Journal of the American Historical Society of From

Vol. 15. No. 2 Summer 1992 Manuscripts Solicited The Journal welcomes manuscripts of articles, essays, family histories, anecdotes, folklore, and all aspects of the lives of Germans in/from Russia. We request that manuscripts be typed double-spaced on standard 8 1/2 by 11-inch paper. If printed on computer fan-fold paper, please remove the feed-guide edges, sep- arate and number the pages, and place them in order. If the manu- script was written on a computer, please include with the manuscript On the cover: Memorial Day flags wave over the graves of German- a copy of the article file on a 5.25" Russian settlers and Sioux Native in the diskette. We can accept IBM cemetery of St. Peter's on the Standing Rock Agency, PC/XT/AT compatible files on low- Fort Yates, , seen here circa 1910-18. One or double-density disks. finds Sioux names along with German names such as For questions of style, please Schneider or Volk. The light, board-shaped marker with consult our standard reference, The a dark inscribed cross at the far right center reads: Chicago Manual of Style, 13th ed. "Joseph/Son of [ ] Edith/Treetop/Died June [ ], rev. (Chicago: University of 1899/Age 6 weeks". The large, dark stone shaft just to Chicago Press, 1982). Please indi- the left (at center right) is a memorial to five Indian cate in your cover letter whether policeman killed during an attempt in December 1890 you have photos which may be used to arrest Sitting Bull, who also was killed. The first to illustrate your article. If you wish lines read: your manuscript and disk returned "In/Memory of/Lieutenant/BULL HEAD"; the to you, please include with the remainder cannot be read from the photograph. manuscript a stamped, self- German settled on the Standing Rock addressed envelope of the same size Reservation beginning in the early nineteenth century. and with the same postage as your Professor Timothy J. Kloberdanz's "In the Land of mailing envelope. Manuscripts not Inyan Woslata," beginning on page 15, examines how published in the Journal or returned the Sioux and German-Russian cultures influenced and will be added to the AHSGR learned from one another. Photograph courtesy Frank archives. Fiske Collection and State Historical Society of North Address all correspondence on Dakota. editorial matters to AHSGR, 631 D Street, Lincoln, NE 68502-1199.

Published by American Historical Society of Germans From Russia 631 D Street • Lincoln, 68502-1199 • Phone 402-474-3363 Edited by David Bagby ©Copyright 1992 by the American Historical Society of Germans From Russia. All rights reserved. ISSN 0162-8283 CONTENTS

WALDHEIM VILLAGE IN COLONY Solomon L. Loewen ...... 1

THE TIPSY DUCKS Alexander Dupper ...... 14

IN THE LAND OF INYAN WOSLATA: PLAINS INDIAN INFLUENCES ON RESERVATION WHITES Timothy J. Kloberdanz ...... 15

FIVE PLANTS IS FIVE PLANTS Angela Cachay ...... 27

KRASNA VILLAGE RESEARCH REPORT Ted J. Becker ...... 29

VILLAGE RESEARCH PROJECT AND LIST OF VILLAGE RESEARCH COORDINATORS David Bagby List by Allyn Brosz and AHSGR staff ...... 33

A SUMMARY REPORT ON TEN GERMAN VILLAGES In the Regions of Dnepropetrovsk, Petrikovka, and Verkhnaya-Dneprovsk, Administrative District of Dnepropetrovsk

Dr.

Translated by David Bagby ...... ,...... 41

OUR RESPECTS TO THE BAVARIAN SUPREME COURT! .

E. Holland

Translated by David Bagby ...... 45

NEW ADDITIONS TO THE AHSGR LIBRARY SINCE JANUARY 1991, H-Z Michael Ronn, AHSGR Librarian ...... 46

MEIN GROSSMUTTER Ted J. Becker ...... 51

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992

WALDHEIM VILLAGE IN MOLOCHNA COLONY

Solomon L. Loewen The first group of to migrate from West that settled in Waldheim. They were among the last Prussia to South Russia left in 1788 and arrived in 1789 at foreigners to settle in the Molochna colony. This was a the Khortitsa River where it enters the . These 228 rather closely knit group that had developed their own families founded the Khortitsa Colony. Soon other families particular dialect of , which came to be known followed, and before long there were 367 families making as the Waldheim Plautdietsch. Waldheim grew rapidly like their home in what came to be known as the "Old Colony." other villages in the colony, partly because additional In 1803, 162 families arrived from Prussia and families settled there, but more especially because of the overwintered with their compatriots in Khortitsa, then many children born into the families. moved on in spring to a new area about 110 miles to the Land for the village was provided by , a southeast, just beyond the Molochnaya River. The Russian great entrepreneur from Ohrloff, who had leased the land at government had directed them here to an open and quite the eastern end of the Begim-Chokrak river.4 He named the level steppe of 81,500 acres of more productive land than village Waldheim, meaning "Home in the Woods", because what they had at the Old Colony.1 Eventually some 1200 the place in from whence these immigrants had families settled in 58 flourishing villages, forming the come was wooded. The banks of the river had been diked to "New Colony," called Molochna. prevent flooding during heavy rains. The stream bed was Waldheim was the 44th village formed in this New without running water during the dry season. The average Colony. It was settled in 1836 by eight families who had annual rainfall was about 17 inches. The village was laid left their homes in Przechowka, Volhynia, in 1835. In his out along the banks of the river in an east-west direction, as Die Molotschnaer Mennoniten (The Molochna were most of the Molochna villages. The size of the village Mennonites), Isaac says that 68 families left in 1835 was determined largely by the amount of land available for and settled in the village of Waldheim in 1836.3 I suspect farming. Villages usually had one street with homes on that the 68 were individuals, not families. Two years after either side of the street. Waldheim had two streets; it was the first group arrived, another 12 families came, and in destined to become the largest village in all Molochna. 1840 an additional 20 families arrived, which made a total of 40 families Dr. Solomon L. Loewen's grandparents lived in Waldheim for 25 years after their marriage in 1842, and his father Jacob Loewen THE EARLIEST MAP attended school in Waldheim in the 1860s. Jacob immigrated in 1874 to Marion County, , where Solomon was born in 1898. For the first Waldheim map we are indebted to Darrel A. After graduate study in parasitology and entomology. Dr. Loewen Nickels. His great-uncle Franz Zielke drew it as he had taught biological sciences for over 50 years. In his retirement(!) Dr. Loewen has written or co-authored 5 family genealogies and gotten it orally from his father, Kornelius Zielke. Franz numerous scientific, genealogical, and Mennonite historical articles, Zielke acknowledged that the spelling of the names might some of which have appeared previously in the Journal. be incorrect, for he had written them as they had sounded in Low German. A correction of the

AHSGR Journal /Summer 1992 2 WALDHEIM names is suggested in parentheses. For the year 1861, names from Zielke's map have been placed on the Zielke lists 24 families on the map as follows: expanded map in the same order and relative areas he had Pankratz placed them on his map, but should not be considered Pankratz, A. definite. The residences of the others have not been Pauls, John determined. Andres Ratief (Ratzlaff?) Waldheim, like other villages, elected a Schultze, or Berhman (Bergman?) Ratzlaf (Ratzlaff) mayor for the village. The first one was Kornelius Wedel, Buller Richard, Jake (Richert?) leader of the group which first came from Volhynia. Ten 8 Byers 1 (Weier?) Richards, K. (Richert?) years later, in 1847, Christian Schlabbach was elected. The Byers 2 (Weier?) Sperling village had its own church services, although Zielke's map Derksen (Doerksen?) Tafes of 1861 does not show a location for a church. They Ediger, Johann (Toews?) probably first met in private homes. Peter Schmidt was the Fast, Peter Wadel (Wedel?) first elder. Just when a church was built is unknown, but it Hebert (Huebert, Warkentine is unlikely that the village went without a church from 1836 Hiebert?) Zielke, Jakob to 1861, so a church has been placed on the map on the basis of its location on later maps. Koagat Darrel Nickels had two great- The Zielke map does not show a place for a school or a Nachtigal great-grandparents who lived cemetery. Both existed at that time and have been placed Nikkel, Abe in Waldheim, Andrius Nikkel on the map according to a map of 1925. The cemetery was and Johann Ediger, both of used almost from the beginning. When my grandparents whom are buried there, and moved in 1867, they left buried in this cemetery eight of three great-grandparents, Jacob and Elizabeth Sperling their fourteen children who had died as infants or small Zielke and Kornelius Nachtigal. children. This map was incomplete, for by 1861 Waldheim was The school also was in use from the beginning of the largest village in all of Molochna. By 1853 it had Waldheim. It is reported that in 1865 there had been 175 already reached a population of 961. Zielke's map has pupils in school. The report did not say how many teachers therefore been expanded in accordance with the layout of they had for these pupils. The educational system at the later maps of the village. There were 34 families with a full beginning of the German settlements in South Russia had farm (about 175 acres), 12 with half farms (about 85 acres) very low standards. In the 1830s and 1840s, under the and 56, called Anwohner, families that lived on a small plot leadership of Johann Cornies, great efforts were made to of land for a small house and a garden, but were otherwise improve the schools in the Molochna colony. Certain landless. This amounted to 46 landed families and 56 standards were formalized for the curriculum, teacher landless. The landless problem was very serious, for over training, and school facilities. The first teacher training half of the village population were without farming land. institute in Molochna was established in Halbstadt in 1835, A few names can be added to Zielke's map, for it is and the first school building designed according to the new known that they lived in Waldheim at this time. My model was built in 1844.9 Waldheim came into being just at grandparents Jacob and Anna Penner Loewen were married this time [1836] and thus benefitted from the new in Lindenau in 1842 and moved to Waldheim, where they educational system. resided for 25 years. All fourteen of their children were My father, Jacob Loewen, was a pupil in Waldheim born there. In 1867 they moved to Friedensfeld in the new from 1861 to 1867. He shared some of his experiences with colony of Borosenko, northwest of the Old Colony on the my family when we were children. Pupils were taught both west side of the Dnieper River, because the older boys were by the teacher and the parents to respect and honor their ready for some farmland, but none was available in elders and to obey the teacher. The parents supported the Waldheim. Other persons known to have lived in teacher; if pupils got a whipping in school, they could Waldheim at this time are Mennonite Brethren members expect to receive one at home also. This is what we also Gottlieb Strauss, two Johann Strausses (likely father and heard here in America during my time. Father found son), Friedrich Strauss, and David Doerksen.7 The family learning easy and had

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 WALDHEIM 3

% If) 1 •5 § / Behrrnan Store on "2 u 0 •§ •§ Byers Windmill ( c2 n; ^ 5 1 1 ^i — to Gnadenfeld — ^« m GARDEN and m ORCHARD a; ^- OT

Cornelius Nachtigal Johann Eidiger Warkentine Waldo Wade! Andres Byers

CROSS STREET

Elementary School ' Cemetery

2 A. Pankratz Ratlef Menn, Church Abe Nikkel Tafes

Pankratz Sperling

Buller Peter Fast

v^ ,

Ratzlaf Waldheim John Pauls 1861 Family names and Village plan Jake Zielke Hebertby Frank Zielke Modified and enlarged by Solomon L. Gottlieb Strauss Loewen (cart.) Johann Strauss 1991 Friedrich Strauss Johann Strauss David Doerksen Jacob Loewen N

Begim-Chokrak River The village plan as drawn by Zielke was too small for the known population of Waldheim at the time, so it has been enlarged in accordance with later maps of Waldheim and with the general plan of all Molochna villages. Family names listed by Zielke have been placed in the same relative position and groupings as they appear on his map. Families known to have lived in Waldheim at the time but not mentioned by Zieike are listed at lower right. The positions of their homesteads (Feuerstelle) are unknown.

AHSGR Journal /Summer 1992 4 WALDHEIM

Fig, 1, left. Sheet music written in Kansas by the author's father, Jacob Loewen, using Ziffern or numbers instead of notes—a system learned in elementary school in Waldheim. The song is "Die Liebe Kapelle," or "The Little Brown Church."

Fig. 2, below. Waldheim elemen- tary school, behind trees at left. By the author, 1971.

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 WALDHEIM 5 enjoyed school very much. Pupils in school were divided brought the baby and/or small children into the field with into two groups, the younger children and the older pupils her, or by a son and/or daughter, if they were old enough— who could read, write and do arithmetic. Father enjoyed the around ten or eleven. From the age of 14, children worked spelling bee, which they had at least once a week; he felt like grown men throughout the harvest. The bundles were good when he had passed up older and taller pupils and then put into a shock by placing several sheaves together reached the top of the class. They had no other grading of with the grain-heads standing up. The shocks were later pupils at that time. Bible history, memorization of hauled with the wagon to the floor, a level, Scripture, and music had been his favorite subjects, smooth, and hard piece of ground on the yard. On this although he enjoyed arithmetic as well. "floor" the bundles were opened, spread out, and threshed In music the Waldheim school used Ziffern (numbers) by striking the grain with a flail or by driving oxen or instead of notes. For "do, re, me, . . ." they would sing horses over it till the grain was free from the stalks and "eins, zwei, drei, . . .” (one, two, three). When father chaff. In the early 1840s the Mennonite , a became a church choir director here in America in the big seven-grooved round stone about three feet long, made 1880s, he wrote his own song book with Ziffern (fig. 1). In its appearance in the colony." This stone was pulled over 1962 my wife and I were in the Chaco of Paraguay, visiting the threshing floor by a team of oxen or horses until the refugees who had settled there; we grain was threshed. The straw was then removed with a heard some interesting and serious discussions as to which wooden rake or pitch-fork and piled up to be used later as system was to be preferred, the Ziffern- or the Notensystem. fuel for the stove or baking-oven, or as bedding in the barn for horses and cows. This bedding with the accumulated manure was later removed, packed into brick-like blocks, GRAIN FARMING dried, and used as fuel. The grain was cleaned by tossing grain and chaff into the The first farmers coming to the Molochna villages used air with a wooden shovel; the wind blew the chaff away crude and primitive farming implements. Some brought and the grain dropped down onto a clean floor. The wooden farming tools along from Prussia, such as a wooden plow shovel was later replaced by one of iron. Often the farmer with an iron plowshare, a wooden harrow, a long wagon would have to wait days or weeks until the wind would with wooden axles and wheels, a scythe, and a few small blow strong enough to clean the grain. At times this would tools. Some implements were shared with others; thus B. H. not be until spring the next year, after the next crop was Unruh lists families as having half-a-plow or half-a-wagon. planted, because of the lack of wind. In the 1840s an Waldheim residents, being about the last foreign entrepreneur farmer in the colony came up with a fanning immigrants to come into the Molochna colony, arrived just mill that could be turned by hand, providing "wind" when before big farm machinery improvements were made. They needed. I have used such a fanning mill myself here in still turned the soil with a hand plow drawn by oxen or a America. After the grain was clean and sacked, it was team of horses; clods were broken with a wooden harrow. stored in the attic above the living quarters in the house, or The farmer would seed his grain, either before plowing or in the barn or a shed. after plowing and harrowing, by casting it with his hand I would like to insert an experience I witnessed here in from the seed-bag hung over his shoulders while walking Kansas as a small boy when we had over 28 inches of rain through the fields. The wheat was the soft summer "Hirka" during May, June, and July in 1904. The wheat was ripe, variety. The ripe grain was cut with a scythe equipped with but we had no way of getting into the fields with the binder. a cradle (wooden or iron rods) fixed to the scythe which Father had learned how to use the scythe in Russia, so he would carry the cut stalks to the end of the swath, where fixed three scythes with cradles and taught the older boys they would drop into a pile. These small piles of cut stalks how to cut the wheat. Father and the younger boys were then tied into bundles using a few stalks from the pile. followed the cutters, tying the little piles of cut grain with This was usually done by the farmer's wife, who often stalks taken from the pile and setting the sheaves up into shocks, just as had been done in Russia. By the time the ground dried so

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 6 WALDHEIM that they could cut with the binder, quite a number of acres 1874. A binder using twine to tie the bundles made its first were standing in shocks cut with a scythe. appearance in 1888.12 It was not until sometime after 1900 that villagers in Waldheim began to use it. John R. Dick's father purchased his first binder in Waldheim in 1913.13 FARMING IMPROVEMENTS With the self-binder a farmer could now cut acres of wheat in a day using three or four horses, work which before took Improvements in farming methods and equipment began to weeks with a scythe. make their appearance in the 1840s and 1850s. For one The threshing stone as well as the threshing floor were thing, Johann Cornies had discovered by experimentation replaced, probably in the 1870s, by a threshing machine that fallowing land and rotating crops made the land more driven by horse power. Improvement in threshing machines productive. Fallowing was done in either in a three- or was made concurrent with the mowing machines. Wealthier four-year cycle. Wheat was sown into the fallow ground the farmers with larger land holdings switched to steam first year; then the field was planted in oats, barley, or some engines for threshing. Smaller farmers used horsepower other fodder (hay) for one or two years, and then the field until less expensive stationary gas engines were available. lay fallow for one year. The spring wheat that had been In time all these farming machines became available to planted since the beginning of the settlements had lost its Waldheim farmers. Many never had a threshing machine of vigor and was highly subject to rust, so that wheat pro- their own, but a neighbor or some one with a movable duction in the 1830s had dropped remarkably. A great thresher would come and do it for them. Some farm drought in the late 1820s and the lack of a good open machines were imported, but others were manufactured in market for farm products had very serious effect on the factories built in the village. Some of these factories started Mennonite farmers in the . Then the fallowing of out as blacksmith shops. land introduced by Cornies in 1835 began to bring the farmers some hope. The establishment of the city of on the in 1831 opened a market to OTHER ECONOMIC ENDEAVORS the world. Farmers hauled the wheat in groups to protect themselves against thievery. Berdyansk was about 65 miles Waldheim had two such factories manufacturing farming from the Molochna villages, and farmers took several days implements, one operated by David Koehn and the other by to make the trip. Isaac J. Neufeld and his son Isaac I. Neufeld. The Neufeld Improvements in agricultural implements in the second factory was founded in 1890 and incorporated in 1900 as a half of the 19th century affected Mennonite farmers in joint-sharing corporation. The Neufelds also had a large Waldheim and the Ukraine as well as American farmers, steam-operated flour mill standing near their residences although there was generally a time delay between the (figs. 3, 4). They employed many workers, of whom only a introduction of new machinery in the United States and in minority were Mennonites. These factories were on Factory Ukrainian Mennonite villages. The improvements began, at Worker's Street, where tenement houses were also located least in part, with the work of Cyrus Hull McCormick of to house many of the workers. These factories are shown Illinois, who developed a grain mower which eventually on both the 1916 and the 1925 maps. Both factories were relegated the old reliable scythe to a peg on the museum closed after the revolution.14 wall. The first mowing machine cut the grain and laid it on The soil in Waldheim was very productive; farmers a platform, from which a man with a wooden rake removed raised good crops of wheat, barley, rye, oats as well as it as he followed the mower. By 1862 a mechanical arm corn, pumpkins, watermelons, and sunflowers for the seed which raked the grain off at regular intervals was added. oil which was used for cooking. The sunflower stalks were The regular grass mower came into use in 1867. cut up and used for fuel. A sunflower seed oil mill operated These machines made their appearance among in Waldheim for some time. Near Waldheim a mine yielded Mennonites in Russia in the late 1870s. A self-binder using a white clay, kaolin, which was used to whitewash wire came onto the American market during buildings and picket fences around the yard

AHSGR Journal /Summer 1992 Fig. 3. Isaac & Isaac Neufeld's mill, built 1910, and their residences.

Fig. 4. Isaac J. Neufeld and Company farm machinery factory, founded 1890, incorporated 1900. Both illustrations from Gerhard Lohrenz, Heritage Remembered, courtesy of CMBC Publications.

along the street. Later the Soviets used this kaolin in these trees were used to feed silkworm caterpillars. The silk manufacturing porcelain goods. industry developed into quite a business. In June 1971 my Among his many promotional plans, Johann Cornies wife and I visited a collective farm near Zaporozhye where also strongly promoted the planting of trees in each village. they were feeding silkworm caterpillars in the winter dairy Each village had a small forest or woodlot nearby, as barn. In Waldheim we saw shown on the maps of Waldheim. This included all kinds of shade trees as well as a variety of fruit trees and bushes. The result was that by 1870 over seven and a half million trees had been planted in the Molochna villages. This turned the bare Russian steppes into a new ecological and attractive environment. Many mulberry trees were planted, especially as dividers along property lines. The leaves of fine shade trees along the streets and yards and fruit trees In 1861 there was only one Mennonite church building in and beautiful flower beds and bushes near the homes. We Waldheim. However, on January 6, 1860, 18 ministers and were told that when the German Army occupied the area teachers from various villages of South Russia had signed a during WWII they cut down the trees, because snipers had paper of secession from the mother Mennonite church. used them for shelter, but by our visit they had been fully They felt that the lifestyle of many members of the church restored. was not consistent with Biblical guidelines and the teachings of , after whom the Mennonites were THE MENNONITE BRETHREN

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 8 WALDHEIM named, and they felt that they could not continue to have Russia were affected immediately. People speaking German Christian fellowship with them. This occurred in the midst in public in groups of three or more were subject to a fine of a spiritual revival stimulated by pastor Eduard Wuest, a of 3000 rubles or three months in jail. Lutheran pastor who had recently come out of After the failure of the Russian army's offensive in preaching the gospel. This group of secessionists organized 1917, the Russian army streamed eastward in panic. The with others into what became known as the Mennonite brought down the reign of the Tsars; the . On March 19, 1860, a group assembled in Bolshevik revolution of November brought Lenin to power. Ohrloff to elect a leader of the new organization. Waldheim The Bolsheviks sued for peace in December 1917. was represented by David Doerksen and the Strauss Russia was in shambles for some time to come. brethren mentioned earlier as additions to Zielke's list of Especially during the next two years after the revolution, village names. there were several marauding anarchistic gangster groups On September 23, 1860, a group of Brethren had been to that overran the German villages in the Ukraine, robbing, a meeting at Waldheim; in going back to Gnadenfeld eight raping, and killing men, women and children at will. Nestor miles south, which seemed to be the center of this new Makhno was one of the main leaders of such groups. Bands movement, they came to the river Kurushan. Here four of twenty to seventy men robbed, maimed, and killed brethren stepped into the water and baptized each other by village residents. The bands came by day or night, and immersion, the first immersion baptism by Mennonite people lived in great fear and uncertainty. Sometimes only Brethren, which has been their mode of baptism ever since. a few in a village would be killed or maimed; at other times This apparently was the beginning of a very active more than seventy were killed in one night. The dead were Mennonite Brethren church community in Waldheim, often thrown together and buried in one mass grave. which continued as a vibrant church extending up to the In Waldheim the Soviet government set up an ad- end of the Mennonites in South Russia in the late 1920s. ministrative office for the area in February of 1918. The There seems to be no record as to when the first Brethren factories and hospital were closed and the schools taken sanctuary was built in Waldheim, and the identity of the over. Waldheim was not spared of agony and destruction. first ministers is unknown to the writer. During the first two The Soviets were out to destroy all , people with decades of the 1900s, Peter Koehn, Gerhard Unruh, and property and community leaders. Huebert says that in later Isaak Ewert were the leading ministers of the "January of 1922 the Mennonite leaders of the region were Mennonite Brethren Church in Waldheim.16 Gerhard Unruh incarcerated in the basement of the house adjoining the served until his family emigrated to Canada in 1926. hospital. Many were executed following the judgments of the Waldheim-based courts."1 The Soviet government demanded tax money and goods from the villagers, after REVOLUTION AND AFTERMATH they had already been robbed of horses, cows, grain, and other items. People had practically nothing left for their The people of Russia had been under tremendous pressure own livelihood. Then the weather turned bad, with which erupted soon after the beginning of the 20th century. practically no rain during 1920-22, which meant practically In 1905 when Russia was at war with Japan, a spirit of no crops on the farms and no vegetables in the gardens, unrest broke out in October when workers in factories, hence no food. This affected the Germans and the Russians bakeries, newspapers, and in many other areas of work as well. People began eating almost anything that was still went on strike. In Waldheim the workers in the Neufeld available. The result was starvation! Many people died not and Koehn factories threatened to destroy the plants. These only from starvation, but also from the rapidly-spreading of course were the non-Mennonite workers [Mennonites and venereal diseases brought into the colonies by are pacifists]. Sailors in a number of fleets mutinied. The the gangsters. Czar's army was able to subdue the unrest for the time Many more would have starved if it had not been for being. help that came from many foreign countries. The broke out in 1914. With the German and Russian Empires at war, the German people in

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 WALDHEIM 9 Mennonites of the United States and Canada founded the With fresh rains farmers were soon able to raise crops and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), an organization vegetables for food, which gave the residents some hope. which under the chairmanship of P. C. Hiebert dispersed Many of the German residents then tried to emigrate to much food from food depots and kitchens to feed the other lands. Most of the Mennonites who were able to multitude. Other church groups and benevolent escape went to Canada and to South America during the organizations also helped feed the hungry. Mennonites in years 1926-29. Stalin and the Soviet government North America sent many food packages to friends and implemented the five-year plan of collectivization in 1928, relatives in Russia. I remember Father mailing many food taking over all land and forming collective farms, including packages to relatives he had left behind when his family those in the Waldheim area. Among many other families, came to Kansas in the 1870s. The Rev. David M. Hofer, the Neil Unruh family of Waldheim emigrated to Chicago, was one who worked in one of the kitchens for a Winnipeg, , and so escaped farther communist while. After the people had been fed with bread, he held pressures. evangelistic services in Waldheim where many were fed Let us hear what some other residents of the area spiritually with heavenly bread. experienced during this period. Neil Unruh reported that his Help came to the villagers also when the MCC in 1923 sent family, the Gerhard Unruhs, had lived in the house by 23 Fordson tractors, so the farmers could plow their Rahn's mill (labeled Heinrich Voth on the 1916 and 1925 fields.18 They had lost most of their farm animals and thus maps) when he was a boy. When Neil finished the second could not prepare the land for crops. grade in 1913, the Rahn and Unruh families moved to Ignatievka, near New-York,

Pig. 5. The Waldheim hospital. In 1922, the local Soviet administration imprisoned community and religious leaders and people with property in the basement of a house next door to this building to await trial and, frequently, execution. By the author, 1971.

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 10 WALDHEIM Ukraine, because the mill had gone bankrupt. The three kin seeds (with shells) and barley ground together to men, brothers-in-law, had operated the mill together, but make a flour and baked this mixture. now Heinrich Voth remained in Waldheim to operate the In April 1922 our family left Russia (via Batumi and mill by himself. During this time, Neil finished the Turkey). We lived through very difficult times. Only 3 Zentralschule (high school). When the mill's creditors had out of 11 who began survived and made it to theU.S.A.19 been satisfied in 1920, the two families moved back. Rahn joined Voth in the mill, while the Unruhs came into The eight who did not make it died in Batumi from possession of a half-farm and moved into a small house on starvation and diseases. No doubt there are many similar Landowners' Street. cases. It is very hard for a person who has not experienced By this time the revolution had already occurred, but the it to fully appreciate his good fortune. gangsters were still roving about. One day Neil had gone to the mill to visit his Uncle Rahn when a rider stopped him Stalin had planned to evacuate all Germans from west of and asked whether the owner of the mill was in. Neil the to the far east, but failed to do so before answered, "I 't know." The rider then asked Neil to hold the German Army invaded this area during WWII. his horse while he went in with his gun. When he came out Waldheim had a population of 1027, of whom roughly half he was carrying another gun he had found inside. After were Mennonites. Some of the men had been hiding examining it to see whether it was loaded (it was not), the themselves, but 53 were sent to rider broke it, then left. Rahn had saved his life by hiding in . Most of the Mennonites retreated with the German a secret place in the mill. Nine years later the Rahn family Army when it was driven out of Russia, and thus they was exiled for ten years to Siberia, where their son John escaped to Germany, Some, however, were caught by the died. Neil got a job in Neufeld's mill, now operated by the Russians as they pursued the German army, or were turned Soviets, for wages of 50 rubles per month. This was enough over to the Russians by the allies after the war. These were for food and clothing for the family. Neil also related that then sent to Siberia in cattle cars in the cold of winter. A his first- and second-grade teacher, Peter Toews, and his number of them never made it. As were all other villages wife had been killed by an exploding missile fired on the with German names, Waldheim was renamed by the street of Waldheim during the civil war. communists. Waldheim received the name of Vladovka 1. Agatha Rempel Krieger shared with me by letter This marked the end of just over one hundred years of (written by her son Edgar) the following: Waldheim's history as a German Mennonite village.

In September, 1921, 1 started teaching at Waldheim (the village in which my father was born).... I was the first NOTES teacher of the newly established Kindergarten class in Waldheim, and since I worked for the government I 1. Goerz,7-8. received wages of 1/2 pint of raw sunflower seed oil. 2. Huebert, in Schroeder and Huebert, 97. There was a terrible shortage of all kinds of fats. 3. Isaac, 18. There were also armies of soldiers marching through 4. Huebert, in Schroeder and Huebert, 97. [Red and White during the civil war] our Mennonite 5. The village of Hierschau, "look here," was established villages. There was so much coming and going by both less than a mile to the west of Waldheim in 1848. sides that it was hard to know who was in charge.. .. Johann Cornies, founder of Waldheim, designed By the end of 1921 fuel was so scarce and the Hierschau to be a model Mennonite village, but did not children were beginning to be too weak to attend school. see his dream realized, as he died in March of that By the middle of February the Kindergarden [sic] class year. Readers interested in the structure and function of was closed. The teachers were also too weak to continue. the Mennonite villages should see Huebert's We lived on pump- informative book, Hierschau, which also makes numerous references to Waldheim. 6. Goerz, chart, 116. 7. Friesen, 199.

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 WALDHEIM 11 8. Huebert, 97. Schroeder, William, and Helmut Huebert. Atlas of 9. Isaac, footnote, 17. Mennonite Villages. Winnipeg, Manitoba: Christian 10. B. H. Unruh, 254. Press, 1990. 11. Isaac, 16. Toews, Aron A. Mennonite Martyrs. Trans. by John B. 12. ffildebrand, 263. Toews. Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Hillsboro, Kansas: 13. John R. Dick, personal communication. John Deere and Kindred Press, 1990. McCormick were the only binders available in Russia. Russian Unruh, Benjamin H. Die hinterlaendisch-nieder-deutschen factories had not made any binders. Hintergruende der mennonitischen Ostwanderungen im 14. C. G. Unruh, letter of July 31,1991. 16., 18., und 19. Jahrhunden. By the author, 1955. 15. Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, 734. Unruh, Cornelius (Neil) G. Winnipeg, Manitoba. Personal 16. Friesen, 708. communication, letters and telephone conversations. I 17. Huebert, in Schroeder and Huebert, 97. am especially grateful for the many experiences he 18. C. G. Unruh, letter of July 31,1991. shared with me and for a house plan of his family's 19. Loewen,22. 20. Huebert, in Schroeder and Huebert, 97. home. Together with Rev. William Neufeld, Neil provided the village plans as of 1925. SOURCES Dick, John R. Hillsboro, Kansas. Personal communication. Friesen, P. M. Die Alt-Evangelische Mennonitische Bruederschaft in Russland (1789-1910) im Rahmen MAPS (overleaf) der mennonitischen Gesamtgeschichte. Halbstadt, Taurien, Ukraine: Raduga, 1911. Along with the Zielke map of 1861, we also have a fine Goerz, H. Die Ansiedlung. Steinbach, map of Waldheim in 1916 by William Schroeder. Neil Manitoba: EchoVerlag. 1950-51. Unruh, together with Rev. William Neufeld, has provided a Hildebrand, J. J. HildebrandsZeittafel. North Kildonan, map plan as of 1925. A number of changes occurred in Manitoba: J. Regehr, 1945. Russia during the nine-year interval between these two Hofer, D. M. Die Hungersnot in Russland und Unsere maps, but apparently the changes did not affect the Reise um die Welt. Chicago: K.M.B Publishing demography very much. House. 1924. Family names which appear on all three maps are: Huebert, Helmut T. Hierschau. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Buller, Derksen (Doerksen), Hiebert (Hebert), Pankratz, and Hillsboro, Kansas: Springfield Publishing, Richert (with variations in spelling), as also in Ratzlaff, Kindred Press: 1986. Toews, and Warkentin(e). Isaac, Franz. Die Molotschnaer Mennoniten. Halbstadt, Names unique to Zielke's map of 1861: Taurien, Ukraine: H. J. Braun, 1908. Andres, Berhman (Bergman?), Byers (Weier?), Ediger, Loewen, Solomon L. History and Genealogy of the Fast, Koagat, Nikkel, Loewen, Sperling, Strauss, Zielke. Jacob Loewen Family. By the author, 1983. Names unique to the 1916 map: Lohrenz, Gerhard. Heritage Remembered: A Pictorial Feitz, Jantzen, Lohrenz, Ludwig Miller, Penner, Rackos, Survey ofMennonites in Prussia and Russia. Rev. Siemens. and enlarged ed. Translation of Damit es nicht ver- Names unique to the 1925 map: gessen wird. Winnipeg, Manitoba: CMBC Schmidt, Walde. Publications, 1977. The two later maps both show two churches, two steam Mennonite Encyclopedia, vol. 3. Hillsboro, Kansas: flour mills, two factories, two stores (Consum, a Mennonite Brethren Publishing House, 1955-1990. cooperative), a post office, a hospital (apothecary), and a Nickels, Darrel A. Map and letter to Jo Ann Kuhr, blacksmith. The 1916 map also shows a bakery and a genealogical researcher with the American doctor's office. Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Lincoln, Nebraska.

AHSGR Journal /Summer 1992 12 WALDHEIM

/ / Gnadenfeld - - - ' Johann Thiessen Tobias Voth Johann Siemens Isaac Goertzen Johann Doerksen Helnrich Goossen

Isaac Neufeld Jr. . Jacob Hiebert Steam Mill Neufeld '»/ (U Jacob Hiebert Machine ^ Q Heinrich Hiebert ^ Jacob Doerksen CD .... C/) Factory • Richert ^ Gerhard eder (0 Helnricb Stelngart JDhann Richert 5 Schro Cornelius 4-' Jacob Goertzen lacob Huebert Wafkentin's| U I Doctor's Office Andres Buller Heinrich Fletz CO Diedrich Ma lens Tobias Ewert Peter Ludwig LL School | Jacob Rich art Johann Unger • Mill r's Penner Mennonite tnitc lohann Doerksen Hiebert C h | David Koehn Claas Rich rt Abram Enns Tobias Unmh Ratzlaff Gerhari] Un uti Johann Pafiltiati Koehn lohann Friesen Machine Cornelius rtens Helnrlcn Toews Factory Ma Benlamin hsen lohann (lichen Doe Johann Sto be Franz Regehr Jr.

Benjamin 0 rks Jacob Ewert Franz Sr. Frfedrich Ewert Regeh "-- H— Cowti and "/ \ 1 '/ \ ^ / WALDHEIM — erd Workers /'' 1 in 1916 Factor / / / / / / / J) By William Schroeder y S] WKH/84 / \ <5( i \ \ ^ \ \ ^\ \ \

^^ ~~————l \< -ci Helnricf! Votli \tA\ I 'A '< \ loham 1 ^ ^ Rahn 'in ''\ ^ K Steam

AHSGR Journal /Summer 1992 .1 Begim-Chokrak River to Gnadenfeld

Johann Thiessen Isaac Goertzen

John Dirks Heinrich Gosse Peter Koehn

Jacob Hiebert JI. I. Neufeld Neuf 1 1 Jacob Hiebert 1' eld's Heinrich Hiebert Jacob Neufeld Jacob Doerksen , Factory Heinrich Marten Isaac J. Neufeld POST OFFICE Blacksmith Heinrich Voth Abram Voth ' Heinrich Neufeld M. B. Church David Goertzen Johann Doerksen CROSS< y STREET fe I Elementary —— 60 H Teachecage CONSUM ^ h- Sh l^* Johann Doerksen ^ David Driediger Julius Friesen W Cemetery 0 W No.l Weier a Heinrich Steingart Johann Richert ^ i 0 Andres Butler Jacob Huebert Nacfatigal t? Dietrich Martens Tobias Ewert Cornelius Warkentin S e s Jacob Martens Johann linger Apothecary B i Merm. Church |H Johann Doerksen TENEMENT

Isaac Richert Abram Enns HOUSES Gerhard Unruh Johann Pankratz —————i Cemetery No. 2 Friesen ComeliusMartens Heinrich Toews ID. Koehn's Factory P. Steingarl Johann Richert Walde Franz Regehr Benjamin Dirks Jacob Ewert Schmidt Franz Regehr Sr Goertzen John Pauls P Pankratz

Waldheim ^r (Vladovka) 1925 Family names and locations submitted by Cornelius G. Unruh and Rev. Willaim Neufeld, Winnipeg, MB. Solomon L. Loewen (cart.) 1991

AHSGR Journal /Summer 1992 14

THE TIPSY DUCKS

Alexander Dupper Before the dictatorships of Lenin and Stalin, there were also for their delicious meat in a Sunday roast, but also because better and happier times for the German Russians. their fine, soft feathers were perfect for stuffing pillows and The farmers of Neu-Berlin (New Berlin) in the southern featherbeds. region of the Ukraine planted mostly grain in their On the afternoon of the second day of the grape harvest, fields, but each farmer also had a vineyard. The grapes and she noticed that something seemed not quite right with her the wine were intended mostly for their own enjoyment, ducks. They were soiled, with blood-red splotches on their and each farmer proudly boasted of having the best wine in white breasts, and staggered around the courtyard, lurching the village. They all liked to drink a glass of good wine from one side to the other. They had great difficulty with a good meal. The grape harvest was good most of the standing on their feet, and even turned somersaults. time, and the surplus wine was sold to Russians and Throughout this performance they were quacking loudly in in the neighboring villages. Cash was always a wild confusion. welcome commodity on a farm. Quite worried, Grandmother went to Grandfather and The grape harvest was hard work, but also merry and told him of her observation and her fear that the ducks were joyous. The harvest began in the second half of September, ill. Grandfather looked at the ducks for a while, but couldn't after the grain threshing, and my grandfather Matthias kept come up with a logical explanation either. That's when busy with his farm hands and laborers. Sidor came by with a basket full of grape skins and seeds. In the vineyard the grape clusters were cut, collected in Grandfather asked him if he had noticed the ducks' strange buckets, and poured into vats made of barrel halves set on a behavior. Sidor only laughed. '"Khozian (landlord)," he wagon. The grapes were immediately driven to the said, "the ducks are not sick, they are just dead drunk!'1 He farmstead, where they were quickly put first into the grape led Grandfather and Grandmother to the dung heap, where mill and from there into the wine press. Sidor, the foreman, there was lively activity. The ducks were eagerly devouring and one other man tried with all their strength to squeeze the grape seeds and skins, soiling their white feathers from out every last drop of juice. Maids carried the sweet grape head to webbed feet. They quacked and ate in a wild frenzy must, the juice and any grape pulp squeezed out along with until they gobbled their fill and fell down and off the dung it, in pails to the cellar, where it was poured for heap. fermentation into barrels freshly fumigated with sulphur. Here then was the solution to the mystery. The sweet The residue of grape skins and seeds from the press was must remaining in the grape residue had partly fermented, thrown onto the manure heap, to be used later as either fuel and was now strong enough to get the ducks intoxicated. or fertilizer. Everyone knew their job and set vigorously to Grandfather laughed with Sidor, but Grandmother could work. A sip of sweet grape juice now and then ensured the only shake her head. She never would have thought that her joyful mood. pretty ducks could have gotten themselves so tipsy. My grandmother always kept a flock of ducks in the Grandfather then had a wheelbarrow of earth brought and farmyard, besides her many chickens. Her ducks were the placed over the dung heap to cover it up and keep the ducks beautiful white variety, which she preferred not only away. Next morning, after the ducks had slept off their drunken Alexander Dupper, a charter member of AHSGR, was stupor, they waddled down to the duck pond, splashed born in Neu-Berlin and grew up in Odessa, South around a bit, and emerged with snowy-white breasts again. Russia (now Ukraine). He immigrated to the United They were mighty hungry and voraciously devoured their States in 1952 and lives in Lodi, California. He has food right out of Grandmother's hands—no hangover! served the society as a member of the Board of Grandmother again shook her head in disbelief. Directors and the International Foundation Board of Quack! Quack! Trustees, and is a frequent contributor to the Journal.

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 IN THE LAND OF INYAN WOSLATA: PLAINS INDIAN INFLUENCES ON RESERVATION WHITES

Timothy J. Kloberdanz If one climbs the high grassy hill that overlooks the town of mixed with little regard to ethnic differences. Hand-lettered Fort Yates on the Standing Rock Reservation in south- wooden crosses mark the final resting places of both. central North Dakota, the scene that gradually unfolds is an Tombstones and blacksmith-made iron crosses stand above engaging one. Fort Yates is bordered on practically all sides the graves of Euro-Americans and Native Americans. by the expansive waters of Lake Oahe. Except for the fact Within the confines of St. Peter's cemetery lie the remains that the community resembles a veritable island, it looks of Sioux Indians who were a direct link to the pre- much like other Great Plains towns, with an assortment of reservation past of their people and, also, the remains of generously spaced old and new structures. From the top of German-speaking immigrants whose cradles once rocked the hill to the north, one can see for miles across the lake thousands of miles away on the steppes of South and the Missouri River to the rolling prairie lands that Russia. The surnames on some of the grave markers reflect stretch beyond to the east. the backgrounds of two different peoples who call the land Directly beneath the hill, a modern, tipi-shaped Catholic of lnyan Woslata (Standing Rock) their home: Brought church can be seen, as well as the church cemetery. The Plenty, Fireheart, Loans Arrow, Pretends Eagle; Jundt, sprawling graveyard is itself something of a popular Schneider, Silbernagel, and Volk. attraction since it contains a large granite shaft that honors This article deals with the experiences of German- the memory of five Sioux policemen who lie buried there. Russian families living in the North Dakota portion of the The Indian officers who rest beneath the monument were Standing Rock Reservation during the years 1909-1960. Of killed during the ill-fated arrest of Sitting Bull in December primary interest are the various ways in which the German of 1890. Russians were influenced by their Sioux Indian hosts. The Catholic cemetery at Fort Yates represents much Particular attention will be directed to the oral, customary, more than a historical site of local and national signifi- and material folkways of German Russians who resided on cance. St. Peter's cemetery is a sacred place where families the reservation and how these traditions differed from those and friends continue to mourn and remember their dead. of their kinsmen living in more homogeneous areas of Here, Indian and non-Indian graves are inter- ethnic settlement. The scholarly literature that relates to Euro-Americans Timothy J. Kloberdanz is associate professor and Chair of living on or near Indian reservations in the Northern Great the Department of Sociology-Anthropology at North Dakota Plains region is sparse in comparison to studies of the State University and a Board member of AHSGR. He has published many articles in the field of cultural anthropology Indian residents. When one considers the large number of and about Germans from Russia, and will present a non-Indians who have made their homes on reservations, slide/sound presentation on his 1991 visit to villages the paucity of relevant information is truly surprising. at the 1992 AHSGR Convention in Seattle, June 29-July 5. Studies of Indian-white interaction in the reservation setting This article originally appeared in Great Plains Quarterly 7 have the potential to illuminate our understanding of the (Spring I987): 69-82. © 1987 Center for Great Plains Studies. Used with permission. reservation experience in its broadest sense. In addition, researchers

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 16 IN THE LAND OF INYAN WOSLATA might be able to obtain a more complete picture of the well as of a significant number of Yanktonai Sioux. Living acculturation process, as it affected both reservation Indians conditions on the reservation during the 1890s were and reservation whites alike. Such research is of particular deplorable, according to reports filed by early Indian agents value when one remembers that certain Old World and travelers. The Standing Rock Sioux had been immigrants on the American prairies first became compelled to make a sudden and difficult transition, one acquainted with the ways of their new country while living that forced them from a nomadic, buffalo-hunting way of on Indian reservations. In a few cases, the second language life into a settled, government-run existence. At the same that the struggling immigrants learned was not English but time that the Sioux tried to withstand the physically an indigenous language such as Lakota. debilitating forces of disease and malnutrition, the Indians My data are drawn primarily from approximately thirty were weakened psychologically and emotionally by interviews that I conducted between 1982 and 1986. The missionization and other types of directed culture change. majority of my informants included German Russians who To add to their problems, new pieces of national once resided or still live in Sioux County, North Dakota legislation were enacted that served only to erode the (which encompasses the upper portion of the Standing already dwindling Plains Indian land base. The General Rock Reservation). For comparative insights, I also Allotment Act of 1887 adversely affected the Standing interviewed German Russians who live directly opposite Rock Sioux, particularly when huge amounts of "surplus" the reservation (in Emmons County, one of the oldest and reservation land were made available to white most densely populated German-Russian settlement areas homesteaders. Rather than set aside allotments of land for in North Dakota). Additional interviews were conducted future generations of the tribe, the government all too often with Native Americans, government workers, and designated choice parcels of reservation land for Euro- clergymen who were familiar with the history and ethnic American farmers. In 1909, the Great Sioux Reservation composition of Sioux County. Information Bureau in St. Paul, , circulated numerous posters and pamphlets that advertised the availability of three million acres of homestead land on the THE STANDING ROCK RESERVATION Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Reservations. Ironically, many of the promotional flyers bore a likeness In 1889, the U.S. Government drastically reduced the Great of Sitting Bull, the slain Hunkpapa Sioux leader who had Sioux Reservation of the American West into separate and been an outspoken critic of white encroachment (fig. 1). considerably smaller entities. As a result of this new By 1915, the Standing Rock Indian Reservation was administrative arrangement, the government took more teeming with land-hungry homesteaders. Additional Sioux than 11,000,000 acres of land that had been promised the acreage was purchased from individual Indians who had Sioux by treaty in 1868. The most northern of the new obtained fee patent allotments. In 1917, many Standing divisions created in 1889 was known as the Standing Rock Rock Sioux adults were made citizens of the United States Reservation. Situated primarily in northwestern South in special ceremonies held on the reservation. A few weeks Dakota and extending into south-central North Dakota, the after gaining citizenship, the Indians received tax new reservation included 2,462,000 acres of rolling prairie statements in the mail. Unable to pay, many of the new and butte country. Although most of the reservation land citizens lost their land holdings.3 was located in , the tribal center was the Euro-Americans continued to settle on the Standing military garrison of Fort Yates, North Dakota. Not until Rock Reservation during the 1920s. This trend was not 1903 did the U.S. Army withdraw its troops from the reversed until the Depression years, when many non- reservation. The community of Port Yates, however, Indians on the reservation migrated west. During the 1940s continued to serve as the reservation's administrative 2 and 1950s, as the remaining white landowners on the headquarters. reservation slowly recouped their losses, Indian trust land When it was officially created in 1889, Standing Rock again became attractive to buyers. Also, 56,000 acres of became the home reservation of the Hunkpapa and rich bottom land along Sihasapa (Blackfeet) bands of Teton Sioux, as

AHSGR Journal / Summer 1992 IN THE LAND OF INYANWOSLATA 17 the Missouri River were lost to the Standing Rock Sioux when the Oahe Dam was completed in 1962. According to one researcher, the dam "caused more damage to Indian land than any other public works project in America. The Standing Rock Sioux suffered the worst effects of the Pick- Sloan Plan while receiving few of its supposed benefits. In recent years, attempts have been made by the Standing Rock Tribe gradually to restore its greatly diminished land base. A few small gains have been made but the challenges ahead are enormous. Today, out of a tract of nearly 2,500,000 acres, less than 34 percent of the Standing Rock Reservation is Indian owned.5

THE GERMAN RUSSIANS

The largest non-Indian group on the North Dakota portion of the Standing Rock Reservation (Sioux County) is comprised of German-Russians. The numbers of German- Russian people on the reservation (past and present) are difficult to ascertain because census takers failed to differentiate German Russians from other respondents who also claimed German ancestry. In addition, German Russians have been known to be quite flexible in emphasizing either their Germanic or Slavic ties during periods of international turmoil (for example, the two world wars with Germany and the cold war with Russia). The available population figures for Sioux County over the past seventy years show that non-Indians often formed a Fig. 1. In 1909, the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River sizable group. In 1920, Euro-Americans made up more than Indian Reservations were opened to white homesteaders. 60 percent of Sioux County residents, and in 1930 they Courtesy State Historical Society of North Dakota. accounted for 70 percent. In 1940, the percentage fell to 61 and since that time it has steadily declined. By 1980, non- Indians comprised only 35 percent of Sioux County's population. One of the largest foreign-bom groups in Sioux German-Russian background. Other non-Indian ethnic County has included individuals born in Russia. In 1930, groups represented in the county included smaller numbers Russian-born inhabitants in Sioux County numbered nearly of Anglo-Americans, German-Americans, and Norwegians. 300 persons. Since there are no identifiable Russian or The German Russians who settled in Sioux County Ukrainian enclaves in Sioux County, the vast majority of during the early 1900s are more specifically known as the those born in the U.S.S.R. undoubtedly were German- Schwarzmeerdeutsche or . Their speaking immigrants from Russia. In a 1965 survey of rural ancestors had established agrarian colonies in South Russia households in North Dakota, sociologist William C. following the issuance of a special manifesto by Tsar Sherman found that most of the non-Indian households in Alexander I in February of 1804. The manifesto, according Sioux County were of to one German-Russian informant in Sioux County, was "just like the early treaties our government made with the Indians ... it promised land and certain rights to be enjoyed for all time." Among the privileges granted the German colonists were self-government, religious freedom, and ex- emption from military . Yet on the Russian steppes—as on the American plains—eternal promises

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 18 IN THE LAND OF INYAN WOSLATA were broken. In June of 1871, Tsar Alexander II revoked The German Russians who made their homes in Sioux the rights and privileges granted the German-Russian County were not members of a truly homogeneous ethnic colonists. A stream of immigration to the New World group in terms of a shared identity, dialect, and folkways. immediately began that ebbed and flowed until the First The German-Russian settlers on the Standing Rock World War,7 Reservation included individuals who traced their ancestry Not all of the German immigrants who left Russia came to one of three regional groups: (1) Beresaner to America in feverish pursuit of Freiheit (freedom). The ("Parasaner"), Black Sea Germans who had lived in the folk history of many modern-day German Russians would Beresan Valley of South Russia and originally immigrated have us believe they came to the New World to obtain the to Morton County, North Dakota, due north of the cherished liberties that had been denied them in Russia. In reservation; (2) Kutschurganer ("Alt Kolonista" or actuality, most German Russians—and particularly those "Ka'nischta"), Black Sea Germans who once lived in the from the Black Sea region—came in search of land.8 Kutschurgan district of South Russia and initially took up The first German Russians who settled in what is now homesteads in Emmons County, directly across the North Dakota were Black Sea German immigrants who Missouri River from the reservation; and (3) Bessaraber, took up homesteads in 1884. German-Russian land ("Grassna" or "Lichiga"), Black Sea Germans who had acquisition and expansion continued in the state until their lived in Krasna, Bessarabia, and settled first in Emmons settlements dotted a huge portion of North Dakota that is and Grant Counties, North Dakota.10 still referred to as the "German-Russian Triangle." This While the German Russians of Sioux County were area extends 300 miles from the southeastern North Dakota divided by old country regional loyalties and dialect town of Oakes west to the Badlands. The apex of the differences, they were united by the important fact that the triangle is the north-central town of Bottineau, North overwhelming majority of the settlers were Roman Dakota, located only a dozen miles from the Canadian Catholic. In the early years of settlement on the reservation, border.9 the three groups tended to retain their distinct regional differences, but these gradually became less salient as a result of common religious beliefs, increased social contact, GERMAN-RUSSIAN SETTLEMENT IN and intermarriage. Indeed, the German Russians of Sioux SIOUX COUNTY County became something of a group apart and were jokingly referred to by other German Russians as die During the early 1900s, when Indian land in Sioux County deitscfw Indianer (the German Indians)! The largest became available to homesteaders and buyers, sizable German-Russian group to settle on the reservation were the pockets of German-Russian settlers were living on all sides Kutschurganer, many of whom simply loaded up their of the reservation's upper boundaries. Nonetheless, the belongings and drove their wagons across the frozen waters earliest Euro-American settlers on the reservation included of the Missouri River. During the spring and summer, a mostly Anglo-American and Norwegian families who ferry was utilized by the settlers. These land seekers moved claimed much of the so-called surplus land on the western onto the reservation from their home base in the southern end of North Dakota's Standing Rock Reservation. The half of Emmons County, a German-Russian Catholic German Russians who settled in Sioux County between settlement area that was one of the oldest in North Dakota. 1909 and 1930 usually bought or leased land in the eastern The German-Russian communities in Emmons County half of the reservation. This portion of the reservation was were known because of their homogeneous character and populated primarily by tribal members, most of whom lived strong reliance on the to be exceptionally in homes bordering the Missouri River. Indeed, the two conservative. major Indian communities on the reservation (Fort Yates The hunger for land was so strong among some German and Cannon Ball) were located adjacent to the Missouri, Russians that in order to obtain it they were willing to make while the predominantly non-Indian settlements on the their homes in a predominantly Plains Indian setting. This reservation (Selfridge and Solen) were established further is all the more surprising when one remembers that the inland (fig. 2). German Russians' perception

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 Fig. 2. Sioux County in south-central North EMMONS Dakota encompasses the upper portion of the Standing Rock

& Linton a' Reservation. Emmons 0 County, located on the east side of Missouri Strosburg 0 River, is one of the oldest '//.Siteof " German-Russian Winono Hague settlement areas in the o state.

0 5 10 • predominantly Indian o predominantly German-Russian of Indians was largely a negative one, shaped by two events accused of the crime but due to the tense climate of the that occurred in the latter nineteenth century: the so-called time, the defendants were unable to receive a fair trial. In Indian Scare of 1890 and the Spicer Tragedy of 1897. November 1897, three of the men were dragged from their The Indian Scare of 1890 was precipitated by a rumor jail cells and hanged by an angry mob of white citizens. among the German Russians and other settlers in Dakota The Spicer tragedy and the lynchings served as unfortunate Territory that Sitting Bull and a number of armed Sioux had symbols of strained Indian-white relations in south-central crossed the Missouri to attack white families. The rumor North Dakota for decades. reflected the anxiety of many settlers who were concerned Memories of the Indian Scare of 1890 and the Spicer about Sioux involvement in the Ghost Dance movement. incident were still fresh in the minds of many German On 20 November 1890, reports of the pending massacre Russians when settlers first moved onto the Standing Rock forced hundreds of German-Russian families to bundle up Reservation in the early 1900s. According to informants, their children, arm themselves with pitchforks and the farewell parties for early German Russians who moved hammers, and flee by wagon and on foot to Eureka and into the Sioux country from nearby settlements resembled other settlements. Although the rumor was unsubstantiated, the tearful affairs that characterized the great immigration German Russians kept memories of the incident alive in to Amerika itself. Even though the miles that separated the numerous family stories that persist to the present day." Sioux County German Russians from their kinsmen often In February 1897, six members of the Thomas Spicer were few, the decision to settle on an Indian reservation family were found murdered at their farmstead near the was not always supported by all family members. In some prairie town of Winona in Emmons County. Although the cases, German Russians immigrated to Sioux County Spicers were Anglo-American, many German Russians in directly from Russia, especially after other relatives had the surrounding area reacted to the incident as if the victims established themselves on or near the reservation. were their own. The site of the Spicer tragedy was located The German Russians' first encounter with the Indians directly opposite the Standing Rock Reservation head- on the Standing Rock Reservation was typically quarters of Fort Yates. Five young Indian men stood

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 20 IN THE LAND OF INYAN WOSLATA a memorable and a pleasant one. After having heard so sociocultural surroundings. The Black Sea Germans who many negative things about the Indians, the German put down roots on the Standing Rock Reservation were Russians were astonished to find that the Sioux were certainly no exception. gracious and generous hosts. Quite often, these initial The degree of Plains Indian influence on the German- encounters were the beginnings of warm and life-long Russian settlers in Sioux County is difficult to assess for relationships between the older Indians and the German- two reasons. First, the German Russians who made their Russian immigrants. Although neither group was likely to homes on the reservation were determined to retain their be able to converse in English upon first meeting, they ethnic identity just as they had in Russia and in the more nonetheless managed to communicate via gestures and homogeneous settlements of North Dakota. They were not a respectful lapses of silence. self-selected or romantically-inclined group who, The Indians who first looked upon the German Russians dissatisfied with their own heritage, readily sought to must have been puzzled by these latest land seekers. The embrace another culture. Even when Indian influences were German-Russian men wore long, fur-lined coats and high evident, many German Russians tended to brush them off Cossack-style boots while the women were seldom seen as superficial or unimportant. Second, the degree to which without their black head shawls and embroidered aprons. German Russians were influenced by their Sioux hosts To the Sioux, the German-Russian settlers clearly were varied enormously from individual to individual. Those different from most other wasicun (whites) in aspects other German Russians who settled in predominantly non-Indian than just their appearance. Many Sioux called the German- communities on the reservation (for example, Solen and speaking immigrants Eyasica (literally Bad Talkers), Selfridge) generally were less exposed to the surrounding perhaps in reference to their strange and harsh-sounding Sioux culture. Other German Russians, who lived or patterns of speech. Eventually, the Indians referred to the worked with Indian people daily, obviously were much Germans from Russia and their descendants as "Rooshuns." more influenced by Sioux ways. Thus, the acculturative extremes ranged from German Russians who spoke fluent Lakota (or Dakota) to others who were unusually SIOUX INFLUENCES ON THE GERMAN xenophobic and resisted social contact with tribal members. RUSSIANS Those German Russians who became intimately familiar with the Indians invariably served as cultural brokers. A number of writers have argued that the German Russians, These individuals, who underwent a secondary because of the privileged status and closed colony existence enculturation of sorts, served a key role in interpreting not they enjoyed in pre-Revolution Russia, were able to 13 only the Sioux language but various aspects of Sioux cultivate and preserve a pure German culture. It is indeed culture itself. remarkable how much Germanic language and folklore the Many German Russians who settled on the reservation German Russians held onto while living for generations as were largely unfamiliar with American norms and values. a minority group in Russia. Yet it is quite erroneous to Having come directly from either Russia or solidly assume that the German Russians were able to keep their German-Russian communities in North Dakota, the settlers culture free of outside influences. Indeed, the foodways, struggled to leam the strange ways of their adopted country. dialects, and material folk culture of the German Russians In Sioux County, early German Russians soon discovered reflect an ample share of Russian, Ukrainian, Moldavian, that the local government and few places of business were and Tatar influence. dominated by a small but powerful Anglo-American minor- In similar fashion, the German Russians who settled in ity. Like the older Indians, many German Russians had to the New World were influenced by the various settings in point to various food items upon entering a store and quite which they found themselves, ranging from the bush often both "Long Hairs" and "dumb Rooshuns" were the country of west-central to the subtropical targets of local jokes. Such an informal social hierarchy did pampas of Argentina. Everywhere they settled, the German much to strengthen the friendships that existed between Russians borrowed freely in an attempt to better adapt to early German Russians and Sioux Indians. their physical and

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 IN THE LAND OF WTANWOSLATA 21 One institution that was of crucial importance in Benedictines conducted on the reservation are vividly continually bringing together German-Russian and Indian remembered by many Sioux County individuals who grew people on the reservation was the Catholic Church. For the up before the Second World War. One German Russian German Russians, the church simultaneously had reinforced recalled: both their ethnic and religious identity. In Russia, Roman Catholicism accentuated the religious differences that Oh, I'll never forget Fr. Bernard and the way he said separated Black Sea German Catholics from Protestant Mass. Of course it was all in Latin in those days. But German-speaking colonists, Orthodox Russian peasants, when it came time for the sermon, he preached in English and Muslim . But in Sioux County, the Catholic and in German and in Sioux. We sat there for more than church proved to be a mutual meeting ground for different three hours until Mass got over! Oh, it was something. cultures. Due to the influence of the church, many Catholic And then there was always a lot of [hymn] singing in the German Russians and Sioux Indians worshipped together, Indian language. It was great. I always thought German celebrated important religious feast days, and mourned each singing was nice but Indian singing was even prettier. other's dead. Two of the most noteworthy figures in the early While many Sioux Indians who attended Catholic Catholic history of the Standing Rock Reservation were services in the early 1900s were still undergoing active Fathers Bernard Strassmaier (1861-1940) and Francis missionization, German Russians were scarcely immune to Gerschwyler (1859-1946) (fig.3).14 Both priests were clerical criticism regarding their failure fully to embrace European-bom, Benedictine missionaries who were fluent official religion. Indeed, German-Russian Catholics in not only in German but in the Sioux language. According to North Dakota were sometimes subject to such extreme a few grizzled Sioux County settlers, the priests were measures as and even interdict. In 1909, instrumental in encouraging many Catholic German- when a priest's home was riddled with bullets and another Russian families to settle on the reservation. The religious Catholic clergyman, north of the Standing Rock services that the two Reservation, was left without fuel by his "devoted"

Fig. 3. Father Bernard Strassmaier (middle row, left) poses with a group of Sioux and German-Russian parishioners at Fort Yates, North Dakota, circa 1930. Courtesy Frank Fiske Collection and State Historical Society of North Dakota.

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 22 INTHELANDOF1WAN'WOSLATA German-Russian parishioners, the Irish-American bishop in long). Friendships among Indians and whites cemented ties Fargo angrily responded in a public statement. The prelate not only between individuals but between peoples, as denounced the belligerent German Russian of the western attested to by the saying 'Wenn ein Indianer dein' Freind prairies as an "ignorant hoodlum" with "strange, barbaric is', dann sin'alle Indianer deine Freinde" (When one Indian notions" whose "voice in Russia was as low as the is your friend, all Indians are your friends). angleworm's whistle to its mate, who in the presence of his The material folk culture of the Sioux County German 250-pound wife is humbler than Uriah Heep, and ... [who] Russians also was influenced by their Indian neighbors. is a despicable cur, so vile that all the dictionaries of all the Log buildings were erected by some Black Sea German languages spoken in North Dakota have no words to families who constructed them in the style of the low- describe him."15 Needless to say, the hotly worded roofed dwellings inhabited by so many Sioux residents. statement did little to assure the bishop an equally warm The structures usually were built of peeled logs hauled place in the hearts of Catholic German Russians on the from me river bottoms which were later chinked with a northern plains. native clay and straw mixture. While not always used as the Due to the tricultural nature of the Catholic church in family's central living quarters, log buildings were utilized early day Sioux County, many German Russians became for many purposes by the settlers. Log construction was familiar with basic prayers and hymns in Lakota as well as entirely new to the Black Sea Germans, a people who in German and English. The settlers took such linguistic traditionally erected Batse (sun-dried clay brick) structures diversity for granted since it was reflected in so many other both in Russia and on the American prairies.17 aspects of daily life on the reservation. Even among those German-Russian foodways on the Standing Rock German Russians who were unable to converse in the Sioux Reservation incorporated a number of Sioux practices. language, the use of certain Indian expressions and terms Instead of stashing squash and pumpkins in their granaries became relatively common. Lakota and Dakota loan words for winter use, some German Russians dried these garden that were picked up by German-Russians on the Standing products much as they had watched Plains Indian women Rock Reservation included: waste (good); Sica (bad); kola do. Corn was preserved in a similar manner. According to a (friend); mniskuya (salt); yofwwmiwgapi (pepper); mazaska few "old timers" in Sioux County, it was not uncommon to (money); witko (foolish); canteskuya (sweetheart); see wastunkala (ears of corn) hanging out to dry in front of canli'iyopenmi (cigarette); mazopiye (store); winakanye German-Russian homes. Many wild food stuffs were (threshing machine); ieska (an individual of mixed blood), harvested by the settlers, including various plants and and many others. Sioux nicknames occasionally were tubers that generally were unappreciated by non-Indians. given individual German Russians, and the recipients took German Russians learned how to dig and prepare tinpsila special pride in their new appellations, no matter how (wild turnips) and these proved of particular value during unflattering they might be. ("You didn't get an Indian name the lean years. To their astonishment, the German Russians unless you were liked," one informant observed.) A and the Sioux discovered that besides their mutual fondness German Russian who built a cellar, for example, was seen for massive amounts of black coffee, they shared two digging in his yard and thereafter was known as "Pispiza" ethnic dishes that were strikingly similar in taste and (Prairie Dog). A Black Sea German woman on me appearance: Indian "fry bread" and Kiechla, as well as reservation who was of slender build was called "Capunka" wojapi and Mus (stewed fruit). (Mosquito). And a German-Russian craftsman who A few native plants were used by German Russians on fashioned wrought-iron cemetery crosses and other metal the reservation to treat health disorders. Whether or not items was known as “Mazakaga" (Makes Iron or these were originally introduced by the Sioux to the early Blacksmith). settlers remains uncertain. Most German Russians, Just as the German Russians added Sioux words to their particularly those of the immigrant generation, preferred to trilingual vocabulary, they also coined German language doctor themselves rather than to seek professional help. expressions and proverbs that dealt with Indian-white Yet, since they came from the steppes of South Russia, the relations on the reservation. Of the older Indians who had settlers lacked the knowledge of native plant life that the befriended them, the German-Russian immigrants often Indians so richly possessed. Some German- said “Die Indianer sin' so erlich wie der Dag lang is'" (The Indians are as true as the day is

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 IN THE LAND OF INYAN WOSLATA 23 Russian families on the reservation prepared teas made livestock and part-time ranching developed. As a result of from cedar and chokecherry bark to treat colds and this new adaptive strategy, German Russians became congestion, remedies that are not known among Germans familiar with many facets of the equestrian subculture. Both from Russia elsewhere. A few informants commented that Indians and German Russians competed in neighborhood many efficacious plants grew along the banks of the saddle bronc contests and community rodeos. During the Missouri (for example, certain varieties of "blackweed" and long winter months, it was not uncommon for Indians and wild mint) but that these were destroyed by the Oahe whites to gather periodically for informal get-togethers. Reservoir in the 1960s. No evidence was found that German Russians and Sioux Indians learned how to German Russians took advantage of Sioux supernatural perform the intricate routines of the square dance, and healing practices. One reason for this may be that most individuals from both groups sometimes served as callers. German Russians had access to their own secret body of German Russians taught the tribal members how to waltz occult folk medicine (an ancient form of healing by and polka, and the Indians reciprocated by teaching Black incantation called "Brauche").18 Midwifery was an Sea Germans the kahomni wacipi and mastinca wacipi important skill known to both groups and there were (Sioux social dances). German-Russian families frequently instances of German-Russian children delivered by Sioux went to local powwows on the Standing Rock Reservation midwives and vice versa. and in some instances they acted as more than interested The recreational habits of the German Russians who spectators. A few German Russians, particularly those lived on the Standing Rock Reservation were very different better acquainted with Sioux traditions, participated in from those of their ethnic kinsmen living in other areas of "giveaways" and honoring dances (fig. 4). the Great Plains. Many young German Russians learned German Russians and Sioux Indians also celebrated how to play tabkapsicapi (the Sioux version of shinny), important holidays and religious feast days together. At usually from their Indian playmates. Because the German times, the festivities included a diverse mixture of Indian, Russians who settled in Sioux County had to adapt to a old country, and Anglo-American elements. diversified farming economy, a dependence on

Fig. 4. Indians and non-Indians gather for a celebration dance outside the "Big Store" in Fort Yates, North Dakota, circa 1910. Courtesy Frank Fiske Collection and State Historical Society of North Dakota.

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 24 IN THE LAND OF INYAN WOSLATA Christmas, New Year's, and the Fourth of July were key The cultural gap between early German-Russian examples of celebrations that sometimes had tricultural immigrants and the Sioux Indians was bridged somewhat characteristics. Memorial Day was new to the German by the mutual sense of a tragic past the two groups Russians and the lavish way in which it was celebrated by possessed. Both peoples discovered that Russian the early Sioux undoubtedly influenced the folkways of the manifestoes and U.S. treaties were only as good as the governments that honored them. And both groups could watchful immigrants. Early German Russians were relate to war and suffering in intensely personal ways. "We impressed by the beautiful paper flowers, beadwork pieces, had our massacres, too," an embittered German-Russian and food offerings that were displayed on Sioux graves. patriarch explained to me in 1982, and he then proceeded to Thus, it is perhaps not surprising that in the opinion of recite lines from a long poem by Black Sea German poet visiting Black Sea Germans, their relatives in Sioux County Georg Rath. The piece dealt with a 1919 incident in Selz, "went way out" in colorfully decorating family grave sites Russia (the ancestral colony of several Sioux County Ger- on Memorial Day. man-Russian families), in which eighty-seven unarmed The influence that the Standing Rock Sioux exerted on Black Sea Germans and their parish priest were machine- the value system and ideational[*] culture of the German gunned by the Bolsheviks and then thrown into a mass Russians is especially difficult to determine. Yet several grave. German-Russian informants felt the ways of their Among those German Russians who learned the Lakota language, tribal legends often were heard and appreciated immigrant parents and grandparents were influenced by the in the original vernacular. These narratives ranged from Sioux, especially in regard to generosity. "If you were a accounts about Indian-white conflicts during the late 1800s friend, an Indian would never hesitate to give the shirt off to stories that were tied to important landmarks. One his back to you," one observer commented. Countless Lakota-speaking German Russian, in commenting on the stories are told of Sioux acts of kindness towards local sacred rock formation at Fort Yates that gave the German Russians, especially during the devastating reservation its name, explained: Depression years. German Russians living in neighboring Emmons County were puzzled by their kinsmen on the The old Indians, they said that a long time ago there was reservation who, while often much poorer, were always this woman who wasn't getting along with her husband. willing to share the meager resources they had. Among When the Indians moved camp, she refused to go with them. She just stayed sitting there. The Indians went on Sioux County German Russians, the word geizig (stingy) but they came back for her a little later. The woman had ranked at the top of undesirable personal traits. turned to stone . . . completely to stone. Yah, that's what In their social relations with the Indians, the German the old Indians said. They Russians noted that Sioux acquaintances "did not spend a lot of their time talking about other people." German claimed it was a fact. Russians also were surprised by the loving, respectful manner in which Sioux elders treated the very young. One Perhaps the story of lnyan Woslata was one the German German-Russian informant, who claimed that Indian child- Russians could easily relate to because it paralleled the rearing had influenced the way in which he dealt with his biblical episode about Lot's disobedient wife. Or maybe the own offspring, said: story reminded the Sioux County German Russians that— like the Indian woman who became the Standing Rock— The whites was in their glory when they could beat one of they also had severed ties with their people and were their kids up! At least my old man was. And [the German forever changed. Russians were awful bad] when it came to beating up The outstanding difference, however, that always stood between the German-Russian immigrants and the early their children. . . . You never saw the Indians spank their Sioux was in their attitude toward land. To the Germans kids. They talked real nice to *em, real polite. And their from Russia, the European steppes and the American kids grew up that way. prairies were of little use unless they were periodically turned upside down and carpeted *ideation: the process of entertaining and relating ideas, — Ed.

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992

Fig. 5. Sioux Catholics pose in front of the Inyan Woslata (Standing Rock) monument. Fort Yates, North Dakota, 1933. Courtesy Frank Fiske Collection and State Historical Society of North Dakota. with wheat. No matter how many times Standing Rock Sioux individuals tried to inculcate in the German Russians tion decline. By the early 1950s, Fathers Bernard and some understanding of the sanctity of land, such efforts Francis were gone, as were many of the original German- were inevitably futile. During the Dust Bowl era, as Russian settlers and the older Indians who had befriended determined German-Russian families struggled to hold them. Instead of looking to their Sioux neighbors for onto their prairie farmsteads, a realization of the fragile guidance, most German Russians in the land of Inyan land/human relationship did emerge, but it came too late. Woslata drew increasingly inward, deriving moral and The black winds of the 1930s claimed whole families and emotional support primarily from one another. dreams as well as precious topsoil. Nevertheless, in 1961, a white resident of a primarily German-Russian town on the reservation would write of its history: "The Sioux have exerted a strong influence on CONCLUSION many facets of living in our community. It will continue to be so, for each race has much to teach the other. 21 For those German Russians who remained in Sioux County The German-Russians who settled on the Standing Rock following the harsh Depression years, there were Reservation during the early 1900s provide an illustrative innumerable changes. German Russians and other whites example of Indian-white interaction within one narrowly on the reservation faced a steady popula defined area. Yet the influence of Plains Indian culture on reservation whites and other

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 26 IN THE LAND OF INYAN WOSLATA Euro-Amencans is a subject that sorely requires more 227-228. Also, see Lawson's Dammed Indians: The investigation and in-depth, systematic research. Con- Pick-Sloan Plan and the Missouri River Sioux, 1944- temporary scholars might do well to remember the words 1980 (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1982). of Blue Thunder, a Sioux spokesman, who told a 5. "Standing Rock Sioux: Trying to Build a New Way of Life on missionary on the Standing Rock Reservation in 1918: [the] Reservation," Bismarck Tribune, 23 October 1981, p. 7. 6. William C. Sherman, Prairie Mosaic: An Ethnic Atlas of Rural The white people have become a great people in this North Dakota (Fargo: North Dakota Institute for Regional island and in all the world because they were wise Studies, 1983), pp. 9-22. enough not to throw away the native plants and foods that 7. George Rath, The Black Sea Germans in the Dakotas were made by Holy Mother Earth especially for this (Freeman, S.D.: Pine Hill Press, 1977), pp. 52-57. island.... The white people have built this great nation on 8. Joseph S. Height, Paradise on the Steppe (Bismarck: good ground prepared by Indians before the white people North Dakota Historical Society of Germans from Russia, came, and this nation cannot be considered separate from 1972), p. 245, Also see Adolph Schock, In Quest of Free the old Indian customs. Land (San Jose, Calif.: San Jose State College, 1965). 9. Richard Sallet, Russian-German Settlements in the United NOTES States, trans. by LaVern J. Rippley and Armand Bauer (Fargo: North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies, 1974), The author gratefully acknowledges the cooperation of his pp. 26-28,36-40. informants, many of whom requested anonymity. Their insights 10. The background of the various German-speaking settlement and recollections proved of inestimable value. Mary Louise areas in Russia is discussed in detail by Adam Giesinger, Defender Wilson and Raymond J. DeMallie deserve special From Catherine to Khrushchev: The Story of Russia's thanks for their help in clarifying certain Lakota/Dakota terms. Germans (Battleford, Saskatchewan: Marian Press, 1974), This essay is dedicated to the memory of "Mazakaga" (Louis pp. 112-121. Snider, 1901-1987). 11. See Walter Essig, "A German from Russia Concept of the 1. For noteworthy exceptions, see John W. Bennett, Northern Sioux Indian: The Indian Scare of 189Q," Heritage Review Plainsmen: Adaptive Strategy and Agrarian Life(Arlington 14 (May 1984): 4-11. Heights, lll.:AHM Pub. Co., 1969); Niels Winther Braroe, 12. See Ellen Woods and Euvagh Wenzel, eds., Emmons County Indian and White: Self-image and Interaction in a Canadian History (Linton, N.D.: Emmons County Historical Society, Plains Community (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1976), pp. 25-27. 1975); and David H. Stymeist, Ethnics and Indians: Social 13. See, for example, George P. Aberle, From the Steppes to the Relations in a Northwestern Town (Toronto: Peter Prairies (Bismarck, N.D.: Bismarck Tribune Company, Martin, 1975). 1963), p. 11. 2. Background sources on Fort Yates and the Standing Rock 14. The two priests are briefly discussed by Louis Pfaller, ed., in Reservation include Edward W. Milligan, Dakota Twilight: The Catholic Church in Western North Dakota (Mandan, The Standing Rock Sioux, 1874-1890 (Hicksville, N.Y.: N.D.: Crescent Printing, 1960), pp. 25-27, Exposition Press, 1976); Darrell DeLong, "A History of Fort 15. Bishop James Shanley, Bulletin of the Diocese of Fargo 1 Yates," (Masters Thesis, University of North Dakota, 1956); (April 1909), p. 18. Also see Louis Pfaller, "Bishop Wehrle Emma Jean Blue Earth, et al., lyan Woslate Wo'oyake: A and the German Immigrants in North Dakota," North Dakota Standing Rock History (Fort Yates, N.D.: Standing Rock History 29 (Summer 1961), pp. 93-97. Sioux Tribe, 1977); and U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau 16. Generally, my spelling of Sioux terms conforms to Eugene of Indian Affairs, Fact Sheet on Standing Rock Reservation Buechel, S. J.,A Dictionary of the Teton Dakota Sioux (Aberdeen, S.D., 1970). Language: Lakota-English, English-Lakota, edited by Paul 3. See, for example, May E. Hinton, South of the Cannon-ball: A Manhart, S. J. (Pine Ridge, S.D.: Red Cloud Indian School, History of Sioux, the War Bonnet County (Grand Forks, N.D.: 1970). For a pronunciation guide to Lakota orthography and Washbum Printing, n.d.), p. 40. diacritics, as used by Buechel, see pp. 16-22. 4. Michael L. Lawson, "The Oahe Dam and the Standing Rock 17. See, for example, William C. Sherman, "Prairie Architecture Sioux," South Dakota History 6 (Spring 1976): of the Russian-German Settlers," in Sallet, Russian-German Settlements in the United States, pp. 185-195. 18. See Timothy J. Kloberdanz> "The Tradition of Brauche;

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 IN THE LAND OF INYAN WOSLATA 27 Facts versus Fallacies," Heritage Review 15 (September Tumbleweed Press, 1974), pp. 40-41. Also see Blue Earth, 1985): 3-5. lyan Woslate Wo'oyake, p. 78. 21. May Hinton, "Early Indian Residents," in Rose Kraft, et al., 19. Rath's 176-line poem is entitled "Der Tod der Selzer," and Selfridge, North Dakota, 1911-1961 (Selfridge, N.D., 1961), appears in his Klaenge der Seele [Tones of the Soul] (Omaha, p. 20. Neb.: Tribune Publishing, 1960), pp. 99-103. An English 22. Blue Thunder's speech was recorded by Rev. Aaron McGaffey translation of the poem is provided in Joseph S. Height's Beede, "The Dakota-Victory Dance," North Dakota Memories of the Black Sea Germans (Chelsea, Mich.: Historical Quarterly 9 (April 1942), p. 169. Associated German-Russian Sponsors, 1979), pp. 236-240. 20. For a Standing Rock Sioux version of this well-known folk narrative, see Marie L. McLaughlin, Myths and Legends of the Sioux (1916; rpt. Bismarck, N.D.:

Five Plants is Five Plants

Klara Louise Berger was the oldest of the nine children of Johannes and Maria Thauberger, Born in 1911 in Klosterdorf, a German-Catholic village on the Dnieper River in the Black Sea region, Klara lived through the years of terror and war in Russia, trekked to Germany in 1944, evaded the Soviet roundup of refugees conducted in the western zones after the war, and emigrated to Canada in 1953. The following excerpts are taken from a chronicle of Klara's life written by her granddaughter, Angela Cachay: The Life Chronicle of Klara Louise Berger, (manuscript: 1992), pp. 4, 7-8. [When she was a young girl in Klosterdorf,] Klara had When Klara first got to Germany, an incident revealed the privilege as the oldest child to accompany her father the vast difference between what she had previously had when he went to town to buy and sell. They rode to and what life would be like for her now. "The neighbor Berislav, fifteen kilometers from Klosterdorf, to visit the ladies said that today they were going to buy tomato Jahrmarkt (bazaar) to sell cows, chickens, eggs, and plants at the greenhouse. I was fresh in that land; I didn't butter. know where that was, or how they sold plants, or what Jewish women knew and recognized the German was going on. The neighbors asked, 'How many plants wagons as they came into town. They wanted to buy should we bring you?' I had a nice little garden there, so from Germans, knowing the high quality of their I thought for a moment and said, ‘A hundred.’ 'A produce. On one of the first trips Klara made, some hundred!' they said, 'What are you going to do with a women offered her father a price for some goods. He hundred? Where are you going to plant them?' I said, 'I then made a counter offer. As both parties negotiated, don't know. I wasn't thinking right!' At home we had so they clapped their hands when naming a price. The many young plants—hundreds and hundreds. We didn't women refused the counter offer and left. Thinking that count them. We just picked the best ones and threw the all was lost, Klara chided her father for not accepting the little ones away. Then the women looked at each other, price. He assured her that they would be back, and then and then at me, and said, 'You only get five plants.' I told her to wait with the wagon while he made some said, 'Five plants! Don't bring me any. Five plants is purchases. When he returned, the women came back and nothing!' They looked at me again and said, "My, how bought everything at his price. you have to change.' And I changed. And five plants is five plants."

AHSGR Journal /Summer 1992 28

Fig. 1. Krasna, Bessarabia. Date unknown. From collection of the author.

From Karl Stumpp map no. 1, Bessarabia, on the Black Sea.

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 KRASNA VILLAGE RESEARCH REPORT

Ted J. Decker As the Village Research Coordinator for Krasna, Work in Progress by Krasna Researchers Bessarabia, Russia, (with a minor emphasis on its daughter colonies of Emmental and Karamurat), I would like to • Printing of translation of baptism registers from 1814- submit this annual synopsis of the accomplishments of 1827 recently found in Leipzig, Germany. Krasna researchers. Prior to my becoming the village •Development of a comprehensive U.S./Canada passenger research coordinator, there had been no effort to draw arrival list. together any of the research being done on Krasna, so I •Translations of all articles, chapters, essays, and the like believe these efforts can be seen as true progress. pertaining to all matters of the history, genealogy, and One of the most difficult problems encountered has been religious life of Krasna and its daughter colonies, with to identify those individuals who have in the past or are the goal of gathering them all together into one currently doing research on Krasna. The second most notebook. difficult problem has been to demonstrate to those persons the importance of establishing a central • Establishment of a Krasna photo album. clearinghouse/depository of research efforts and results. •Compiling and printing records of baptisms, marriages, I have written to many Krasna researchers in Canada, and deaths of U.S. Krasna descendants as extracted from Germany, and the United States. From these com- religious and civil records in North and South Dakota. munications I have identified a core group of people who are doing research about Krasna. A few have begun sharing information. Like so many researchers, most are quite reticent whenever asked to share what their research has revealed. I have asked many researchers about their feelings SOURCES on establishing a Krasna Research Association. My attempts are focused on developing a core group to act as Church Histories advisors and/or directors. It takes time, however, to develop North Dakota commitments to such an endeavor. Raleigh: St. Gertrude (including St. Gabriel and St. Vincent), 1963 and 1988. Strasbourg: SS Peter and Paul (including Holy Trinity (Krassna), 1889-1989. Ted J. Becker has been the Krasna (Bessarabia) Village Co- ordinator for both AHSGR and the Germans from Russia Heritage Society for the past two years. He was a high school Latin teacher Family Histories for ten years prior to entering the insurance industry as a marketing Max Miller, 1988 agent. His all-consuming passion is to gather every bit of civil, Riehl Family History, 1986 religious, and genealogical information about Krasna. Ted's goal is Temes-Klein-Emineth Family History, 1990 to see a 'Krasna Section' in both societies' libraries and in the Ger- mans from Russia Heritage Collection at North Dakota State Bachmeier (various) University. Ternes, 1981 and others.

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 30 KRASNA VILLAGE RESEARCH REPORT

Fig. 2. Boy's School in Krasna, built in 1914. Photo from Leinz, Heimatbuch Ueber..., 1965, p. 14, date WPA Oral History Project unknown. 1918 Atlas of Grant County, North Dakota Family Group Sheets and Pedigrees In files at AHSGR, the German-Russian Heritage Church Records Society, and the Krasna Research Coordinator's Baptism, Marriage, and Death Registers for: File. Bessarabia Krasna: St. Joseph's, 1814-1837; baptism records County Histories only Prairie Pioneers of Grant County, 1976 Morton County Historical Society, 1976 North Dakota Flasher [North Dakota] Jubilee Book, 1973 Brisbane: Holy Infant, St. Hildegard Station, St. Carson and Sister Cities, 1910-1960 Vincent Along the Trail of Yesterday, A Story of McIntosh Cannonball: St. Elizabeth County [ND], 1941 New Leipzig: St. John the Baptist My Book of Many Things, Carrie Weinhandl Raleigh: St. Gertrude Shields: St. Gabriel, St. James Town Histories Strasbourg: Holy Trinity (Krassna), SS Peter and Selfridge Jubilee, 1911-1986 Paul South of the Cannonball South Dakota Civil Records Lemmon: St. Mary Obituary collection for 1888-1988 from: McIntosh: St. Bonaventure Campbell County, South Dakota Southwest Emmons County, North Dakota Newspapers 1900 Census for Emmons County, North Dakota North Dakota Marriage Registers, Land Records, and Probate Carson Press Records for: Emmons County Record Emmons County, ND Fort Yates Pioneer Arrow Grant County, ND Morton County, ND

AHSGR Journal /Summer 1992 KRASNA VILLAGE RESEARCH REPORT 31

Fig. 3. Boy's School building, Krasna, 1991. From collection of the author, courtesy of Raleigh Herald Annemarie Sohn Shields Enterprise Oberschilp. Selfridge Journal Researchers with Works in Progress towards South Dakota Publication McLaughlin Messenger Melchior Koch, Germany Prairie Pioneer (Pollock, SD) Alex Hain, Germany Rosemary Mack, Canada Archives Ted J. Becker, USA Germany Angela Bergquist, USA Landsmannschaft der Bessarabiendeutschen e. V., Leo Ternes, USA Stuttgart and others Deutsche Zentralstelle fuer Genealogie, Leipzig Books United States Foreign-language items which have been translated into English are marked with an asterisk *. North Dakota Heritage Center/State Archives, Bismarck Aberle, George P. From the Steppes to the Prairies: The Germans from Russia Collection, North Dakota State Story of the Germans Settling in Russia on the Volga and University Library, Fargo Ukraine; Also the Germans Settling in the Banat, and the National Archives, Washington, DC Bohemians in . Bismarck, N. Dakota: Bismarck Tribune, 1963. Organizations *Bessarabischer Heimatkalendar (Bessarabian homeland Landsmannschaft der Bessarabiendeutschen e. V., calendar). Hanover: Hilfskomitee der evangelisch- Stuttgart, Germany lutherischen Kirche aus Bessarabien e. V.; articles from American. Historical Society of Germans from the following annual editions: 1951, 1952, 1964, 1977, Russia, Lincoln, Nebraska 1982, 1983, 1987. Germans from Russia Historical Society, Bismarck, North Dakota

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 32 KRASNA VILLAGE RESEARCH REPORT *Erker, Joseph. Das Schicksal unserer Volksgruppe (The nach der Umsiedlung (Homeland reader of docu- fate of our people). Leutesdorf, Rhineland-Pfalz, Germ.: mentation, traditions, dialect and miscellaneous items, 25 Geschaeftsstelle der Landsmannschaft der years after the resettlement.) Andernach, Germany: Bessarabiendeutschen, 1980. Bessarabiendeutschen Landsmannschaft Rheinland-Pfalz Giesinger, Adam. From Catherine to Krushchev. Lincoln, e.V., 1965. Nebr.: American Historical Society of Germans from Malinowsky, J. A. Die deutschen katholischen Kolonien am Russia, 1981. Schwarzen Meere (The German catholic colonies on the Height, Joseph S. Paradise on the Steppe: A Cultural Black Sea). Schriften des Deutschen Ausland-Institutes History of the Kutschurgan, Beresan, andLiebental Stuttgart, Series C, Vol. 2. Stuttgart, Germ.: Ausland und Colonists, 1804-1972. Bismarck, N. Dakota: Germans Heimat Verlags-Aktengesellschaft, 1927. from Russia Heritage Society, 1973. Miller, Michael M. Researching the Germans from Russia: *————. Memories of the Black Sea Germans: High- Annotated Bibliography of the Germans from Russia lights of their History and Heritage. Chelsea, Mich.: Heritage Collection. Fargo, N. Dakota: Associated German-Russian Sponsors, 1979. North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies, 1987. *Hein, Alex. Festschrift 50 Jahre Umsiedlung der *Muller, Johannes Florian. Ostdeutsches Schicksal am Bessarabiendeutschen, 1940-1990 (Commemorative Schwarzen Meer (Eastern German fate on the Black edition on the 50th anniversary of the resettlement of the Sea). Donzdorf, Germany: by the author, 1981. Bessarabien Germans, 1940-1990). Leutesdorf, *—————. Festschrift zur Umsiedlung, vor 50 Jahren: Rhineland-Pfalz, Germ.: Geschaeftsstelle der 1940-1990 (Commemorative edition on the resettlement Landsmannschaft der Bessarabiendeutschen, 1990. 50 years ago: 1940-1990). Weissach im Tal, Germany: *—————. Festschrift Patronatsfest und Fahnenweihe Landsmannschaft der Bessarabiendeutschen e. V., 1990. 170 Jahre Krasna, 100 Jahre Emmental (Gala edition of Rath, George. The Black Sea Germans in the Dakotas. the patron saints' fest and flag blessing commemorating Freeman, S. Dakota: Pine Hill Press, 1977. the 170th anniversary of Krasna and the 100th Sallet, Richard. Russian-German Settlements in the United Anniversary of Emmental). Leutesdorf, Rhineland-Pfalz, States. Translated by Lavern J. Rippley and Armand Germ.: Geschaeftsstelle der Landsmannschaft der Bauer. Fargo, N. Dakota: North Dakota Institute for Bessarabiendeutschen, 1984. Regional Studies. 1974. Keller, Rev. Konrad. The German Colonies in South Russia. Stumpp, Karl. The Emigration From Germany to Russia in Vol. 1. 2nd ed. Translated by Anthony Becker. Lincoln, the Years 1763 to 1862. 2nd ed. Introduction translated Nebr.: American Historical Society of Germans from by Joseph S. Height. Lincoln, Nebr.: American Russia, 1968. Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1978. *Kern, Albert, ed. Heimatbuch der Bessarabiendeutschen "Villages in which our Forefathers Lived: Krassna." (Homeland book of me Bessarabian Germans). Hanover: Translated by Adam Giesinger from the Odessa- Hilfskomitee der evangelisch-lutherischen Kirche aus Kalendar 1912, pp. 126-127. Work Paper No. 23 of the Bessarabien e. V., 1967. American Historical Society of Germans from Russia *Leinz, Alois. Heimatbuch der Bessarabiendeutschen, 20 (Spring 1977): 29-36, p. 30. Jahre nach der Umsiedlung (Homeland book of the Germans from Bessarabia, 20 years after the *Wingenbach, Paul and Margarete. Reise nach Krasna in resettlement.) Leutesdorf, Rhineland-Pfalz, Germ.: Bessarabien von 23. bis 31. Mai 1991 (A Trip to Krasna Bessarabien Landsmannschaft Rheinland-Pfalz e. V., in Bessarabia, May 23-May 31, 1991). Munstermaifeld- 1960. Keldung, Germany, 1991. ————. Heimatbuch uber Dokumentationen, Sitten, Braueche, Mundart und Verschiedenes, 25 Jahre

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 VILLAGE RESEARCH PROJECT AND VILLAGE RESEARCH COORDINATORS

David Bagby

List by Allyn Brosz and AHSGR staff

Carol Harless is the new Coordinator of Village Researchers, having taken over from Allyn Brosz, who has served in the position for several years. Our thanks go to Allyn for his work and to Carol for taking on the project. If you want to work on village research or to ask for assistance, contact the village researcher listed below and offer your help. If your village is not listed, contact Mrs. Harless for information on becoming a Village Research Coordinator: Mrs. Carol Harless, 595 Camellia Way, Los Altos, CA 94024. The Village Research Project provides a means for gathering and recording information on the history and Courtesy counts! people of German-Russian ancestral villages. Village Research Coordinators are volunteers who often spend When writing to a Village Research Coordinator (or many hours researching and gathering information on a to anyone from the Surname Exchange or doing specific village. In some cases, several individuals work genealogical/historical research), remember: together to research various aspects of a village or to Courtesy counts! It is considered polite standard accomplish separate projects. practice to enclose a self-addressed, stamped Village Research Coordinators also share the results of envelope (SASE) and to offer to pay for any their work through individual contacts, newsletters, and photocopies and costs involved in answering your articles. Ted Becker, the research coordinator for Krasna, request—and your percentage of responses will rise Bessarabia, offers an overview of current research and of dramatically. useful sources and materials on Krasna elsewhere in this Foreign addresses: When you send SASE's to issue. The Spring 1992 Journal featured Dr. Richard persons living outside your country (Canada— McGregor's article and report on Rosenberg, . U.S.!), don't attach stamps—the post office in the Research coordinators are urged to share similar summaries foreign country will not accept your stamps for return of their work. mail. Instead, purchase one or more International Research coordinators are always looking for in- Postal Coupons from your post office and include formation, so don't just think of a coordinator as a resource them with your letter. The recipient can use the in researching a village—think of them as someone who coupon(s) to return your SASE. very much wants any information you have on your village! They want to know the surnames of people who lived there, the birth, marriage, and death dates of family members, where and when they settled in North America, and so forth. Do you have stories of the people and events in the village, or maps or photographs to share? You may provide the missing piece to a puzzle or open up a new area of inquiry.

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 34 VILLAGE RESEARCH COORDINATORS

VILLAGE RESEARCH COORDINATORS This list was compiled by Allyn Brosz, with additional in- villages which share the same name. Coordinates are given formation and names by AHSGR staff. Present-day village in degrees and minutes north of the equator and east of the names have been added where possible from the Gazetteer prime meridian in Greenwich, England (for example, 46 09 of Official Standard Names for the U.S.S.R., published by N 29 05 E). Longitude on older Russian maps was often the United States Board on Geographic Names, 1970. given in degrees and minutes east or west from Pulkovo Reference was also made to lists compiled by Dr. Karl (). Stumpp for Volga and Odessa region villages ("Present-day Names of Former German Volga Colonies," Work Paper Village information is listed as follows: No. 23 of the AHSGR (Spring 1977): 1-5; and "The New Russian Names of the German Colonies in the Regions of GERMAN NAME aka other German names (Russ: Odessa," Heritage Review No. 17 (April 1977): 28-30.) Former and current Russian name), province/region Neither of these articles nor this list should be regarded as Stumpp map no., map quadrant, latitude and longitude the final word on current village names, as information Village researchers and addresses from the former was so difficult to obtain. Some villages may also have reverted back to their original Abbreviations; names since the attempted coup of 1991. For example, aka also known as AHSGR has received letters with the return address of prov. province FRANK instead of MEDVEDITSA, the Russian name. Vg Volga region Latitude and longitude are taken from the Gazetteer. The coordinates may differ slightly from those of the Stumpp All Stumpp maps are available for purchase from AHSGR. maps, but will assist the reader in distinguishing among ALT-DANZIG, Nikolayev prov. BALZER aka Huettenteich (Russ: Goloi Karamysh, now Map 23, G-l Krasnoarmeysk), Saratov prov., Vg Mr. Curt Renz, 1218 Wheeler, Ames, IA 50010 Map 6, C-4, 51 02 N 45 42 E ALT-ELFT (Fere Champenoise I, now Sadovoye), Mrs. Hilde Schwabauer, 4921 Canterbury Lane, Lincoln, Bessarabia Map l, C-8, 46 01 N 29 17 E NE 68512 Mr. Ralph Ruff, 442 Deodara, Vacaville, CA 95688 BANGERT (Russ: still Zaumorye), prov., Vg Map 6, C-4, 51 I0 N 4555E ALT-POSTTAL (Russ: Maloyaroslavets II, now Maloyaroslavets Vtoroy), Bessarabia Map 1, C-8, 46 09 Mr. Jake Sinner, 3115 Kucera Drive, Lincoln, NE 68502 N 29 05 E BAUER (Russ: still Karamyshevka), Saratov prov,, Vg Mr. Allyn Brosz, 3416 Oliver St NW, Washington, DC Map 6, B-5, 50 55 N 45 23 E 20015-2554 Dr. Irma Eichhom, 1175 Ranchero Way #41, San Jose, Dr. Horst Fode, Muehlenstrasse 10, W-3512 CA 95117 Reinhardshagen 1, Germany BEIDECK, (Russ: Talovka, now Luganskoye), Saratov ANTON (Russ: Sebastyanovka, now Sadovoye), Saratov prov., Vg region prov., Vg Map 6, C-4, 51 02 N 45 51 E Map 6, C-4, 51 10 N 45 40 E Mrs. Betty Engel Muradian, 13063 S Academy, Mrs. Elizabeth (Sinner) Barker, Rt 2 Box 65 D-3, Kingsburg, CA 93631 Tecumseh, OK 74873 BADEN (Russ: now Ocheretovka), Odessa prov. BERGDORF, (Russ: still Kolosova, now Beregovoye), [Kuchurgan District] Odessa prov., [Glueckstal District] Map 2, B-7, 46 42 N 29 59 E Map 2, B-4, 47 20 N 29 34 E Ms. Diane Ladd, 249 El Cerrito Dr, Bakersfield, CA Mr. Robert Schuh, 2315 N 60, Seattle, WA 98103 93305 Mr. Leonard Volk, 3015 W Columbine Dr, Phoenix, AZ See also Glueckstal Colonies Research Association 85029

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 VILLAGE RESEARCH COORDINATORS 35 BORODINO, Bessarabia EMAUS/EMMAUS, (Abandoned 1918) Map 1, C-7,46 18 N 29 15 E Map 13, J-4 Mr. Phil Boltz, see Duchlonoff Mrs. Judy A. Remmick, 715 Glenside Circle, Lafayette, ENDERS (Russ. still Ust-Karaman), Samara prov., Vg CA 94549 Map 6, F-2, 51 40 N 46 33 E BRIENNE (now Chervono-Glinskoye), Bessarabia Mrs. Blanche Fritz, RR 1 Box 167, Gowrie, IA 50543 Map 1, C-9,45 58 N 29 26 E FRANK (Russ; Medveditskoi Krestovoi Buyerak, now Mr. Victor Knell, 502 29th Ave North, Fargo, ND 58102 Medveditsa or Frank), Saratov prov., Vg BRUNNENTAL (Russ: still Krivoyar), Samara prov., Vg Map 6, A-4, 51 05 N 44 49 E Map 6, D-5,50 52 N 46 30 E Mrs. Barbara Clausen, 141 Homestead Ave, Salinas, CA Mrs. Gerda S. Walker, 1840 S Utica St, Denver, CO 93901 (Frank Data Bank) 80219 Mrs. Martha K. Schafer, 4860 Gray St, Denver, CO 80212 (Genealogy) DENNEWITZ, (Russ: Pryamobalka), Bessarabia Mrs. Gerda S. Walker, 1840 S Utica, Denver, CO 80219 Map 1, C-9,45 53 N 29 18 E (History and Newsletter) Mrs. Carol Harless, 595 Camellia Way, Los Altos, CA Mrs. Dorothy Thomas, 5700 Mt Pleasant Rd, Lincoln, 94024 CA 95648 (Village Newsletter) DIETEL/DITTEL (Russ: Oleshna, now Aleshniki), FRANZOSEN, (Russ: Rossochi, now Pervomayskoye), Saratov prov., Vg Saratov prov., Vg Map 6, B-5,50 54 N 45 10 E Map 6, B-5, 50 48 N 45 29 E Col. Henry Ruff (Rtd.), 311 Tamworth Dr, San Antonio, TX 78213 Mr. Fleming Haas, PO Box 254, Ceres, CA 95307 Kevin L. Spreier, 45 Eagle Crest Dr #401, Lake Oswego, FRIEDENFELD (Russ: Beruchik, now Komsomolskoye), OR 97035 Samara prov., Vg DERMANKA (Russ: now Maryanduka), Zaslav District, Map 6, F-5, 50 46 N 47 03 E Volhynia Mr. Lee D. Foos, 2816 Stafford, Wichita, KS 67211 Map 3, B-5 FRIEDENSFELD (now Mirnopol’ye), Bessarabia Mrs. Ruth Freehling, 1223 Shorecrest Dr, Racine, WI Map 1, D-8,46 10 N 29 39 E 53402 Mr. Victor Knell, see Brienne DINKEL, aka Oberholstein (Russ: still Tarlykovka), FRIEDENSTAL (now Mirnopol'ye—same name as Samara prov., Vg Map 6,D-4, 51 02 N 46 06 E Friedensfeld), Bessarabia Mr. Leroy Nikolaisen, 6656 Lindenwood PI, St. Louis, M0 63109 Map 1, C-8, 46 03 N 29 24 E Mr. John Lundquist, 7193 Duck Court, Springfield, VA DOENHOF (Russ: Gololobovka, now Vysokoye), Saratov 22204 prov., Vg Mrs. Marjorie Stout, 1776 Lomitas Ave, Livermore, CA Map 6, B-4, 51 00 N 45 29 E 94550 Col. Henry Ruff (Rtd.), see Dietel/Dittel FREUDENTAL (Russ: Nikolayevskoye, now Mirnoye), DUCHLONOFF, North Caucasus Odessa prov. [Grossliebental District] Near Emaus, exact location being researched Map 2, C-8, 46 28 N 30 22 E Mr. Phil Boltz, 2825 W 3250 N, Plain City, UT 84404 Mr. Ralph Wiseman, 4132 West Myrtle, Phoenix, AZ EICHWALD, Planer/Grunau/ (Catholic) colonies 85051 Map 21, H-8 Mr. Ed Novecosky, Box 1418, Humboldt, SK SOK 2AO, GLUECKSTAL (Russ; Glinnaya, now Glinnoye), Odessa Canada prov. [Glueckstal District] ELSASS (Russ: still Shcherbanka), Odessa prov. Map 2, A-5, 47 12 N 29 22 E [Kuchurgan District] Margaret Freeman, 1015 22nd St, Santa Monica, CA 90402 Mrs. Marvin Hoffer, 105 Carroll Trl, Lewiston, Map 2, C-7, 46 42 N 30 HE MT 59457 Mr. Robert Schuh, see Baden See also Glueckstal Colonies Research Association

AHSGR Journal /Summer 1992 36 VILLAGE RESEARCH COORDINATORS GLUECKSTAL COLONIES RESEARCH ASSOCIA- KANDEL (Russ: now RybaTskoye), Odessa prov. TION [Kuchurgan District] Includes colonies of Bergdorf, , Glueckstal, Neu- Map 2, B-7, 46 39 N 29 58 E dorf, and daughter colonies. Mr. Robert Schuh, see Baden Margaret Freeman, 1015 22nd St, Santa Monica, CA 90402. The Glueckstal Colonies Research Association KARLSTAL aka Schellenberg Map 2, C-7 Newsletter is available. Mr. Dale L. Wahl, 7370 Grevena Ave NE, Bremerto GOETTLAND Planer/Grunau/Mariupol (catholic) WA 98310 colonies Map21, H-8 KASSEL (Russ: Grossulovo, now Veliko-komarovka), Mr. Ed Novecosky, see Eichwald Odessa prov. [Glueckstal District] Map 2, B-5,47 05 N 29 37 E Mrs. Carolyn Wheeler, 13065 Westport, Moorpark, CA GUELDENDORF (Russ: Kutosovo, now Krasnoseelka), 93021 Odessa prov. See also Glueckstal Colonies Research Association Map 2, D-7, 46 37 N 30 46 E Mr. Curt Renz, see Alt-Danzig KATHARINENSTADT aka Baronsk (Russ: now Marks), Samara prov., Vg HOFFNUNGSTAL (now Nadezhdovka), Bessarabia Map 6,E-2, 51 42 N 46 46 E Map 1, C-7, 46 19 N 29 21 E Mr. Curt Renz, see Alt-Danzig Mr. Vern Beilman, 625 Emerson, Wichita, KS 67212 Mr. Dale Lee Wahl, 7370 Grevena Ave NE, Bremerton, KAUTZ/KAUZ (Russ: still Vershinka), Saratov prov., Vg WA 98310 Map 6, B-5, 50 54 N 45 07 E Mrs. Elaine Frank Davison, 1850 Pleasant, Walla Walla, HOFFNUNGSTAL (Russ: Tsebrikovo), Odessa/ WA 99362. A publications list is available. Map 2, C-7,47 09 N 30 06 E Mr. Dale Lee Wahl, see Hoffnungstal, Bessarabia KLEINLIEBENTAL (Russ: Ksonyevka. now HUCK (Russ: still Splavnukha), Saratov prov., Molodolinskoye), Odessa prov. Vg Map 6, B-4, 51 05 N 45 22 E Map 2, D-8, 46 21 N 30 38 E Mrs. Delores Schwartz, 1000 Butler, Lincoln, NE 68521 Mrs. Doris M. Dickenson, PO Box 2054, Guerneville, HUSSENBACH aka Ustenbach, Gussenbach (Russ: Ga- CA 95446 shon, now Pervomayskoye), Samara prov., Vg KOEHLER (Russ: KarauI'mi-Buyerak, now Karaul’no- Map 6, E-5, 50 55 N 46 45 E Buyerachnyy), Saratov prov., Vg Mrs. Louise Potter, 306 N Alder, Toppenish, WA 98948 Map 6, B-6, 50 34 N 45 23 E JAGODNAJA POLJANA see Yagodnaya Polyana Mr. Edward R. Gerk, see Josefstal JOHANNESTAL (Russ: now Ivanovka), Odessa prov. Map 2, E-5, 47 07 N 31 20 E KOLB (Russ: Peskovatka, now Peskovka), Saratov prov., Mr. Erwin Ulmer, 2210 West Q St Apt 18, Lincoln, NE Vg 68528 Map 6, A-4, 51 04 N 44 59 E JOSEFSTAL, aka Schwales Khutor (Russ: Skripalovo), Mr. Alexander Horst, 3410 S G St, Tacoma, WA 98408 Saratov prov., Vg KONSTANTINOVKA, Samara prov., Vg Map 6, B-7, 50 17 N 45 06 E Map 6, F-5,50 59 N 47 04 E Mr. Edward R. Gerk, 630-D Belgo Road, Kelowna, BC Mrs. Lydia Wirth West, 306 West Walnut St, Lexington, V1X 3A5, Canada NE 68850 KAISERDORF, Planer/Grunau/Mariupol (Catholic) KRASNA (now Krasnoye), Bessarabia colonies Map l, C-8, 46 07 N 29 15 E Map 21, H-8 Mr. Ted J. Becker, Box 1524, Williston, ND 58802-1524 Mr. Ed Novecosky, see Eichwald KRASNOYAR (Russ: Krasnoyarovka, now Krasny Yar), KAMENKA (Russ: still Kamenka), Saratov prov., Vg Samara prov., Vg Map 6, B-6, 50 42 N 45 25 E Map 6, D-2, 51 38 N 46 25 E Mrs. Rosemary Larson, 4046 Morrll Lane, Minneapolis, Mrs. Susie Weber Hess, 1430 Ramona Dr, Racine, WI MN 55406 53406

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 VILLAGE RESEARCH COORDINATORS 37 KRATZKE aka Krackaya, Gracka (Russ: Pochinnoye, now NEU-ARZIS Podchinnyy), Saratov prov., Vg Map l, C-8 Map 6, B-5, 50 52 N 45 13 E Mr. Reuben Drefs, 4712 W Clarwood Ave, Peoria, IL Mrs. Ethel Lock, PO Box 7, Ulysses, KS 67880 61614 NEU-BERESINA (Russ: Malaya Smunovo, now?), Odessa prov. KRUGLIK (Russ: Antonovka), Zaslav District, Volhynia Map 2, C-5 Map 3, B-5 Mrs. Ruth Freehling, see Dermanka Mr. Michael Rempfer, 210 Johnson St, Wolf Point, MT 59201 KUKKUS aka Neu-Brabant (Russ: Vol'skoye, now NEU-DANZIG (Russ: now Vinogradovka), Nikolayev prov. Privolzhkoye), Samara prov., Vg Map 23, G-5, 47 12 N 32 16 E Map 6, C-4, 51 05 N 45 57 E Mr. Curt Renz, see Alt-Danzig Mrs. Betty Engel Muradian, see Anton NEUDORF (Russ: still Karmanovo), Odessa prov. KUCHURGAN DISTRICT VILLAGES, Odessa prov. [Glueckstal District] Map 2, A-4, 47 15 N 29 30 E Mr. Gregory Dockter, 414 Browning Avenue, Bismarck, ND Includes the colonies of Baden, Elsass, Kandel, Mannheim, 58501 Selz, and Strassburg Ms. Penny Raile, 3601 Vista Pacifica #17, Malibu, CA 90265 Map 2, 04, 46 N 30 E See also Glueckstal Colonies Research Association Mr. Robert Schuh, see Baden NEU-FREUDENTAL (Russ: Marina) KUTTER, aka Brehning, Brenning, Neumann, Pfaffenkutter Map 2, D-5 (Russ: Popovka, now Karamysh), Saratov prov., Vg Mr. Ralph Wiseman, see Freudental Map 6, C-4,51 02 N 45 32 E Mrs. Esther Trekell, 6172 W Airport Blvd, Houston, TX NEUHOF, Planei/Grunau/Mariupol (Catholic) colonies 77035-3938 LICHTENTAL (Russ: now Svetlodolinskoye), Bessarabia Map Map 21, H-8 1, D-8, 46 05 N 29 35 E Mr. Ed Novecosky, see Eichwald Mr. John Lundquist, see Friedenstal. NEU-YAGODNAYA (Russ: Novaya-Yagodnaya), Saratov prov., MANNHEIM (Russ: Baraboi, now Kamenka), Odessa prov. Vg [Kuchurgan District] Map 6, F-4 Map 2, C-7,46 38 N 30 15 E Mr. Robert Schuh, see Baden Mr. William Scheirman, see Yagodnaya Polyana MARIANIN, Zaslav District, Volhynia NEU-MESSER aka Lysanderdorf, Neu-Meyer (Russ: now Map 3, C-4 Pogranichnoye) Mrs. Ruth Freehling, see Dermanka Map 6, B-4, 51 03 N 45 07 E MERKEL (Russ: still Makarovka), Saratov prov., Vg Mr. William Seibel, see Messer Map 6, B-5, 50 53 N 45 17 E NEU-NORKA (Russ: Novyye Norki), Saratov prov., Vg Mrs. Ruth Filbert, 1519 Willow Road, Hutchinson, KS 67501 Map 6, B-7, 50 20 N 45 21 E MESSER (Russ: still Ust-Zolikha), Saratov prov., Vg Mrs. Laura Strackbein, 12250 W North Ave, A Wing #201, Map 6, C-5, 50 58 N 45 33 E Wauwatosa, WI 53226 NORKA (Russ: now Nekrasov), Saratov prov., Vg Mr. William Seibel, 5641 Dewey Dr, Fair Oaks, CA 95628 Map 6, B-4, 51 1O N 45 19 E MICHALOCHKA, Zaslav District, Volhynia Mr. Fred K. Hahn, 20754 S Lower Highland Road, Map 3, B-5 Mrs. Ruth Freehling, see Dermanka Beavercreek, OR 97004 John Schleicher, 1518 S 10 St, Omaha, NB 68108 MOHLBERG see Shcherbakovka Doug Weitzel, 9614 Indiana PI. Williams AFB, AZ 85225 NALCHIK, North Caucasus Map 13, H-4, 43 29 N 43 37 E Mr. Phil Boltz, see Duchlonoff

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 38 VILLAGE RESEARCH COORDINATORS OBERDORF, aka Becherskhutor (Russ: still Kuptsovo), SCHOENFELD (Russ: now Polyana), Samara prov., Vg Saratov prov., Vg Map 6, P-4, 51 07 N 47 22 E Map 6, B-7, 50 19 N 45 00 E Mr. Laurin Wilhelm, see Pobochnaya Mrs. Bertha (Schimpf) Pratt, 3112 S Independence Ct, SCHOENTAL (Russ: now Dolina) Samara prov., Vg Lakewood, CO 80227 Map 6, F-4, 51 08 N 47 25 E ORLOVSKAIA/ORLOWSKOJE (Russ: still Ortovskoye), Samara prov., Vg Mr. William Scheirman, see Yagodnaya Polyana Map 6, E-l, 51 46 N 46 54 E SCHUCK (Russ: Gryasnovatka, now Partizanskoye), Saratov prov., Vg Dr. Irma E. Eichhorn, see Bauer Map 6, B-5, 50 47 N 45 20 E PFEIFER (Russ: Gnilushka, now Gvardeyskoye), Saratov Mrs. Vel Thompson, 9148 71 Ave, Edmonton, AB T6E prov., Vg OV8, Canada Map 6, B-6,50 39 N 45 24 E SCHULZ (Russ: Lugovaya Gryaznukha, now Mrs. Rosemary Larson, see Kamenka Lugovskoye), Samara prov., Vg PLOTZK, Bessarabia Map 6, E-2, 51 33 46 32 E Map 1, C-9, 45 53 N 29 23 E Mr. Fred Zitzer, 826 Bell Ave, Sheboygen, WI 53083 Mr. Erhardt Hehn, 1418 W Dickerson, Bozeman, MT Mr. Robert Smith, 710 Devonshire Dr, Des Plaines, IL 59715 60018 POBOCHNAYA (Russ: now Pobochnoye) Saratov prov., SCHWED (Russ: Zvonarevka, now Leninskoye), Samara Vg prov., Vg Map 6, C-1, 51 55 N 45 37 E Map 6, E-2, 51 37 N 46 30 E Mr. Robert Smith, see Schulz Mr. Laurin Wilhelm, Rt 1 Box 154, Baldwin, KS 66006 RASTADT/RASTATT (Russ: now Porec’ye), Odessa SCHWEDENGEBIET Map 2, E-4, 47 23 N 31 07 E Includes colonies of Alt-Schwedendorf, Klosterdorf, Schlangendorf, and Muehlhausendorf Mr. Paul Polansky Schneller, Apartado 209, Espinardo, Murcia, Spain Map 23, K-6 Mr. Richard Carruthers, 14 Acacia Ave, Rockcliffe Park, REINWALD (Russ; Staritsa, now Staritskoye), Samara Ontario K1M OP2, Canada prov., Vg Map 6, E-2, 51 34 N 46 31 E SEIMENY, Bessarabia, now Semeenovka, Ukraine Mrs. Susie Weber Hess, see Krasnoyar Map 1, E-7, 46 17 N 30 08 E ROHRBACH (Russ: Berezan, now Novosvetlovka), Mr. Earhardt Hehn, see Plotzk Odessa SELZ (Russ: now Limanskoye), Odessa prov. [Kuchurgan District] Map 2, E-5, 47 12 N 31 11 E Mrs. Rosemarie Dinkel, 4433 S Wolff St, Denver, CO Map 2, B-7, 46 40 N 29 58 E Mr. Robert Schuh, see Baden 80236 ROSENBERG (Russ: Umeet), Saratov prov., Vg SHCHERBAKOVKA aka Muehlberg, Deutsch Map 6, B-7, 50 17 N 45 21 E Shcherbakovka (Russ: now Shcherbatovka), Saratov Dr. Richard McGregor, 43 Alder Crescent, Luton, Bed- prov., Volga Rg fordshire LU3 1YG, England Map 6, C-6, 50 29 N 45 41 E Mrs. Kathryn O'Malley, HC 67 Box 370F, Mt Ida, AR ROTHAMMEL (Russ: still Pamyatnoya), Saratov prov., 71957 Vg SOLODYRI, Volhynia, and neighboring NEUDORF Map 6, B-5, 50 51 N 45 07 E Mr. Frank J. Distel, 346 Buttonwood PI, Brea, CA 92621 Map 3, D-4, 50 33 N 28 21 E Mrs. Bernice Williams, 2870 West 175 Avenue, Erie, Mr. Richard Benert, 75 W Laurel, Bethlehem, PA 18018 CO 80516 SPEYER (Russ: still Peschanyy Brod), Odessa prov. SARATA, Bessarabia Map 1, D-8, 46 01 N 29 40 E Map 2, E-5, 47 13 N 31 25 E Mr. John Lundquist, see Friedenstal Mr. Aubrey B. Marthaller, PO Box 37, Salmon Arm, BC V1E 4N2, Canada SCHOENDORF (Russ: now Repnoye), Samara prov., Vg Map 6, F-4, 51 06 N 47 18 E Mr. William Scheirman, see Yagodnaya Polyana

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 VILLAGE RESEARCH COORDINATORS 39 STAHL AM KARAMAN (Russ: now Zvonareevka). VOLHYNIA, POLISH SECTOR Samara prov., Vg Map 29 Map 6, E-2, 51 37 N 46 32 E Mrs. Leona Janke, 7854 VW Ave West, Schoolcraft, MI Mr. David F. Schmidt, PO Box 461, Martinez, CA 94553 49087 STAHL AM TARLYK (Russ: still Stepnoye), Samara See also Society for Ancestral Research of Germans prov., Vg from Poland and Volhynia Map 6, 04, 51 09 N 45 55 E VOLHYNIA, UKRAINIAN SECTOR Mr. Jake Sinner, see Bangert Map 3 STRASSBURG (now Kuchurgan), Odessa prov. See Society for Ancestral Research of Germans from [Kuchurgan District] Poland and Volhynia. Map 2, B-7,46 45 N 29 59 E VOLLMER/VOLMAR/FOLMAR (Russ: Kopenka, now Mr. Robert Schuh, see Baden Lugovoye), Samara prov., Vg TEPLITZ, Bessarabia, now Teplitsa, Ukraine Map 6, B-6, 50 44 N 45 26 E Map 1, C-9, 45 59 N 29 19 E Mr. Vern Beilman, see Katharinenstadt. Mr. Herb Poppke, 3015 NW Market St Apt B117, Seattle, VAKARSKIYE-KHUTOR (now Khutora Vakarskiye), WA 98107 Odessa prov. [Glueckstal District], Parish of Kassel TIEGENORT, Planer/Grunau/Mariupol (Catholic) Map 2, C-4 (not shown on map), 47 04 N 29 56 E colonies Mr. Herb Poppke, see Teplitz Map 21, J-8 WIESENMUELLER (Russ: now Lugovskoye), Samara Mr. Ed Novecosky, see Eichwald prov., Vg TIERGART, Planer/Grunau/Mariupol (Catholic) colonies Map 6. D-5, 50 38 N 46 28 E Map 21, J-7 Mrs. Betty Ashley, 30500-B Watts Valley Rd, Tollhouse, CA 93667 Mr. Ed Novecosky, see Eichwald YAGODNAYA POLYANA (Russ: still Yagodnaya Pol- TSCHERBAKOVKA, see Shcherbakovka yana), Saratov prov., Vg UNTERDORF (Russ: Veseelovo), Saratov prov., Vg Map 6, C-l, 51 58 N 45 36 E Map 6, B-7, 50 15 N 45 16 E Mr. William Scheirman, 5201 W 99th Street, Overland Mrs. Gayle Behm, 817 W 29, Scottsbluff, NE 69631 Park, KS 66207. The newsletter Usu Leut is available, VOLHYNIA: SOCIETY FOR ANCESTRAL RESEARCH OF GER- MANS FROM POLAND AND VOLHYNIA Maps 3 and 29 (Ukrainian and Polish Volhynia) Mr. Ewald Wuschke, 3492 West 39 Ave, Vancouver, BC V6N 3A2, Canada

ERRATA

Two editor's errors in the Spring 1992 Journal have been brought to our attention: In the glossary on page 5 for Ronald Vossler's story, "Names," the term ruttsnass should have been described as equivalent to standard German Rotznase, or snot-nose, meaning "a brat." Rutts- is not derived from rutschen. The area of one desyatine of land was incorrectly given on page 23 in the sidebar on Russian units of measurement. One desyatine is equal to 2.69 acres or 1.09 hectares.

AHSGR Journal /Summer 1992 40

From Karl Stumpp map no. 21.

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 SUMMARY REPORT ON TEN GERMAN SETTLEMENTS IN THE REGIONS OF DNEPROPETROVSK, PETRIKOVKA, AND VERKHNAYA-DNEPROVSK, ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT OF DNEPROPETROVSK. Dr. Karl Stumpp Translated by

David Bagby

Billersfekl Jamburg Katarinovka Fischersdorf (Rybalsk) Miloradovka Hindenburg (Kudashevka) Josefstal Kronsgarten Neu-Jamburg Hochberg

The Stumpp reports were produced in 1942 and early faith also emigrated from the Danzig area to Russia. 1943 in the German-occupied Russian Ukraine by an Originally they wanted to settle near Nikopol, but instead organization headed by Dr. Karl Stumpp. Information founded in 1789 the colony of Josefstal, 13 kilometers [8 was gathered on ethnic Germans in parts of the miles] north-northeast of Dnepropetrovsk (formerly Ukraine mainly between the Bug and Dnieper rivers. Ekaterinoslav). 10 families died out during the journey; The reports were thought lost during the hurried however, the settlers were joined in 1801 by 22 families German evacuation of the Ukraine in 1943, but from Wuerttemberg who had lived for a time in Poland. In materials on some eighty German villages in the Bug- 1791 some of the colonists who had immigrated to Josefstal Dnieper region and fragments of information on some founded the settlement of Fischersdorf (formerly Rybalsk: villages in Volhynia later were found among captured Ryba = fish), 12 kilometers [7.4 miles] from German documents in the Library of Congress. Dnepropetrovsk. 17 of the Wuerttemberg families settled The following summary report is taken from one of here, and 5 remained in Josefetal. While a pure Low five microfilm reels prepared by the Library of Con- German [Plattdeutsch] is spoken in Josefstal, no uniform gress in 1975. AHSGR member Dr. Adam Giesinger dialect can be determined in Fischersdorf. As an aside, was instrumental in reviewing the materials and pre- Josefstal is the burial place of Samuel Kontenius paring a finding aid for the microfilm, which is avail- (Contaenius), who died 30 May 1830, and a monument to able in the AHSGR library. Separate reports of several him has been raised there. It was damaged under of the villages mentioned are found elsewhere in the Bolshevism and has now been repaired. Kontenius microfilm. performed inestimable service among the German colonists in the development of agronomy and animal husbandry. At the same time that the first Mennonites (see Khortitsa In the same year of 1789, the settlement of Jamburg Region) emigrated in 1789 from the Danzig region and was founded 25 kilometers [15.5 miles] south-southeast of settled in the area near Zaporozhye (formerly Dnepropetrovsk. The inhabitants still Alexandrovsk), 100 families of the evangelical

AHSGR Journal /Summer 1992 42 TEN GERMAN SETTLEMENTS speak a type of Bavarian/Austrian dialect. Besides farming, The percentage of mixed marriages [German-non- a large number of the colonists are occupied with wagon German], compared with that of the regions of Kronau building. (2.2%), Khortitsa (6.4%), and Pyatichatki (7.4%), is the In 1789 the settlement of Kronsgarten was laid out by highest: 11.2%. This is particularly due to the highly mixed Mennonites on land which was split off from the settlements of Fischersdorf and Billersfeld, and above all to congregation of Josefstal. The name was taken from the the scattered individual Germans [Streudeutschen}. beautiful garden areas. Additional land was later purchased Losses during the time of Bolshevism are composed as by the colonists from the estate owners Kirylov and follows: Bytkov. The Mennonites left the village in 1928/29 and emigrated to America. After the introduction of the I. Murdered by the Makhno bandits1919 collectives, Kronsgarten was settled again, largely by German farmers from Josefstal and the surrounding Men Women Children Total: scattered settlements. 19 2 3 24 Billersfeld was founded in 1860 as a daughter colony of Source: Table A, columns 47-50+ Josefstal and, in part, of Fischersdorf. The land was first leased from the estate owner Biehler (hence the name) and was later purchased. Hindenburg (in Russian: Kudashevka; the present name was given the village after the arrival of German II. Starved troops) was founded in 1884. The first settlers came from Year Men Women Children Total 1921/22 60 38 61 159 the Molochna area. In 1925, former workers of the estate 1933/34 41 14 31 86 owner arrived, then [people] from Khortitsa, the region of Total; 245 Nikopol and ethnic Germans who lived in non-German Source; Table A, columns 38-46+ Ukrainian villages [Streudeutschen]. Katarinovka (after the daughter of the estate owner III. Exiled in the years 1929-41 Katharina) was founded in 1889. The community of Khortitsa purchased 1000 hectares [2,470 acres] of land Men Women Children Total: from the estate owner Miloradov and settled landless 417 87 164 668 persons there. Milo-radovka [usually Miloradovka] (after the estate The number of those exiled reached its high point in 1938 owner Miloradov) was founded in 1889 by Mennonites (Table D).+ from the area of Nikopol. The settlers also originally came Source; "Table A, columns 52-55, and Table D+ from Khortitsa. The first settlers of Hochberg (1890) were Mennonites IV. Taken away [verschleppt] in the current war. (under Bolshevism the village was named Einigkeit [Unity]). Then came ethnic Germans from the surrounding Men Women Children Total: Ukrainian villages, and in 1926 [others] from the German 311 58 69 438 settlements of Josefstal, Billersfeld, and Kronsgarten. The total losses in the ten villages of the above areas are: Neu-Jamburg was founded in 1925 as a daughter 1. Murdered 24 colony of Alt-Jamburg. The German population in these ten villages has 2. Starved 1921/22 and 33/34 245 remained almost the same as it was in 1918; the losses 3. Exiled 1929-41 668 through outmigration, starvation, and exile have been al- 4. Taken away in the current war 438 most evenly matched by new births and partly through Total: 1375 inmigration. There was a particularly high rate of out- migration from Jamburg after the years of famine. 52.5% of the German families are without a head of Particularly the many artisans moved to the surrounding household; in Fischersdorf the figure is 78%. Ukrainian and German villages in order to make a living. The gaps in Table G+ [probably age distribution] for the years 1921/22 and 33/34 and for the years of

+ Tables A, D, and G do not appear on the microfilm with this report, nor are they listed in Giesinger's key. The tables would appear to be a compi- lation of data from multiple villages. Whether they exist today is unknown.

AHSGR Journal /Summer 1992 TEN GERMAN SETTLEMENTS 43 the revolution are particularly noticeable and, compared to the American Historical Society of Germans from the other areas, are quite large. Russia (Fall 1977): 19-23. In comparison to the former German landholdings of 2. Reels 1-4 are titled 10807, reels 1-4, and Reel 5 is titled 12,598 hectares [31,117 acres] in 1918, during Bolshevism 26367 by the Library of Congress, The summary report in the collective only 8,965 hectares [22,144 acres] were appears on reel 4 as item #15 (R4-15). Separate village worked. To this are added 721 hectares [1,781 acres] of reports including lists of residents in 1941 or 1942 are farmyards and individual plots [Hofland]. available for Fischersdorf/Rybalsk (R3-17), Hochberg (R3-9), Jamburg (R1-19), Katarinovka (R4-24), and Dnepropetrovsk, February 1943. Kudashevka/Hindenburg (R4-23). Additional brief information on Billersfeld, Josefstal, Kronsgarten, Fischersdorf/Rybalsk, and Jamburg can be NOTES found in reports by Dr. Stumpp in Adam Giesinger, trans., "In the Wake of the German Army on the Eastern 1. Giesinger, Adam, Reports of 1942-43 from German Front, August 1941 to May 1942," Journal of the Villages in the Ukraine: A Key to a Microfilm of Materials American Historical Society of Germans from Russia 7 in Boxes 146-154 of the Captured German Documents (Winter 1984)4: 17-22, pp. 19-20. Josefstal is further at the Library of Congress, (Lincoln, Nebr.; described in an 1848 report by a school teacher, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, translated in Adam Giesinger, "Villages in which our 1977), p. 2. An additional description of this material is Forefathers Lived," AHSGR Work Paper No. 17 (April, found in Adam Giesinger, "Reports of 1942-1943 from 1975): 33-37, pp. 35-37. Soviet Villages in the Ukraine," Work Paper No. 24 of

Editor's Note: Possible Research Projects Much remains to be done with the Stumpp reports. Lists of each village. A list organized by type of report would be village inhabitants, of village members exiled or killed, useful, for instance: reports on the village situation, maps, and many other items are available for many villages. Two examples of possible Village inhabitant lists: research projects are: Fischersdorf/Rybalsk (R3-17) Hindenburg/Kudashevka (R4-23) 1. Maps. Some maps show the names of inhabitants as Hochberg (family list w/ mother colony given, R3-9) of 1941 or 1942. By cross-referencing these maps with the etc. village inhabitant lists, a detailed plot of the village could be drawn and prepared for printing. Even those maps Maps without names provide an important description of the Fischersdorf/Rybalsk (R3-17) village layout. Hindenburg/Kudashevka (R4-23) 2. A cross-reference to Giesinger's Key would provide Hochberg (with names, R3-9) researchers with additional tools and ease use of the etc. microfilm. One example: Materials are arranged by village If you are interested in these or other possible projects, on the film. Not every report (village inhabitant list, village please contact AHSGR headquarters. A copy of the report, map, etc.) is available for microfilm and copies of Giesinger's Key are available through InterUbrary Loan from the AHSGR library.

AHSGR Journal /Summer 1992 44 TEN GERMAN SETTLEMENTS OUR RESPECTS TO THE BAVARIAN SUPREME COURT!

GERMAN-RUSSIAN IMMIGRANTS ALLOWED TO TAKE GERMAN NAMES

E. Holland

Translated by David Bagby

Readers whose family names were mangled by North American immigration clerks may especially appreciate this update on current German law in the state of Bavaria, which previously had required immigrants from Russia with russified German names to accept spellings transliterated back into German according to a standard issued by the International Standards Organization (ISO).

7JW./^U^i^^f^ In a 1911 document, the German name "Heinrich" is transliterated here into Russian as "Genrikh" and into Polish as "Henryk. " A retransliteration of the Russian back into German using the ISO standard would result in "Genrich." The decisions of basic principles [Grundsatzent- Badensk, because the [original] certificate was registered in scheidungen} of the Bavarian Supreme Court regarding the the Baden village soviet, and in the German transliteration assigning of names to ethnic German immigrants are for that was literally "Badenskij Seljsowet." The woman Germans from Russia (the Soviet Union) a great joy, the appealed twice before her place of birth was corrected to full measure of which can only be understood by those "Baden." Even a Russian name like Jelzin [German for directly concerned. The wearisome path through the Yeltsin], if transliterated according to the ISO standard, bureaucracy [for registration, the Standesamt] became a would be Elcin. A [Russian] sentence from the newspaper nightmare for many and led to depression. Transliterating Pravda [which translates as] "Morgan erwartet Moskau names according to the ISO standard may make sense for den Besuch des Oberhaupts der Bonner Regierung Helmut translating foreign names, but unfortunately it makes no Kohl,” would have to be translated in accordance with the sense at all for translating German names. Who would like ISO Standard as "Morgen erwartet Moskva den Besuch des to be called Ivan in German instead of Johann, Johannes, or Oberhaupts der Bonsker Regierung Gelmut Kol'. "* I Hans? Who wants to be Gelmut instead of Helmut? Genrich believe that the above examples suffice to demonstrate how instead of Heinrich, Gerbert - Herbert, Evgenji - Eugen, important the decision of the Bavarian Supreme Court is Vladimir - Waldemar, losef - Josef, Elena - Helene, Gilda - for us, and how much suffering can be spared the Hilda, etc. ... Family names also were altered and corrupted, immigrants in me future. as for instance Holland to Golland, Koehler to Keler, Boespflug to Besplug, Schell to Schelj, Hartmann to Gartman, and so forth. The birthplace of a woman born in the German settlement * "Moscow awaits the visit tomorrow of the head of the of Baden near Odessa was translated as Bonn government, Helmut Kohl," and the transliterated form, "Moskva awaits the visit tomorrow of the head of the Source: Volk auf dem Weg, 43 (March 1992)3: 35. ©1992 Bonsky government, Gelmut Kol'," Landsmannschaft der Deutschen aus Russland e.V. Used with permission.

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 NEW ADDITIONS TO AHSGR LIBRARY January 1991 - January 1992, H - Z

Michael Ronn, AHSGR Librarian The titles below and other library materials are available for loan according to AHSGR library policy. When the call number after the title has an R before it, that item is in the Reserve collection and does not circulate. Patrons may use that item in the library, but may not check it out. Part 1 of this list, A - G, appeared in the Spring 1992 Journal. Most of the items listed here are not available for purchase from AHSGR. Please consult your current Order Form for books available for sale. Habermann, Johann. Horst, Florine Gettmann. Wachet und betet: kleines Gebetbuechlein enthaltend The Schoolmasters Eckhardt of Frank, Russia and Morgen und Abendgebete. BV 257.H3 1920 Their Families. CS 71.E238 1991

Harms, Sylvester. Issinghoff, Martha Stremel. Genealogy of Heinrich Harms (1833 to 1869) and The Sauer Family in Russia and America 1847-1991, Maria (Kliewer) (Harms) Schroeder (1832 to 1913). the History and Genealogy of John Conrad and Anna CS71.H3791991 Marie Mai Sauer and John George and Anna Margaret Stoecklein Sauer Descendants. CS71.S268 Hassclbach, Alexander, Jr. 1991 An Autobiography. CT25.H37 1991 Janssen, Susanne. Haushofer, Karl. Die deutsche Minderheit in Russland bzw. in der Raumueberwindende Maechte. GF 51.H38 1934 Sowjetunion, 1914-1945: Hausarbeit zur Eriangung des Magistergrades der Philosophischen Fakultaet Heeger, Fritz, ed. der Westfalischen Wilhelms-Universitaet zu Muenster Pfalzische Volkslieder mit Bildern und Weisen. (Westf.). DK 34.G3J36 1990 Herausgegeben mit Unterstuetzung des Deutschen Volksliedarchivs und der Pfalzischen Gesellschaft zur Jedig, Hugo. Foerderung der Wissenschaften. M 1736.L2 1929 Laut- und Formenbestand der niederdeutschen Mundart des Altai-Gebietes. AS 182.S213 1966 Heer, Theodore 0. A Brief Story of the Heer Family As It Was Known in Johnson, Keith A. and Malcolm R. Sainty. 7966.CS71.H43 1966 Genealogical Research Directory: National and Inter- national, 1989. CS 5.J6G4 Hoffmann, Walter. Rumdnien von Heute; ein Querschnitt durch Politik, Jordan, Vivian Hill. Kultur und Wirtschaft, mit whireichen Karten und The Nuss-Nusz Family. CS 71.N887 1990 Bildern. DR 264.H63 1942 Kaindl, Raimund Friedrich. Hope, Anne, and Nagler, Joerg. Die Deutschen in Osteuropa. DD 68.K34 1916 Guide to German Historical Sources in North Ameri- can Libraries and Archives. DD 17.H67 1991 Katkov, S. V., ed. GodyLiudy. DK 511.S3G62 1989

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 NEWADDITIONS TO AHSGR LIBRARY 47 Kautz, LaVerne Schutz. Lindsay, Mela Meisner. Salem Evangelical Congregational Church, Ralston, The Story ofJohann: The Boy Who Longed to Come Washington. BX 7255.R34S24 1990 to Amerika. PS 3562.I5119S76 1988

Kinderman, Heinz. Long, Viola (Miller). Rufe Uber Grenzen; Dichtung und Lebenskampf der Family History: Mueller (Muller, Miller)-Mosung- Deutschen im Ausland. PT 3809.K56 1938 Renner-Fischer. CS 71.M833 1990

Kluckman, Betty Hepper. Mennonite Artist: The Insider As Outsider. Jakob Hepper and His Descendants 1836-1990. CS71.H4681991 N 5030.W56M46 1990

Knopp, Jacob. Miller, Thirza Ann. The Jacob Knopp Family History. CS 71.K628 1962 In Search of Dreams: Muller-Miller Family Histories. CS71.M841990 Knopp-Riib, Gertrud. Festschrift zur Jubilaeumsfeier "Unsere Umsiedlung Mueller, Friedrich. vor 50 Jahren" beim Bundestreffen auf dem Killesberg Die Geschichte unseres Volkes: Bilder aus der Ver- in Stuttgart am 14. Oktober 1990. DK 34.G3K576 gangenheit und Gegenwart der Deutschen in 1990 Rumaenien. DR 214.G4M83 1926

Krueger, Ernst. Muradian, Betty Engel. Heimat am Pruth: Erinnerungen am Mariental, Kukkus: A German Village on the Volga. DK Bessarabien. DK 509.95.S45K78 1990 43.M87 1990

Landey, Dora and Elinor Klein. News of the Family History Library. BX 860l.N48x Triptych. PS 3562A4763T7 1983 Nikolaisen. Leroy. Lang, Betty. Dinkel—Tarlykowka: The History of the People. Ohlhauser Odyssey. CS 71.0354 1990x DK511.V65N541989

Langley, Eileen E. Nuss, Calvin E. Index of Obituaries 1891-1990: The Ellis Review- The Courtship of Widow Hohnstein. Headlight and the Ellis Review, Ellis, Kansas 67637. PS 3564.U78C687 1990 F687.E3L36 1991 Memories—Humor of a Second Generation Volga Langolf, Ruth Gnus. American. A Tribute to Two Second Generation Volga Und siehe wir leben = And Behold, We Live II Corin- thians 6. BR 1952.U54L36 1987 Americans: Johnny Hopp, George Sauer. PN 6231.N4N87 1990 Lincoln, Diane Thomas. Kansas Cultural Arts and Architecture: Reclaiming the Oberembt, Mary Ann, Sister. Past for the Future. F 682.L56 1989 Buesseler Family History. CS 71.B837 1979

Lindgren, H. Elaine. Land in Her Own Name: Women as Homesteaders in Oberembt Roots: 1829-1990. CS 71.015 1981 North Dakota. HQ 1438.N9L56 1991 Ost-Blick. D 849.0872x

Osterwick, 1812-1843. BX 8119.R8087 1971

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 Pauser, Franz. Renz, Curt Die Ukraine. DK 508.P38 1943 Citizens of Hoffnungstal, Bessarabia: Marriages to 1890. DK511.B4R46 1991 Pekar, Atanasifi V. Bishop Alexander Chira: Prisoner of Christ. Richter, Hans, Captain of the Police. BX 4711.695.P44 1988 Heimkehrer: Bildberichte von der Umsiedlung der Volksdeutschen aus Bessarabien, Rumaenien, aus Peterson, Martin L. der Sued-Bukowina und aus Litauen. DK 43.R52 Temes-Klein-Emineth Family History: A Genealogy of 1941 Three Families of German-Russians. CS71.T471990x Roemmich, Herman. Plett, Delbert F. A Conflict of Three Cultures: Germans From Russia in Pioneers and Pilgrims: The Story of the Mennonite America, a History of the Jacob Roemmich Family. Settlement in Manitoba, 1874-1877...a Novel. CS71.R631991x PR9199.3.P53P56 1990 Schmick, Judy. A Portrait of Tsarist Russia: Unknown Photographs Idaho Surname Index. F 745.S35 1989 From the Soviet Archives. DK 18.5.P67 1989 Die schoensten Kinderreime. PT 1231.C48S36 1989 Posehn, Margaret E. The Peter Brandt Descendants 1813-1991. Schreyer, Edward, The Rt. Hon., P.C., C.C., C.M.M., CS71.B72 1991 C.D. The Role of German Canadian Settlers in Canada— Pribbeno, Rachel Gackle. Past and Present. F 1035.G3S37 1990 Two Hundred and Fifty Years of Gackle Family Trails. CS7LG321989 Schumacher, Rupert von. Siedlung und Machtpolitik des Auslandes. JV Raabe, Wilhelm Karl. 6124 .S38 1937 Der Hungerpastor. PT 2451.H86 Shariff, Kay L. (Schoenwald). Ramsey County, North Dakota, Volume 3. Our Schoenwald Family in America: The F642.R17R351984 Descendants of Gottfried Schoenwald (1851-1910) and Ernestine Janke (1856-1890). CS 71.S365 1991 Research Guide to German-American Genealogy. Slinger, Bobby Joe. CS 5.R47 1991 The Berg Book: A Family Record of Heinrich Jacob Berg.CS7\.B47WJ Reimchen, Theodore Frederick Harold. The Land Where Oranges Don't Grow or the Story of Konrad and Marie Reimchen and Their Descendants, Soll, Richard and Audrey. Russia to Canada. CS 90.R44 1991 Germany, Pennsylvania, Missouri Surname Index: Seminar, 1991. F 148.S64 1991 Reimer, Cornelius. Is That All of the Boys? = Sind dies die Knaben alle? Spahn, Betty Bee Fellows. CS71.R35 1971 Spahn-Weisgerber: My Children's Ancestry. CS71.S6231989x Renick, Barbara. The Zucknick, Duelge, and Diem Families: Ancestors Der Sprach Brockhaus: deutsches Bildwoerterbuch and Descendants. CS 71.Z82 1991 fuer jedermann. PF 3628.S65 1956

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 NEWADDITIONS TO AHSGR LIBRARY 49 Storm, Theodor. Ulmer, Erwin. Immensee. PT 2528.I3M5 1901 George Philipp Hust - Elizabeth Woehl Kinship. CS71.H973 1991 Stumpp, Karl. Ergebnisse ueber die Gesamterhebung des Ungnad, Waiter zur. Deutschtums in der Sowjet-Union; Das Deutschtum in Deutsche Freibauern, Koelmer und Kolonisten. der Sowjet-Union nach der Volkszaehlung 1959. DK HD 653.U53 1932 34.G3S78 1964 Wald, Katie. Suderman, Elmer F. Wanglers: 1870-1990. CS 71.W36 1990 What Can We Do Here? PS 595.R4S92 1974 Walden, Velva Magdalena Diede. Suderman, Susan F. To the Best of My Memory: Stories from the Life of The Dietrich Loewen Family History and Genealogy, Velva Magdalena Diede Walden—An Oral History. 1820-1985. CS 90.L63 1986 CT25.W341990

Sutley, Joyce E. (Sterkel). Walker, Immanuel. Midwifery Tour of Russia: October 1989. RG Fatma: eine wahre Lebensgeschichte. 950.S97 1989 DK 673.5.G3W34 1990

Swanson, Ruth. Warren, Mark. The First Hundred Years Around Churchbridge, 1880- Hochzeit: Dutch Hops: Colorado Music of the Ger- 1980. F 1074.5.C48S95 1980 mans from Russia 1865-1965. F 785.R85W37 1990

Die taeglichen Losungen und Lehrtexte der Weber, Catherine A. Brudergemeine fuer das Jahr 1941. BX 8575.L653 Descendants of George and Margareta Steinert. 1941 CS71.S7341990x Tegeder, Robert M. Wegelin, Amelia (Mollie Specht). Pfau Family History to 1991. CS 71.P43 1991 The Ancestoral Story of Amelia (Mollie Specht) Wegelin [sic], CS 71.S63 1990 Thode, Ernest. Address Book for Germanic Genealogy. CS Weiss, Immanuel. 5.T56 1991 Bessarabian Knight, A Peasant Caught Between the "Translation of an article in The Bessarabisher [sic] Red Star and the Swastika: Immanuel Weiss's True Heimatkalendar of 1951". William Busch, translator. Story. CT25.W44 1991 Contains: Welisch, Sophie A. Bauman. Bukovina Villages—Towns—Cities and Their Ger- "The Reasons for the Emigration of Our Forefathers." mans. DK 508.9.B85W44 1990

Kalmhach, Chr. Wengel-Sauer, Ruth V. "The Origin of Our Former Mother-Congregations." The Koschel Family: Germans from Russia 1862 to DK511.B4T721951 1991. CS71.K67 1991

Ukraine. DK 508.425.G47U47 1942 Wild, Josef. Fuerstenthal: eine deutsch-boehmische Gemeinde in der Bukowina. DR296.V65W5513 1981

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 50 NEWADDITIONS TO AHSGR LIBRARY Windholz, Oren. Ycllowstone Genealogy Forum of Billings, The Erberts: A German Catholic Family in Austria, Montana. from Bohemia, Through Bukovina, to America. Cemetery Records of Carbon County, CS71.E721991 Montana. F737.C25Y441989

Wittmer, Hertha Dietz. Zillich, Heinrich. A Journey to Freedom: Ensminger Entzminger Siebenbuergen und seine Enzminger. CS 71.E57 1990 Wehrbauten. DR281.T7Z541941

Wuschke, Ewald. Zionsbote. BX 8101.Z56 German Settlements in Poland and Volhynia: A Pre- sentation to the AHSGR Convention Friday, July 27, 1990, Sacramento, California. DK4121.5.G4W871990

23rd International AHSGR Convention

Red Lion Hotel Sea Tac Seattle, Washington June 29-July 5, 1992

AHSGR Journal /Summer 1992 MEIN GROSSMUTTER

Ted J. Becker When I was bitten by the family history bug five years ago, word. Each question I asked triggered another memory. She I made a pest of myself. I visited relatives, I called them, I remembered distinctly her childhood days in Krasna, her wrote to them asking for any scrap of information about school and home, and even the floor plans of houses and Grandpa and Grandma. When they understood that I was the locations of wells. She recalled the names of long-dead researching family history with an eye toward printing 'the' aunts and uncles and laid out their kinship relations for me. family history book, everyone was very helpful and Her family's long trip to the U.S., their arrival at Ellis cooperative. I found that I could best gather information if I Island, memories of working in Emmons County, North visited with kinfolk in their own homes. Dakota, as a 13-year-old, and so much more came pouring On one such visit to a maternal uncle, I asked if I could out. I had found the wellspring I had been seeking, look through his old photographs. Most of the persons Toward the end of our visit, I could see that she was pictured were just faces to me—there were no names or tiring. There was so much I wanted to talk about concerning labels to identify the people, places, or time the photos had life in Krasna before 1900, but that would have to wait for been taken. I picked out twenty photos or so and asked to another time. I carefully pulled out the pictures I had been take them with me on my visits with relatives. Maybe carrying with me and began handing them to her one by someone could help me put identities to all those faces. one. Despite Aunt Susie's sharp memory, I was sure that my Uncle Fidelis Tischmak said, "Sure, use them as long as poor luck with the pictures would hold as it had on so many you want. I think Pa got some of them after World War II occasions before. from relatives in Germany or even from some in Russia. I Aunt Susie took out the magnifying glass she used when don't know any of the people on them, and he never told us reading from her German prayer book. With an unsteady who they were or who he got them from." hand she focused carefully on the first picture, and to my So I carried the pictures with me on my visits. Once in a astonishment began reeling off names so quickly that my while someone would say, "I think that is so-and-so, but pen struggled to keep up. I couldn't stop to think of how I'm not sure." I certainly wasn't having much luck. most of them might be related as I scrambled to catch each One day I took my tape recorder, a list of questions, and name. There would be time to figure that out later. my pictures to my great aunt Susie Harsch Gross in Aunt Susie paused as I finished writing down the names Bismarck, North Dakota. I had found out earlier that she from a large photograph. Then I handed her a picture of had come to the U.S. with her parents from Krasna, Russia, eleven people who appeared to be a family: in 1908, when she was only 12 years old. Aunt Susie a husband and wife, eight younger children or relatives, and proved to be a charming and elegant lady of ninety-one an older lady who must have been seventy years old. When with a memory that was precise, accurate, and filled with Aunt Susie's glass focused on the old lady, her hand details. We visited and reminisced for over three hours as I trembled more strongly than usual. She held the glass and recorded every picture close to her face for a long time, not saying a word. I waited with my pen and pad, not wanting to rush her, to Ted J. Becker is the Village Research Coordinator for Krasna, give her memory time to recall. She slowly lifted her head. Bessarabia, for AHSGR and the Germans from Russia Heritage With tears welling in her eyes, she whispered, "Mein Society. Aunt Susie was born Susanna Harsche in Krasna on Grossmutter." December 12, 1896, and now lives in Bismarck, North Dakota. The I asked, "Is there anyone you recognize in the picture?" author's report on Krasna village research appears on page 29 of this issue.

AHSGR Journal /Summer 1992 52 MEINGROSSMUTTER

The Simon Wagner family in Krasna, ca. 1907. "Mein Grossmutter " is Margaret Ruschiensky Harsche, wearing the black scarf at left in the front row. Seated to her left is her daughter Margaret Harsche Wagner. Back, left to right: brothers Peter, Magnus, Korbinian,and Maximillian Wagner, and Maximillian's wife Anna, Front, left tonght: Katharine Wagner, Margaret Ruschiensky Harsche, Margaret Harsche Wagner, Theresa, Morgan's husband Simon Wagner, and Kaspar, son of Maximillian and Anna. She whispered with more strength, "Mein Grossmutter, "Is this the first time you've seen a picture of her?" "I never mein Grossmutter! saw her or a picture of her after we left Krasna. Since When I finally understood, I said, "Which is your eighty years I never seen her!" The tears didn't stop. She grandmother?" lowered her eyes again to the picture and whispered over She pointed to the old lady in the picture, "This is mein and over, “Grossmutter, mein Grossmutter." I fell silent. Grossmutter from Krasna. When I was a little girl, I played Aunt Susie was back with her grandmother in Krasna. in her house. I spent so much time with her, my mother The following week I returned to present her a framed often said I was not her girl but Grandma's girl. Pa's house copy of the photograph. She thanked me repeatedly, and and mein Grossmutter’s house joined together. She always the tears of love and memory and gratitude came again in gave me chicken noodle soup. I saw her last on the day we her eyes. But what was that in mine? Through my watering left to go to America, when I was 12 years old. I wanted to eyes I saw her once again at her grandmother's table, just as stay with her. I cried so much when we left." The tears I once sat as a young boy at my grandmother's table, eating were flowing down her cheeks now as she recalled that chicken noodle soup. moment.

AHSGR Journal/Summer 1992 AHSGR Members enjoy unique benefits! Join today and receive: • Genealogical services of staff researchers working with our extensive archives. • Access to over 3,000 books, maps, manuscripts, and publications in the • Clues, AHSGR'S genealogical annual, with German-Russian genealogical AHSGR library. articles, passenger and village lists, Surname Exchange to help contact others • Translation services for documents and letters in eight languages at far below researching your families, and much more. market cost. • The AHSGR Journal with quarterly reports on the history and culture of Ger- • Discounts on books and maps and on registration for the society's annual mans from Russia, both in Russia and in North and South America, past and conference. present. • Members may join one of 58 local chapters. Enclosed is my check for membership in AHSGR for the year ______. American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Membership Enrollment Form Check one: D $30.00 Individual D $30.00 NAME Family L] $50.00 Contributing D (PRINT, stating title-Mr,, Mrs , Miss, Dr , Prof; $100.00 Sustaining I D $500.00 Life (May be paid in five annual MAIDEN NAME installments) {FIRST AND LASTf Mall to: AHSGR ADDRESS. 631 D Street Lincoln, NE 68502- 1199 (402) 474.3363 CANADIANS REMIT IN U.S. FUNDS (CITY) (STATE/PROVINCE) (ZIP) (COUNTRY] MEMBERSHIP ISSUED AS PRINTED ON TELEPHONE-(Home). .(Business) FORM ANCESTRAL VILLAGE (H).

ANCESTRAL VILLAGE (W)

Enclosed is my check for membership in American Historical Society of Germans from Russia AHSGR for the year ______.

Check one: Membership Enrollment Form Q $30.00 Individual D $30.00 NAME Family D $50.00 Contributing D (PRINT, stating title-Mr , Mis , Miss, Dr , Pro/J $100.00 Sustaining D $500.00 Life (May be paid in five annual MAIDEN NAME installments) fFIRST AND LAST) Mait to: AHSGR 631 D Street ADDRESS. Lincoln, NE 68502.1199 (402) 474-3363 (CITY) (STATE/PROVINCE) (ZIP) (COUNTRY) CANADIANS REMIT IN U.S. FUNDS MEMBERSHIP ISSUED AS TELEPHONE-(Home). .(Business) PRINTED ON FORM ANCESTRAL VILLAGE (H).

ANCESTRAL VILLAGE (W)_

Enclosed is my check for membership in fr. .g AHSGR for the year ______. American Historical Society of Germans from Russia

Check one: Membership Enrollment Form D $30.00 Individual D $30.00 NAME Family D $50.00 Contributing D (PRINT, stating title-Mr., Mis , Miss, Dr.. Prof) $100.00 Sustaining D $500.00 Life (May be paid in five annual MAIDEN NAME installments) (FIRST AND LAST) Mail to: AHSGR 631 D Street ADDRESS. Lincoln, NE 68502.1199 (402) 474-3363 (CITY) (STATE/PROVINCE) (ZIP) (COUNTRY) CANADIANS REMIT IN U.S. FUNDS MEMBERSHIP ISSUED AS TELEPHONE-(Home). .(Business) PRINTED ON FORM ANCESTRAL VILLAGE (H).

ANCESTRAL VILLAGE (W).

AHSGR PUBLICATIONS The society publishes books on all aspects of German-Russian life in Russia and in North America. AHSGR members receive discounts on orders from our extensive book list, which includes a wide array of works from a variety of sources. Below are a few of the most popular books on German- Russian culture and history (a complete publications list is included with your membership packet). Place an order with your membership enrollment and take your member discount today! Books: Author Member Member Amount Frnm Catherine tn Krushchev Giesinger 1900 1800

Emigratinn from Cormany to Russia Stnmpp 32 00 30 00 Mamnrips nf tha RIark Spa Carman.! Haight 2fi 00 24 00 German Colonies in South Russia, Vol.1 &2-Keller 14.00ea. 13.00 ea. German Cnlnnias nn tha l.nwar Vnlga Rorat? 20-00 18 00 in Old Russia Kloberdanz 3.00 2.00 Thp Char's Carmans Williams 1100 1000 Swiss Vnlhynian Mannnnitas fitnrky 7 00 fi 00 For Fun! Ki'ichp Knrhan (rnnkhnnk, in English) 7.50 fi 50 Lieblings-lieder unserer Vorvater (Faunrita finngs nf nur Forafathars) 14-50 13 50 I pt'.i Talk Carman-Russian!, 2nd ad Mar7nff 13 00 1 2 00 Da. ARr. Ri^h fi-00 5 00 F.rstas DpiitschpR I asahiirh n-00 5 00 Brink snhtnral: Bnnl< shipping and handling' $2..£^0 first item, $0.7fi RB. arid- itam: BOOK TOTAL; Non-Books: Author Member Member Amount From Catherine to Khrushchev Giesinger 19.00 18.00

Emigration frnm ("iprrmany to Russia Stiimpp 32 00 30 00 MRmnrip^ nf thp RIark Saa nprman^ Hpight 2fi 00 24 00 Carman Colnnips in Rnnth Russia, Vnt 1 & 2-Kflllar 14 OOaa 13 00 oa. German Colnnias nn the Lower Vnlga Rarat? 20.00 18-00 Vnlga riprmans in Old Riiwla Klnharrian7 3 00 2 00 Tha C7ar's norman« Williams 1100 1000 Swiss Vnlhynian MpnnnnitRS .Stnrki/ 7.00 fi 00 For Funi Klirhp. Knrhfin (rnnkhnnk, in English) 7-n0 n HO Lieblings-lieder unserer Vorvater (Faunrltfi Snngs nf niir Forafathprs) 14-RO 13 fiO I.flt's Talk nprman-Russian!, 2nd pd Mar7nff 13 00 1 2 00 Has ARC Riifh n 00 S 00 Rrstas nffiitsrhps 1 piphiirh n 00 fi 00 Bnntf

Emigratinn frnm Gprmany tn Russia fitiimpp 32 00 30 00 Memories of the Black Sea Germans Height 26.00 24,00 Carman Cnlnniat in Smith Russia, Vnl 1 ft 2—Kallfir 14 OORB 13 00 oa Carman Cnlnnias nn tha I nufor Vnlga Raraf? 20 00 18 00 Vnlga Germans in Old Russia KInhordanz 3 00 2 00 Tha Czar's Garmans Williams 11-00 10 00 Swiss Vnlhynian Mannnnitas Stiirky 7.00 fi.00 For Funi KiK-ha Knrhan (rnnkhnnk, in English) 7 RO fi RO Liebiings-lieder unserer Vorvater (Faunrita Snngs nf nnr Furafathars) 14-^0 13 .'lO Let's Talk German-Russian!, 2nd ed. Marzoff 13.00 12.00 Das ABC Buch 6.00 5.00 Rrstas Daiitsrhes I psphiirh fi 00 .S 00 Bnnk fliih+ntal- Bonk shipping and handling- $2..'SO first item, $0.7R aa. add itam- BOOK TOTAL:

From the AHSGR Map Collection: Bessarabia Odessa Volhynia (Ukraine) Volhynia (Poland) Volga Emigration to Black Sea Zaparozhye South Russia

Maps: $3,00 ea. (non-members $4.00) Map s/h: $0.50 for each map:.

MAP TOTAL:

TOT^L BOOKS & MAPS: From the AHSGR Map Collection: Jf 1 Bessarabia jt 2 Odessa Jf 3 Volhynia (Ukraine) J? 29 Volhynia (Poland) Jf 6 Volga jf 18 Emigration to Black Sea jf 2\ Zaparozhye jf 26 South Russia

Maps: $3.00 ea,

(non-members $4.00) . Map s/h: $0.50 for each map:, MAP

TOTAL:

TOTAL BOOKS & MAPS:

From the AHSGR Map Collection: Jf 1 Bessarabia Jf 2 Odessa Jf 3 Volhynia (Ukraine) Jf 29 Volhynia (Poland) Jf 6 Volga Jf 18 Emigration to Black Sea Jf 21 Zaparozhye Jf 26 South Russia

Maps: $3.00 ea. (non- members $4,00) . Map s/h: $0,50 for each map:, MAP

TOTAL:

TOTAL BOOKS & MAPS: