Vol.11,No.4 Winter 1988

Journal Of the AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF GERMANS FROM RUSSIA VOL 11, NO.4, WINTER 1988

On the cover: Threshing grain in the Dobruja.

Published by American Historical Society of Germans from Russia

631 D Street • Lincoln, Nebraska 68502-1199 • Phone 402-474-3363

Edited by: Jo Ann Kuhr and Mary Rabenberg

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS

GERMANS IN MANGEAPUNAR, DOBRUJA Aubrey B. Marthaller ...... 1

MEMORIES OF JOHANN DAVID IDLER FROM SARATA, BESSARABIA ..…………………………...... 5

A FAMILY DIVIDED Helen Schoenhals Herbel ...... 11

THE OPEN DOOR Karl A, Lurix ...... 15

THE SHEVE FAMILY EMIGRATES Betty Christiansen and Henry Shave ...... 21

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF PHILIP OTT Translated by Edward R. Brandt ...... 24

MIGRATION OF BUKOVINA GERMANS TO NORTH AMERICA Paul Polansky Schneller ...... 27

MARIENFELD, RUSSIA ...... ……………………………………………………...... 35

THE ADOLPH FAMILY: WARENBURG-FRESNO-KAZAKHSTAN LeRoyAdolph ...... 37 ROOTS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE EBENFELD MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH Solomon L. Loewen ...... 41

WE SING OUR HISTORY Lawrence A. Weigel ...... 49

BOOKS AND ARTICLES RECENTLY ADDED TO THE AHSGR ARCHIVES Frances Amen and Mary Rabenberg ...... 51

i 3 Doing the laundry.

Baking for the wedding feast.

The wedding dance.

The photographs of activites in Mangeapunar are courtesy of Rosina Weiss, daughter of Marianne Marthaler and Basilius Tillmann.

ii 4 GERMANS IN MANGEAPUNAR, DOBRUJA Aubrey B. Marthaller German farmers in the Dobruja did not immigrate to the Disillusioned, many more German colonists left their Danube Basin directly from their ancestral villages in Russian steppes. Thousands immigrated to the United Germany. With few exceptions they came as second- States and Canada. Thousands more, influenced by generation settlers from the Russian Districts of Romanian Minister Peter Carps, settled in Dobrujan Bessarabia, Kherson, Ekaterinoslav, and Taurida, where villages already settled by Germans. their ancestors had settled in response to the edict issued on In spring 1891 Christian Marthaller and his family moved February 20,1804, by Czar Alexander I, grandson of to the Dobruja, likely joining his son Johann in Karamurat. Catherine the Great. Soon afterwards they were joined by his parents and his The first Germans immigrating into the Dobruja were brothers — Johann and Michael — and his sisters — unlike their ancestors who went to Russia by invitation. Philippina, Mathilde, Minna, Helena, Katharina, and There was no governmental plan involved. They were not Francesca. asked to come. Rather, they left their Russian villages, Unlike the rest of his family, Christian's brother, Liborius paying their own way, to look for new lands where they Marthaller, remained in the Crimea. After serving a term in might farm and make their living. It is doubtful that they the Russian Army, he, his wife Philippina and their two even planned to settle in the Dobruja. children, Franziska and Michael all immigrated to America, The first German Russians entered the Dobruja sometime settling near Bowdle, South Dakota, where his second in 1841, likely from the Warsaw colonies. A large group of cousin had already been farming since 1894. Catholic families from Kherson Province in South Russia The village Mangeapunar in the Dobruja (also called settled near Calarasi during the years 1841-1843, They Mandschappunar) was established in 1895. The name were from the villages Josephstal, Mannheim, Elsass, means "Buffalo Well," or place where the cattle were Landau, and Katharinental, among others. watered. The Marthaler/Mar-thaller families relocated there The year 1871 brought important changes to the colonies in on the basis of a long-term governmental agreement South Russia. The Russian authorities now usurped assuring them of land for a ten-year period. Other founding jurisdictional control of the region and also cancelled the families were Weber, Hatzenbtihier, Daum, Braun, Herner, special privileges which the colonists had enjoyed, such as Riedinger, and Keller. freedom from military service and self-control over their Mangeapunar is a prime example of how influential schools and churches. Romanian landlords toyed with the German settlers in spite The Marthaler family had been one of the founding of legal land titles. families of the Berezan village of Speier, but around 1880 The immigrants had legally rented the entire surrounding several of these families emigrated southwards and settled estate, consisting of over 7000 hectares, in Rosental, Crimea. Among these was the family of for twenty years from the owner, Minister Emil Costinescu. Johann Marthaler and his wife Katharina, nee Moser. At the end of the term of the The eldest son Christian, after studying for the priesthood in the seminary at Saratov, left the religious life to marry Philippina, nee Mock. In 1883 this family was living in Blumental, a village south of Speier near the Berezan Liman and quite near the Black Sea. Christian's son Johann moved to the Dobruja in June 1880. At the time the colony of Kara-murat recorded as some of its inhabitants the families Marthaler, Gotz, Moser, Wolf, Baum-stark, Hirsch, Senn, Kunz, Heidrich, and Rucheinski—among others.

A new wave of founding of colonies in the Dobruja began in 1890. Russian nationalism was again on the rise, and a new law was passed which required that all persons who still possessed a pass and who had not yet taken out their Russian citizenship were forbidden to acquire any landed property. It also prevented them from plowing and seeding Russian soil. This effectively prevented them from even renting farmland. In 1891 the freedom to hold elections within the community was withdrawn in South Russia. Russian became the official language in the schools.

Map showing the locations of German settlements in the Dobruja, an area of Romania. Readers may find more information about this area in Dr. Adam Giesinger's article "Germans From Russia in the Dobruja," AHSGR Work Paper No. 8 (May 1972), from which this map is taken..

original agreement, the village, consisting of all the houses large private operator who, as it turned out, had not and yards, was to remain the property of the colonists— planned to farm the land himself but had hoped to even if the agreement for the rental land was not to be victimize his tenant farmers. extended. Many settlers made the difficult decision to abandon their Based on this legal agreement, the people laid out an homesteads and move on. Twenty-eight families of the extremely wide main street and built for themselves solid, more than fifty left for the Dakotas or Argentina. After permanent homes. By the turn of the century, there were 1906 only sixteen families remained. forty-eight houses, and by 1901 a stately church towered Johann Marthaller followed the lead of his older brother over the village. Liborius, who had left the Crimea in 1906 to settle at Costinescu transferred his estate to his sons-in-law, and in Bowdle, South Dakota. With his wife Marianna, nee 1906 a new agreement was drawn up. Rents were Wanner, and two daughters, Ottilia and Rosemary, Johann substantially increased, and the new term was for only boarded the S.S. Weimar in Bremen and reached Baltimore eight years. At the end of this second term, the estate was on May 14, 1907. leased to a

2 Shortly after his two younger brothers had left Europe, Christian, his wife Philippina, and son Franz traveled across Europe by train and embarked from Bremen aboard the Nord-deutscher Lloyd S.S. Breslau, landing at Baltimore on May 18, 1907. Johann, son of Christian, and his sister Amelia with her husband, Michael Hellmann, embarked from Bremen aboard the S.S. Cassel and arrived in Baltimore November 21, 1907. Valentine, the youngest son of Christian, became ill just when his parents were leaving Bremen, so he had to remain behind until he could recover. He sailed aboard the S.S. Montreal, landing in Saint John, New Brunswick, on April 6,1908. He traveled overland via the Canadian Pacific Railway and then crossed the border at Portal, North Dakota. Helena, Christian's youngest daughter, remained in Mangeapunar, as did her grandparents, Uncle Michael, and all of her aunts - including Franziska who married the Russian Nikiver Tealov. The Liborius Marthaller family moved to Alberta, Canada, in 1909. Johann settled first near Richardton, North Dakota, but after World War II he and his family moved to the booming copper-mining area of Butte and Anaconda, Montana. Christian and his sons homesteaded at Linton, North Dakota, and in about 1918 they settled in Hettinger County. Today their descendants are also found in Stark and Adams Counties as well as throughout the Pacific Northwest. After the German Army occupation during World War I, Marianne Marthaler and Basilius Tillmann on their the estate at Mangeapunar came under German wedding day in Mangeapunar, October 11, 1937. management, and some of the earlier inhabitants returned. The population grew to some 34 families, consisting of 181 souls. During 1940 the German-speaking residents of According to the Jahrbuch 1917 der Do- Mangeapunar were evacuated from Romania and were brudschadeutschen (in the loan collection of AHSGR), the settled in refugee camps. The Mar-thalers and Tillmanns population of Mangeapunar in 1940 was 391 persons. stayed in a camp near Linz, Austria, and it was here that The Marthaler family, like the other residents of Rosina Tillmann was born. In 1942 the families were Mangeapunar, had a small farmholding where they raised resettled again, this time as farmers in western Poland. poultry and farmed some grain. With the relentless forward push by the Russian Army, When Marianne, the daughter of Michael and Marianne the Dobrujans were forced to flee again in 1945. This time (nee Heidrich) Marthaler, married Basilius Tillmann in there was little time for organization. Marianne Tillmann, October 1937, theirs was a typical Dobrujan wedding. The her daughters, and her parents reached West Germany. Her entire community participated in the preparations and, after husband Basilius was captured by the Russians and held the services, marched through the streets to gather at the prisoner until 1946, when he was finally released and home of the parents, where they all enjoyed the wedding permitted to rejoin his family. feast and a great dance. Most of the other relatives (families Lang, Murmer/Murmul and Riedinger) did not make their escape to the West, so they are now settled in various towns in the German Democratic Republic. Of course, not all the German residents escaped ahead of the Russians. Elisabeth Hintz (granddaughter of Christian Marthaller, eldest

3 child of his daughter Helena) and her family were still in Old-timers who lived in the Dobruja and loved the land Mangeapunar when the Red Army arrived. The Russians and the climate even today speak of their old homeland as summarily collected all of the men remaining in the a "paradise on earth." village, lined them up, and shot them before the horrified eyes of their families. In recent years the Black Sea Coast of the Dobruja has been exploited as a Communist "Riviera," catering to As it happened, Elisabeth was able to escape from tourists (mainly) from the Iron Curtain countries. New Romania with her family and safely reached West resort towns, complete with high-rise resort hotels, have Germany. been built between Konstanza and Costinesti. These towns have such space-age names as Neptune, Jupiter, Venus, It is likely that the only German-speaking people who still and Saturn. Each evening at 7:25 p.m., the Russian Express remain in Mangeapunar (now known as Costinesti) are slides into the train station at Bucharest to disgorge its those who had married Romanian or Russian nationals. hundreds of Russian tourists, most of them heading Among these are the family of Franziska Tealov, nee Mar- towards the beautiful Dobrujan coast. thaler, whose husband was of Russian descent.

Guests at the wedding of Marianne Marthaler and Basilius Tillmann. Arrows point to the parents of the bride: Marianne, nee Heidrich, and Michael Marthaler.

4 MEMORIES OF JOHANN DAVID IDLER FROM SARATA, BESSARABIA*

Johann Georg Michael Idler with his wife, nee Wiirtel, From this marriage of Johannes Idler and his wife, nee and four sons — Johannes, George, Christian, and Gottlob Hafner, came the descendants Johannes, or in the — emigrated from Hauptstrasse 32, Striimpfelbach, vernacular "Hann"; George, called "Hansjorg" in the Germany, in the year 1833. They went to Bessarabia, vernacular; David, my father; and a daughter Caroline. The County Akkerman, village of Sarata. Here they settled three brothers, Johannes, George and David, divided among Farmstead No. 100 on Lindstrasse, next to a sievemaker themselves the 60 dessiatines of land, each of them named Knauer. Son Johannes, my grandfather, was twenty- receiving 20 dessiatines, meadow and all. My father took eight years old when they moved out of Striimpfelbach in over the Homestead No. 56. His two brothers, Johannes and the Rems Valley. In Sarata, he married a widow named Georg, built new places. Because my father had taken over Barbara Muller, nee Hafner. Her home village was Homestead No. 56, he also had to house his mother. Neustadt, County Waiblingen, in Wiirttemberg. From her My father David, who was born December 19, 1845, first husband she had two children, a son and daughter, married Maria Lang from AIt-Arzis, County Akkerman. From this marriage came six children, four daughters and two sons. Katharina was born in 1874, Elisabetha 1875, Maria 1879, and David 1884. One daughter and one son died of diphtheria as children. Katharina married Johann Illg; Elisabetha married Christian Schumaier; Maria married Johann Keck; David married Elisabetha Mueller. My wife Elisabetha, nee Mueller, is supposed to have been a descendant of the Mullers from Homestead No. 56. I, [Johann] David Idler, was born on March 5, 1884, as the sixth child. I believe that was a great joy for my parents that they again had a son. My mother had no idea at the time that one day I would celebrate my birthday in Struem- pfelbach. I can remember how my father, out of love, stuck my head in a pail of water. It was in the field during harvest, and it was hot. How we (the neighbor children and I) played in the yard! And how we jumped around the strawstacks! I can remember how my mother often grabbed The house in Striimpfelbach, Wiirttemberg, Germany, me by the hand as I was jumping around in the yard, took Hauptstrasse ff32, from which the Idler family me in the back room, locked the door, and prayed on her emigrated when they went to Sarata, Bessarabia, in knees with me. Oh, what a blessed childhood! 1833. Finally, I, also, had to go to school. Whoever could learn his ABCs well with the old Gottlieb Hahn, received a few and a house and farm [No. 56] with 60 dessiatines of land. kopecks which the father had given the teacher earlier. At My grandfather Johannes, according to the laws current that time all students were in one room with the teacher, the then, was required to take over everything, namely old Hahn. Once, when Old Hahn was in the back of the Farmstead No. 56, in order to pay the lease and the taxes. room with the younger kids (in the back, by the door, was a The Muller daughter married a man named Jund and went large, open area), the kids up front started to sing. I can still to Schabo. Jund died, and the wife returned to Sarata and see it today, how Old Hahn went to the front of the room married Mathias Wurgh, Wurgh was a co-founder of the and started hitting the students with a switch so that dust factory Layer & Hobbacher. The Muller son, as far as I flew in every direction. This Gottlieb Hahn was the father could find out, was related to Christian Muller, my father- of Oskar Hahn, who is buried here in Struempfelbach. in-law.

*This article was translated from German by the German class of Mr. Darryl Hanson, Marysville Pilchuch High School, Marysville, Washington, at the request of Superintendent Ray A. Hording. Mr. Hording is a distant cousin of Johann David Idler. It is printed with the permission of Johann David Idler's son Karl.

5 Things gradually got better in school. Three rooms were take over the business someday. The earthenware business built, and each room had two classes. There were three was the biggest pain for me. I much preferred it when I was teachers altogether. According to the governmental sent to the horses in order to lead them to water. When my regulation, there was also a Russian teacher there. When I parents saw that the business disagreed with me, they gave got into the upper class, we had a Russian teacher by the up and concentrated entirely on farming. Farming was my name of Ivanov. Each teacher had his subject, so the greatest joy, so I grew up in farming. teachers changed every hour. In the last hour before we The time came when I married Elisabetha Mueller on went home, we always sang a song, "Segne und behuete" October 25, 1907. My wife is said to be a descendant of the (Bless and Protect) or "Unser Ausgang segne Gott" (May Muellers from Farmstead No. 56, where my wife and I God Bless Our Leaving). When the Russian teacher Ivanov lived until we moved to Germany in 1940. So we lived had the last class before going home, he always said, "Sing peacefully until World War I broke out in 1914. your song." Although we also knew Russian songs and also It was in the summer at threshing time when the war had Russian singing lessons with him, a German song was became known, and servants quit work immediately. The always sung, even if he sometimes also demanded a Rus- only son of a family, according to Russian law at that time, sian song. Berta Wingert, Anna Schoch, Butcher Wagner's was free from military duty but was required to work for daughter Margaret and Sophia Wagner (her sister) always the government. When the war was in full force and most started, and we all joined in a song "Bless and Protect." In of our (school) class had been drafted, Czar Nicholas the morning before school, all students had to attend issued a decree that whoever from this class, namely my devotions in the big room. The religion teacher read the class, would voluntarily go to work for the government devotions. We prayed and sang. After devotions, all before the time came to be drafted would remain where he students went to their classes, and instruction began. The was working and not be drafted. So my neighbor, Johann Russian teacher also was present at devotions. Gaessler, also called "The Little One," went to work for the railroad, which at that time was being built in the vicinity I was confirmed in 1899.1 left school and had to help my of our village Sarata. That was good for us, and when the father farm. Since my parents also dealt with earthenware, time came, we were freed from military duty and stayed at I was also supposed to be taught the trade, because I was our place. supposed to

A view of Sarata, Bessarabia.

6 In 1917 Russia collapsed, and with it came the my wagon and son Robert with his wagon left from my Communist Revolution. In Bessarabia, there was also a place, a former servant and a Russian acquaintance came to struggle between Romanian troops and the Communists. say good-bye, and the Russian said, "You are going to be Since the Communists were poorly organized, they had to all right, but what is going to happen to us?" retreat. They went back across the Dniester River. We I had built my son Robert a new farmhouse, but since the were saved by the Romanians and were then under women had already gone, he was with me up until the time Romanian rule for twenty-five years until 1940, when of departure. Johann and I departed on one wagon, and World War II broke out. The war gave the Russians the Robert and Karl on the other. All 175 wagons gathered in opportunity to get back Bessarabia since they had never front of the city hall and departed together. We went to given it up. Now we were under Communism, although Dennewitz, where we spent the night. twenty-five years later, and we were afraid of what would Sarata was the last village which was evacuated. After happen now. Dennewitz, we stopped in a Bulgarian village in order to It was God's will that a pact was signed between Hitler feed the horses. We also set up a kitchen where one could and Stalin which stated that any of the Bessarabian get tea. My three sons went to get some tea, and I sat down Germans that wanted to immigrate to Germany had the on the ground by my wagon to eat a piece of bread. An old right to do so. Every individual and his family had to come Bulgarian man came to me and asked me in the Russian before a commission which was comprised of a German language,*'Didn't you notice anything?" I told him "No." and a Russian officer. From the age of thirteen years and And then he said, "There was such a great earthquake." up, every person was questioned. If a woman or a child And then, very seriously, "That is God!" Then he returned didn't want to emigrate, than there was nothing the father home. We had noticed nothing while traveling. could do about it. But there wasn't a single person who After the horses had been fed, we continued along fco declined to emigrate: all 90,000 Germans emigrated from the little river Prut. A bridge had been made there, and we Bessarabia. Families in which the husband or wife was drove over it. Some wagons were inspected by the Russian, which was, of course, a rarity went along. Every Russians. Then we came to the Romanian city Galatz. person received a number, and so in September we There they took our last horses, and they took us men and departed. our baggage onto a ship on the Danube. Then we traveled west all the way to Czechoslovakia. In Czechoslovakia, we were housed in a school where our wives were awaiting us. We were there an entire year until 1941. Shortly before winter we were taken to Poland and settled in homes from which Polish families had been driven. It is true, "Strange belongings bring no comfort." I never felt at ease there. We were in Poland for three years, until January 20, 1945. Then the head official came and announced, "You must be ready to flee by 5:00 tonight!" It was good that we had butchered the night before and had something to live on. We packed our suitcases hurriedly, loaded the wagon again, and put a roof on the wagon. My Polish worker, a man of fifty years who spoke very good German, helped me a lot with it. Moreover, we had to prepare a wagon for the wife of my son Robert, who had been killed on the front. I also took Johann, his wife, and a child of two months on my wagon. I feared the child would freeze, but it survived well. The whole village congregated outside the other end of the village, and at 5:00 in the evening we left. Germans leaving Sarata by wagon train in 1940. In the night one soon became lost, and everyone had to look out for The men, women, and children who had no horses were taken to the Danube near Kiliya and went on from there. The remaining men departed with horses and wagons. Sarata was the last village with 175 wagons. Everyone could load up as much as a few horses could pull. When I with

7 himself. So it continued for three days and three nights Our next goal was a village in Saxony, where we were without interruption. quartered. My daughter Frieda and her mother- and father- in-law were in the next village, Ziegelroda. Because we Samuel Wagner and I wanted to stay the night in the city wanted to be together, she found us a place, and we went Lisa [Lissau?]. We were taken in there by the people; they there. On our way to Ziegelroda, we came through a forest were very friendly. The women and children even got real just as American fliers flew over us. The workers in the beds to sleep in! Horses and wagons remained in the street. forest shouted to us, "Hurry! Get in the forest, otherwise Samuel Wagner and I bundled up in our fur coats and lay you will all be killed!" The fliers did nothing to us, but it down on the board floor. I had no peace that night, wasn't long before the battle between the Americans and however, and could not sleep. I felt as if we should keep on the Germans broke out. Our quarters in Ziegelroda lay by going continually, and I told Samuel this. He agreed, and an old graveyard, and in this graveyard, they buried the we woke our wives and children. The people of the house German soldiers. For a long time shots were fired back and came to us and asked, "Do you want to travel on now, in forth. The Americans had cannons, but the Germans did the night?" I said yes, I was apprehensive. The people of not. It was not long until a little wooden shed with wood in the house were also apprehensive and asked, "Are the front of the door started to burn. The fire went into the Russians so brutal?" front of the house, and we thought, "Now the whole house will begin to burn." Therefore, we went through the And so we went on in the night, and it is a good thing, window on the east side and lay down in the ditches behind because otherwise we would have been drawn into the the house. We thought the Germans would not shoot us. turmoil. We continued on again three days and three They had also fled, and the Americans would not hit us nights, and on the evening of the third day, I noticed that here from the west. the horses could go no farther. Then we stopped in a village and asked for a place to stay. The people took us in, The Americans probably thought there were still German but we had to put the horses in a shed since there was no soldiers lying there, and they shot a grenade at us. It hit my other place available. The horses were given straw to lie on daughter-in-law Bertha, Robert's wife, and their second because the floor was cold. I took the harnesses off the child which she was holding in her arms, and both were horses and gave them oats to eat. The horses were so tired killed instantly. It also hit the daughter of the man of the they couldn't eat, and they lay down immediately. Not until house and her child. Both were dead, and our mother was morning did they eat the oats; then they were fresh again. severely wounded. Since there were many people from Sarata in Ziegelroda, Ferdinand Wagner, my brother-in- Then we continued to a village in Silesia where we stayed law, Traugott Fiess, and Ferdinand's son, Edward Wagner a week. We received the order to move on, and we came to from Stanhopka, Bessarabia, came to help. My brother-in- another village to stay overnight. But the people didn't law Fiess and Stanhopka Wagner made the coffins. want to take us in and said, "Quick, move on, the Russians Although they hadn't learned this skill, they really made are already in the vicinity!" We said, "It's all the same to some nice coffins. They blackened them with lampblack us, we're staying overnight!" You see, we knew they were since we had no coloring. Ferdinand Wagner made a cross lying. Then they took us with the small child to an empty, on them with chalk, a pastor buried them, and our people unheated, and cold house. They gave us straw on the floor sang the song "Nearer My God to Thee." I had a to sleep on. gravestone made, and on it was put "Bertha Idler, nee Knauer," then the child "Helga Idler," and under that We left early and in the evening came to another village, "Robert Idler." Robert Idler was killed in the war on June but there was no room anywhere, After searching for a 30, 1944, near Oleszkowo in the vicinity of Bialy-stok. He long time, we came to a family that was ready to take us in had been wounded by grenade shrapnel in his head and for one night, but they couldn't keep us any longer. We chest, and a piece got stuck in one lung. He was buried by were happy to be able to stay and said, "No, no! Tomorrow a pastor in Nowa Wies. we're moving on." The people were very friendly and kept us overnight. In the morning we got everything ready to travel on, but before we left the wife invited us for We remained in Ziegelroda for a while, and there were breakfast. We had porridge, which tasted better than any Americans around us. However, the Americans retreated food we had had in a long time. We ate well, we thanked quite unexpectedly, and the Russians were there. Now we them, and traveled on. were under true

8 Communism. Whereas the Russians were normally very Querfurt and asked him if we also had to go [back to cruel, they behaved very nicely to us. We only saw them Russia] since we were here according to the agreement. He driving cattle. Once a Russian soldier came to us in the said, "No, we don't need to talk about it, because you are apartment and said "Stalin lied to us, and Hitler too." here according to the agreement." When the second group Russians didn't all have the same opinions of Stalin. of Black Sea Germans had to leave, the Saxons wanted to One evening as we were sitting having supper, someone shove us out again. We again went to the commander in the came in through the door: it was our Karl. It was a big county seat. He said, "You will all stay here." He gave the surprise. He had been locked up by the Russians in Kurland order in Ziegelroda to tell the community that the people and had received a letter from us from Ziegelroda in Sax- from Bessarabia would stay there. The mayor made this ony. Therefore he knew where we were. He had traveled known to the people of the community. The Black Sea from Kurland to the English front by boat, was taken Germans all had to leave, and we Bessarabians were to prisoner immediately by the English, and was set free by settle in Saxony. them at once because he was still so young. My son Johann had been wounded and had his arm in a My brother-in-law, Traugott Fiess and I looked for a farm sling. Therefore he could retreat from the Russian front to and found one. When we arrived the Communist the English. He was also taken prisoner by the English. commission was already there. We asked them if we could Since he had his arm in a sling — although it had already settle on the farm. They said yes, but there were only 200 healed — he also was set free. morgen [1 morgen = .66 acre] of land free. We asked, "Can I never felt safe in Poland, and had therefore given each of we get these 200 morgen of land? We are from Bessarabia, my three sons the address in Striimpfelbach, so if we were from the village of Sarata." They told us we could get the sought we could be looked for in Struempfelbach. My land, and they also showed us cows, very lovely cows, daughter wrote to the church office in Struempfelbach and Holsteins, and said, "You will also get these cows." received with great joy the answer that our son Johann was already there. Johann had his wife Anna and his child taken When we were on the side, a worker came running to us there by a guide. We had Robert's orphan daughter Elly and and said they had taken the son away and had quartered his Karl go with them. I, my wife, my daugher Bertha, and mother in a chicken coop somewhere. We then went to Karl daughter Frieda with her three children, Walter, Erhardt, Knauer (nickname Kaesknauer) in order to stay overnight. and Helga, prepared for the trip to Struempfelbach in the He also was in this village. I could not sleep: this thing spring. Johann sent us the immigration permit from the upset me greatly. In the morning on the way home, I told by district magistrate in Waiblingen. So we got ready by brother-in-law I wasn't settling there. "You can do anything March 15. When I told the mayor of Ziegelroda, he couldn't you want to." When the worker on the farm had told me believe it. "You can't do that, they won't let you." He was this, I decided not to settle. When we came home, there was after all, a Communist. I showed him the immigration form, a letter from our son Johann from Struempfelbach, and we and then he said, "Okay, I'll let you go to Eisenach by decided to go to Struempfelbach. tractor." Everything was ready to leave by March 15. The mayor When this became known among the other people from gave us the necessary means of transportation as promised. Sarata, almost all of them went to the mayor and told him All who were from Sarata wanted to go along. On March 15 they wanted to go along. The mayor then ordered two we left, and in the first village we had bad luck already. tractors with four trailers, and all became full. People from There stood a patrol of Russian soldiers. They stopped us, Ziegelroda were happy to get rid of us; their homes thus and from each vehicle one man had to go to the commander became available. with the permission slips. "And now things are going to go When the Russians deported the Germans from the Ukraine bad," I thought to myself when our men were with the back to Russia, the Saxons wanted to shove us out too. commander. Then a Russian soldier came to me and asked Then I went to the mayor. No Communist was going to me, "Well, old man, where do you think you are going?" I said to him, we wanted to go where our forefathers had keep us! He gave me this answer: "It is not so dangerous; you'll all get home again." I then went to the Russian once emigrated from. "That is fine," he said, "Go back to commander in the neighboring city where you came from." The Russian soldiers saw that we knew the Russian language, therefore they took an interest in us.

9 And now the men came from the commander again in France in prison. He also came home soon and got an with the news that we could travel on. It was a great joy apartment for him and his family. when we were again free. And so it continued all the way It soon became known from the city hall that there was a to Eisenach. Since the street was somewhat covered with lot available in the Steinwiese [Stone Meadowl. Whoever snow, the tractors had to pull the trailers uphill one at a wanted to build there should speak up but also had to have time. so much money. So my son Johann and my daughter's We arrived in Eisenach at night. The train was ready. We husband Alexander spoke up and were accepted. A house were quickly examined by a doctor, our luggage was with four apartments was built there. Each received two brought into the train cars, and away we went. During the apartments, each with its own entrance. In May 1951 we day we received soup and coffee in a city. Then we moved in. continued on to Stuttgart. We arrived in Stuttgart in the morning, and Red Cross nurses came and helped us unload. The nurses took the women into a warm room right away. I went to purchase a ticket. When I had one, I asked in which train I now had to sit. There were two men of my age who said to me, "Come along!" and we sat down in a train. While traveling one of these men asked me, "Which Struempfelbach do you want to go to? There are two." "I don't know," I said, "But from my grandparents I know it must lie in the beautiful Rems Valley with many cherry trees." When we stopped at Stetten, they said, "Now you just go along this valley," and they departed, After I had walked through the street a little bit, I came to a gardening store and asked where Struempfelbach was. The gardener, sounding like home in his Swabian dialect, told me to go down this valley, and there was Struempfelbach. I went on foot to the valley of my forefathers' homeland, The Idler family's new home in Struempfelbach, looked to the right and to the left, because there was a Germany. special feeling in me as I stood for the first time in my forefathers' homeland. My daughter Berta died of a heart disease in April 1950; I came into Struempfelbach and asked, "Where is Friedrich my wife Elisabetha died of diabetes in March 1954. Karl Modinger, House No. 79?" They answered me, again went to America with his wife and child on March 12, completely in Swabian. I came into the house and met first 1954, to Seattle, Washington. my daughter-in-law Anna and Modinger's daughter Hilda Written April 7, 1960, in Struempfelbach, where cherry while they were washing. I also went on this day to the city trees again bloom as beautifully as in the times of my hall, to the mayor, in search of a dwelling. He promised to forefathers. get me one right away. But he said to me that my great- grandfather had signed that he would make no more demands. I did not think of making any more demands; we were just happy if we could get a dwelling. We then got one, a complete, empty house, Hindenburg Strasse No. 33. Mr. Dannemann then fetched our things from Stuttgart and took no pay for it. I then moved into the house with wife and daughter Berta and son Karl, who was not yet married, and also my daughter Frieda with her three children. Her husband was still

A FAMILY DIVIDED Helen Schoenhals Herbel Among the many Germans leaving Russia were my My grandmother entered a hospital in London for grandparents, George and Katherine Elizabeth (Born) treatment of her eyes, and Grandfather worked in the Fritzler, and their two small sons. They left Saratov on hospital's laundry department. He carried wet laundry up October 20,1891, by train. They traveled to Germany, many steps so that it could be dried outdoors. About that presumably to Bremen, and left there by ship on time he developed leg problems—a hereditary ailment. November 1. During their journey at sea, their oldest son, The older children, Henry and Mollie (my mother), age three, contracted pneumonia, died, and was buried at were placed in an immigrant school. The twins were also sea. placed but in separate homes. The two younger daughters On December 14, 1891, they arrived at Gua-leguaychu, were placed in an orphanage. Each home had twelve Argentina, where two rivers meet, the Parana and the children and one room mother to take care of them. It was Uruguay. They traveled across land to the General Alvear very hard for the children, for they could not speak the colonies and settled southwest of Crespo, Entre Rios English language. They were allowed to see each other Province. ("Entre Rios" means "between rivers.") through iron bars after school hours. They often stood Their son Henry was born in Russia in 1890. My there and cried because they did not know where their mother Mollie (Amalia) was born in the small town of parents were. The school was surrounded by a high wall, Merino, Entre Rios, Argentina, in 1893. Merino is no and iron gates were kept locked at all times. The parents longer in existence. Twin sons, Fred and George, were did not know where the children were. born in 1895, daughter Elizabeth in 1898, and daughter Several months later a German lady came to visit the Katherine in 1899. school, and the room mother asked my mother if she would My mother was eleven years old when they left like to speak to her. She readily agreed and asked the lady Argentina; therefore, she did not remember much about her if she could possibly locate their parents. Through the life there. She did talk about how poor they were. Her lady's efforts the family was reunited. The parents and mother did laundry for other people. My mother also talked children had been separated for nine months. about playing near the river's edge while her mother Grandfather had been receiving letters from his brother, worked, so I think the clothes were washed in the river. Gottfred Fritzler, living in Sterling, Colorado. He wanted Mother, the oldest daughter, had to help care for the Grandfather to come to the United States. Gottfred sent him younger children and did not get very much formal a prepaid fare, and Grandfather came to Colorado. Being a education in school. carpenter by trade, he helped build the Great Western Sugar The promises made by the Argentinean government to the Company factory in Sterling. The rest of the family new settlers were not kept; therefore, several families— remained in England. Years later in Argentina we were told including my grandparents—sold all their belongings and that while the family was in England, Grandmother Fritzler left their homes in Entre Rios. Transportation was poor, had the children stand on street comers and sing, holding and when they reached Buenos Aires, the ship they were to out a hat for people to put in money. This is how she take to the United States had already departed. They were bought some of their groceries. Grandfather Fritzler told they could take another ship by way of England and continued to send money to the doctors in, England for Canada and later go to the United States. They left on that about a year, until he went back to Argentina in 1908. ship in the spring of 1904. After Grandfather had left England, Grandmother visited In the meantime, my grandmother contracted sore eyes, with a German man who told her she would have a better and they were not allowed to enter the United States. While chance of coming to America from Germany. So she went they were docked at a port in Canada, a Frenchman aboard with the children to Bremen. Grandfather then sent fares for the ship told my grandfather he could smuggle them into the two older children, Henry and Mollie, to come to the United States if grandfather would give him the gold America and earn money working in the beet fields in pocket watch he had. My grandfather was very leery of Colorado. They came with a sponsor, Mr. Ehrlich. Henry that. Since they had no friends or relatives in Canada, they was fifteen and Mollie decided to go back to England.

11 was twelve. They never saw their mother, sisters, or father's sister. They lived in Colorado for a while, where brothers again. My mother would often cry when she their only child, Esther, was born. Henry did not like the would tell us this. She never liked seafood nor citrus fruits beet field work, and they moved to Lipscomb County, because they had so much of that on the ships. Texas, where he took up wheat farming. He continued that Mother and Uncle Henry lived with their Uncle Gottfred until ill health claimed his life in 1922. until she met and was married to Alex Miller. To this union In 1918 the Spanish influenza took a large toll of people, was born a son Carl in 1908. Later they had three daughters including my mother's husband, Alex Miller, two of his who all died in infancy. Mother had a hard life; she worked brothers, and their father. Early in 1919 Mother and her in the beet fields almost all year around. Her mother-in-law small son Carl came to Lipscomb County to live with her took care of the children. brother Henry and family. She met our father, George Schoenhals, and they were married November 2, 1919, in St. John's Lutheran Church at Lipscomb, Texas. They lived for a while with his parents south of Darrouzett, Texas, then moved to what is known as the Newman place about 1 1/2 miles from the parents' place. Here I was born as was Henry Edward, In 1922 they bought a half-section of land southeast of Darrouzett that was all sod. They broke most of the sod and built the house and many other buildings with the help of friends and relatives. Here the other six children were born: Esther, Katherine, George, William, Ruth and Sam. Carl Miller did not like it in Texas and went back to live with his grandmother Miller in Colorado. My father's parents came to the United States from Stefan, Russia, on June 6, 1906. They first settled in Ellis County, Oklahoma, near Shattuck. They went to Canada for a while but came back to Texas and bought a place south of Darrouzett, Texas. They built their home from lumber salvaged from the old county courthouse in Lipscomb in 1916. They were charter members of St. John's Lutheran Church, and Grandfather helped build it. My mother never was able to attend school because of all the traveling and early marriage. My father would always do most of the shopping, and when we children were older, we would have to translate for her when she did go to stores. During one harvest she baked a "special" cake. The hired hands liked it and asked her what kind it was. She replied it was just a plain cake with lemon flavoring in it. My father immediately remembered they had bought extracts and other household items from a traveling salesman, from whom he had also bought shaving lotion. Seated are Mollie Fritzler and her first husband, Alex Sure enough, it was his shaving lotion in much the same- Miller. Their son Carl is standing in front, and shaped bottle and yellow in color that she had used in the cake! Mother loved to piece quilts, and she made over one Mollie's brother. Henry Fritzler, is standing in the hundred quilt tops which she had the Ladies Aid quilt for back. her.

After mother's marriage, Grandfather told Uncle Henry he would have to remain here with her. Grandfather went back to Argentina to be with the family. Grandmother had given up on coming to the United States and had returned to Argentina. Uncle Henry later came to Texas to visit. Here he met and married Mollie Schoenhals. my

This is the family of Mollie Fritzler and her second husband, George Schoenhals. Standing in the back from left are George Jr., Helen, Henry (H.E.), Esther, and Katherine. In front from left are Ruth, George Sr., Sam, Mollie, and William.

Our parents went through many trials but raised us all Their life-style is much like ours but with fewer under good Christian leadership. They celebrated their conveniences. These cousins were descendants of my 50th wedding anniversary on November 21, 1969, at St. grandmother's sister, Amalia Ruehl, who had also gone to John's Congregational Church near Follett, Texas. Mother Argentina from Russia. passed away at Shattuck, Oklahoma, in 1971, and father The second week we went by bus to Entre Rios where the passed away in Canadian, Texas, in 1981. Both are buried cousins lived. There we saw many acres of land under in the Fairview Cemetery, Lipscomb County, Texas. water as a result of the big flood Brazil and Argentina had On February 25, 1984, my cousin, Esther Miller, and I had in the fall left for Buenos Aires, Argentina, to visit our Argentinean of 1983. cousins. Our second cousin, Martha Bauer, and her The cousins lived about forty or fifty years "behind" us. husband Justus had not received the letter Esther had Very few have running water—and only cold water at that. written them about our arrival time. We spent four hours at Several still farm with horses, and what machinery they do the airport, not speaking any Spanish and not knowing why have is old-model machinery. Their new 1984 model Ford they were not there to meet us. We finally reached them by Falcon was our 1960 model. We were told the United telephone, and they came to pick us up. We had the States sends the old "molds" to Argentina. traditional 5 o'clock serving of desserts along with te (tea) Many times the food is prepared in summer kitchens. Bear and later the meal without desserts. We stayed with them in mind that Argentina has summer when we have winter. and Martha's other sisters and brothers a week. March 21 is their first day of fall.

13 Some of the younger children are now taking English in the husband came home from work- Most of the ladies school. We visited with a teacher who had taught English cannot drive and were amazed that Esther and I each for nine years. It was hard to understand her. One fifth- owned a car and could drive. There was no electricity on grade girl had me help with her "primer* and told me she most of the farms. We were glad we had taken our small wished I could be her teacher: I could pronounce the words pocket flashlights along. so much better than her teacher. It was a trip I will never forget. Eleven members of the We saw several U.S factories, such as Corning, Texas families went with us to the airport and waved good-bye as Instruments, Ford, and Chevrolet. However, the latter had long as we could see them. They begged us to come back: just closed its doors. One second cousin's husband works the terrible inflation in that country would never allow for the Gillette Company and had been sent to Santa Cruz, them to afford a trip here. California. for seven years' on-the-job training. It was nice Before we left Argentina, we visited the cemetery where to be able to converse in English with him. Most of the our grandparents are buried. Both are in the same grave, cousins our age still speak German, but very few teenagers because lots are too expensive to buy more than one. know the language, Grandfather died in 1933 and Grandmother in 1949. As we Travel in Entre Rios was very limited; each family owns stood there we felt that the family divided was once again only one vehicle. We were taken from one place to another united, however briefly. in the evenings after

Pictured here is the family that Mollie and Henry Fritzler never saw again after they came to the United States. Standing from left are Elisabeth Fritzler Weigandt, the twins Fred and George Fritzler, and Katherine Fritzler Miller. Katherine (Born} and George Fritzler are seated in the front. This picture was taken near Crespo, Entre Rios, Argentina, in the Sate 1910s or early 1920s.

14 THE OPEN DOOR Karl A. Lurix Excitement was in the air that hot summer of 1892. The at the Ellis Island Immigrant Station. A congregation had to convention of the Eastern District of the Lutheran Church be selected for Reverend Tilly to be called to, as this was of Missouri, Ohio and Other States (the German Lutheran church law. All the congregations in the immediate New Church in the U.S.A.) had just been held in June at the new York City area were filled, but the little congregation in Trinity Lutheran Church in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bridgeport, Connecticut, had been asking for a pastor for news had been raced down to Bridgeport, Connecticut, by a years, and it was not too far away from Ellis Island by train quiet observer at the convention, Karl Hamann. The or horse and wagon. True, it was tiny and old, oh, so old. It German Lutheran congregation in Bridgeport, Connecticut was truly ancient. (A group of German Lutherans settled at was to have a pastor at last! What joy! What excitement! Fairfield, Connecticut, in 1639. The first small church and Not only was the tiny congregation to receive a minister at school building were built outside the Fairfield settlement last, after waiting for oh, so long, but a good chunk of the in 1642.) convention had been spent on discussing the tiny While the Bridgeport, Connecticut, Lutheran congregation Bridgeport church. Tabled and put off until another was tiny and old, it could be enhanced and given a whole convention were more lengthy and important matters.' All new image, one more in keeping with the important other discussions had to wait. Bridgeport was being position of the residence of the first German Lutheran discussed instead. chaplain at Ellis Island. First, the old name of the church Little did anyone dream what was to happen that June had to go Die Erste Deutsche Evangelische Lutheranische 1892. The Eastern District had been responsible for the Zionische Kirche, the old name the church had had since its missionaries of the German Lutheran Church at Castle beginning in 1639, was too long and too ethnic. A simple, Garden Immigrant Station in New York City since its new name was selected, Zion. Next, a new church building opening on August 3,1855. Now that a new Immigrant Sta- would be used for church services. The old colonial church tion had been built at Ellis Island and opened on January 1, ediface was too old to be "chic" in the "modern age of 1892, German Lutheran missionaries and a chaplain had to 1892." The convention was soon filled with the praises of be selected. The missionaries were easy to select. Johann the new Zion congregation in Bridgeport.2 Pekrul and his family had served as German Lutheran mis- True, nothing in Bridgeport had really changed, but to hear sionaries at Castle Garden for years. They even had an the convention, one would never know it. The German official charter for the task from the Emperor (Kaiser) of Lutheran Church was different from other church bodies. Imperial Germany and would naturally continue in this The individual congregation had complete authority over function. The chaplain was a different matter. There had the church. Only the congregation could make any changes. never been a chaplain before. This was something new, Bishops had no powers here. So, if the convention and its authorized by the U.S. government to enhance the new assembly of pastors thought they could make any changes, Immigrant Station at Ellis Island. What to do? Someone let them think it. It did not matter. What did matter was that had to be chosen, but who? Only one person could be the church was to have a pastor at last! The congregation chosen, and there were too many senior clerics to make it rejoiced. The new vicar was to arrive in a few days. A easy to select just one of them for this important position. committee was quickly formed to begin all the elaborate The air was hot, not just with the oppressive heat, but with preparations for the new vicar's arrival. many, many angry words. Everyone wanted to be chosen, On Sunday, July 24,1892, Vicar Frederick E. Tilly was and fights had broken out. Finally, Rev. Henry Birkner, the ordained in Bridgeport as pastor of Zion Lutheran Church. pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church (now First Lu- He was ordained and installed not only as pastor but also as theran Church in Boston) quieted the convention and missionary in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and as German Lu- suggested that the best, recently graduated student (vicar) theran chaplain at Ellis Island as well.3 from the seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, be selected as the Pastor Tilly did well in ministering to the Zion new Lutheran chaplain for Ellis Island. The suggestion was congregation in Bridgeport and those who were to pass quickly accepted, and the Reverend Frederick E. Tilly through the "open door" at Ellis Island. became the first German Lutheran chaplain

15 With the help of Johann Pekrul, many of the German injury when young) had missed his stop at the New York immigrants were to settle in Bridgeport. Pastor Tilly would City docks (he was traveling second class) and had landed pass out little cards with the Bridgeport church's name and at Ellis Island instead. No one had noticed the mistake until address and a picture of the church on them. In addition, an Ellis Island agent had rejected the immigrant and was Johann Pekrul, who made his living bringing immigrants ready to deport him. Then the agent realized his mistake. from Germany to America, would also suggest the He was familiar with Johann Pekrul and his program. Once Bridgeport area as a good place to settle.4 the immigrant was identified as being from Johann Pekrul's The German government had issued a royal charter to group, there was no problem, and the former deportation Johann Pekrul allowing him to bring to America those who mark was changed to one of acceptance. It was all so wished to emigrate. This included Germans in Germany, simple. Poland, and Russia. Many sailed to America from the Ger- Thereafter, when an immigrant was rejected —and it man port of Hamburg. They were booked in second class, really was a hardship for the immigrant with no place to which meant they would never pass through Ellis Island go—Johann Pekrul would talk with the immigrant. If the but would be left off at the New York City docks with the immigrant agreed, Johann Pekrul would slip a passport into first-class passengers, their passports checked before the the immigrant's hand, and they would pretend that the ship docked in New York City. immigrant had simply missed his or her stop, landing Others were not so fortunate. Those who could not afford instead at Ellis Island. As the valid passport had already the price of second-class passage sailed by third class, or been cleared before Ellis Island, the immigrant was steerage, and landed at Ellis Island. Here it had to be released into Johann Pekrul's care. The immigrant would determined if they were "suitable" for settlement in the be rowed across to New York City in Johann Pekrul's U.S.A. or not. For many, Ellis Island became the "Isle of rowboat and could either go on to other U.S. areas where Tears" as they were rejected for one reason or another and the Germans were settling or, as was often the case, the deported to the country from which they had come. This immigrant would choose to try it on his/her own in New often brought tragedy, as so many had no place to go back York City, to. Russia and other countries did not want them, and Often this choice would be as sad for Johann Pekrul as the neither did America. immigrant's initial rejection. To settle on one's own in New Panic and fear often set in when one immigrant from a York City was very bad in the fall of 1892. Most often the family would be accepted and another not. A family would immigrant would end up in the tenements and slums of the literally be torn apart by who could stay and who had to go Lower East Side, working for almost no wages, never able back, Cries and uncontrollable wailing often were the to escape from the terrible poverty. Still, Johann Pekrul or sounds heard at Ellis Island when a family, surrounded by one of his family that helped him in his work would give all they owned in the world (carpetbags, trunks, furniture, him one of Pastor Tilly's little cards with the address and small farm animals and pets, bedding, and even the front directions to the little German Lutheran Mission Church in door off their old home) would be sent back to the ship that Bridgeport. The immigrant was also told to contact the brought them to be returned as some unwanted baggage. church if he ever needed help. Most never did. After once Each day it got worse, until Johann Pekrul could stand it no sinking into the pits of despair of the dreadful poverty in more. The immigrants he brought from Germany, Poland, New York's 1892 tenements and slums, many never came Russia, and other countries where Germans had gone to out. Some were too humiliated; others too proud. To settle looking for a better life had no problem, even the others, even the price of a stamp to send a letter asking for ones that had to go through Ellis Island. He was with them help was beyond what they could afford and still have the to help answer the questions, and the Ellis Island agents money for rent and a little food. Still, Johann Pekrul did knew him well. He was also a German Lutheran what he could. While those who contracted in Europe for missionary at Ellis Island, which gave him additional Johann Pekrul's services in bringing them to America paid status. a small fee, those whom he helped at Ellis Island paid Johann Pekrul came up with a plan that was to work so nothing. It was after all a simple kindness. well. One of the German emigrants from Russia who did As the weeks passed into months, Johann Pekrul's plan not speak English (and did not even speak German well as still worked well. Not everyone he had had a head

16 could be helped. Some did not understand, although Johann January 12,1893: "Ladies Aid Meeting: After opening Pekrul spoke German, Russian, English, and even Latin. In prayer, we talked about some of the things other Tabitha desperation Johann Pekrul purchased a language phrase (Dorcas) or Ladies Aid Societies in other churches were book from. German to Greek to try and communicate with doing. There was a discussion about the poor immigrants the poor who spoke that language. Others were diagnosed settling in Bridgeport. Mrs. Wuerz and Mrs. Wolfrau related as having a dreadful disease and were quarantined. Those the information that in Ellis Island many families are no one could help. Johann Pekrul could not even get close separated, the parents sent back, and only the children enough to talk to them.5 allowed to enter America. For many, Mrs. Wuerz added, Ellis Island is now called the 'Isle of Tears.' It is all rather sad." February 6, 1893: "Didn't sleep well—woke at 4 o'clock. My dreams were restless. I keep thinking of Ellis Island and the poor immigrants. By 7 o'clock many of these poor people are up trying to sell their wares in the rich sections of Harlem in New York the same way the poor immigrants try to sell their wares in Winfield at 9 o'clock. Papa said at least the immigrant's life is easier out of the big city of New York. If only more could be gotten away from it. It is so sad that, after saving and dreaming of a new and better life in America, so many die in poverty and despair in the slums of New York." February 7, 1893: "In the evening I went to visit the Pekruls. We talked about the immigrants. Mr. Pekrul told me how he goes to Ellis Island and tries to help the immigrants as best as he can. We talked well into the night." February 8, 1893: "In the morning I went to visit Reverend Schueff of the German Baptist Church. We talked about the German immigrants of the city. He, too, felt something must be done to help them. He gave me $40.00 for a fund for them. I went to the bank and opened an account. Mrs. Lill and Mrs. Gollenberg agreed to bake cakes to sell at church to raise money for the fund. "It is now later in the evening, and I think again of the things Mr. Pekrul told me last night. For many, Ellis Island is an island of tears. One family could not enter the country because the mother was sick with tuberculosis. They were so brokenhearted. They had spent all their savings in passage fares. Mr. Pekrul talked to these people and agreed to take their child into his care." (The child could enter this country because Mr. Pekrul used his passport, claiming the

child as a "relative,") "The parents had to go back to their Johann Pekrul and his wife Julia. old country, never to see their child again, but with the hope that their child would have a better life in America than in On January 1, 1893, Pastor Tilly began to record a diary in poverty in Europe. It was so sad! Our church in New York which he included his experiences with the immigrants at is so helpful, too, providing a children's home for the Ellis Island. Following are some translated excerpts from children like the one Mr. Pekrul brought in." his diary: January 11,1893: "I still cannot forget about the sad situation with the immigrants. I have heard so many sad stories about families split up at Ellis Island. I do pray that God will grant them better days."6

17 February 15, 1893: "Took the train for New York. Carl treatment the immigrants received. Mrs. Lill had a German and Anna had agreed to come down and meet me. We went passport, and we asked Mr. Pekrul if it would help. He to Ellis Island to see what we could do. Met Mr. Pekrul and showed us how to slip the passport to an immigrant unseen the pastor of our church in New York. I saw with horror the by the immigration officials and then how to go through lines of immigrants treated like cattle.7 Each country had a customs with that person. Mr. Pekrul told the immigrant quota except for Germany and England. I could see now not to speak but to pretend to have a sore throat. Mr. Pekrul how Mr. Pekrul was helping with his German passport. He did all the talking, claiming the immigrant as a 'relative' could bring in only one at a time with it, but it helped. from Germany. It was amazing how quickly the person was Those German passports are so precious!" cleared through. Sometimes it would be days before an February 16, 1893: "In the morning I went to the immigrant could get through Ellis Island. Then at any time church office and found a gift of $1.90 for the Immigrant he could be told to go back, quota filled. No one talked on Fund. The congregation has been so generous. Typed up the train ride back to Bridgeport, It was all too sad to talk something for the monthly bulletin. The gift of $1.90 had about." come from little Johnny Schneider, who had saved his pocket and lunch money for several days. Even the children are helping. It is wonderful! "At 8 o'clock Pastor Steup stopped by for a visit. It was so good to see him. I showed him the diary I have been keeping. He was quite pleased. It should be a good record for future generations, he thought. He was surprised, though, that I am keeping it in the old Low German dialect instead of the more popular and modern Hochdeutsch (High German). I explained that I wanted to preserve the language of the congregation, too, as most of the people came from Pomerania, Russia, or Saxony and spoke the Low German. It was for this reason, too, that I did not choose Kirchendeutsch (Church German), as it would make the diary too scholarly and for just ministers. I hope with the Low German that future generations of lay people will be able to read the diary and feel a part of their past generation. If, as Pastor Steup feels, High German will become the standard German language, at least this one record, my diary, will preserve the language of the common people. "Took the 4:17 p.m. train to New Haven. Visited with German Lutheran immigrants there. Many had been brought to this country on January 26 by Mr. Pekrul. They were so happy to be here, as parts of Germany are in a bad depression with many people starving, Mrs. Kuehn told me more stories of the horrors of Ellis Island. Had to leave to catch the 7:20 train back to Bridgeport to meet Pastor Steup. During my train ride, I kept thinking of the things Mr. Kuehn told me, such as how the quota system for entering immigrants was unfair. Poor countries like Poland or Slovakia had small quotas, whereas rich sections of Pastor Frederick Tilly. Germany had practically no quotas at all. It does sound unfair. "It is now late, and as I write this I am looking at the check for $10.00 and the $3.33 in pennies

brought by the children of the congregation for the Immigrant Fund. The children are so good. They have been going through all their small savings to give what they can for children less fortunate than they. Each day the congregation grows bigger with more immigrants arriving." February 18, 1893: "0 Lord, an immigrant child died of starvation this night. No one at Ellis Island cared. By the time Mr. Pekrul came, it was too late. Deliver us, 0 Lord, from the evils of Ellis Island." February 20, 1893: "Went with Mrs. Lill to Ellis Island again. Mr. Zdunek came with us. We all saw the harsh 18 March 4, 1893: "0 Lord, an immigrant family burned to not have the money for a coffin and the rest. She wanted to death today on Ellis Island. A small fire in one of the bury him in the back of the house. It was sad, her talking rooms—no one cared to help the poor family. They died so and half-crying with all the little children around her (ten). I horribly, even the baby. No one cares on Ellis Island told her the church would take care of it and not to worry. except Mr. Pekrul. They just boarded over the burned-out She already wants to go back to New York City to work in room, didn't even bury the baby. Our pastor in New York a sweatshop, as she has no money. I told her the church insisted on burying the dead. Lord, bless them. F.E. Tilly, would help her. I will go and talk with Mr. Pekrul to see Pastor. I record everything I hear about that horrible Ellis what can be done for her. He is so wise. In the evening, as I Island. One day, I pray, people will read this diary and was sitting with Mrs. Auklamm in church, the Pekruls remember." came. We had a long talk about the situation." March 25, 1893: "It is now 10 o'clock, and I am still August 16, 1893; "The morning dawned cloudy. The busily writing in my diary. Mr. and Mrs. Bahm and Mr. Muellers came to pay their respects. They brought Mrs. Zdunek stopped by tonight to talk about plans for building Schell and her daughter too. Mrs. Auklamm is so surprised a chapel at Ellis Island. I have talked with Mr. Pekrul, who that the congregation really cares about her and her family. thought it was an excellent idea and gave me the name of She is so thoughtful, expressing her thanks to everyone. whom I should contact there. It was exciting. We planned Mr. Pekrul thought it best that when Mr. Pekrul goes to for three hours how the chapel would look and how to raise New Britain he take Mrs. Auklamm and her family there. money for it. Everyone is so excited." That way she can't run off to New York City to die in April 7, 1893: "Snow, hail, and rain. In the evening I slavery of the sweatshops and the stinking tenements. I sat down to write about all that has happened with the agreed it was best. The Immigrant Fund will be able to pay plans for building the chapel at Ellis Island. All has gone for the funeral expenses, and St. Matthew's Church in New well. Britain will be able to help her with money. Mrs. Auklamm "Otto Kuehler from St. Paul's Lutheran Church has agreed sews well, and perhaps a job can be found for her in New to join our committee to build the chapel. I have talked with Britain as a seamstress. In any case, the country will do the immigrant officials at Ellis Island and received Mrs. Auklamm good. By noon it was all arranged. Mrs. permission to build our Lutheran Chapel. I stressed to them Auklamm would accompany the Pekruls north to New that the chapel will be for everyone not just German Britain after the funeral. Mr. Pekrul has changed his plans, Lutherans, but I don't think the immigrant officials care. leaving earlier than he had planned." They are so cold and callous to these poor immigrants. August 26, 1893: "I got out my typewriter and typed a They only want the rich ones. The chapel will be located in letter to the synod in St. Louis. I have been thinking a lot the main building on Ellis Island. As all the immigrants about Ellis Island. I feel if the whole synod got together, must pass through there, it is the best choice. A group of maybe we could change some laws about Ellis Island. I men from St. Matthew's Lutheran Church will join our read again a small note from a child we had helped on Ellis group from Zion and St. Pauls in building the chapel. I Island. 'Dear Pastor, I wish and my family, too, to thank preached today at Ellis Island. The newly arrived you for your help for us on Ellis Island. We do well now. immigrants were so attentive and so appreciative as they Papa works about every day, and Mama not so hard in the had not heard a sermon since last leaving Europe." factory. Maybe soon we can leave New York City and go July 25,1893: "Singing practice. The children on Ellis to the country in Connecticut. We love you always, Hans Island have formed a children's choir while waiting to be Brustave.' " (Hans was born in Lithuania.) processed." October 25, 1893: "So many [immigrants] end up so badly in the pits of hell, in New York City's slums and August 15, 1893: "The morning was cloudy. At noon Otto tenements, with all hope gone. I feel my diary must be a Auklamm died, having caught pneumonia on Ellis Island record of what really happens. The Land of Hope is not which simply got worse." (Otto was born in Minsk, that for so, so many. 0 Lord, bless these immigrants that Russia.) "He was young. I feel so angry about Ellis Island, they may find a better life, that hope and joy never leave the island of tears. It brings death and sadness to so many. them but continue with them all their days." By 1:30 p.m. the body was prepared and placed into the coffin and taken to the church. Mrs. Auklamm had protested, as she did

May 17, 1894: "In the morning I went with Pastor Steup Notes to New York City. We stopped at Ellis Island first, but all was quiet. Immigrants have been entering our country 1. Kretzmann, Karl, The Atlantic District of the with no problems. How long will this heavenly bliss Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, last? Only our Lord knows. At 10 o'clock we left Ellis and Other States and Its Antecedents (Published Island to visit the Orphan Home and the German by Resolution of the District, 1932), p. 40. Mr. Immigration Society in New York City. Some of the Kretzmann was secretary and archivist of the people there were talking about the very bad conditions in district. many of the factories and sweatshops in New York City. 2. Records of Zion Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, An immigrant coming to our country that is lucky enough Connecticut; Atlantic District Archives, Concor-dia to pass through the jaws of the gates of Ellis Island often becomes ensnared by these horrible places. Paid so little College, Bronxville, New York; Concordia Historical for such long hours, an immigrant can often never save Institute. enough to send for his family from Europe or to move out 3. Ibid. of New York City. In desperate effort to raise and save a 4. Johann Pekrul, my great-grandfather, was born in little money, after long hours spent at a horrible factory, Niezewa, Russian Poland, on March 18, 1859. His son an immigrant worker often comes home to do further Frederick was born February 17,1888, in Minsk 'homework' at home. This homework is factory work Russia. Johann Pekrul's father, also named Johann, parcelled out to be taken home to be done for a small fee worked with the Castle Garden Immigration Station in paid. Often what happens is that an immigrant starts this New York City and brought German settlers to homework and is paid a small amount for it. After a while the factory lowers the rate paid, and the worker must still America, As this was a family occupation, the entire do the homework or lose his job." Pekrul family moved all the time wherever word In August 1896 Pastor Tilly was called to become reached them that the Germans had to "get out" of the successor of his father as pastor in Winfield Junction, region. Johann Pekrul became a U.S. citizen November Long Island, New York. His successor, Pastor Spannuth, 12,1900. The family still has the original charter issued was to continue the missionary work begun by Pastor by the emperor of Germany authorizing this activity as Tilly at Ellis Island, assisted by Johann Pekrul and the well as original letters asking for the assistance of Zion congregation of Bridgeport. They assisted the newly Pekrul in helping Germans leave Germany, Poland, arrived German immigrants in getting settled in America and Russia. and teaching them English. On June 14, 1897, much of 5. Records of J. Pekrul and F. Tilly of Zion Lutheran Ellis Island was destroyed by fire. Everyone was Church, placed on deposit at the Atlantic District evacuated safely, and many items from the German Lu- theran Chapel and the library were saved from the fire. Archives. The government immediately began to investigate all the 6. All extracts were taken from the diary of F. Tilly, charges the German Lutherans had been making against Bridgeport, Connecticut, on deposit at the Atlantic Ellis Island, and reforms were promised. A new Ellis District Archives. Island was planned. 7. Although Pastor Tilly was ordained and installed as In 1900 F. Wilhelm followed H. Spannuth as pastor chaplain of Ellis Island in 1892, he did not go to Ellis of Zion and German Lutheran chaplain at Ellis Island. On Island often at first. When he did go to Ellis Island, it December 17, 1900, a new, grander Ellis Island "People's was during pleasant times when no ships were landing, Palace" built in brick opened. Many changes and reforms there were no lines of immigrants, and no hardships to had been made. The German Lutherans were very see. It was only when Johann Pekrul told him of the pleased. All their hard work paid off. The new Ellis Island "other side" of Ellis Island—the crowds, the and and its chapel were beautiful. deportations, etc.—that Pastor Tilly came to Ellis Island when he wasn't supposed to and saw for himself the horrors. It was then that he truly became involved with trying to help the people and fulfill the position of chaplain at Ellis Island.

20 THE SHEVE FAMILY EMIGRATES Betty Christiansen and Henry Shave The year was 1913, and low, ominous rumblings of war Because it was safer and more prudent to travel with a were heard in the province of Volhynia located in the buddy, Father chose a Mr. Elisov to accompany him in his Ukraine, the breadbasket of Imperial Russia. break for freedom. Mother's father, Theodore Domrose, The Sheve family consisted of our parents, Samuel and drove them in his wagon to a small village on the border of Alvina, nee Domrose, and their three children—Hedwig, Austria-Hungary. In this strange village they sought out Alice, and Erwin. Father had a small bakery in the village their Russian guide. They were prepared with passports of Rokin, and he often overheard his young Russian (albeit of a dubious origin), rail and steamship tickets, lots employees singing Communist songs as they worked in the of intestinal fortitude, a determination to be free of Czar back. He had to make a serious decision. First, he could do Nicholas II, tyranny, and secret police. But most of all, nothing, but if the czar's agents found that he harbored they possessed a deep faith in the Almighty God. Communist employees, both he and they would be dealt After making contact with the guide and paying him in with harshly. Secondly, he could turn them in to the czar, advance, they awaited nightfall. After dark they headed for but other Communists would certainly retaliate. His the forest-covered Carpathian Mountains which straddled remaining choice was to leave the country, but this was not the border. Had they been apprehended by the czar's police, easy to do. the penalty would have been death. The czar had a lot of "eyes" looking for strange travelers in border towns. Their own guide could have been an agent of the czar! All the guide had to do to collect a reward was to "whistle," and the show would be over. After they had been climbing the mountain for some time, the guide told them to wait while he scouted ahead once again. Once more they waited in silent fear. Would the guide turn them in? On his return the guide informed them that two of the czar's border guards were up ahead, talking. Soon they would separate and march off in opposite directions. Now the crucial moment arrived. The trio crept forward silently. Again the guide ordered a halt and silent wait while he scouted ahead. Returning, he assured Father and Mr. Elisov that the border guards were out of range and that a short distance away was a dirt road they were to follow. That dirt road was in Austria-Hungary! The czar's border guards would not dare shoot in Hapsburg country. Kaiser Franz Josef would not tolerate any infraction of his sovereignty. The fever of war was heavy on both sides of the border. Although the guide did not turn them over, he did steal Alvina and Samuel Sheve behind the counter of their most of Father's belongings, but the Russian and Austro- bakery in Rokin. The boxes in the shelves behind them Hungarian border was no place to quibble about it! They contain candy which was made only once a year at walked the dirt road to freedom and to an Austrian village. Easter time. After a long train ride to Bremen, Germany, they boarded the S.S. Brandenburg, arriving in Baltimore, Maryland, on The two kaisers, Wilhelm II and Franz Josef, were in a May 5, 1913. saber-rattling match with Czar Nicholas II. Every male was a potential soldier. Somehow Father obtained a certificate stating he had completed his military obligations, although in truth he had served only a day in the Czar's Army. Obtaining a passport was another hurdle. How he managed it is not known, but these documents are now held by family members.

21 There was a stopover in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to visit The harvest hands were always thirsty and impatient. The with Mother's brothers, Richard and Albert Domrose, who water bucket was attached to a beam by a long rope. The had emigrated earlier. Perhaps it was at this time that other end of the beam was fitted with counterweights to Father was persuaded to Americanize his name from balance the contents of the bucket. Hattie would pull the "Sheve" to "Shave." (Sheve was derived form schief, which rope down, lowering the bucket into the well and raising in German meant "crooked.") Father worked very briefly in the weight on the other end of the beam. Then, when the a bakery in Milwaukee but did not like the night shift. bucket was full of water, she would pull the rope up, Besides, he and Mr. Elisov heard rumors of excellent raising the full wooden bucket of water to the surface just wages being paid in the lumber camps in the Upper Penin- as Rachel had done for Jacob thousands of years before. sula of Michigan. The well was used to cool milk, butter, and cream also. They took a train to Blaney, which was in central Upper Mother's passport arrived. Hattie was 5 1/2 Alice 3 1/2, and Michigan and is now a state park. The company they little Erwin was 8 months, and they were all included in the worked for was the I.X.L. Lumber Company. The men document. The czar had given them permission to leave the who worked in the lumber camps were called lumberjacks, country. With an official passport it would not be necessary and they were underpaid, overworked, and ill-treated for to use the underground railroad to leave Mother Russia. the most part. They were quartered in bunkhouses made of Mrs. Elisov joined the family on their journey. In Bremen, rough-sawed boards, located deep in the woods and far Germany, the government health officials claimed family from any towns. Each lumberjack had a "private" room 4 members had an eye disease and threatened to send them feet high, and 7 feet deep, open on one end. Father and Mr. back to Russia. Mother told the health officials they were Elisov had to furnish their own blankets and sleep on loose trying to shake her down for money and offered them some straw. Their belongings were kept there also. advice of her own. It worked. Bonanza! More rumors. This time it was rumored that at the western end of the Upper Peninsula the iron mines of the Gogebic Range were hiring men at an even higher wage. This convinced the pair to abandon the fresh air of the north woods for the filthy, dark, hot, and wet iron mines. Work in the mines was far more dangerous then lumbering, but the pay was better, and after all, it was the pay from the mines that would reunite the family. Father found a lousy (literally) room above a store building in Bessemer, Michigan, and a job at the Anvil Mine. Father at this time worked long hours in the mine. In 1913 there were no 8-hour days or 40-hour weeks. On July 13, 1913, Mother sent a reply to Father's letter stating she was waiting for her passport to arrive and would soon be on her way to America. It was easy for Mother to get a passport: Imperial Russia didn't mind if women emigrated. Mother and the children had moved in with her parents after Father left Russia. Her brother Rudolf lived in an apartment attached to Grandfather's house, a place off- limits to Hedwig (Hattie), Alice, and Erwin. The grain harvest was heavy that summer, and Hattie was delegated to draw the water from the well and carry it long distances over stubble grainfields to the thirsty harvest crews. This was hard on the soles of a barefoot girl only five and one- half years old.

Mrs. Elisov and the three Sheve children, Erwin, Hattie, and Alice.

22 The crossing was rough, and Mother was terribly seasick. Father in his vermin-infested room. All family belongings Erwin vomited constantly because his stomach could not were unpacked from one large basket trunk. digest the canned milk. Whenever Mrs. Elisov went up on the Hattie was immediately enrolled in the public school deck for a breath of fresh air, she would take the children system. She spoke only German, and her teacher spoke along. The living spaces on these ships were not equipped only English and Swedish. There were no alibis for not with air conditioning or even fans. Air was supplied by large learning her lessons! Hattie picked up English very ventilators on the upper decks that were turned by a gear quickly, though, and later on was confirmed in the Swedish mechanism to catch the most breeze. Alice was attracted to language, there being no other Lutheran church available at one of these ventilators, and when Mrs. Elisov had her back that time. turned momentarily, Alice managed to watch the passengers But the story doesn't end here. Five more children were several decks below. She might have fallen, had it not been for added to the family: Cecelia Adolphina, Grace Viola a sharp-eyed crewman who caught her by the shoulders. Theresa, Richard Otto, Henry Albert, and Elizabeth They disembarked from the S.S. Rhein in Baltimore on Alvina. Father continued to work at the Anvil Mine until August 28, 1913. Upon arrival in Bessemer, they joined his death in 1941. During all of those years, the family lived on a farm outside of Bessemer. Mother died in 1977. brought grain to his mill, and in winter the children skated We children are truly blessed to have had such hard- on the mill pond with heir wooden shoes. All the children of working, Christian parents. Those early years in Bessemer the community attended the parochial school. The czar's are quite another story! inspector came through once a month to make sure they But what happened to those left behind in Volhynia? When conducted classes in the Russian language and not German. World War I came along, our relatives and their neighbors Grandfather was an ardent admirer of Bismarck, and he had fled to the West except for Grandfather Domrose who, a picture of the Iron Chancellor hanging on the wall of his along with many other German-Russian menfolk, was sent bedroom. When Mother was confirmed, her parents gave to Siberia for the sole reason that he was German. At the her a rosewood sewing machine which, of course, she had to war's end, it took him three years to walk (or sometimes ride leave behind when she came to America. As children, we if he was lucky) back to Volhynia. In World War II they dreamed of someday going across the water to the old again fled to the West, and this time they stayed in country and bringing back the sewing machine for Mother. Germany. And that is all it ever can be, only a dream. A Grandfather's farm in Volhynia was beautiful: a river ran As Thomas Wolfe put it, "You can't go home again." through a portion of it, and there was an orchard. Farmers

NEW ARRIVALS PUT STRAIN ON [GERMAN] LABOR AGENCY* At the end of November some 83,800 ethnic Germans who had emigrated from East Bloc countries were registered as unemployed in the Federal Republic, the president of the Federal Labor Agency, Heinrich Franke, reported Tuesday (December 6) at a monthly press conference in Nuremberg. Explaining the high figure, he cited the increased administrative work caused by a surge in the number of the immigrants. Noting the importance of mastering German for long-term employment, Franke observed that a total of 64,500 ethnic Germans had participated in German courses from January to November of this year, more than three times the number enrolled last year. In addition, during this period another 11,300 resettled Germans started continuing education courses, reschooling or on-the-job training, the agency's president reported, representing a 12 percent increase over 1987, This led to significantly increased expenditures for the labor agency, Franke noted, adding that for language courses alone his agency has spent DM 805 million this year, instead of the DM 320 million originally set aside for this purpose. Reprinted from the December 9, 1988, issue of This Week in Germany, distributed by the German Information Center.

23 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF PHILIP OTT Translated by Edward R. Brandt

I, Philip Ott, want to record the events of my life so far as Russia, now the Ukraine.2 Here we settled, and here my my memory permits. father was employed by the railroad company as foreman I was born on September 4, 1873, at Letnia, House No. 33, in the carpentry shop. We remained here until November Austria, in the royal province of Galicia, and was baptized 1887, and here I received my education and spent my on September 21,1873, by Pastor Josef Honek of youth. Then we were on the move again in order to find a Josefsberg, Galicia. new home. As foreigners, we had no property rights in I am the son of Jakob Ott, the son of Conrad Ott, proprietor Russia, and today, as I am recording these memories, one of House No. 9 in Ugartsberg, and his wife Elisabetha, nee has no rights as a human being (in Russia), only as a slave. Schanz. My mother is Katharina, nee Schlosser, of Szczerzec.

House Number 9, Ugartsberg, Galicia, where Philip Ott was born. It had been built by the original immigrant to Ugartsberg, Johann Ludwig Ott, and remained in the family until the ethnic Germans had to vacate the area in World War II pursuant to a Hitler-Stalin pact.

This is the record of my ancestors. I regret that I cannot So we had to be on the move a second time, this time to go trace them back farther to my father's grandparents in to Canada. We sold what we could and gave away the rest, Wintenberg (Wuerttemberg?) and my mother's to Mainz as happens when one migrates. So we — parents with six on the Rhine River in Germany.1 children were ready to go in early November 1887, together with three other families. The trip began in Birzula; I am writing down these memories so that my descendants from there to Volochisk on the Austro-Hungarian border, may know whence their grandparents came. then to Lemberg (today L'vov), where I saw my two uncles, then via Przemysl and Berlin to Hamburg, where Now we commence the journey. Together with my parents ship tickets were purchased from Spiro & Co., to I left my birthplace as a boy of just barely six. It was in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where we arrived on November 24, October 1879 that we migrated and arrived in Birzula, 1887, with the temperature nearly thirty degrees below South zero,

24 Arrival in Canada we remained until early October 1890. However, in view It was not the paradise which had been depicted to us in of the fact that there were no crops because of the drought Europe, for there was no work to be found except for which reigned there, almost all of the settlers moved away. cutting wood. Nonetheless, one could earn from $1.25 to The larger number went to Edmonton and the smaller $1.75 per day, for which one could easily feed a family. A number to Grenfell (Saskatchewan), specifically 24 miles few months after our arrival in Winnipeg, my youngest north of Grenfell. There we met five German settlers who sister, who was two, became sick and died. gave us shelter for a short time in order to give us time to My first job was helping on a farm before and after school; erect the necessary buildings and make hay. That was the wages were my meals. But oh, my! I saw the school only end of October and the beginning of November 1890. That from the outside but not from the inside, because I had to was one of the nicest autumns I have seen during my forty- feed and water twenty-four head of cattle, clean the barn, three years in Canada, since there was no snow or rain and cut wood the rest of the time. This school I attended until the first snow fell on December 24; the winter was four weeks, then back to Winnipeg. By October 1889 I had also very mild. worked at three other places —two in Winnipeg and one Father homesteaded the land located on the northwest with a Mennonite in southern Manitoba. quarter of Section 32, Township 19, Range 7. I took the Then we moved to the country, to Dunmore in the southwest quarter, and my brother took the southeast Northwest Territories, now Alberta, where we quarter of the same Section 32, Township 19, Range 7. homesteaded on land 18 miles south-east of Dunmore in a This land all lies west of the second meridian. In the spring settlement which had been founded in the spring of 1889, of 1891, during the first week in April, we broke five acres mostly by Austrians from Josefsberg [in Galicia], which of land for wheat and three acres for oats. The yield was was also the name given to the new settlement. There satisfactory, namely 75 bushels of wheat and 103 bushels of oats. Garden produce was also good.

The Ott homestead (1902-04) near Neudorf, Saskatchewan. This photo was probably taken in the 1930s. Photo courtesy of Mary and Will Ott.

25 Then I had to go out and find work, which I did for 20 in the fall of 1920, I migrated to Glenella, Manitoba. There dollars per month. One could not get more than 25 dollars I came out of the fire into the frying pan.3 After four years per month helping with the harvest. Thus, I had to work for of hard work, I had to give up this place, too, and on April others all summer for several years, for there were crop 1, 1925, I arrived in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and moved into failures—the worst one in 1895, when everything froze. the house at 429 Dufferin Avenue, where I am still living The wheat sold for only 12 cents a bushel, since it was today, February 6,1931. feed-grain quality. No. 1 hard wheat brought only 28 cents per bushel. There was no market for oats. Everything went Translator's Notes pretty well until 1900. Then my father was thrown by a 1. Philip Ott was wrong about any of his ancestors mare. All medical aid was in vain, and he died on June 29, migrating from Wurttemberg to Galicia. One family 1902, at the age of 57 years, 8 months, and 21 days. came from the Alsace, all the others from the Palatinate. On March 9,1902, we—Philip Ott and Maria Elisabeta The family also believed that it spoke "Schwaebisch," Adam—entered into a state of holy matrimony and were wed in the Evangelical Reformed Church of Zion at i.e., the dialect of Wurttemberg. The reason for this Neudorf. My wife was born in Huziej6w, Austria, in the misconception is that so many Swabians migrated to the royal province of Galicia, of the parents Heinrich Adam eastern, non-German parts of the old Austro-Hungarian and his wife Elisabetha, nee Muller, on September 23, Empire, that all Germans in these settlements often 1879, came to be known as "Swabians." This is similar to all In 1904 we moved to Killaley, Saskatchewan. This was my Americans becoming designated as "Yankees," first bad gamble. although the term originally referred only to people In the spring of 1905 we moved to the country again, 7 from the northeastern states. Similarly, English speakers miles northeast of Killaley, and there I remained until the often refer to the Netherlands as "Holland," although fall of 1912, from where I moved to Canora, Holland means only the northwestern part of this Saskatchewan. As a result of the outbreak of the Great War country. Actually, there were far more Palatines than which began in 1914, 1 became unemployed so that in the spring of 1915 I moved to the country in the Weyburn area Swabians in Galicia, on the Assiniboia Branch 3 miles southeast of Glasnevin, 2. It took me a long time to find Birzula, It is a very small Saskatchewan, where I had bought a quarter section of place right next to Kotovsk, which is northwest of land. I had to give up the farm after five years as a result Odessa. of crop failures caused by drought. 3. The German original, "Aus der Traufe in den Regen," if In the spring of 1919 I was on the move again and moved translated word for word would mean "Out of the eaves to Midale, Saskatchewan. After one year I changed my trough into the rain." The phrase used by Philip Ott is a place (residence?). And finally reversal of the idiomatic expression, "Aus dem Regen in die Traufe," which is usually rendered in English as "Out of the frying pan into the fire." Philip Ott may have been confused about the phrase; however, in view of his concern with the problems of the drought, he may also have meant that he had moved from dry Saskatchewan to somewhat rainier Manitoba, reversing the idiom as a play on words. Ein Kluger muss den Sinn auf das A wise man must remember the Vergangene lenken, das Gegen past, act in the present, and prepare for the future. waertige tun, das Kuenftige bedenken.

26 MIGRATION OF BUKOVINA GERMANS TO NORTH AMERICA* Paul Polansky Schneller This year [1987] should have been the 101st anniversary of all of those interviews, not once was I told, "They came the Bukovina Society of Yuma, Colorado. I don't know if looking for land." Inevitably the answer was, "America was this was the first or only Bukovina Society founded in the the big dream. They came to become rich. They were told United States, but I know of no other. America had gold in the streets just for the taking. They This society was started by a group of pioneers from came to get some of that gold." several villages in Bukovina who found themselves The first pioneers I traced from Bukovina to America went neighbors in the spring of 1886 in Yuma, Colorado, where to Wisconsin, and what a shock they got! They were told of the United States government was giving away free land in the fortunes to be made in clearing the forests of North the early part of that year. Although these newly arrived America. Wily entrepreneurs were getting vast concessions families had not necessarily traveled across the Atlantic from the government to cut the timber-lands. And fortunes Ocean together, they did find themselves neighbors. were made, many overnight, but not for the vast majority Emigration from Bukovina to the United States appears to and even less for those who were unable to speak English. have started up in earnest shortly after the end of the The Wisconsin timberlands attracted the first pioneers from American Civil War in 1865. There are scattered reports of Bukovina because they had all had experience cutting down individuals coming from Bukovina to the United States as trees. However, being a lumberjack in Bukovina and being early as 1863, during the war, but they were few and far one in the wilds of Wisconsin proved to be two different between. things. The woodlands of Bukovina had always been The authorities in Bukovina began to encourage administered by the government. Single men were never emigration in the early 1860s because of the shortage of encouraged to go to Bukovina: only God-fearing, good land available for the descendants of the families who respectable families were allowed. But in the lumber camps had received their allotment of free land under Maria of North America, the custom was entirely different. Rip- Theresa and her son Joseph. About the only condition the roaring boomtowns, where every other building was a bar authorities in Czernowitz considered when approving an or girly house, greeted the Bukovina families. The application for a passport was that any male wanting to American lumberjacks worked hard during the day but leave must have completed his military service if he was of played even harder during the night. The majority of all age. deaths in those days in the lumber camps was from gunshot But it was not really free land that the would-be pioneers wounds. Gambling, drinking, whoring were the custom. from Bukovina to America were looking for. Most of the The pioneers from Bukovina usually didn't last a week. families that left Bukovina for the United States were not They moved south, looking for farmland. poor: in fact, considering the majority of immigrants to the If their first experience of America—living in the rip- States in those times, the people from Bukovina were roaring lumber camps—had been a disaster, it was a short- considered rather well off. lived disaster. By either luck or farsightedness—or a America in those days was the land of excitement, of big combination of the two—these German-speaking pioneers dreams, of westward expansion. I have interviewed many had landed in a state in the United States that was at that families of pioneers from Bukovina in America, and always time, and would be for many generations to come, a little I have asked, "Why did your ancestors come to America?" Germany. No matter where one went in those days in In Wisconsin (as long as it was away from the lumber camps), German was the language. From every province in Ger- * This speech was presented by the author at a many and in German-speaking Switzerland, immigrants convention of the Raimund-Friedrich-Kaindl had been flooding to Wisconsin. Wisconsin, a land of lakes and trees and green, rolling countryside, reminded Gesellschaft [Society] in Augsburg, West Germany, everyone of home. So, it wasn't long before our Bukovina on June 6, 1987. It is reprinted here in translation pioneers bought themselves some decent farmland. It with the permission of the Kaindl Gesellschaft and the author. Some adjustments have been made to the ending in order to adapt it for the readers of the Journal.

27 wasn't free in those days in Wisconsin, but it was cheap, Americans, because no one would buy it. One had only to and an industrious farmer could find himself not rich but see the land to know it would be a hard if not fatal very comfortable after only a few years' work. The soil was experience to try to make a go of it. Only once did the good, the rain plentiful, and all the neighbors were railroad sharks try to foist the land off on people living in German. Villages like Dorchester, Wisconsin, founded by America—the Irish. Gangs of Irishmen laid the tracks an Englishman, soon became heavily populated by many going west for the railroad companies. Part of their wages families from Bukovina. was free land—until the tracks got to Nebraska, Then not Thus the first letters to arrive in Bukovina were not even the Irish would accept that land unless they thought discouraging. As long as one avoided the sinful lumberjack they could sell it to Cousin Paddy back home in County camps and stuck to farming and a little carpentry on the Cork. side in the winter, one could have a comfortable and plen- I don't know if it was the successful sale of a few acres of tiful life in America. There were no kings, no wars, no dry Nebraska plain, sight unseen, to Cousin Paddy back in taxes to speak of but plenty of freedom and good, German- Ireland that triggered the devious mind of the railroad speaking neighbors. America was the future, companies, but before the tracks were laid halfway across But it was not only the Germans from Bukovina that were the state of Nebraska, the railroad companies had their writing glowing letters back to the old country but also agents in Europe offering not only cheap, rich farming land Germans from the Palatinate, Baden, and Bavaria. Within a but also steamship fare over and a free ride on their train to very short time, Wisconsin was full-up. Land prices paradise. skyrocketed, which only made the letters going back to This was how the second wave of our Bukovina pioneers Europe even more optimistic. got to the Midwest. McCook, Nebraska, became a By the 1880s, then, the first generation of pioneers from Bukovina town. McCook in 1880 was the last real town Bukovina to America (or rather Wisconsin) had made such before the barren wasteland that led into Colorado. a successful transition, that those who now wanted to follow in their footsteps thought they only had to arrive in My ancestor, Andreas Schneller from Lich-tenberg, America and their future would be guaranteed. Thus it Bukovina, got off the train in McCook with his wife and six came to be that the apparent success of the first wave of children. He was lucky. He got a job right away as a Bukovina pioneers to the United States countryside brickmason. But while he was unpacking his bags, many actually sowed the seeds of disaster for the next wave, the people from Bukovina were packing up and going home, second group of pioneers to the American Midwest. back to Bukovina. It started in Nebraska. In 1976 I was in the town of Solka, Bukovina, trying to see Nebraska did not compare to Wisconsin in any way. Where what records they had. Somehow the talk got around to Wisconsin was green and lush, Nebraska—or at least most America. I was told there was a man in the village who of it—was semi-arid and dry. Where Wisconsin bounded spoke English and who was born in America. Then a man the Great Lakes on the east and the great Mississippi River in the town hall actually took me to the "American's" on the west, Nebraska foundered on the dry side of the house. He was an old man, probably ninety. He had been Missouri and had even less water the farther west one went born in Petersberg, Nebraska. His parents had gone out until one ran into the stony, barren mountains of the there in the 1880s from Solka. They didn't like it, had a Rockies. Where Wisconsin was settled by German farmers hard time, and moved back to Bukovina when this man was looking for good, productive soil, a great deal of Nebraska eight years old. However, he still remembered some was given free of charge to the railroad companies in English. He was really excited to meet someone from compensation for taking the iron horse west. America, but all he could talk about was how hard a time The United States government gave Nebraska away for his parents had had in Nebraska and how they had come free. In Washington they thought they had stuck the greedy back home to Bukovina. railroad owners with the white elephant of the century. But But farther west not only was there greener land, but it was the railroad moguls didn't see it that way. Of course they free. The United States government owned it and was couldn't sell the land to willing to give 165 acres free to anybody who would live on it and improve it. The railroad companies might cheat— but not the United States government.

The Bukovina-German band of 1893. Some of the Bukovina Germans who left Nebraska to settle in Yuma County, Colorado, in 1886 returned to Nebraska in the early 1890s and settled near Randolph and Albion, Nebraska, where this picture was taken.

That is how a large number of Bukovina families from There were so many of them in Yuma, that they formed a Kimpolong, Lichtenberg, Karlsberg, Furstental, etc., made society, the Bukovina Society. They met every Sunday in their way to Yuma, Colorado. the countryside, usually on one of the farms. They always The colony of Yuma was rather unique as far as the had a keg of beer, and the women made the food while the Bukovina pioneers to America were concerned. I have men told stories of back home. Letters from Bukovina were already mentioned Dorchester, Wisconsin, and Petersberg read to everyone, and photos were passed around. I and McCook, Nebraska, where Bukovina people settled consider myself very lucky to have a few photos that were but were not necessarily in the majority. Yuma, Colorado, sent from Bukovina in those days. In Bukovina I found 1886-1887 was almost exclusively populated by people photos from Yuma. from Bukovina. In 1887 Yuma, Colorado, was greener than most places Yuma is about 120 miles due west of McCook, Nebraska, in Nebraska, and the land was free. There were no trees, not a long distance when one considers it is about 2000 but the soil looked good, and our Bukovina pioneers built miles from a seaport in any direction. As I said before, themselves homes out of their savings. My ancestor, McCook was the end of the line. A lot of Bukovina people Andreas Schneller, like all his neighbors, had to fill in a lot were piled up there when the notice came that the United of papers for his free land from the government. States government was releasing free land 100 miles away. Information found in some of these papers follows: I guess our ancestors were the first to get there. Or did wise The Declaration of Intent states: "I, Andreas Schneller, people in the know let our Bukovina ancestors get there a native of Austria, do declare on oath first?

29 that it is bona fide my intention to become a citizen of the ment of people. Land including the area of Yuma United States and renounce and abjure forever all became known as the new rainbelt. However, in the early allegiance and fidelity to all and any Foreign Prince, 1880s things had returned to normal. There was no more Power, Potentate, State, and Sovereignty whatever, and rain. Instead there was widespread drought and particularly to Francis Joseph, Emperor of Austria." depression. Suffering was most acute in 1894. Many The testimony of the witnesses Paul Landauer and Karl people who were able to leave did so. The population of Schaetz, both of Bukovina, declared that they had seen Yuma County declined from 2,569 people in 1890 to Andreas Schneller on his land at least fifty-six times in the 1,729 in 1900." past year. They saw him working the land almost every day. They saw lights in the window at night and smoke That is what a history book said. Let me tell you what an from the chimney. They saw him eating meals in his house old-timer told me when I interviewed him in the 1970s in and saw all articles necessary for housekeeping. Colorado. He was almost one hundred years old. His name The description of the land: "Slightly rolling prairie was Wlaschin, -and his parents had come from Bukovina. farming land. The soil is a dark, sandy loam. There is no This is what he told me: timber on this land and no indication that there ever was "Well, they all came from Bukovina, lots of families, and any." they stayed seven to eight years in Yuma. Every Sunday all Andreas Schneller finished his home in July 1887. The the Bukovina families would get together and drink keg description in the land registry was as follows: "One-story beer. But in all that time, they had only one good crop. All farmhouse, 14 x 16 feet, set in the ground 4 feet, of these families homesteaded. At that time there were wild stockboards, board roof with tar paper on and sodded over; herds of longhorn cattle, and more than once these cattle earth floor, walls plastered, stovepipe chimney; three win- came along and wrecked the crops. Then in the early 1890s, dows, each 10 x 12 inches, homemade door. It is habitable there were widespread drought and depression. They at all seasons of the year and valued at $75," started to leave in 1894. Some went back to Nebraska as Implements owned: "Shovel, spade, hoe, hammer, saw, dry as it was; others tried Kansas; some returned to axe. All owned for one year." Bukovina. Several of the original families went to farm in Livestock owned: "2 hogs and 2 chickens." Wisconsin where they had relatives. A few went to Texas Articles of furniture owned: "2 beds and bedding, 1 table, 5 to pick cotton like the black slaves. But the poorest stayed. chairs, 1 cookstove, 2 trunks, 1 washstand, 1 cupboard, They stayed in Yuma. They couldn't afford to move. They dishes, 1 lamp, 1 clock, say a lot died on the wagon trek to Texas, but [of] those 1 looking glass, 2 water buckets, 2 water barrels, who stayed in Yuma, a lot died too—from starvation." I 2 tubs, 1 washboard, 1 boiler, stationery, books, pictures, had Bukovina ancestors that went to Wisconsin, to carpet, and curtains. I have owned all of this since July Nebraska, to Kansas, to Texas, and even some who stayed 1887. I declare that I own nothing else whatsoever." in Yuma. So, of course, I know the whole story. Crops raised: "Last season I had five acres in corn and Those who went to Wisconsin could find only land in the raised two tons of corn fodder. I have V4 acre of potatoes swamps that no one else wanted. They built farmhouses and a small garden." and tried to raise crops around Dorchester but failed My ancestor, Andreas Schneller, lived like all his other miserably. Then one day they just hitched up their wagons neighbors from Bukovina. No one had more or less than he and left. They didn't even attempt to sell their homes. They had. just walked out and started wagon trekking westward. They had nothing. They reached Mason City, Iowa, where a boy I would now like to quote from James Baker's History of had an accident. The group decided to stop until he Colorado. I think it will show you why our Bukovina recovered. In order to eat they had to find jobs as poor, people went there while others abstained. This book was manual laborers; their days of fortune hunting were over. I published in 1927. was born in Mason City, Iowa, the grandson of Edward Schneller, one of those fortune hunters, "In the late 1880s there was the movement of farmers into the semi-arid lands of Eastern Colorado. Beginning in 1880 there was an overflow from Kansas and Nebraska moving into our state. A few years of unusually heavy rainfall sped up the move

30 Those who went back to Nebraska got some farmland and Bukovina families that had gone to Oipe, Kansas. He eked out an existence. Many years later the U.S. rented a dairy farm, but it didn't pay. He then tried to raise government did an irrigation project for the area, and the chickens, but they all died of cholera. He then moved to descendants of those people from Bukovina, mainly around Emporia, Kansas, and tried to be a door-to-door salesman, Randolph, Nebraska, prospered. but he couldn't make a living. He committed suicide on New Year's Day in 1905. He left a wife, Elizabeth Others went to Kansas, including my greatgrandfather, Kunzman from Glitt, Bukovina, and nine children, six at Andreas Schneller. He met up with home.

From Yuma many Bukovina Germans went to Albion and Randolph, Nebraska, before moving on to Dorchester, Wisconsin, and Mason City and Montrose, Iowa. From there they moved to Oipe, Kansas. Here Bukovina Germans from Yuma are gathering for the last time in Oipe in 1903. After cholera killed their chickens in Oipe, most Bukovina-German families returned to Yuma 1904-05 but left there again soon and went to Washington and Oregon. Andreas Schneller is standing, second from left.

His sister Katherine was with the party that left Yuma and west as the land would physically allow them. And they went to Texas to pick cotton with the recently freed Negro reverted to the one occupation that had brought their slaves. They went to Henrietta, Texas, with many ancestors from the forests of Bohemia to the forests of Bukovina families. They lived like the blacks and starved Bukovina. The young men cut down the trees; the older like the blacks and, after losing two children to starvation, men worked in the sawmills. Some were lucky to save a bit made the long wagon trek back to Yuma in 1905. of money and buy a few acres and become farmers. But Katherine had left her elderly parents with neighbors in they were the last emigrants from Bukovina to the Yuma. They had been extremely well off in Bukovina but American countryside. Small groups would come later but died in poverty on the prairie in Yuma. only to the industrial factories in the cities of New York, Then the news came from the Far West, from Oregon and Detroit, and Chicago. Only one group made a last trek. Washington, that there were jobs to be had. The timber During the American depression, Bukovina descendants companies that had by now exhausted the forests in went to Alaska, the last frontier of the lumberjacks. northern Wisconsin had moved into the virgin timberland In 1914 the war in Europe began, and no one was of Oregon and Washington. They needed lumberjacks. allowed to leave Bukovina. In 1917 the United States This then led to the third wave of emigration of pioneers entered the war against Germany, and overnight the from Bukovina. They went as far German language and German

31 societies were outlawed. My mother, Elizabeth Schneller, American Army fighting in Europe. In Yuma, where many was nine years old when they had to stop speaking German of the citizens were descended from Bukovina pioneers, in their home in Mason City, If the neighbors reported one read newspaper clips like the following: "Last Rites someone speaking German, that person was sent off to a Held In Yuma for Pioneer Resident. Mathilde Schneller concentration camp. That was the last time my mother ever Trunde died May 2nd. She came with her family to heard a German word from her father. And that made her homestead north of Yuma 64 years ago. In World War II happy because she wanted to be an American like all her this pioneer woman had three sons on the battlefields of other schoolmates. She was embarrassed that her parents Germany." came from the "old country" and that they spoke American with a funny accent. Her brother Fred went to the In Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Oregon, University of Iowa and graduated with honors but wouldn't and Washington, it was just the same. The old pioneers let his parents attend the graduation ceremony because he died without wanting to tell their children or grandchildren was ashamed of them, of their poor appearance and un- where they had come from. They were not allowed to teach American accent. them German or leave them any culture associated with Then there was World War II, and it became a badge of their past. Despite their position of poverty, the Bukovina honor for any family with a German surname to claim that Society of Yuma survived until 1916. Then, by law, the they had sons in the members could not meet again.

The daughters of many Bu- kovina-German families in Yuma found employment in the Colorado House hotel in Denver. On weekends the parents would have meetings of the Bukovina Society at the Colorado House and visit their daughters.

32 In the 1970s I was living in London, England. I wrote my northern Romania and southeastern Russia. I got on an mother a letter and asked her where my Schneller ancestors airplane and went to Sucheva, Romania. had come from. She answered, saying they came from That visit to Bukovina was in 1976. Since that time I Austria. That's all she knew. They were Germans from have found that the Americans of my generation who had Austria. She had cousins in Wisconsin, Nebraska, Col- ancestors from Bukovina have been asking the same orado, Oregon, and Washington, and gave me their questions that I did and, like myself, have not been satisfied addresses. Maybe they knew more. My mother did not with the answers. Little by little we are finding each other know where her own father had been born. It was in the old and exchanging information. From Washington, Oregon, country, Austria, but she knew nothing more. Colorado, Kansas, and Texas, I am getting letters asking My first feeling was one of shame. How could my own about our ancestors from Bukovina. mother not know where her own father had been born? Surprisingly enough, no one is satisfied with just Then I was indignant. Why was I not allowed to know? She knowing where Bukovina is. I answer one question, and answered, it was the war, one couldn't speak German. The immediately in the next post is another. Oftentimes I old-timers destroyed all the records. They didn't want wonder if there is some genetic revenge in our genes. Are anybody to know. They wanted to protect their children. our ancestors trying to come back and push us to find out So I set out to find where my grandfather Schneller had what they were not allowed by law to tell us? Are they come from. I wrote a cousin of my mother's in Wisconsin. trying to push us towards a culture that they were not He said the Schnellers had come from Kansas. I wrote to a allowed to leave us? relative in Kansas. He said the Schnellers had their origins Who were the Bukovina Germans and what happened to in Nebraska. I wrote to a relative in Nebraska, and he said them? the Schnellers were an old family from Colorado. Following in the footsteps of Catherine the Great, an All this correspondence took several years, and I had traced immigration policy was formulated by Maria Theresa of my Schneller ancestors around the Midwest of America but Austria to populate the land received from Turkey in 1775 could not discover where they had come from only two known as Bukovina. The first pioneers were Catholic sub- generations ago. Then I received a letter from one of my jects of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from the Bohemian shirt-tail cousins. The Kunzman family, which had married area of Egerland. A group of farmers from there established into the Schnellers and had come to America with them, the first community near Solka in 1780 and called their had their origins in Glitt, Austria, according to an obituary. village Glitt, after a local river. A second, adjoining village GLITT: After two years of work, I had the name GLITT. was called Lichtenberg, although neither received official I immediately went to the Austrian tourist board in London recognition for another fifty-five years. In 1782 Maria and asked them where Glitt was. It took them two days to Theresa's son Joseph issued an edict allowing the find a little village a few kilometers west of Innsbruck. I immigration of Protestants to Bukovina. They began to booked a holiday there with my wife and went to Glitt. But arrive in the same year, founding the first Protestant- I didn't find any Schnellers or Kunzmans there or in the German colony, Rosch, near Czernowitz. Colonization church records. I returned to London quite disappointed, continued off and on until 1843 with the arrival of approx- with no clues to follow up. And then I got another letter imately 3500 German families from many parts of this time from Yuma. An old lady remembered that most of Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Until the end the early pioneers to Yuma had come from Bukovina. of World War I, Bukovina remained a Crown colony in the "Where was Bukovina?" I wrote back. A month later I got Austro-Hungarian Empire with the German immigrants in the reply. The old lady thought it was in Canada, near control, although they amounted to only 10 percent of the Regina, Saskatchewan. A lot of Bukovina families had population which was mainly made up of Romanians and come from there. Ukrainians. With Romania gaining independence after the Thank goodness the Encyclopaedia Britannica didn't agree break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, the with her. Bukovina was in Bukovina Germans became rather a down-trodden minority. Places in the university were no longer available to many Germans, nor were jobs within the new administration.

33 By 1939 most Bukovina Germans were anxious to find a present Romanian government who want all signs of the solution to their ever-growing problem. A committee of past removed. Over 13,000 German and Hungarian villages three was sent to Berlin to discuss the problem with the have been listed to be removed, with the people being minister of foreign affairs, Joachim von Ribbentrop. Later, rehoused in large apartment complexes in regional cities. a deal was struck between the Neues Reich and the Already over 2000 villages have disappeared. Romanian and Russian governments to offer the Bukovina In the United States, Canada, and West Germany, hundreds Germans a new life outside of Romania. With war looming of thousands of families have heard stories about their on the horizon, most Bukovina Germans saw themselves ancestor's homeland of Bukovina. This includes not only between the devil and the deep blue sea. Bukovina, border- Germans from Bukovina, but also Poles, Ukrainians, and ing the Russian frontier and inside an ever distrustful Jews. Will Bukovina finally be forgotten? Romania, offered no future for the 90,000 people who for For a few years I have been an interested observer of the two centuries had called themselves Bukovina Germans. Kaindl Gesellschaft and the Lands-mannschaffc der With the Neues Reich offering them compensation and Buchenlanddeutschen. What interests me the most are the transportation, most opted to leave upon the signing of a parallels that I see between these societies and that of the German-Russian treaty regarding their state. first Bukovina Society in America in 1886. Within months most of the 90,000 Bukovina Germans The Bukovina Germans who were resettled in the were transported by rail to German refugee camps in the former Deutsches Reich in 1940 founded the Sudetenland-German part of northern Czechoslovakia. For Landsmannschaft in 1949 and the Kaindl Gesellschaft in the next eighteen months to two years, they awaited their 1974 to preserve and record the historical and cultural past fate and the promise of new homes and compensation by of Bukovina. Like the pioneers to America, they were the the Neues Reich. The reward for many was conscription in first generation from Bukovina in a new country. However, the German war machine. Others were taken to farms and are fcheir children and grandchildren interested in this? homes recently confiscated from the Poles. Many of them do not want to be tainted with the stigma of When Germany lost the war, the Bukovina Germans coming from Eastern Europe. They want to be modern became scattered like most of the German refugees from Germans like their friends. Their parents and grandparents Eastern Europe, Some were captured by the Russians and want to remember and relive: the children and grand- sent back to Romania; others escaped to refugee centers in children want to forget. Munich and Stuttgart. The majority survived, although it took many years for families to regroup. But even today a What effect can this phenomenon have over the future of small trickle continues to arrive from the East, from Russia the Kaind] Gesellschaft and the Landsmannschaft—or any and Romania, still searching for relatives. historical society? Even if the numbers of members Since 1945 a refugee organization in Stuttgarfc and dwindle, they should reach out and bridge those Munich, the Landsmannschaft der Buchen-landdeutschen, generations that are still too new to want to know and has existed to find and help the Bukovina Germans understand the past. Of utmost importance is that all reincorporate themselves into West German society. Two possible documents of our ancestors be collected and cultural and historical societies exist which bring the sur- preserved. It is for the last generation that lived in vivors together once a year fo remember their homeland. Bukovina to make the supreme effort of collecting and But with each passing generation, the survivors are fewer finding their own ancestors' records and preserving them and fewer. In 1960 a Bukovina Congress in West Germany until their own descendants cry out, "Where did we come had over 6000 in attendance. Today the same convention from?" draws barely 1500. There is still a lot to be done. For example, it is not enough With Bukovina now divided between Russia and to know that the church books of Arbora are in Posen, Romania, little is physically left to see for a tourist. And Poland, if one does not get copies and make them available what is still visible in the way of pioneer log cabins, to the public, or to know that there are many more sources churches, and graveyards, is now scheduled to be buried by of information without actually securing them. All of it bulldozers by the must be found and preserved and made available for future generations.

34 MARIENFELD, RUSSIA* Marienfeld, also known as Spafczenchutor, is a German In 1871 there were 312 males and 286 females for a total of colony isolated in Kamyshin County. It is 25 uerst from the 598 people. In 1877, 9 families consisting of 20 people left town of Kamyshin, and 21 verst southwest of the county for America and were excluded from the community list. In seat of Rosenfeld. The village is located on the left shore of 1886, 21 more families left for America. Prior to leaving the river Mokraya Ol'khovka and near the Kamyshin— for America, they sold their houses, livestock, and Tambov Railroad which opened in 1894. possessions. The community did not help these people. The inhabitants are Germans and all are Catholics. In 1886 there were 129 households consisting of 585 males There is a Catholic church in the village and a Catholic and 494 females, totaling 1079 people. In addition to the school. above, 24 families were permanently absent. They belonged About 1828 a settler by the name of Brunner from the to the community but lived elsewhere. village Ustkulalinka [Galka], whose nickname was "Spatz" In 1886, there were 264 literate men and 258 literate (Sparrow), founded a farmstead and started farming at this women besides the students. There were 129 houses, 87 location to raise wheat for bread. Therefore, the village brick and the rest wooden. Thirty-nine houses were covered today is called "Spatz' Farmstead" or Spatzen-chutor. [A with metal sheets, and the rest were covered with straw. khutor (English spelling) is a farmstead isolated from the There were 123 plows, 16 windrowing machines, 484 home village. Many such farmsteads eventually grew into horses, 140 oxen, 270 cows, 114 calves, 820 sheep, 302 new, daughter villages, as did Spatzenchutor.—Ed.] It is pigs, and 98 goats. sometimes called New Avilova since the village of Avilova In 1886 there were 4 carpenters, 15 shoemakers, 4 people is nearby. The village is located on the lot which belonged who made oil from sunflower seeds, 3 Igrain] millers, and 2 to the Spatz farmstead. After a while some new settlers bakeries. settled from the Kamensk District. In 1852 a final In 1890 there were 696 males and 639 females, totaling settlement of this area by colonists from the Catholic 1335 people, all Catholics: In the village there were 1 liquor villages in the Kamensk and Norka Districts took place. store, 1 butter or oil mill, 1 windmill, and 1 watermill. The official name of Marienfeld, which means "Mother There were 5862 dessiatines of arable land, 251 dessiatines Mary's Field," was given to this village in 1852. The of meadow, 195.5 dessiatines of forest land, and 2187 colonist settlers of Marienfeld received from the dessiatines outside the village area. The land owned by the government a 14.5-dessiatine plot of arable land per man [1 village totaled 8495.5 dessiatines. The river Mokraya dessiatine = 2.7 acres]. According to the paper in 1852, Ol'khovka, which has a bridge across it, crosses through a there was a total of 4339 dessiatines of land. There were section of 5862 dessiatines. The distance from the village to 105 families and 55 households. There were 275 males and the farthest boundary is 10 verst. 301 females for a total of 576 people, In 1862 there were The hay land is along the river which is southeast of the 71 households with 345 males and 319 females, a total of village; the forest is west of the village. One verst from the 664 people. In 1865, 17 people resettled in the village of village, the arable land is partly hilly and slopes in the Semenovka, and 29 people resettled in the village of direction of the river. There are no deep canyons on the Rozhd-estvenskoye in the Kuban District [Caucasus], land. One-third of the soil is black earth, one-third consists of sand and black earth, and one-third of the soil is clay. The subsoil is red clay. *This article is taken from a newspaper (name and date Prior to 1874 the land was distributed according to the unknown) published in Saratov, Russia, regarding the census figure of 510 males. In 1880 the second distribution settlement of Marienfeld, Russia. It was translated by an was made to 590 males. In 1886 the third distribution was electrical engineer in La Jolla, California, who was born and made to 650 males. (This includes all men and boys, educated in Leningrad, U.S.SM., and who has been in the including infants.) The land was redistributed every six United States less than ten years. He wishes to remain years. The amount of tillable land gradually increased due anonymous. The article was sent to us by Peter W. to the periodical tilling of pasture land. Schmidt, of San Diego, whose ancestors came from Marienfeld.

35 The forest is cut each fall and is divided among the In 1894 there are 134 households, 4 community buildings, people. The houses are usually heated by dried manure church, priest's residence, school, and a blacksmith forge. mixed with grass. The land for potatoes and cabbage is All in all, there are 580 buildings, 241 wooden and 339 close to the river. stone and brick. Most of the buildings are covered with There is no regular rotation of crops grown on the land. wooden roofs and some with straw. The priest's residence The community elders decided that rye would be grown has a metal roof. The village is built according to plan and one year and wheat the next two years. They produce divided into blocks of 4 households each. There are 29 watermelons, flax, hemp, rye, wheat, cabbage, potatoes, wells, 1 liquor store, and 1 hardware shop. There are 787 sunflowers, and garden vegetables. The rye, wheat, and men and 700 women, totaling 1487 people. There are 8 flax are harvested using scythes. The grain is sold in shoemakers, 1 tailor, 2 carpenters, 5 wagon-makers, 1 Kamyshin. blacksmith, 2 weavers, and 1 leather tanner. In one area to the south of the village, the land had an There are 2 windmills and 1 mill for making butter and oil overpopulation of chipmunks. Every owner of land had to from sunflowers. Marienfeld has a total of 8495 dessiatines deliver to the district authorities 30 chipmunk tails each of land, 5161 dessia-tines of good land and 3334 year. The extermination of the chipmunks was especially dessiatines of fair land. The distance to the county center, difficult because the Russians living in the nearby villages Rosen-feld, is 20 verst; to the village of Avilova, 3 verst; did not pay any attention to the chipmunks, to the village of Baronovka, 7 verst; to the colony of Many farmers rented land in the area of the Don River Unterdorf, 14 verst; to the railroad station of Avilova, 1 for 60 kopecks per dessiatine, but due to the distance away verst; to the town of Kamyshin, 25 verst; and to the city of from the village, the farmers discontinued farming that Saratov, 174 verst [1 verst == .6629 mile]. area. (100 kopecks = 1 ruble.) The Kamyshin Railroad crosses the communal land of All payments to the government in 1885 totaled 4383 Marienfeld. There is a communal watermill with the proper rubles. equipment and a household for the miller. There are 3 men In 1890 there were 115 boys and 96 girls, totaling 211 and 3 women living in the household. The watermill is 2 children. Generally speaking, the Catholics had a much verst from Marienfeld. The colony is located at 50° 12' weaker education than did the Lutherans, and that is why north (latitude) and 14° 46' east (longitude). [A base line so many of the people in Marienfeld could not read or running through Pulkovo, south of St. Petersburg, was used write. to determine the longitude rather than using the primary Marienfeld, also known as Spatzenchutor, is on the lower meridian of Greenwich. A contemporary gazetteer for the shore of the river Mokraya Ol'khovka, which has a dam. U.S.S.R. gives the latitude and longitude of Marienfeld as The village was established in 1828 and now has a wooden 50° 12' north (latitude) and 45 ° 06' east (longitude). The church covered with a wooden roof, which was dedicated present-day name for this village is NovonikoIayevka.— in 1856. The school opened in 1852. The Catholic priest Ed.] was assigned in 1859.

This topographical map showing Marienfeld and surroundings was drawn by the U.S.S.R. Army Corps of Engineers in the early 1930s. It is from the collection at the Library of Congress and comes to AHSGR courtesy of Brent Mat. One centimeter == 0.62 mile.

36 THE ADOLPH FAMILY: WARENBURG-FRESNO-KAZAKHSTAN LeRoy Adolph Origin of Ancestors brothers, Conrad and Henry, and two sisters, Marie The history of our family has its beginning in Germany. Christine and one whose name is not known. His mother Our forefathers in the remote past spoke the German died while Jacob was still quite young. He knew only his language, followed German customs, and practiced the stepmother, name presently unknown. Jacob died in Protestant religion. They lived mostly in the regions of Fresno, California, on January 1, 1946. Hesse, Saxony, the Palatinate, Westphalia, Swabia, Baden, Margaret Starkel was born in Warenburg on June 7,1880. Wiirttemberg, and Bavaria in the western and southwestern Her father's name was Jacob; her mother's name is sections of Germany. unknown. She was baptized on June 14, 1880, and was also Our family were among the many thousands of settlers to confirmed in the Warenburg Lutheran Church by Pastor answer Catherine the Great's manifesto of 1763 and to Hoelz. There were no brothers, but she did have two immigrate to the Volga Region. The route that our sisters, Katherine and one whose name is unknown. Her forefathers followed began, we believe, in the Wiesbaden- mother also died while Margaret was quite young, and she Frankfurt area, Hesse, Germany. They traveled north by was raised by her stepmother, name also unknown. land to the North Sea. Then they went by boat east through Margaret died in Fresno on February 4, 1955. the Baltic Sea, landing at St. Petersburg (now Leningrad), Jacob and Margaret were married in the Warenburg Russia. From there they went by land following the Volga Lutheran Church by Pastor Hoelz on January 26,1898. A River southeast to the Saratov area. Some came via the goodly sized family followed in rather rapid succession. Moscow route. From Saratov the immigrants fanned out Before a halt was managed, they had thirteen children, four southward, starting many different settlements or colonies. of whom died in Russia while still quite young. The last Our immediate ancestors for the most part lived in the town four were born in Fresno and Sanger, California. From of Warenburg (or PrivaTnoe, as it was called in Russian), conversations with some of the old-timers dating back to some 70 miles south of Saratov. Warenburg was founded in the days in Russia, it was learned that Jacob and Margaret the year 1767. In 1773 the population was 579. By 1912 met while skating on the frozen Tarlyk River, a tributary of (one year before the Adolph family left for America), the the Volga on the outskirts of Warenburg. They attended population had grown to 8312. By 1926, however, it had elementary schools on the opposite sides of town. The dropped to 4754 as a result of the terrible famine of the Adolph family lived in the town of Warenburg after Jacob early 1920s. and Margaret were married. The Lutheran Church was the predominant official religious body among the German Protestant colonies in Journey to America Russia (Nine percent belonged to the Reformed Church, 78 In 1913 Uncle Conrad Adolph, who had moved his family percent were of the Lutheran faith, and 13 percent of the to America several years earlier, sent money from Fresno, German colonists were Roman Catholic.) There was a great California. In all likelihood, the money was sent to the F. scarcity of professional religious leaders. As late as 1914, Missler Travel Agency in Bremen, Germany, a travel the average membership of the Protestant parishes were agency which helped most German-Russian immigrants to 14,000, with about four churches to a parish and one America get their travel papers. The tickets cost minister to serve them. The ministers had to travel from approximately $200 (or 400 Russian rubles), and the one settlement to another. passports cost around $6.00 (or 12 rubles). The Adolph family departed from Warenburg on February Parental History 2, 1913. They traveled by train to Saratov, then west As a matter of record, Heinrich Jacob Adolph was born in through Russia to Liepaja (Libau), Latvia, passing through Warenburg, Russia, on October 13, 1876, to Konrad and the cities of Smolensk, Vitebsk, and others. Before leaving Margaret (Hartwig) Adolf. He was baptized on October 23, Liepaja they had a layover of about a week or ten days 1876, and confirmed by Pastor Hoelz in the Warenburg Lu- while Mother's eyes were treated for theran Church on October 4, 1892. He had two

37 an infection. By ship they sailed westward-bound through She had studied diligently and was proud to have done it the Baltic Sea, through the Kiel Canal, and through the all on her own. North Sea. They finally landed at Hull, on the east coast of The name Adolph was actually spelled Adolf in Russia by England. A train was then taken across land to Glasgow, all concerned. It was changed to the present-day spelling Scotland. Here they boarded the S.S. Satumia of the when the family arrived in Fresno. Even then, our father Donaldson Ship Line, bound for America. But because of Jacob stubbornly refused to give up the name that was his unexplainable mix-ups, they landed at St. John's, by right of birth. But he finally relented and spelled the Newfoundland, on April 2, 1913, instead of going on to name as we now know it. EUis Island, New York, as originally planned. A ferry took During the years of World War II, the Volga-German them from St. John's to the mainland. Then they went by Americans took great pride in the fact that they had so train across Canada, entering the United States either at many sons and daughters in the Armed Forces of the Port Huron or Detroit, Michigan, on April 5, 1913. (This is United States. The immigrants had learned well the lessons according to the Fresno County Clerk Immigration and of democracy and took great pride in their citizenship. Naturalization Department.) They arrived in Fresno, California, on April 13, 1913, and spent the first night at The Rest of the Family the home of Father's second cousin, Philip Adolph. It is now necessary to return to the family of Jacob's The family rented two different houses on Rose Street parents, Konrad and Margaret (Hartwig) Adolf. As noted before finally buying one on Cherry Avenue. They paid earlier, Konrad and Margaret had five children: Marie approximately $500 to $600 for this. Father's first job in Christine, Jacob, Conrad, Heinrich, and an heretofore America was digging sewer pipe trenches in the Clovis unidentified daughter. Marie Christine and husband, area. Later he worked several years at the Fresno Raisin George Leider, and two children, Henry and Annie, came Byproducts Company. Mother and the oldest sons worked to America in 1896 and settled in Fresno, where another at a local raisin-packing plant, walking many blocks back daughter, Christina, was born. and forth to work. Conrad and his wife, Anna Margaret Funkner, came to By April 1918 the Adolph family had saved enough money America as newlyweds in 1906. They also settled in Fresno to make a down payment on a 40-acre farm on Thompson and raised four daughters and three sons. Avenue in the Sanger area, some 15 miles southeast of Jacob and Margaret (Starkel) Adolph came to America Fresno. Due to the years of the Great Depression, this in 1913, as mentioned earlier. ranch had to be given up in 1932. They then purchased a Heinrich, the "known" youngest of the family and his smaller farm of 30 acres. This new farm was also on wife Margaret (Hartwig) Adolf remained in Warenburg Thompson Avenue but about 1 mile farther south. On this and raised five sons and three daughters. Two other farm the remaining four youngest children grew up, daughters died in childbirth or early infancy. The family finished school, and went their separate ways in life. Jacob remained in Warenburg until 1941, when all the German and Margaret Adolph sold this farm in the fall of 1940 and colonists in the Volga Region were relocated eastward to moved back to Fresno, purchasing a small home at 2315 the vast and miserably cold Siberian wasteland. There Rose Street, where they lived their remaining years. thousands upon thousands of Germans were killed or Father wasn't naturalized until January 1924. The three starved to death in prison and forced labor camps. They all oldest sons, Jack, Henry, and Alex, had to attend remained in these camps until around 1956 when citizenship school also and were naturalized in June 1924. restrictions were somewhat relaxed for the German The other children, younger than 21 years old, became colonists and they were again relocated to more favorable citizens automatically when Father received his citizenship areas—weatherwise. However, all families were split apart papers. Mother attended citizenship school only after and in many instances relocated thousands of miles apart. Father died. She had to leam to read and write English and In November 1986 I received a telephone call from be able to pass all examinations required to become a Arthur Flegel of Memo Park, California, a gentleman citizen. It was a very proud time in her life when she everyone knows and whom I had only heard of before but passed with flying colors and received her citizenship whom I owe a debt of gratitude. He informed me that he papers. had been contacted by Jakob Adolph of Neuss, West Germany, who

38 had moved from Russia to Germany in 1983. This Jakob Cousin Maria. While I can write and read the German Adolf had been searching for surviving members of the language fairly well, it is the standard [Roman] lettering I Adolph family in America for the ensuing three years. know. Cousin Maria writes in the old German Gothic With diligent research in various parts of America, Arthur script, which to me looks somewhat like shorthand. I have Flegel was able to locate me in Fresno. had various relatives and friends help me with the translation of Maria's letters. I have a very good friend, a When he called me on the telephone, I was at first German Mennonite, who lives in Reedley and can read this dubious about the possibility of having living relatives in a Gothic script like a "pro." He was also born in Russia, in foreign country. We had been of the opinion that there the city of Omsk, in 1913 and came to America with his were no living relatives anywhere except here in America. parents in 1929. Anyway, Cousin Maria and I have been With some reluctance I agreed to contact this second corresponding regularly since March 1987. We have cousin (Jakob Adolf) in West Germany. He in turn notified exchanged many different family photos and family more relatives in Russia who were my first cousins, background history. She lives in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, children of Heinrich Adolf who had remained in Russia. with her husband, Heinrich Schiitz, son Alexander, his Then the letters started arriving from Russia, and I had wife Maria, and grandson Leo. Karaganda is in the Kazakh direct contact with three of the five remaining children of Soviet Socialist Republic (also known as Kazakhstan) my Uncle Heinrich and my Aunt Margaret (Hartwig) about 1400 miles east of the Volga River homeland. Adolf. What a great joy this has been for me: it opened up a new and exciting chapter in my life. I am also corresponding with her two brothers, Cousin Maria (Adolf) Schutz, who turned 76 years old Alexander and Heinrich Adolf. They live in Nalchik, on August 12,1987, was my very first direct contact with a Russia, located near the Caucasus Mountains between the first cousin. I am corresponding with her in German. I am Black and Caspian Seas, just north of the Armenian border. thankful I retained some knowledge of the German lan- They live about 800 miles south of their Volga River guage I had learned as a youngster at home and later on in homeland and about 1400 miles away from their sister in high school German language classes. I can read and write Karaganda. German fairly well with the occasional help of a Cousin Alexander, 64, and his wife Emma (Gobel) German/English dictionary. There is one drawback in have a beautiful family, two sons and two corresponding with

LeRoy Adolph's first cousin Maria Schuetz, her family, and her brother. In back from left are Heinrich Schuetz, Alexander Adolf and Alexander Schuetz. Seated in front from Ieft are Maria Schuetz, her grandson, Leo Schuetz, and her daughter-in-law Maria. (Note: the umlauted u in Schutz has been changed to ue.)

The family of Alexander Adolph in Nalchik, U.S.SM. In back from left are Alexander Jr., his wife Galina, his sister Lidia, and brother Victor. In front from left are Olga Adolf, her father Alexander Sr; and his wife Emma. The two girls are daughters of the oldest son, Alexander Jr. The baby is a son of the oldest daughter Lidia.

daughters, two granddaughters and one grandson. They week and celebrated Maria's seventy-sixth birthday. made a special effort to have a family photo made at the Since December 1987 there have been further photographer's shop and sent the same to me. Alexander is developments. The oldest cousin, Maria, and her husband, retired and on a pension after many years as a coal miner. Heinrich Schutz, left Karaganda June 26 for permanent Cousin Heinrich, 72, and his wife, Luisa (Kramer), live in residence in West Germany. Their son Alexander, the same city as Alexander. They also have children, but I daughter-in-law Maria, and grandson Leo have also left am awaiting more facts and also a picture of their whole Karaganda for permanent residence in West Germany. At family that was promised as forthcoming. Heinrich is also this date I have not been informed in what city in West retired and on a pension. He was a blacksmith. Germany they have all relocated, but I'm hoping that all Cousin Emanuel, 61, lives in another city only 50 miles are ending up in Neuss, where my very first contact was or so from Cousin Maria. I have no direct contact with him made with Jacob Adolf. at this time, but expect to have more information about him Now, of course, I'm hoping to hear more good news to the soon. effect that the remainder of the family—Cousins Cousin Katharina, 64, is a twin to Alexander and lives in Alexander, Heinrich, Emanuel, Katharina, and their the city called Syzran on the Volga River, about 400 miles families—may be planning also to relocate to West upriver from the homeland, about 800 miles north of Germany. If and when this takes place, I will then Nalchik, and about 1400 miles west of Karaganda. I have definitely plan to travel to West Germany for a reunion. no direct contact with her at the time, but that is also in the To have found relatives still alive in the "old country" is future. something to rejoice about. I know it must have been an emotional event in the lives of our first cousins in Russia During the last week of July 1987, all the brothers and to have found living kinfolk in America after several sisters got together in Karaganda for a family reunion. decades of absolutely no contact. Upon answering my very Katharina, Alexander, and Heinrich had to fly thousands of first letter to her, Cousin Maria said, "We just sat down miles for the get-together. It must have been a joyous and cried and cried." You just know that came from the reunion. I don't know how long it had been since they had heart. seen one another. They were together for one

40 KOOTS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE EBENFELD MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH Solomon L. Loewen Of the large number of German immigrants to Russia 4) "religious instruction of children was neglected by the during the last half of the eighteenth century and the first church"; 5) church discipline was mostly applying the part of the nineteenth century, Mennonites were a small "ban" and excommunication, as "preventive counseling was minority. Most of the German families were large, and the mostly unknown"; 6) the "land question"; and 7) the im- total number of German-speaking people increased during moral life-style and lack of Christian virtues were all too the years. Dr. Karl Stumpp gives the percentage of evident among members in the Mennonite Church in South Mennonites in Russia for 1897, the first such figures which Russia.2 seemed to be available, as being 3.7 percent of the total One person who played an important role in bringing German population.1 about or stimulating this renewal movement was Eduard The Mennonite Brethren Church had its beginning in Wuest, who as a recent graduate from seminary in Russia in 1860. Its members came to Kansas and settled Germany was sent to minister in the Separatist Lutheran within 10 miles southeast of Hillsboro. This group Church in Neuhoffnung, a village between the eastern formulated the first Mennonite Brethren Church body on Molochna Mennonite villages and Berdyansk on the Sea of American soil. This later became known as the Ebenfeld Azov. He preached the Gospel with force and conviction, Church. Many of its members can trace their family winning many adherents to the church with his warm and histories back to Germany, Holland, Prussia, and Russia. convincing messages. People were led to "search the Scrip- The spiritual and biological roots of many are in the tures," spend time in prayer, confess sins, and make a Anabaptist reformation of the early sixteenth century. change in their daily life-style. His fame and influence Events that led to the origin of the Mennonite "mother" spread to many communities, including Mennonite Church and the migration from country to country have villages.3 The outcome was the forming of the Mennonite been well documented in other places. This paper will deal Brethren Church, a name chosen deliberately as expressing with the events that led to the formation of the Mennonite the inner feeling of the new brotherhood.4 Brethren Church in Russia and the migration to America. This new movement encountered immediate and very For some time some members of the "mother" severe oppression from some in the "mother" church, Mennonite Church (Kirchliche) in Russia had felt that the particularly those in leadership. In spite of a very difficult spiritual and moral life-style as outlined and proclaimed by beginning, the Molochna and Khortitsa Mennonite colonies Menno Simons, an early leader of this particular Anabaptist experienced a rapid spread of this new movement. This group, had deteriorated to such an extent that a revival was seemed to indicate that a renewal in the church had been necessary. Some leaders of the Kirchliche failed to respond needful and was welcomed. to such prodding, resulting in the growing conviction by many that to have fellowship and communion with the A similar break from the "mother" Mennonite Church members of the "mother" church was impossible. So on had occurred about fifty years earlier under the leadership January 6, 1860, eighteen brethren signed a document of of Klaas Reimer, forming what became the Kleine secession in the Molochna village of Elisabethtal. This was Gemeinde (the small church). They broke away for some of the beginning of the Mennonite Brethren Church. John A. the same reasons the Mennonite Brethren Church did. Their Toews discusses the conditions in the Mennonite Church emphasis was more on humility, and they took a different 5 that led to this action in the following categories: 1) the stance on conversion and baptism. My great-grandfather, development of a hierarchy in church government and Isaak Loewen (1787-1873), who lived in Lindenau, polity that was contrary to the biblical concept of Molochna Colony, was a staunch adherent of the Kleine Anabaptist and early Mennonite Church polity (the church Gemeinde. He was elected to the deaconate in 1837, and his was a brotherhood, not a hierarchy); 2) with few exceptions thirteen children, including my grandfather, Jacob Loewen 6 "church services were usually neither stimulating nor edi- (1820-1901), were all members of this church. When my fying"; 3)"singing was poor and monotonous"; grandparents married they settled in the newly established village of Waldheim, where all of

41 their children were born. When my father, Jacob Loewen records, however, list nine families as having come in that (1855-1941), was twelve years old, the family moved to year.12 This difference can be justified as follows: Entries Friedensfeld, about 30 miles north of Nikopol on the west Nos. 6 and 7 in the record book, Jacob, Jr. and Johann side of the Dnieper River, a newly established colony.7 Loewen, were both sons of Jacob Loewen, Sr., No. 5, and Several other families of the Kleine Gemeinde moved there are listed as such. Family No. 9, David Schapansky, came also, including other members of the Isaak Loewen family. on the same ship the Jacob Loewen family came but very The Kleine Gemeinde group here soon dwindled, some likely were not members of the Mennonite Brethren moving away while others joined the Mennonite Brethren Church until two years later. Families No. 3, Peter group. My grandparents were among the latter.8 My father Goerzen, No. 1, Peter Berg, and No. 4, Dietrich Goossen, has shared with me how he, as a teenager, drove his parents were not baptized and had not joined the church until two with horse and buggy to Annenfeld, Crimea, 135 miles years later, and finally No. 2, Dietrich Friesen family came south, where his mother was baptized by Elder Jacob A. over with the Gnadenau group as K.M.B, members but Wiebe. This was in 1870, a year after Wiebe had founded later joined the "Schellenberg" Church. Elder Abraham the Krimmer (Crimean) Mennonite Brethren Church. As Schellenberg, the second elected elder of the newly formed far as I know, my grandparents never joined the K.M.B. Mennonite Brethren Church in Russia, came to America in Church, either in Russia or in America. In America my the fall of 1879 and settled southwest of Moundridge, grandparents lived only 2 miles from the Gnadenau K.M.B. Kansas, where he became the leader of the Ebenezer M.B. Church, or Wiebe's Church as it was called. They attended Church about 4 miles east of Buhler, Kansas. He was a there at times before the Mennonite Brethren Church at very strong leader and was used very extensively by the Ebenfeld was organized. They had been members of the new M.B. Churches in America to settle differences and Friedensfeld M.B. Church for a few years in Russia. stabilize congregations.13 Hence the members of the M.B. When the great trek of Germans from Russia to Churches were often referred to as "Schellenbergers." America began in 1874, my grandparents joined the Ebenfeld was at first called "Eckert's" Church. The name migration, arriving in Peabody, Kansas, on a hot afternoon, Ebenfeld did not come into use until 1888, when D.D. September 2,1874. Two weeks earlier Jacob A. Wiebe had Claassen suggested the name and the church accepted it.14 arrived from the Crimea with his entire church group and established the Gnadenau village a few miles southeast of present-day Hillsboro in Marion County, Kansas. The village was laid out on a half-mile road 3 miles long from east to west, the new homesteads occupying mostly the middle mile. My grandparents first rented a place but soon bought a quarter section from the Santa Fe Railroad a half- mile south of the east end of the Gnadenau road, They were the first Mennonite Brethren family to settle in Marion County. A second M.B. family, the Heinrich Nazarenuses, came in mid-December of that year. They were of Lutheran background either from Hahnsau or Popovka village near the Volga where Elder Peter Eckert had baptized them the year before. The ship's log lists Heinrich 22, George 27, and Barbara 26, George's wife.9 The ship scribe apparently interchanged Heinrich and George, for the church records show Heinrich as 27 and Barbara 26, his wife. No mention is made of George in the church records.10 Jacob and Anna (Penner) Loewen Friesen quotes D.D. Claassen, who came to Ebenfeld in 1876, saying that two M.B. families had come to Ebenfeld The following year, 1875, twelve more families of in 1874, referring to the two families mentioned above.11 Mennonite Brethren settled in the area, including my The church mother's parents, the Heinrich Leppke family, who arrived in July from Gerhardstal, a village in Chornoglas, a short distance southeast of the city of Ekaterinoslav, now Dnepropetrovsk, on the Dnieper River. The

42 family originally came from Nieder-Chortitza [Khortitsa] in as deacons."22 It appears that the first organization had not the Old Colony.15 Others came from villages in the been official. Molochna, Kuban, Don, and Volga colonies; some were of Eckert felt right from the beginning that the religious Lutheran background. views and practices of the Gnadenau Krimmer Mennonite Among all the new settlers who had come to the Brethren and the Mennonite Brethren were so similar that Ebenfeld community up to this time, there was no minister the two groups should unite into one fellowship. He worked who could give leadership in religious services. At first hard to bring about such a union, but when it came to the some of the families worshipped with the Gnadenauers, but question of leadership, the unification broke down.23 (The they did not join them as members. They also gathered in two brotherhoods operated under two conferences for private homes for Bible study, singing, sharing, and prayer. nearly a hundred years, but in 1960 at the centennial Elder Peter Eckert, Mennonite Brethren minister in the celebration of the founding of the Mennonite Brethren villages of Hahnsau and Popovka in the Volga Region Church at Reedley, California, the two conferences merged. came to America in August 1874.16 Apparently he had They had worked together in the field of higher Christian come to investigate the feasibility of bringing his entire education and in missions for a number of years.) congregation to this "land of opportunity and freedom." He New German immigrants from Russia kept coming in must have been impressed by what he saw and found, for considerable numbers to the Ebenfeld area for the next the next summer, on June 21, 1875, a group of fourteen eight years. By that time more than sixty families had families arrived in New York, eight of which came to arrived and joined the church group. New converts were Kansas while the others stayed out East.17 On December 5, added also from families that had come earlier; fifty were another group of ten families from Eckert's Church arrived, added by baptism the second year in the history of the some of whom came to Kansas.18 Eckert arrived with a church, in 1877. These immigrants came from different party of 195 persons on January 6,1876, according to the cultural and religious backgrounds which created problems ship's log (January 4 according to Hiebert).19 Of this latter of integration. Those from the Caucasus (Kuban), Khortitsa group, including the Eckerts, thirty-one persons came to and Molochna were mostly of Mennonite heritage, while settle in the Ebenfeld community. those from the Volga and the Don and Grunau villages Eckert immediately began to minister spiritually to the were of Lutheran and Catholic heritage. Such a variety of shepherdless flock, something which was needed and people gave Elder Eckert a great deal of difficulty in greatly appreciated. He must have been a man of means, unifying the group into one body with one mind. Elder coming to America in 1874 on his own and now coming Eduard Leppke, who came in 1878, wanted to assist Eckert. first class, whereas most of the others in the party came by They had known each other in Hahnsau, Russia. Leppke, a steerage. As a result he probably did not need to do much former Lutheran, the Baptist preacher, had been ordained as farming to make a living. There is no record that he even a Mennonite minister and had preached in many Mennonite bought a farm in the Ebenfeld community. Later be bought villages as an evangelist, was a man of pleasant disposition a business building in town.21 but with a very strong mind of his own. Their effort to work together did not turn out well and was soon termin- The precise date of the organization of the congregation ated. Elder Abraham Cornelsen came in 1879 from the Don into a church body and the program connected with it is area where he had ministered to M.B. Churches effectively. unknown. The early minutes of the church up to 1883 and He was of much help to Eckert. He was the one who charter membership list, if they had one, apparently have drafted the articles of secession of 1860 which led to the been lost. The membership list we have in the church formation of the Mennonite Brethren Church. He was a records now must have been made later, for the names are good assistant and was helpful in overcoming some of the not listed in chronological nor in alphabetical order. D.C. obstacles between the different groups. He had been a Eitzen states briefly that in 1885 "the church officially school teacher in the old country and was regarded as a organized with Johann Foth as elder, Theodore Fruechting, good minister of the Word. In 1882 Cornelsen replaced D.D. Claassen, Cornelius Hiebert, and Wilhelm Hergert as Eckert as leader of the congregation.24 The one person who associate ministers, and Heinrich Barten, August Stelting, seemed to offer greatest help in solving church difficulties and Abraham Eitzen was Elder Abraham Schellenberg

43 referred to above. He was called repeatedly from his Reno discussed briefly by Janzen in his centennial history of the County farm some 40 miles west for guidance and counsel. church.28 Ollenburger makes further analyses of the Johann Foth followed Cornelsen as leader in the Don differences that cropped up between the settlers at Church in Russia; in 1883 he followed him to America. He Ebenfeld coming from different backgrounds,39 took over the Ebenfeld Church leadership after Cornelsen's The newly organized congregation met in the east death in 1884. Foth continued to serve the church until his Gnadenau school for their worship. The school stood on retirement in 1916.25 the northeast corner of the intersection of the Gnadenau road and the current Ebenfeld road. With more settlers coming in and new members added to the church by baptism, the facilities for their meeting became crowded. So in 1883 the congregation decided to build their own sanctuary. For their new church they chose a more central location, namely 2 1/2 miles south of the Gnadenau school, where they had been meeting. This new building was across the road from the public schoolhouse, District No. 20, which later became known as the Ebenfeld school and where many of their children attended through the years.30 Details of the church building are not available except for what older members of my family have shared with me. I do have one recollection of the interior of the church: at Christmastime of 1903 I remember seeing a stack of sacks with candies, nuts, cookies, and other goodies for the Sunday school pupils to be handed out after the Christmas program later that afternoon. This picture is still very vivid in my mind. I saw the stack of sacks beside the pulpit on the stage as I came in from the Fluegel [wing] where we had just finished our noon dinner. The building was about 28 by 42 feet in size, standing about 50 feet east of the present building. The east entrance was for women and had a small porch without railing but with a Schafott, a small Abraham Cornelsen. Photo from The Ebenfeld Church in platform with two or three steps from which the women Action. with their long skirts could more easily get into a buggy or wagon, the vehicles of transportation of the day. The west entrance with a small porch was for men. The pulpit stood on a low platform for a stage, facing north with two or An early Ebenfeld Church record lists about eight-five three chairs behind for the ministers. Pews for the parish- different family names as immigrants for the years of 1874- ioners were homemade benches without a back except for 1884. Besides giving the names of the immigrant parents those that stood on either side of the stage. These were for and their children, it also lists the parents' names, date of the older men and women. A potbelly stove stood near the birth, of baptism, of marriage and by whom, when, and men's entrance; from where they immigrated, and their original confession later a stove was placed in the northeast corner for the 26 of faith. Of the original family names the following are women with babies. represented in the current membership: The first available church minutes are from November Claassen, Eitzen, Epp, Friday (Freitag), Fruechting, Hagen, 29,1883, in which it is reported that Rev. Foth Hanneman, Hein, Just, Klassen, Klein, Koslowsky, Leppke, recommended to the church that midweek prayer meetings Litke, Loewen, Penner, Reddig, Scheikowsky, Schoel, be held either in the church or in private homes. In the Seibel, Stelting, Suderman and Zeih. The following minutes of a week later, December 7, it is recorded that the nonfcraditional Mennonite names have made their new building was not entirely finished nor had appearance on the present church roll: Arnold, Brunner, Edins, Faber, Gale, Hill, Ingmire, Jordan, Marsh, McGillivary, William, Yokum and York.27 This includes names of in-laws. Some of the contentions that arose during the first few years of the Ebenfeld Church have been

44 all pledges been paid. The men also realized that they had the building was approved with six opposing votes. This built too small. A person at this meeting made a motion to wing, called Fluegel, was built and completed the add a wing to the north as an overflow, which could also be following spring, probably mostly with donated labor. A used for other small meetings and as a nursery. A basement year later, December 6, 1884, the minutes record that could serve as a fellowship hall with kitchen facilities, sufficient funds had come in during the year to pay for the which included a big cauldron for heating water for a large new addition. This addition certainly helped to group or for making borscht for conferences. One person accommodate the sixty-three families that had come in reported that Rev. Johann Harms, pastor of the newly during the decade following 1876. formed Hillsboro M.B. Church and a lumberyard dealer, This first church building was replaced with a much had offered all lumber without interest for a whole year. larger and more impressive sanctuary in 1904. The Fluegel This offer was graciously accepted by the congregation. An was retained as a dining hall, women's missionary sewing offering was taken for the new building, but the collection room, and for other smaller groups. This second church amounted only to $26.50, hardly enough to start a building served the congregation well until it, together with the program. Someone suggested to tax each family 1 cent per Fluegel, burned to the ground at Christmastime in 1924 bushel of wheat of the next summer's crop. It is not from an overheated or defective flue. The congregation recorded whether this tax suggestion was approved, but the built a temporary tabernacle which was used until the new plan for structure was dedicated in the fall of 1925. This sanctuary is still in use

The second Ebenfeld church was built in 1904 and burned in 1924 together with the Fluegel which stood in the back. This picture was taken about 1912 at the time of a church conference for which a tent was usually erected, as seen in the background. The tent was owned by the church.

45 today. In 1956 an addition with a pastor's office, kitchen, year, 1976, church membership was 222. The present and Sunday school rooms was built to more effectively number is at a low of 220.31 The Ebenfeld Church serve the congregation. community consists now of much larger farms with fewer It must be said that not all new settlers took root in the and smaller families than at its beginning. Its membership Ebenfeld soil. It was getting to be more difficult to find circle is more extensive now due to the automobile for good available land in the community. A few families transportation. joined the Gnadenau K.M.B. Church, others followed Rev. The cemetery has approximately 820 grave sites with L.A. Janicke who organized a German Baptist con- about 550 burials to date. Of these about 365 have markers, gregation in Hillsboro in 1881. The Seventh-day and approximately 185 graves are unmarked. Some of Adventists made an inroad in the Ebenfeld membership these latter have wooden markers which have since when they organized a church in town in 1885. Others disintegrated. Of the approximately 85 different family moved elsewhere. A decade later, in the early 1890s, the names listed in the early church record as having Indian Territory of Oklahoma was opened up for immigrated to this area, only 30 names are among the homesteaders, and a number of Ebenfelders took advantage known burials. The most common names occurring on the of the opportunity to acquire land of their own at a very tombstones in the Ebenfeld cemetery are: Seibel 29, reasonable price, A number of families settled in the Loewen and Suderman 21 each, Hiebert 19, Hanneman 16, Weatherford (Corn) area and others around Fairview and Eitzen 15, Klein 12, Foth and Penner 11 each and Leppke Enid. A quarter of a century later the Corn congregation 10.32 was the largest in the conference. Two thriving rural congregations developed at Fairview and one at Enid. The The Ebenfeld Church was a trailblazer in a number of families that remained at Ebenfeld became prosperous, in respects. In Sunday school for both young and old, family size as well as materially. Soon the second Jugendverein, (Young People's Endeavor), choir singing, generation had to look for farmland. A number of young missions and higher Christian education, the leaders of the families moved to Collinsville, in eastern Oklahoma where church were good promoters. Rev. Foth suggested in they developed a nucleus for a M.B. congregation. I had January 1886 that the Sunday school be divided into four four brothers that were in this group that moved there classes, including the adults. Up to that time the church met during the teens. Subsequently some of these settlers as as a whole for Bible study. When the roads were bad, as in well as some from other Midwestern M.B. congregations winter, Sunday school classes were suspended, or they met moved to the West Coast where they established a number in homes or in a public school in the neighborhood. Choir of flourishing churches. The largest congregation in the for practice met during the week in the district school; Mennonite Brethren Conference at present is at Reedley, those in the western part of the community met in the California, with a membership of nearly 1500. Cresswell school with Jacob Suderman as director, while It is not surprising that many Mennonite Brethren Church those in the eastern part met in the Ebenfeld school with members, as well as members from other churches, can Jacob Loewen, Jr. as director. On Sunday when the whole trace their family roots to the Ebenfeld community. choir sang, Suderman was usually the director. Even in the Ebenfeld was a major beachhead for Mennonite Brethren first years when families were struggling with survival, the immigrants from Prussia and Russia that came during the birth of Christ was always celebrated on Christmas Day in 1874-1884 decade. It is not possible to ascertain precisely the afternoon with a children's program consisting of the membership of this church for the early years, but in children reciting Bible and other stories, songs, and 1888 membership stood at 253. Already in the second year, recitations. The children were always remembered with a 1877, 50 new converts were added by baptism. Another 50 sack of treats of candy, cookies, and nuts. My father was were added by baptism in 1892, and again 67 in 1907, and elected as church treasurer in 1886. In 1889 he records a 59 new converts joined the church in 1937. In other years a collection of $10.40 for Christmas gifts, but spent only smaller number were added following evangelistic $8.41 on candy, nuts, and cookies and 100 paper sacks and services, which were annual events during the earlier years. an apple. The number of sacks purchased is an indication Membership has fluctuated through the years between 220 of the number of small children in Sunday school. That and 318. The high number was reached in 1937, whereas year Father had also collected 8 cents per person for a during the centennial Sunday school quarterly. For many years Sunday school

46 classes met on Sunday afternoons. Families brought baskets McPherson, Kansas. The M.B. Conference was supporting filled with food for Sunday lunch, which was also a Rev. G.F. Duerksen, a recent immigrant from Russia, who welcome time for an hour of fellowship and visitation for taught German and Bible at McPherson College. He was these rural folks. To raise money for missions, women their teacher in a number of courses. While still in college prepared various items to be sold at a mission sale, as mis- these two young men agreed to work toward establishing a sions had a high priority in the church. Father's record school of higher learning for the M.B. youth. In 1908 Tabor shows the amount of $115.53 from the September 1889 College in Hillsboro was chartered as a Mennonite sale. For the following three years he records the amounts Brethren college for training ministers, missionaries, and of $140.05, $187.95, and 153.05 for the sale receipts. In teachers. It started as an academy, a liberal arts college, and 1893 Father had promised 1 acre of wheat, 1 of oats, and a seminary with Lohrenz as president and Hiebert as vice 1/2 of corn, which yielded 15 bushels of wheat, 22 of oats, president. Rev. John K. Hiebert, brother of P.C., served as and 10 bushels of corn. He does not say for how much the chairman of the board for many years. His four sons, who grain was sold. In 1896 he collected from 1 to 5 dollars per received their undergraduate education at Tabor, became person for missions. medical doctors; one became president of America's largest pharmaceutical company, while the other three became Ebenfeld was strictly a rural church to start with. This has specialists in their respective fields. His only daughter, who changed through the years. At present there are was dean of women at Tabor College, was voted Kansas professional and business people who are members and Mother of the Year. Dr. P.C. Hiebert helped to organize the commute from town to the country church. Early in the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), an all-Mennonite community there was evidence of a change of interest world relief organization of which he was chairman more among some of the young men. They felt that farming was than thirty years. Others from the Ebenfeld community not their calling. Among the immigrants were men who had have become college and university professors of repute, been trained abroad as teachers and ministers, some of public school teachers and administrators, professional men whom started Bible and German schools of their own. and women, and ministers and missionaries. Others became German was very essential, for that was the language of the successful farmers and homemakers and remained in the church. Several young men left the farm and went to community. Like a small mustard seed, the Ebenfeld college after finishing high school. Two of these men were Church has produced fruit that has nurtured many people H.W. Lohrenz and P.C. Hiebert who went to McPherson around the world. College,

Notes 1. Karl Stumpp, The German Russians: Two Centuries of 7. Solomon L. Loewen, History and Genealogy of the Pioneering, trans. Joseph Height, 3rd. ed. (Bonn- Jacob Loewen Family (Hillsboro, KS: Brussels-New York: n.p., 1983), p. 23. Atlantic-Forum, 1966), p. 20. 8. Delbert F. Plett, Storm and Triumph (Stein-bach, MB: 2. John A. Toews, A History of the Mennonite Brethren D.F.P. Publications, 1986), p. 195. Church (Fresno, CA: Board of Christian Literature, 9. Emma S. Haynes, personal correspondence. General Conference of the Mennonite Brethren 10. Solomon L. Loewen, Church Record Book for the Church, 1975), pp. 10-20. Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church, ed. and trans. 3. Ibid., pp. 29-32. Solomon L. Loewen (1988), p. 2. 4. Ibid., p. 3. 11. P.M. Friesen, Die Alt-Evangelische Men- 5. Delbert F. Plett, The Golden Years (Stem-bach, MB: nonitische Bruederschaft in Russland, Toil II D.F.P. Publications, 1985), p. 148ff. (Halbstadt: Raduga, l&ll), p. 6. 6. Delbert F. Plett, Plett Picture Book (Stein-bach, MB: D.F. Plett Farms, 1981), pp. 5-11. 12. Loewen, Church Record Book, pp. 1-2. 13. Toews, History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, p. 135.

47 14. Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church minutes. book was written for the 100th anniversary of the 15. Loewen, History and Genealogy, p. 20. church. 16. Clarence Hiebert, Brothers in Deed to Brothers in Need 25. Ibid., pp. 5-6. (Newton, KS: Faith and Hope Press. 1974), p. 165. 26. Loewen, Church Record Book. 17. Ibid., p. 248. 27. Eli Suderman, member of the Ebenfeld Church, in 18. Ibid., p. 270. personal interview. 19. Ibid., p. 277. 28. Janzen, Ebenfeld Church, p. 4. 20. Haynes, personal letter with ship list. 29. Ben C. Ollenburger, "Ebenfeld: History, Interpretation and Mennonite Brethren Identity." Unpublished 21. Alien Funk, personal interview. manuscript. 22. D.C. Eitzen, History of the Ebenfeld Mennonite 30. See my article "History of the Ebenfeld Public School Brethren Church (Hillsboro, KS: in Marion County, Kansas" in Journal of the American Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church, 1951), p. 5. Historical Society of Germans From Russia, vol. 10, This book was written for the 75th anniversary of the no.4 (Winter 1987). church. 23. Ibid. 31. Janzen, Ebenfeld Church, p. 39. 24. A. E. Janzen, The Ebenfeld Church in Action, 1876- 32. Clarence Hiebert, recent pastor of the Ebenfeld 1979 (Hillsboro, KS: Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Mennonite Brethren Church, personal interview. Church, 1976), p. 4. This

This picture of the Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Congregation was taken during the centennial celebration August 20-22, 1976.

48 WE SING OUR HISTORY Lawrence A. Weigel

DAS WOLGADEUTSCHE HEIMWEH About six months ago, Jo Ann Kuhr, AHSGR Researcher/Editor sent me a German poem written by Johannes Rothermel entitled "Das Wolgadeutsche Heimweh." She had received the poem from William Miller, 1162 S.E. 49th Avenue, Portland, OR 97215. Jo Ann pointed out that the words to the poem fit the melody of an old German song entitled "Drunten im Unterland." This song is popular in Germany and appears in a number of books. The original song, as it is presented here was taken from Deutscher Liederschatz, a beautiful German songbook given to me by my friend Karl Sheld who lives in West Germany. Edited by Roland W. Pinson, it was printed in Bayreuth, Germany, in 1979. The song first appeared in the early nineteenth century in Schwabenland [Swabia] and was entitled "Draussen im Schwabenland waechst a schoenes Holz." In 1836 Friedrich Silcher, a well-known folk song collector, requested that G. Weigle write a different text for the old melody, and this is how the song "Drunten im Unterland" came about. Weigle died in 1855. At the AHSGR convention in July 1987 in Portland, Oregon, a folklore program under the direction of Marian Meisinger was presented featuring an old wedding feast or Hochseit. On the program the song "Drunten im Unterland" was sung accompanied by a dance group. It was enjoyed by all. Perhaps at a future chapter meeting, the group can sing the song as it was written by G. Weigle and also sing it with the words taken from the poem "Das Wolgadeutsche Heimweh."

Drunten im Unterland

1. Drun - ten im Un - ter - land, da ist's halt fein.

Schle - hen im 0 - ber - land, Trau - ben im Un - ter - land;

drun - ten im Un - ter - land moecht' i wohl sein.

2. Drunten im Neckartal, 3. Kali ist's im Oberland, 4. Aber da unten rum, Da ist's halt gut. Unten ist's warm; Da sind d'Leut arm; 1st mer's da, oben rum oben sind d'Leut so reich, Aber so froh und frei Manchmal au no so dumm, Han D'Hemen sind gar net weich, Und in der Liebe treu. i dock alleweil Sehn mi net freundlich an, Drum sind im Unterland Drunten gut's Blut. Werdet net warm. D'Herzen so warm.

49 Das Wolgadeutsche Heimweh

1 Drue - ben am Wol - ga-strand da ist's halt fein, .. Dort isfc mein Hei - mat - land dort ist gut sein.

Step - pen so weit und breit; Wie - sen die's Herz er-freu'n.

Drue - ben am Wol - ga - strand moecht' ich gern sein.

2. Dort in dem Steppenland, da ist's gar gut; Korn wie der Meeressand

das macht halt Mut. Deutsch sind die Bauern dort, hueten der Voter Hort.

Drueben im Steppenland, da ist gut Blut. 3. Kalt ist's bei Schnee und Eis. Sturm fegt das Feld. Sommer ist gluehend heiss im Steppenfeld. Haerter wie Pels und Stein muss jeder Deutsche sein, der sich behaupten will in jener Welt. 4. Dies ist mein Heimatland, wo mir's gefallt. Dies ist mein Mutterland, das Gott erhaelt. Hoch komm's aus Schmach und Plag, Hoffnung bringt jeder Tag. Ich bleib' dem Lande treu, das Gott erhaelt.

English Translation

1. Over on the Volga's shore, it is just fine. There is my native land; a good place to reside. Steppes so far and wide; valleys that delight the heart. Over on the Volga's shore, I would like to abide. 2. There in the Steppeland, it is quite good. Corn like the ocean sand, that cheers one up. The farmers are German there, and protect the father's refuge. Over, in the Steppeland, there is good blood. 3. Snow and ice bring cold; storms sweep over the field. In the Steppeland summer is glowing hot. To assert oneself in that world, every German must be tougher than stone and rock. 4. This is my native land, where I am happy. This is my motherland which God preserves. It will stand tall after misfortune, and each day brings hope. I will remain true to the land, which God preserves.

Translated by L. A. Weigel Note: Music from Drunten im Unterland. Words from poem by Johannes Rothermel.

BOOKS AND ARTICLES RECENTLY ADDED TO THE AHSGR ARCHIVES Frances Amen and Mary Rabenberg PLEASE NOTE: When a number has an R before it, that indicates that the item does not circulate. This means that patrons may use the item in the AHSGR library itself, but they may not check it out for use elsewhere. The items mentioned below and other library materials may be borrowed from AHSGR Archives through the interlibrary loan services of your local public or college library via an interlibrary loan request form or the OCLC computer system. Most of the items below are not for sale by AHSGR. Please consult your current Order Form to see what is available for purchase.

F702 .W35A63x For many years Brighton has had a sizeable German and Amen, Delbert D., Compiler. German-Russian population. They were lured there by Obituaries, Custer County Republican, Weather-ford, contracts to work in the sugar beet fields. Some Oklahoma, 1900-1909 (n.p., 1986), 128 pp. Donated by homesteaded. The history of the Platte Valley is depicted compiler. as well as that of the families living there. Three hundred-sixteen obituaries are recorded here, evenly divided between Custer and Washita Counties since CS71 .W448 1986x Weatherford, Custer County, is about four miles from Washita County. One index lists names of individuals Brumley, Howard J. Sr. whose obituaries appear and another lists every name in The Weitz Saga (published by author, 1986), 338 pp. Photos. Donated by author. the obituaries. The story of a German family from the Hessian area in F702 .W35A632x Germany who immigrated to Yagod-naya Polyana in 1846. In the early 1890s they settled in Whitman County, Amen, Delbert D., compiler. Washington. The family history includes a genealogy from Washita County (Oklahoma) Cemeteries, 1986 (n.p., 1820-1986. The genealogy of the Preisz/Price family is 1986), 258 pp. Donated by compiler. also included. Almost a third of the book relates An alphabetical list of 14,383 names that appear on information about Endicott, Washington's, churches, cemetery monuments in Washita County's fifty-seven schools, and history. cemeteries. Besides the person's name, the cemetery and the nearest town are given. No dates of birth or death are HV8964 .R8C66 1979x given. Conquest, Robert. Kolyma. The Arctic Death Camps (New York: CS71 .A52 1986 Oxford University Press, 1979), 256 pp. Maps. Donated by Donald H. Darner. Ammon, Theodore. This contains Soviet and Western documentation that The History and Heritage of Salomon and Katharine proves the history and conditions of the huge labor camp of Ammon (Walla Walla, WA: published by author, 1986), Kolyma. The sources for this narrative came from 127 pp. Photos. Donated by author. seventeen firsthand accounts—sixteen from ex-prisoners The Ammon family settled in Neuburg near Odessa in and one from a free employee. Appendix A lists the ships 1844. Here they farmed and grew grapes. In 1909 they on the Kolyma Run. Appendix B lists camps and camp immigrated to the United States and homesteaded in Stark groups. County, North Dakota. The book includes a list of the lineal descendants of Salomon and Katharine Ammon as DK29 .D47x well as the translated contents of a notebook kept by Desmond, Glenn M. and Martha E. Katharine Ammon. Travel the Soviet Union Aboard the Trans-Siberian Express (U.S.: Camden Harbor Press, 1985), 71 pp. Photos. F784 .B74H57 1987 Donated by Jim Doering. Brighton Genealogy Society. A how-to-do-it guide to help travelers experience safe, The History of Brighton, Colorado, and Surrounding Area educational adventures on the Trans-Siberian Railway (Dallas, TX: Curtis Media Corporation, 1987), 698 pp. when seeing eastern Soviet Union. Fills one in on the Photos, maps. One copy donated by Mrs. Judith Heit and restrictions which apply to foreign travelers. Also includes another copy by the Northern Colorado Chapter.

51 many photographic glimpses of U.S.S.R., a map of the towards them since the Russian Revolution. The traditional route, and samples of the actual Soviet forms one will areas of settlement along the Volga River and north of the encounter. Black Sea are covered in the first essay. The second one covers the period from the Revolution until World War II. F704 .W42D52x The next two relate the traumatic experiences regarding the Dibler. Jeff. treatment of the ethnic Germans by the Nazis and their "Germans From Russia in the Weafcherford Area." exile by Stalin. The last article examines the ethnic Typewritten, 7 pp. Donated by Delbert D. Amen. Germans from 1945 to the 1980s as they endeavor to A brief historical account of Germans from Russia who maintain a national identity and participate in the settled in western Oklahoma in the late 1800s. Family emigration of the past ten years. names mentioned are Adier, Amen, Brehm, Hamburger, Kaiser, Koch, and Sauer. CS71 .F668 1988x CS 847 .T394E72 1987x Erdmann, Daniel. Fode, Horst. Excerpts From Beitrag zur Geschichte der Geschichte der Familie Fode (Fode Family History) Bauernwirtschaften und Familien der Gemeinde Tarutino (Reinhardshagen, West Germany: Bessarabien (Contribution to the History of the Farms and published by author, 1988), 381 pp. Photos, maps. Donated Families of Tarutino, Bessarabia). Translations by Franz by author. Schwarz; compiled by Robert F. Tangren. (n.p., 1987), 80 The Black Forest town of Schiltach is the origin of the pp. Donated by compiler. Fode family. When the Prussian state sent out an appeal, In 1940 the author established a list of persons from some of the settlers immigrated to the Province of South Tarutino for 1814 to 1848. He wrote about the change of Prussia. Further migrations were to Wittenberg (1814) and ownership of the farms along with defining the owner's Alt-Posttal (1823) in Bessarabia. In 1878 some of the family tree. Those excerpts relating to the Bierwagen and family journeyed across the Atlantic to North America. In Triebwasser (Truebwasser) families were selected by the this family history are descendants' charts, personal and compiler. Index to family names and the corresponding family name index, and a community index. Bilingual records by Wirtschaft (or farmstead) number are included. German and English. Information was taken from LDS microfilms #1270525 and #1270526. BX8066 .F63x Foil, Johann. BX8027.5 .M32E82x v.l Predigten gehalten vor Deutschen aus Russland in den "Life Events Extraction for Alt-Posttal (LEEAP)," Jahren 1957-1964 (Tubingen, West Germany: Alfred compiled by Allyn Brosz. (n.d.) Donated by compiler. Karcher, 1965), 121 pp. One copy donated by Irma E. Contains alphabetical listing of names extracted from Eichhorn, and one copy purchased with money donated in LDS microfilm #1198678 which consists of the birth and memory of Emma Schwabenland Haynes. baptismal records from 1865-1891 from the Evangelical Compilation of twelve sermons of consolation which Lutheran Parish Register, Alt-Posttal, Bessarabia. Gives were given to German Russians in West Germany. parents' names and occupation of father besides child's name, birth date, and baptismal date. Does not circulate. CS71 .F669 1980zx Foos, Genealogy researchers will search names for AHSGR Lee D. members. Branches of George H. Foos and Katherine Elizabeth Gillig Foos Strecker (n.p., n.d.), 250 pp. Maps, family DK34 .G3F54 1986x charts, photos. Donated by author. Fleischauer, Ingeborg and Benjamin B. Pinkus. The Foos families lived in the Volga Region. The largest The Soviet Germans, Past and Present (London: group was from Friedenfeld with the second largest group C. Hurst & Company, 1986), 185 pp. One copy donated by being from Merkel. Variations of the Foos name are Fose, Irma E, Eichhorn and another copy donated by St. Martin's Voos, and Foose. Kansas was the new home of the George Press. H. Foos family after they left Russia. Genealogical The chief focus of this book is the fate of Germans under information is given for the Foos family and related Soviet rule and the official policies families.

52 F1035 .S88F73 1982 Frey, congregation and a chapter covering the early families of Katherine Stenger. Immanuel and their origin. The Danube Swabians; A People with Portable Roots (Bellville, ON: Mika Publishing Co., 1982), 172 pp. F672 .L2I53 1987 v. 1, v. 2 Photos. An Index to the Early Marriage Records of Lancaster A book written to preserve the culture and history of the County, 1866-1906 (Lincoln, NE: Lincoln-Lancaster Danube Swabians, particularly those who settled in County Genealogical Society, 1987). Varied pagings. Canada. Includes several interviews with survivors of the The information for these two volumes was abstracted Communist liquidation camps set up for ethnic Germans from the first twenty-six original volumes of the Lancaster and a review of the present active Donauschwaben societies County, Nebraska, Marriage Records. Volume 1 covers in Canada. record books 1-13, 1866-1892, and Volume 2 covers record books 14-26,1893-1906. Information in these two volumes CT1213 .G473A3 1900zx includes surnames of bride and groom, first names, ages, Gerlinger, Jack. wedding date, race, and reference to which mariage record Four of Us Made It (n.p., n.d.), 101 pp. Photos. book the citation comes from. There is an every-name A collection of reminiscences of the author's life as a boy in index. The original records are held by the Nebraska State several villages in the Volga Region. At the age of eighteen Historical Society. he immigrated to Canada where he farmed before establishing himself in the business of groceries, dry goods, F642 ,B9B333x Jackson, Beth H. and Dorothy J., and hardware. compilers. Burleigh County: Prairie Trails to Hi-Ways (Bismarck, BX8129 .H8G67 1987 v. 1 ND: Bismarck-Mandan Genealogical & Historical Society, The Chronicle of the Hutterian Brethren, Volume I (Rifton, 1978), 628 pp. Maps, photos. NY: Plough Publishing House, 1987), 887 pp. A thorough compilation of the townships and the The English translation of Das grosse Geschichtbuch families who settled Burleigh County, North Dakota. der Hutterischen Brueder which chronicles the beginning Includes a map of each township, plus photos and of the Anabaptist movement in 1525 and the history of the biographical accounts of the residents. South Russia was Hutterian Brethren until 1665. the birthplace of many of the early settlers.

MFILM 12 Hine, Lewis CS71 .L427 1980zx Wickes. Lebsack, Clarence. National Child Labor Committee Collection, 1908-1924 The Jacob and Katherine Lebsack Family History, (Washington, DC: Library of Congress, Photo Duplication 1822-1986 (n.p., n.d.), 106 pp. Photos. Donated by Service, 1983), 1 microfilm reel. Donated by Allyn Brosz. author. The microfilm consists of photographs of children The Lebsack family came from the village of Frank in harvesting crops, operating farm machinery, and caring for the Volga Region. The author reminisces about his and his animals. Of primary interest to AHSGR are those pictures family's life in Colorado through this first-person account. with detailed, accompanying captions showing children working in sugar beet fields in Colorado. Accompanied by Z7845 .M4M45 1988x Mennonite a photocopy of the index cards which identify the people Heritage Centre. and locations on the photographs. Resources for Canadian Mennonite Studies; an Inventory and Guide to Archival Holdings at the BX8076 .P73I45 1980zx Mennonite Heritage Centre (Winnipeg, MB: Immanuel Lutheran Church (Preston, Md.). Mennonite Heritage Centre, 1988), 135 pp. Donated by History Committee. Mennonite Heritage Centre. The History of the Evangelical Lutheran 1mmanuel "This guide will provide a brief description of seventy Congregation, 1897-1984, Preston, Caroline County, major collections in the archives and will also give the Maryland (n.p., 198?), 127 pp. Photos. Donated by researcher an overview of eight other types of sources Herman H. Gunther. available at the Centre." This guide will be helpful to A historical chronology which includes biographies of the historians and students. Materials collected are primarily pastors who served the from Canadian sources.

53 F782 .L2M667 1985 Morris, berg, Germany, 1727-1934 (McNeal, AZ: Andrew J., editor. Westland Publications, 1980), 49 pp. The History of Larimer County, Colorado, Vol. 1 (Dallas, Albrecht Ritz's Gestalten und Ereignisse aus Beihingen TX: Curtis Media Corporation, 1985), 444 pp. Photos. am Neckar (Personality Sketches and Occurrences of Beihingen am Neckar) is the source of this publication, F782 .L2M667 1985 specifically Section 66 entitled "Emigration." Interesting Ahlbrandt, Arlene (Briggs) and Kathryn "Kate" notes accompany each name. It concludes with a name Stieben, editors. index. The History of Larimer County, Colorado, Vol. 2 (Dallas, TX: Curtis Media Corporation, 1987), 981 pp. Photos. DD801 .H8S65 Smith, The two books comprise a detailed history of the county Clifford Neal. and its development and include, among others, sections on Nineteenth-Century Emigration From Kreis Sim-mern early history, communities, historic buildings, churches, (Hunsrueck), Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, to Brazil, cemeteries, businesses, biographies and family histories. England, Russian Poland, and the United States of Each book contains an excellent general index and surname America (McNeal, AZ:Westland Publications, 1980), index. Indexes are by section and item number, not page 35 pp. number. Eight pages in volume 1 are devoted to the Because the district of Simmern had fallen to the Germans from Russia. Kingdom of Prussia in 1815 as a result of the reorganization of Central Europe at the Congress of DD801 .H8S65 1979x Vienna, the nineteenth-century emigrants listed herein Smith, Clifford Neal. would have declared themselves to be Prussian subjects. Emigrants From the Principality of Hessen-Hanau, The alphabetical list is arranged by political subdivisions. It Germany, 1741-1767 (McNeal, AZ: concludes with a surname index. Westland Publications, 1979), 22 pp. The source of this information is a large bound register of DD801 .H8S65 1982 Smith, the Geheimer Rat (Privy Council) of the former principality Clifford Neal. of Hessen-Hanau. This contains information on immigrants Eighteenth-Century Emigrants from Kreis Simmern to United States (mainly Pennsylvania), Hungary, (Hunsruech), Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, to Central Lithuania, Pomerania, and Russia. Surnames are listed Europe, Pfaizdorf am Niederrhein, and North America alphabetically, and added to this list are notes on emigrants (McNeal, AZ: Westland Publications, 1982), 23 pp. identified in the Strassburger ship lists. Annotated name Names of earlier emigrants from Simmern, their place of index. origin, destination, and year of emigration.

HQ1438 .K2S77x Stratton, DD801 .H8S65 1981x Smith, Clifford Joanna L. Neal, translator. Pioneer Women: Voices From the Kansas Frontier (New Emigrants From the West-German Fuerstenberg York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1982), 319 pp. Donated by Territories (Baden and the Palatinate) to America and Amelia Weidenbach. Central Europe 1712, 1737, 1787 (McNeal, AZ: Westland Portions of personal memoirs of eight hundred Kansas Publications, 1981), 37 pp. frontier women are brought together in this book. They Entries are shown for those emigrants from the wrote about their families, homes, and communities. One Fuerstenberg territories who immigrated to Hungary in chapter relates life in Victoria, Kansas. 1712, who settled Soderlach (Banat) in 1737, and who immigrated to many destinations in 1787. Entries contain CT22 .Z55 1982 Zimmerman, name of emigrant. year of emigration, place of origin, William. destination, comments, and archival file citation. Instant Oral Biographies (New York, NY: Guarionex Press, Ltd., 1982), 100 pp. Donated by Columbia Basin Chapter. DD801 .H8S65 1980x Smith, Clifford Simple step-by-step directions that show one how to Neal, translator. tape-record, film, and video tape-record one's life stories or Immigrants to America and Central Europe From those of family members. It suggests questions to ask when Beihingen am Neckar, Baden- Wuerttem- interviewing people.