11@bresnan.net_ ger-volga-request@rootsweb.com wrote: Today's Topics: 1. German POWs (Dick Schmidt) 2. Re: German POW's (Lauren Brantner) 3. Re: German POW's (Henry L. Schmick) 4. Re: POW Links (d.hoffman) 5. Obit, Anna Mary (Gross) Hergett (Henry L. Schmick) 6. Compilation of stories about POWs (Larry Miller) 7. Re: Compilation of stories about POWs (Rosemary Larson) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 07:52:17 -0400 From: "Dick Schmidt" <44schmidt@earthlink.net> Subject: [GV] German POWs To: <GER-VOLGA-L@rootsweb.com> Message-ID: <00b301c7c3b1$ee6b8500$6400a8c0@yoursz6x6sefxo> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original In Michigan there was a group of POWs kept in a camp near Croswell. My grandfather grew peas and the German POWs worked in the pea vinery, where they brought in the freshly cut pea vines which were then podded mechanically. They lugged boxes of fresh peas and worked on the stack for the used pea vines. My dad could speak German and talked with them nearly every load we took there. They were very happy to be here and not being shot at. They remarked that they had good food and most people treated them with respect. There were a couple narrow minded people who thought my dad shouldn't talk to them. I was probably only 8 or 9 years old but can remember them smiling and happy when my dad was talking to them. ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 06:30:27 -0700 (PDT) From: Lauren Brantner <lrbrantner@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [GV] German POW's To: ger-volga@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <385747.63460.qm@web58815.mail.re1.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 I grew up near Wiggins, Colorado on a farm and my father had German war prisoners working on our farm also. They were housed in barracks right off of then highway 6 in the middle of our small town. A Rocky Mountain News columnist, Mike Rudeen in his column "Ask" today had replies to a reader request asking where these prisoners were kept. Answers popped up all over the State of Colorado. The prisoners were kept all over the state from 1944 to 1946 and worked on farms in the eastern part of the state as well as in the Grand Valley on our western slope where the fruit industry is located. This reader indicated that the troublemakers had been weeded out and that security was light and that many returned to visit Colorado after the war. One reader who responded worked at a POW camp at Camp Hale. Camp Hale was the home of the elite 10th Mountain Division which formed & trained in Colorado mountains. This is not farm or orchard country - so I don't what that particular group was about. One responder spoke of a young POW who sang Silent Night in a stunning tenor "with such passion that it brought tears to people's eyes" in a midnight mass in Fraser, Colorado. Another person spoke of a POW who saved his mother from rattlesnake bite on the eastern plains near Sterling, Colorado. Another spoke of feeding the prisoners. For more memories go to the Ask!blog at blogs.RockyMountainNews.com/denver/ask. There is one prisoner who returned after WWII to marry the farmer's daughter near Windsor, Colorado. Lauren Brantner --------------------------------- Need Mail bonding? Go to the Yahoo! Mail Q&A for great tips from Yahoo! Answers users. ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 08:23:33 -0600 From: "Henry L. Schmick" <hschmick@wavecom.net> Subject: Re: [GV] German POW's To: "Lauren Brantner" <lrbrantner@yahoo.com>, <ger-volga@rootsweb.com> Message-ID: <001401c7c3c7$1095a7e0$0400000a@DeskTop> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original I grew up near Torrington, Wyoming on a sugar beet farm. We got our German POWs from the Camp at Veteran, WY. Dad would drive our truck with a slide-in A-Frame to Veteran to pick them up each morning, the guard would ride up front with Dad. The A-Frame kept them out of the weather. The route to the camp was along a large irrigation canal, one of our neighbors, drove off into the canal and one or two POWs drowned in the strong undertow. They would bring their food in large pots, Mom would heat their food and give them a couple of loafs of home made bread. They would give us candy bars and cigarettes (my uncle smoked). The guard would eat with us. While the POWs were working, the guard would sleep in a haystack. We had a lot of rabbits in our pasture, on one occasion the POWs borrowed the guards M-1 Carbine and shot a couple of rabbits which they took back to the camp and ate. My Dad, Grandpa & Uncle spoke German well. The POWs were amazed that we had such small farm houses and such large fields. In Goshen County, we had camps at Lingle, Torrington, & Veteran. Henry L. Schmick ________________________________________________________________ Keep unwanted email out. Visit www.spamsubtract.com for more information. ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 08:31:33 -0600 From: "d.hoffman" <d.hoffman@bresnan.net> Subject: Re: [GV] POW Links To: "Allan R. Lenhardt" <arl@imt.net>, <GER-VOLGA-L@rootsweb.com> Message-ID: <006501c7c3c8$2dfa91a0$6501a8c0@your4xjk98n3xg> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Did a quick search for German POWs in Montana and found this link to the Montana Magazine of Western History from the Montana Historical Society which has the article on line. You can read the entire story entitled, "Unlikely Harvest" at---- http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3951/is_200010/ai_n8903727/pg_1 Don in Montana City ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 08:48:24 -0600 From: "Henry L. Schmick" <hschmick@wavecom.net> Subject: [GV] Obit, Anna Mary (Gross) Hergett To: "GR-LIST" <GR-GENEALOGY@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU>, "GR-VOLGA" <GER-VOLGA-L@rootsweb.com> Message-ID: <002501c7c3ca$894c7d50$0400000a@DeskTop> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Billings Gazette Billings, MT 11 Jul 2007 LAUREL - Anna Mary (Gross) Hergett died Monday, July 10, 2007, at St. Vincent Hospital, Billings. Anna was born in Edgar on March 5, 1915, to George Gross Sr. and Sara (Herman) Gross. She was the youngest child in a family of six children. Anna married Richard Hergett on March 3, 1935, in Park City. Anna was a homemaker and her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were very important to her. She was an excellent cook and the family enjoyed her fried chicken, apple strudel and apple pies. She was a very organized person and everything was in its place. She thoroughly enjoyed taking pictures and placing them in her many photo albums. Some of her favorite times were when she and Richard went fishing and camping and she caught "The Biggest Fish!" Anna was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church. Anna is survived by her husband, Richard, of 72 years; her four children, Betty (Henry) Lich, Laurel, Joanne (Richard) Nauman, Park City, Janice (Robert) Armstrong, Libby, and Gerald (Sharon) Hergett, Laurel. She is survived by 11 grandchildren, LaRay Mears, Alan (Dana) Lich, Wanda (Jason) Richardson, Rich (Shelly) Nauman, Russ (Robbin) Nauman, Rod (Valerie) Nauman, Alison (Terry) Jacobs, Bill (Robin) Armstrong Jr., Guy (Jan) Armstrong, Gregg Hergett and Garry (Lisa) Hergett. Anna is also survived by 29 great-grandchildren, Stephanie (Loren) Schrag, Amanda Mears, Randi and Sydney Lich, Lindsay, Courtney, Ashley and Jeffrey Richardson, Cal and Megan Nauman, Whitney and Chad Nauman, Alyssa, Shane and Daniel Nauman, Mitchell, Rebecca, Marshall and Benjamin Jacobs, Danielle, Michael and Taylor Armstrong, Amybeth, Courtney, Brant, and Chase Armstrong; Jarred, Brandon and Carly Hergett. Anna was preceded in death by her parents; sisters Sara, Annie and Katherine; and brothers, Mike and George Jr. Rest in peace, our loved one, we love you and will miss you. Funeral services for Anna Mary (Gross) Hergett, 92, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 12, at St. John's Lutheran Church, 417 W. Ninth St., Laurel. Memorials may be made to St. John's Lutheran Church, PO Box 185, Laurel, MT 59044. Interment will be in the Laurel Cemetery. Casket bearers will be her eight grandsons, Alan Lich, Richard Nauman, Jr., Russell Nauman, Rodney Nauman, Robert Armstrong, Jr., Guy Armstrong, Greggory Hergett, Garry Hergett and honorary casket bearers will be Loren Schrag and Jason Richardson. Smith Funeral Chapel-Laurel was in charge of arrangements. ------------------------------ Message: 6 Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:30:01 -0600 From: "Larry Miller" <dakotamillers@rushmore.com> Subject: [GV] Compilation of stories about POWs To: <ger-volga@rootsweb.com> Message-ID: <1184171418_157052@smtp3.iw.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hello Marvin. Please add me to the list of folks to receive your compilation of stories shared about German POWs. And thanks for doing it! Larry Miller / Spearfish, SD dakotamillers@rushmore.com www.galeymiller.org www.blackhillsmonitor.blogspot.com http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~unterdorf/index.html -----Original Message----- Message: 4 Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007 14:13:47 -0400 From: Marven C Weitzel <marvenw@juno.com> Subject: Re: [GV] POW's To: Okieraven@aol.com Cc: ger-volga@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <20070710.141347.1724.0.marvenw@juno.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I am an editor and have been compiling these letters in a desktop publisher. When I finish, I'll be glad to forward you a copy in a format you can use. Marven Weitzel ------------------------------ Message: 7 Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:03:13 -0500 From: "Rosemary Larson" <larso260@tc.umn.edu> Subject: Re: [GV] Compilation of stories about POWs To: <GER-VOLGA-L@rootsweb.com> Message-ID: <00a401c7c3dd$7e5fe130$6700a8ac@DHQ0CHB1> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Hi Marven,, I would like receiving the compilation also. This is great for you to do this. Thanks so much, Rosemary Larson larso260@tc.umn.edu ----- Original Message ----- From: "Larry Miller" <dakotamillers@rushmore.com> To: <ger-volga@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 11:30 AM Subject: [GV] Compilation of stories about POWs Hello Marvin. Please add me to the list of folks to receive your compilation of stories shared about German POWs. And thanks for doing it! Larry Miller / Spearfish, SD dakotamillers@rushmore.com www.galeymiller.org www.blackhillsmonitor.blogspot.com http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~unterdorf/index.html -----Original Message----- Message: 4 Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007 14:13:47 -0400 From: Marven C Weitzel <marvenw@juno.com> Subject: Re: [GV] POW's To: Okieraven@aol.com Cc: ger-volga@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <20070710.141347.1724.0.marvenw@juno.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I am an editor and have been compiling these letters in a desktop publisher. When I finish, I'll be glad to forward you a copy in a format you can use. Marven Weitzel ------------------------------- 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 contact the GER-VOLGA list administrator, send an email to GER-VOLGA-admin@rootsweb.com. To post a message to the GER-VOLGA mailing list, send an email to GER-VOLGA@rootsweb.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 email with no additional text. End of GER-VOLGA Digest, Vol 2, Issue 196 *****************************************