Journal of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia

Spring 1998 Volume 21, No. 1 Editor CHRISTINE CLAYTON AHSGR Headquarters, Lincoln, Nebraska

Editorial Board IRMGARD HEIN ELUNGSON PETER J.KLASSEN Bukovina Society, Ellis, KS California State University, Fresno ARTHUR E.FLEGEL TIMOTHY KLOBERDANZ Certified Genealogist, Menio Park, CA North Dakota State University, Fargo ADAMGIESINGER GEORGE KUFELDT University of Manitoba, Canada, emeritus Anderson University, Indiana, emeritus NANCY BERNHARDT HOLLAND CHRIS LOVETT Trinity College, Burlington, VT Emporia State University, Kansas WILLIAM KEEL LEONAPFEIFER University of Kansas, Lawrence Fort Hays State University, Kansas, emeritus

On the cover: Mail delivery in Fachria. The photograph is from Der Dobrudschabote, special edition The Journal of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia is published quarterly by AHSGR. 1995. See Alida Schieike-Brenner's poem and Members of the Sociely receive a quarterly Journal and Newsletter. Members qualify for discounts on Elaine Sauer DeBoer's English version for material available for purchase from AHSGR. Membership categories are: Individual, $50; reminiscences on an area which is now part of Family, $5(1; Contributing, $75; Sustaining, $100; Life, $750. Memberships are based on a calendar year, due each January 1. Dues in excess of $50 may be tax-deductible as allowed by law. Applications for Romania and Bulgaria. membership should be sent to AHSGR, 631 D Street, Lincoln, NE 68502-1199. The Journal welcomes the submission of articles, essays,, family histories, anecdotes, folklore, book reviews, and items regarding all aspects of the lives of Germans in/from Russia. All submissions are subject to review by the Editorial Board. Manuscripts should be typed double spaced with endnotes. Computer fan- fold paper should be separated before mailing. If written on computer, please include a diskette containing a copy of the computer file. We can accept IBM-compatible ASCII or WordPerfect™ files. Our style guide is The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th ed. revised (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993). Please indicate in your cover letter whether you have photos or illustrations to accompany your article. If you wish your submission returned to you, please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with adequate postage. Unless you instruct us otherwise, submissions not published in the Journal will be added to the AHSGR Archives.

The International Foundation of AHSGR is a non-profit organization which seeks funds to support the needs of the many operations of the Society. The Foundation accepts monetary gifts, bequests, securities, memorial gifts, trusts, and other donalions. Gifts to the Society may be designated for specific purposes such as promoting the work of the Aussiedler Project gathering information from German-Russian emigrants recently arrived in Germany, the AHSGR/CIS Project for purchasing documents from the Russian archives, or supporting the Society's library or genealogical work; gifts may also be designated for use where most needed, All contributions help further the goals of AHSGR: to gather, preserve, and make available for research material pertaining to the history of Germans from Russia. For information and to make contributions, contact the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 631 D Street, Lincoln, NE 68502-1199. Telephone: (402) 474-3363. Fax: (402) 474-7229. E-mail: [email protected]. Donations are lax deductible as allowed by law.

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Published by the American Historical Society of Germans From Russia

631 D Street • Lincoln, ME 68502-1199 • Phone 402-474-3363 • Fax 402-474-7229 • E-mail [email protected] ' Copyright 1998 by the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. ISSN 0162-8283

$10.00 U.S. CONTENTS

FROM AMERICA TO RUSSIA AND BACK John Balzer Translated by Harold Balzer and Karl Angermeier and edited by Peggy Goertzen..……………….... 1

SOME ARCHAIC TONGUE Ron Vossler ...... 7

HEINR1CH J. LOBSACK: PIONEER, PRESIDENT, AND POET OF THE ADVENTIST CHURCH IN RUSSIA, 1870-1938 Daniel Heinz...... 11

A ROUNDTRIP THROUGH DOBRUDSCHA Alida Schielke-Brenner Translated by Elaine Sauer DeBoer ...... ………...... 17

FROM VOLGA-GERMAN HERITAGE TO PROUD AMERICAN George Schissler...... 21

PLANT THE SEEDS AND REAP THE HARVEST Jean Roth...... 24

1997 JOURNAL INDEX Brent Alan Mai...... 29

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 About the Postcard

Harold Balzer of Buhler, Kansas, the contributor of the article starting on the following page, writes; Ever since the postcard was received, I tried to find someone to translate its contents. After making several copies, one copy was sent to Peggy Goertzen, Hillsboro, Kansas, to translate. This was done and further queries were made from time to time to find the exact date it was written. I was advised by Fedelia Plett it was written in 1916. This was doubtful because World War I started in 1914. It was during the presentation "From Prussia, to Russia, to America" at Inman Pleasantview Home that Alvin Siemens stated that a letter was written about the trip in the Zionsbote and it was in 1913. Further inquiry led me to the Tabor Archives to search for the letter. I looked through the 1913 and 1914 issues of Zionsbote, but to no avail. Peggy Goertzen, the curator at Tabor, suggested I should go to Bethel and search the newspaper Die Mennonitische Rundschau for the letter. It was there that the letter was found. It was published in three issues of Die Mennonitische Rundschau (25 March 1914,1 April 1914, and 8 April 1914).

The USS George Washington. Courtesy of Harold Balzer.

On 1 August 1913, John Balzer and his wife, Aganeta, his brother-in-law Abraham Bose, and Abraham Reimer left Buhler, Kansas, on an extended trip to Russia to visit friends and relatives. They returned on 28 November 1913. John Balzer sent a postcard to his son John A, Balzer. The contents of the postcard was translated by Peggy Goertzen. It reads as follows:

NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD BREMEN...

Dear children, A greeting first! We have already passed the islands. We have already seen several ships. We will arrive tomorrow afternoon in Bremen. Up to now we have had very nice weather, but now it is foggy, and it jerks so that I cannot write the best. We have been healthy thus far. We hope that we no longer have any seasickness. Next time we'll write a lot, and also next time we will write more. Greetings from your parents.

[Writing on front of postcard: "The ship is 722 feet long".]

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 FROM AMERICA TO RUSSIA AND BACK

John Balzer Translated by Harold Balzer and Karl Angermeier Edited by Peggy Goertzen John Balzer was born in the village of Paulsheim Molochna next day at ten o'clock. Brother A. F. Wiens was at the Colony, in South Russia. His grandparents, the Henry depot and drove us to his home. We found everyone well Balzer family, migrated from Schweingrube, Prussia, in and active. From there we went to the large museum, where 1819 and established their home in Grossweide in the there is much to see, and then to the lake. Here we saw Moiochna Colony, It was here that John's father, Peter, was ships coming and going. There was heavy traffic. There born and raised. Peter married Anna Peters and they started was also much to see at Lincoln Park—various animals, their home life in Paulsheim, where John was born, John flowers, and lovely beds, etc. Sunday morning we drove to met his bride to be, Sarah Penner, and they were married in the Mission Church of the Old Mennonites. In the afternoon 1872, two years before their transmigration to America. we were in A. F. Wiens's Sunday school class, and we The Balzers settled in McPherson County, Kansas, in rejoiced over the work they were doing for the Lord. In the 1874, where John and his family farmed on the prairies. In evening we went to the hotel. Monday morning we boarded 1910 he retired from farming and moved to Buhler, Kansas. the train and rode to Buffalo. We got there at four o'clock On 1 August 1913, John Balzer and his second wife, and stayed in a hotel for the night. In the morning we went Aganeta, his brother-in-law Abraham Bose, and Abraham to Niagara Falls, where we saw the wonderful creations of Reimer left Buhler, Kansas, on an extended trip to visit God. The water there falls from 150 to 160 feet, then foams friends and relatives in the Molochna Colony, South up, and is entirely misty. There was also a fountain where Russia. They returned on 28 November 1913. Three articles the water rolled and bubbled like water boiling in a kettle. recording the journey and visit were found in Die When it was lit, it burned and the flames flew high in the Mennonitische Rundschau. These articles were titled "Von air. That was the gas that came up very high. Then he lit the Amerika nach Rufiland und zuriick" and appeared in the 25 pump-handle and the fire came through the pipe. When the March, 1 April and 8 April 1914 issues of the Rundschau. man held a towel over it, it did not burn. When he put out Harold Balzer, the contributor of this article, is the the fire, he gave us the water to drink, and the water was grandson of John Balzer. cold. Then we went on a street car, which was two hundred feet above the water and landed on the other side of the river. From there we returned to Buffalo, and the next day Die Mennonitische Rundschau, 25 March 1914 we went to New York. On 7 August we toured the large city and looked at the Since today, while sitting by the stove, I thought back wonders. We also drove over the Brooklyn Bridge. This is to our trip and remembered that I had promised to write a large structure. This structure is forty-five to fifty-six something about it, 1 will try and bring a small report to the stories high and probably higher. We saw many other newspaper. Before I go any further, I want to apologize for things. We also drove sixty feet under the Hudson River not writing sooner. First of all we have been busy and have and then came to Hoboken. On Saturday, 9 August, we had a lot of visitors, and we also drove to Oklahoma and boarded the ship. The first two days it was beautiful; the later to Nebraska and looked up my cousin Klaus Hubert. third day it was already rough, but the rest of the time we He is sick and wanted to know about his dear friends I had spent there we enjoyed. Very few people got seasick on the seen on the trip. We have made a lot of visits, and secondly trip, but it was nice the remainder of the time. A boiler man I am not a good news writer. died on the trip; he was a young Italian man. At midnight, On 1 August 1913 we began our trip, that is, my they lowered him into the sea. My wife and I were well on brother-in-law Abraham Bose, Abraham Reimer, my wife, the entire trip. and I. We drove to Inman, Kansas, and we left at ten The ship, George Washington, is a good ship with good o'clock in the morning. We arrived in Kansas City in the service. It is 722 feet long, seventy-two feet wide, seventy- evening. We took a Pullman and arrived in Chicago the five feet high and descends thirty-two feet in

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 2 From America to Russia and Back

This picture was taken on the USS George Washington. John Balzer is the fourth person in the back row. Aganeta Balzer is second from the left of the four women who are seated. Far left: Abraham Reimer. Far right: Abraham Bose. This picture was given to Harold Balzer by Fedelia Plett, daughter of John A. Balzer. Courtesy of Harold Balzer. the water. We also saw a whale, and once in a while a few found a place to stay. Then we wanted to see the cathedral ships passed us. After we had sailed for eight and one-half because so much had been written about it. We came to the days, we landed in Bremerhaven. Here we looked for front hallway and looked therein. We were asked what we lodging. wished. We said we wanted to see the cathedral. The priest I have forgotten to report to you what happened to me said it was time for prayer and it was time for mass and we with my passport in New York. When we were there, we should come back another time. This is also an enormous went to the Russian Consul and wanted to get the passport building. We were told it surely is over five hundred feet signed, but it was not done. The next day we went again, high with its tall tower. From Cologne we went to Mainz and Mr. Reimer received his, signed by the Consul; he had along the Rhine by steamer. Since we traveled from nine in his foreign exit visa with him. I did not have mine the morning until ten in the evening, our eyes became tired anymore; I thought it would not help me. Well, I said I of seeing castles, ruins, mountains, and cities. The vine- would take my pass to Bremen and get it signed, and Mr. yards on the hills make a wonderful view. Reimer thought I should go with him to Berlin, and we could return; this is how it happened to my dear father Die Mennonitische Rundschau, 1 April 1914 years ago under this same situation, I said I wanted to find this out. When we were in Bremen and staying there, my From Mainz we went to Basel, Switzerland. We did brother-in-law Bose and I took a horse-drawn carriage to not stay at Basel. Then we drove to Reinfeld where we had the Russian Consul. He was a nice old uncle, he spoke a mission to accomplish for our friends, the Emil Kiems, German and asked us what we wished. Then I said to him because they still have a mother, brother and sister, and that we were Americans and had a passport and wished he children there. The people there extended us a heartfelt would sign it. He took the passports and signed them. Then welcome. They were delighted to receive news from their we left and drove down the street very happy. 1 have children and relatives. We then returned to Basel, Luzern, written this because I want you to know what to do if you and over the Alps and then to Interlachen. There are so should take this trip. many examples of God's creation to see there. From Also, in Bremen we toured the city. From there we Interlachen we took a horse and cart and drove four hours went to Cologne. Here we arrived at six o'clock and before we got to the glacier in the mountain.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 On the way to our destination, we went uphill most of the halfway to our destination. But I must say the second class time; the stable flies were so bad that the driver of the cart passage in Russia was enjoyable. We always had a and horses had a ten-to-twelve-year-old child chase the compartment for four passengers and then we closed the flies away from the horses. This was the way we traveled doors and were able to sleep comfortably. for several miles. This seemed a pity to me that someone On the railroad we met our friends, the Johann would run along the side of a wagon for no pay and have a Neufelds from Liebenau. He helped us rent a carriage so block under his arm and place it under the wheel of the cart that we could get to Petershagen to meet Uncle Gerhard whenever needed. It was a pity that such a thing should Epp. As we arrived there, Uncle and Aunt came out of the happen to a lower-class family. Then we saw a boy with house. When they saw the carriage, they thought those two dogs pulling a two-wheel cart. The two-wheel cart was people are coming from the railroad. They had no idea stacked with hay and it was pulled up the mountain. Most someone from America was coming; they had not heard of the local grain was cut with a scythe. Most of the that we were coming to Russia for a visit. We introduced persons cutting the grain were women; the men worked in ourselves and stayed there for the night. The next morning the factories and the railroad. The local grain was placed they drove us to Rosenort to see my wife's sister. That was on poles to dry because it was wet and usually foggy from a wonderful reunion after thirty-five years. It was morning till noonday. This was the work of the poor, heartwarming reuniting with our relatives and friends at working-class people. We also saw men with silk hats in Rosenort and Blumenort. We really enjoyed ourselves in the cities. beautiful Russia. We have at present very many brothers, From Interlachen we drove to Zurich and then to sisters and friends, with whom we have renewed our Vienna, the capital of Austria, and through all the cities friendship. When we came to Russia, it was just before like Lemberg and whatever the names may be until the seeding time. When we were refreshed. Brother and Sister Russian border towards Podvolochisk. Our passports were Epp drove us to Ladekop to my wife's cousin David Boese, inspected, and then immediately we went through customs, who drove us to cousin Jakob Peters in Liebenau. Also, We got tickets to the station Prishib. We were now dear Jacob

Leading servants of the M.B. Church in Russia. Left to right. Peter Köhn, Waldheim, Molochna; Kornelius Peters, Wohldemfurst, Kuban; Jakob Reimer, Rückenau; Johann Fast, Alexander/old, Kuban. Photo- graphed in the fall of 1913. John Balzer refers to Jakob Reimer of Rückenau. He is the third person from the left in the picture above. From Heritage Remembered.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998

In Grossweide, John Balzer visited Elder David Nickel. The picture above shows Nickel and his family. From Heritage Remembered. and your little Marie, what are you doing there? Also Peter some of them 1 just drove through. During one of the Käthler, Elder Heinrich Peters, Sister Gäde, Sister Franzen, times, a person came through and I was met by a second all your children, we greet you all heartily. I will write cousin living in the Spat, Crimea; he was second cousin from time to time. Peter Lowen, also Isbrand Janzen, and my wife's cousin After we had visited our Liebenau friends, Cousin Martin Bose, In the village Adshambet live Jacob Epp's Peters drove us to Muntau to our dear elder Heinrich children, Johann Bargen. Unruh. Their children had also come home. The dear brother and sister had a great interest in America, because Die Mennonitische Rundschau, 8 April 1914 his mother and siblings are still living here. From there we went to Rosenort. Then we went one more time with From there we drove to Zagradovka into the village of Brother and Sister Jacob Epp to Alex-anderkrone for a Tiege. We were there with our dear friends Withelm Volks, wedding. There we met friends and acquaintances; also Julius Dorksen, and Klassen, and the Kroekers were also from there I went to my cousin Johann Sawatzky's. My there, and my dear Peter Isaak, my old friend, and Jacob dear cousin still remembered me after thirty-nine years. It Nickel. After leaving Zagradovka, we came to the city of was a heartwarming reunion. So we made many different Khutor Davidopol, where the Heinrich Epps live. We were visits, even in Reckoned at dear brother Jacob Reimer's. I heartily received by the dear nephew. My cousin Peter visited with him one evening about prophecy and things of Sawatzky does not live very far from there. Then we also the Kingdom of God, and we were quite happy. Brother visited our dear Lindenauer; located there is Elder and Sister Aron Reimer and their children in Fürstenwerder Bernhard Epp and both of Jacob Epp's children and the two I send greetings. In Grossweide I visited my dear cousin teachers, J. Wittenberg and Jacob Epp, and both of Jacob Jacob Kathler, David Ewert, Elder David Nickel, and my Epp's children. There are still many whom I have not old friend Peter Neuman. All these and those who precisely recorded. All the time we were there, we were in remember me, even those from Paulsheim, of them church or meeting every Sunday, except one. 1 found out especially the dear friend and brother Gerhard Diirksen, that in Russia there is an active life in the work of the Lord. have all been heartily greeted. Dear Gerhard, I think of you There is also a wonderful hospital in Muntau; Brother often. Write me a letter, the Enns brothers, Brother Heinrich Unruh went through the hospital with us as well Heinrich Ediger, Peter Pankratz, Peter Gorzen, also the as the Central School and the Girls' School. The old folks' widow Lorenz and all the other Paulsheimers, also all my home, where so many elderly find good care, is nicely laid cousins, the Sawatzky sisters. I have been in fifty-three out with a lovely garden and forest nearby. The deaf school villages in the colony; was especially important to me, where the deaf children learn to speak and read. It is really a good school. I was in

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 the classroom and noticed how attentive the children were, already gone to sleep, the teacher Phil Cornies came to our Then I was at my cousin Kathler in Grossweide, who window with a choir and sang several lovely farewell songs had a deaf son, who had gone to school there. We spoke for us. It was very moving. Herewith I say thank you to the with him, and I was overjoyed that my beloved Jasch (that choir. stands for Jacob) was so fortunate to be able to read and On 7 November, our time, we began our return trip. speak and has also learned to know the Lord Jesus Christ. I Jacob Epp's children, Jacob Epp and Peter Barg, drove us to will try to keep my promise, one I have kept, and one I the station. With a warm handshake and a heartwarming have not kept, I had almost forgotten to mention the farewell, we boarded the train at seven o'clock in the orphanage in Grossweide. That is also a good place for evening, and we were headed for America. We were very children who are orphaned and do not have proper care. fortunate on our trip. As we came to the border, the pass- The school is operated by Sister Abraham Harder. The ports were taken and we received a receipt. When we good will always be rewarded in the name of the Lord. wanted the passports returned, we needed to do a little The last time we were in Liebenau, we were at Jacob bribing, and it made it a little easier to get them back. Then Peters' in the evening. Mrs. Heinrich Peters held a farewell we drove over the border and when we were in Germany at for us. There were many dear ones who assembled there the customs office, I was reminded that my luggage was and also our beloved friend Franz Gorz. A big thank-you checked to the Russian border. From the Russian border for the remembrance, dear friend. until Germany our fare was eleven kopeks, but I had not Then came our last days. Before we left Rosenort, thought of the luggage. So my wife and I stayed there. several came to bid us farewell, and Brother Heinrich Cornelius Epp and Heinrich Epp had to be checked by a Unruh delivered the farewell address, and dear friends doctor at the control station in Ostrovo, because they wished us luck for the trip. All you dear ones, may God wanted to travel to America. My brother-in-law A. Bose bless your effort and work. In the evening, when we had and Mr. A. W. Reimer drove to Berlin. My wife and I

The hospital in Muntau. From Heritage Remembered.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998

The School for the Mute and Deaf in Grossweide. From Heritage Remembered. stayed in the German customs office till morning. Then I took the the ocean in eight and one-half days to the New York harbor. On next train to the Russian border to get our luggage; through my the return trip we had quite a bit of wind the first three days, but it misfortune 1 left the luggage at the Russian border. At the was not stormy. On the return trip I really do not know whether I Russian station I had to give up my passport again and get a was sick or not. I do know whatever I ate did not taste good. It did receipt for it. After this happened and I had my passport back and not taste as good as on the way over, but 1 did not get seasick. a ticket and my luggage on the train, I thought that 1 was ready to After we were ready to leave New York, we headed toward the board the train. Then the police came and told me that I could not west. We arrived in Inman, Kansas, on 28 November at six get on the train and that my passport had to be stamped. So I went o'clock in the morning. It was early in the morning, so we went to and wanted to get my passport stamped quickly. The official said Heinrich Epps. Then we stayed for breakfast. Then Mr. Epp took it could not be done, it was too late, the train was ready to leave, I his car and drove us to Buhler, and we were home again. begged him to let me get on the train, I wanted to get on the night We have found everything well and in order. We want to train to Berlin. He said it was not possible. I did not give up and praise and thank God many times. I want to make a point that we asked him once more. Then the official decided to let me get on. are very thankful for our beloved friends in Russia, especially the As 1 boarded the train, the train left. warm acceptance which was shown to us everywhere. Now this When I arrived in Germany, the officials were immediately time seems to me like a dream, yet in spirit they all remain in my helpful and so we went to Berlin. We stayed in Berlin a few days; mind always. We will see you again, if not here, then before the we made some purchases and went to the zoological garden, throne of God. toured the city, and then went on to Bremerhaven. Then, on 15 Brother Peter Balzer was here when I finished this story and November at ten o'clock, we were on the George Washington sends his greetings to all of his dear friends. Live well. again and sailed across

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 SOME ARCHAIC TONGUE

How I Quit Saying "Gel" and Other Affronts Against My Prairie Nature

Ron Vossler For a long time I thought that everyone in the world— if there was feel that his fate might foreshadow my own. a world beyond the rectangular confines of our south central North I felt then that I'd end up like him, wearing an old suit-coat Dakota county—grew up like I did: surrounded by the tiered ranks frayed at the elbows from too much leaning close to the old of relatives who, according to their place in the generations, spoke Philco radio to hear the news; felt too that I'd eventually gain a varying degrees of English and German. propensity to pray in long cadenced mournful tones in church; felt I felt certain then, in that primitive childhood way, that the too that eventually I'd sit for dreamy hours, sharpening knives and older you got, the more German you spoke. It seemed natural, like scythes at a pedal millstone in my own backyard. gaining wrinkles or sloughing hair, until you ended up like my But mostly, 1 wanted his language to become mine: grandpa Hannes, always sighing and mumbling and so immersed that melodious, but often gruff, German dialect which all the old in German dialect, what I called then, to myself: "those old lost people in town spoke then, so long ago, in the middle of North words." Dakota, in the middle of the continent, in the middle of this Many families in my little prairie hometown were still century. I'd already begun that process of assuming his language. gripped by fatalism. It was a remnant of that old prairie life of the Sometimes I tacked gel (isn't that so?), or nit (not?) onto the ends Black Sea German immigrant; the belief that behavior was of my sentences. Sometimes, kneeling in church, I'd string somehow inherited, more genetic than learned, passed on from together the few words of German I knew, punctuating them with one generation to the next. elongated exhalations of breath, in an attempt to emulate what I So if your forefathers didn't trouble themselves to clear their now know were his world weary sighs. grain fields of rocks before harvest, and thereby ruined their As a child, everything seemed to have at least two names. combines—then you were doomed to repeat that same action. Winter, I knew, could be called, in English, just plain bone- "Ach yah, all those (insert family name) ruin their machinery. It cracking cold; but it was also, at least ac-cording to some people, runs in the family." It worked the other way around, too. Once, fierigkald, or,saufnassigkald. Some oldsters spoke their own when our town policeman Leroy asked me if I'd taken part in a special way. They'd take English words, like "below zero" and teenage prank, I said, "No"; not missing a beat— for he'd known mix them with the German unter Null, to formulate their own me since my earliest childhood, and my family much longer—he phrase, "under-below," to be used as follows: "Ay yah yi, es isch replied, "Oh come on now, Your Vossler blood doesn't lie like aber yah aadich under-below heute, nitV (Boy, it is really under that." below—below zero—today, isn't My grandpa Hannes was the only grandfather I ever knew. it?) But he was not related to me; there was, as they said then, "no Similarly, other dialect phrases could sometimes be rendered shared blood" between us, since he was my stepfather's too directly into English. For example, there is the phrase, so stepfather; but there was shared love. Even when he greeted me, common among churchgoing Germans from Russia in my lingering on my name, drawing out the syllables, it seemed he hometown: Es steht im Bibel, which, literally, means, "It stands in caressed me with those sounds, "Yahhh, der Rawnnny." So I felt the Bible," or, better, "It is written in the Bible." that love, which I reciprocated, made him my real grandfather. One day in the grocery store I overheard an elderly fellow And that is how I began to identify with him; to expatiating to a fellow shopper about a bit of local news, and the fellow shopper wanted to know Just where he'd heard that information, implying, of course, that he'd made it up. Disturbed Ron Vossler, a freelance writer and Senior Lecturer at the that his credibility was being questioned, the elderly fellow replied University of North Dakota, is working on a novella. The Drowning with a huff, "Ach, I saw it standing in the newspaper, of Indian Ponies, and completing a travelogue of his trip to ancestral villages in Ukraine, titled tentatively Only the Scent of the Sea.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 8 Some Archaic Tongue

where else?"—Which, translated, means, "I read it in the ride to visit my aunt and uncle in a nearby town, or the newspaper," or "It was reported in the newspaper." eleven-mile journey one Sunday each year to attend As a teenager, when a car's exhaust emitted acrid summer revival services in a town just over the county clouds of oil fumes, I didn't need to consult a mechanic to border. kick its fender and declare its engine "hailed out" or There is an anecdote which my mother was fond of ausgehagelt. And footch—that's what I might call myself telling. It concerned an elderly German from Russia after hauling bales all day, when I'd quit early, which at immigrant woman, one of our own grandmothers or great- that time meant anytime before sundown, because 1 was no grandmothers on her annual trip from the prairie homestead longer able to hack (pronounced "hag") the work: stacking into town. In a dry-goods store, this alia Grossmutter, one hundred pound wet alfalfa bales into a sweaty August pointing to an atomizer of perfume on the counter, asked in barn loft—which was my earliest conception of what the a mixture of German and English, if the clerk could "sheet real hell might belike. a little into my hand." It was only years later that I'd finally understood why Of course, the old woman, wanting to sniff the my favorite high school English teacher contorted her perfume, meant shiet, from the German word for pour or elegant features in a grimace as my classmates and I recited spray. But the part of the story which drove me into gusts aloud flowery, memorized passages of plaintive love of uncontrollable laughter, into guffaws which knotted my poems of the Romantic English poets. During class stomach, was that the clerk, a "Yankee," unable to speak recitation, we'd lard those evocative love poems with our German, recoiled in horror and embarrassment at the old own sounds, rendering them in our own lingo and accent so woman's proffered hand, at the thought of what he thought they'd sound something like this; "Come lif with me and be she wanted. my luff, und we will all the pleashures proof." To someone of Black Sea German descent, or at least We knew of no other way to talk, at least not until our to me, there seemed something both extremely humorous county schools consolidated, and Catholic farm kids, riding and satisfying about this anecdote. those clunky yellow buses, were transported to town from Granted, the story verges on Schadenfreude—joy isolated farmsteads where they still spoke German daily. through someone else's pain; and uses the Germanic Along with their paper lunch bags stained from the scatological sense to turn the tables on the "in group"— liverwurst and headcheese sandwiches, those "farmers" that is, on the main street Yankees, who sometimes were also toted into our classroom Germanic accents thicker known to poke fun at the alien speech and folkways of than our own. Black Sea German immigrants. Yet, it didn't seem all that strange when we'd listen to That story illustrated, in reverse, some of the adversity those katlicks farmkids telling risque dialect stories during I encountered when I did finally leave my home county for study hall; when they whispered in their own mother college. Though I spoke well, or thought I did, my college tongue about dances and dates and what they'd do over the friends immediately seized upon the strange quality of my weekend; or when they'd pin old country dialect nicknames utterances. Their brows furrowed. They looked at me on our least favorite teachers. quizzically when I used words I'd used my whole life. They There also seemed nothing strange when at a high didn't have a clue that a mugga-batcha was a flyswatter; school dance in a neighboring town my friend Jerry, the that a speelumba was a gnarly old rag for washing dishes; lead singer of the local rock band called "The Phantoms," that someone devilish or mean was a Sutton; that someone sang the popular song "Wild Thing" in mixed German and lazy was I it rich. English lyrics; nothing unusual that his voice boomed over Worse yet, my college friends sometimes mimicked the microphone, "Wildes Ding, ich denk ich Hebe dich . . . me, guffawing at my singsong accent, their mouths hanging aber ich bin gerade nit for sure", which, loosely translated so wide on the hinge of their jaws that, as my mother meant, "Wild thing, I think I love you, but I want to know always said, you could have hung them up on nails in the for sure." barn. Other college acquaintances bluntly informed me that No, the world we inhabited was the right world, the I misused English words. Why did I call a dust pan a only world; our prairie patois the one and only language. "shovel"? And the ground outside wasn't the "floor" as I'd Even television, with its poor reception and its fuzzy mistakenly called it once. (I'd often heard that term while bristling of dots, just a novelty then, did little to convince growing up, the floor, which meant anything beneath you. me, anyway, of the outside world. Besides, my own family It was a kernel of language, an error if you want to be rarely traveled, except for a half hour picky, passed through the generations, probably from early prairie days when

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 Some Archaic Tongue 9 the floor of a sod-house was the actual ground, or Boden), rarely traveled section lines: warning words which could be Suffice it to say that my speech embarrassed me. I uttered in one quick breath to someone, for instance, couldn't explain why I sounded as I did. In all my high walking too near a horse that liked to kick or near my school courses, not to mention from my own upbringing or grandmother when she was in a bad mood (Bass uff); relatives, there'd rarely been one word breathed about my words to tease or prod or nudge someone to work harder German ancestors who once lived in colonies in Russia. (schamt dich numma or "have you no shame?"). My parents' generation wanted to be known as Americans. In my college world there was no longer any use, Yet there was something unspoken about my own past, either, for all those words that I knew growing up, because something which I couldn't name or express, but which, as the cafeteria didn't serve food of that kind: the old saying goes, I'd "sucked in my mother's milk." words that seemed as doughy and substantial and sweet as In my first year of college then, impaled on my low those stalwarts of the Black Sea German palate; all the opinion of my background and myself, I determined to schuffnudala, blachinda, dumpfnudula, blutwurst, knepfia, "improve" my speech. I wanted to sound the right way. It kugha, and schlitzkeuchela of my early life. seemed an onerous task, like those annual winter cullings During my first two college years, 1 practiced my in my grandparents' basement, when we'd search the speech regularly. I read long tracts from "Paradise Lost," heaped potatoes in the bins for the rotten ones, that long epic poem, into a tape recorder. I played the tape I Jettisoned all those perfectly expressive curse words back, again and again, searching my words for those thick and exclamations, including the all-purpose Gott das Willa sounds which caught at the end or beginnings like and the darker Fix a Wetter nochamal. I no longer rubbed tumbleweeds blown against a barbed wire fence. my index fingers together at right angles and said aver to Eventually, I wrung the juice from everything I said until express my disapproval with someone's behavior. 1 even my language, however flat or uninspired, sounded more or got rid of that sentimental good-bye greeting. Yah, machst less "correct," educated—just like that of my professors. gut. In my college introductory German class, excited that I I eliminated all those musical phrases and Jokes and could grasp the meaning of an entire story at one reading, I proverbs, like So gehts wann mir alt sei; or "You can't pull made the mistake of telling my teacher one day after class hair from a frog"; or "We'll never be this young together that my grandparents spoke German. Sniffing arrogantly, when we meet again"; forgot about all those jokes, or my teacher replied that yes, during classroom recitation greetings which melded the two languages I'd known, like he'd noticed in my pronunciation the influence, as he put it, the following greeting I'd often overheard on the streets of of "some archaic tongue." So as not to embarrass me, he my hometown: said, he'd not mentioned that in front of the other students. First person to second person: "Yah, wie gehtsT' (How But, he added, to pass his course I'd have to speak the right are you?) way, his way, his German. Second person replies, with a smile: "The gates ok, but Hammered on that college anvil about both my English the fence is broke." and my German, I clammed up. Oversensitive, I grew Both laugh. fearful that I might slip; that I might say "wetter" instead of (The reply, using the German word gehts as the cue, weather; "chop" instead of job. By the end of my second moves into English, using the same sounding word, year of college, though, I felt I'd purified my speech. "gates," before adding "fence is broke," which implies that Because I had nothing to counter it, I assimilated everyone things are not all ok.) else's opinion of my own background, and I wondered just In my new scheme of things, in my linguistic make- how long it might take people to figure out that I didn't over, there was no room for any of that Spass, or fun. No belong in such a learned atmosphere; before someone room either for those weird dialect stories which punned ferreted out in the shapes of my syllables all those and used simitar sounding words to evoke sexual innuendo slouching peasants of my past, even my grandfather, whom and, of course, laughter, like the most famous of them, Die 1 loved. Spatzel und Die Fetzel, or The Vogel und Die Fagel. It is a longer, more complicated story than I've Like so much ballast, I also threw overboard those presented here—that journey of anyone's life from the short, sharp, warning words that might prove useful lest limitless, scrolling prairie of childhood into the forests of someone high hitch their car on certain parts of middle age. Yet suffice to say that after years of education; after years of meetings and conferences, of teaching and traveling; after years of listening to count-

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 less others, and myself, speak—after all that my own voice and tools and cloth that they carried, really the only thing began to sound wrong somehow, like an out of tune piano, they had. It began to occur to me, as the old voices of my and I couldn't help but think of my voice as hollow as those childhood resonated in my memory, that the dialect was bones that my grandfather used to suck clean of marx, or not only meant to communicate, but spoken melodiously, marrow. to convey beauty, too, the way an artist might paint a Somewhere along the line I began to hear—beneath picture, or a poet craft a phrase. the tranquil surface of my present life—a rushing river of It occurred to me, too, that for too many years I'd language: of English yes, but something more complicated overlooked the humor inherent in the dialect; that it was than that, too. There was, in that river, Anglicized German, like the Indian travois, mobile and graceful, yet efficient Gcrmanified English, Russian loan words, tangled syntax, too. I also realized that what was most vital in me still, to and linguistic anomalies, of just plain silliness and fun, some extent, lived in that old language; which lay just below the surface—all the cumulative voices that if it died out, the world would be impoverished; of the people I'd grown up among, all the children and that I would be impoverished too; that in the old "lost grandchildren of the Black Sea German settlers, who'd words" of my childhood, there remained the poignant transplanted that older way of life onto the American beauty of my own history, my own people. plains. So after years of wringing out my speech like an old Over the years, visiting my hometown for funerals and speelumba, after years of swatting every dialect phrase reunions and holidays, I'd listen with envy to my relatives' with my own linguistic mugga-batcha—after all that, I occasional forays into dialect. I'd listen to that tough prairie better understand that I have been shaped by what I have grob quality; to the risings and fallings, to the soft lost. I have also returned to my childhood sense that the whisperings and lingerings on the endings of words, like older I grew, the more of my grandfather's language I'd when my grandmother, who'd draw out her phrases as eventually speak. That's what I do now, in quiet moments, though bending blues notes on a harmonica, would say, speaking to myself, or to anyone else who won't correct "Yah, da druvvva—over there, where I used to live." me, whatever I can recall of the old dialect, hoarsely It began to occur to me that for the Black Sea Ger- perhaps, and a little off-key, and, no doubt, ruptured by mans—an ethnic group who'd twice, in less than a century, errors. But at least I know that it is my birthright, a immigrated to a new land; who'd twice left behind their pipeline to my primal childhood self—my own archaic material culture to begin again, first on the barren steppes tongue. of Russia, and then later on the American prairie—their "Gel?" sag ich. (Don't you think so?) language was, except for a few seeds "Hanno yah, du hash es recht gsagt." (Yes, indeed.)D

ERRATA On page page 21 of the winter 1997 issue of the AHSGR Journal, "Wittman" was incorrectly inserted in brackets as the German name for "Solotoe." The sentence should read: "Then we went by ship to Solotoe on the Volga." We apologize for the error.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 11 HeinrichJ. Lobsack: Pioneer, President, and Poet of the Adventist Church in Russia. 1870-1938 Daniel Heinz

The history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Russia and the Soviet Union is inseparably bound to the person of Heinrich Johannes Lobsack of the Volga German colony Frank (Medveditsko-Krestovoy Buyerak).1 As Russian-German settlers in the American Midwest sent Adventist literature to their relatives in Russia in the early 1880s, Lobsack was among the first to convert to Adventism. The first Seventh-day Adventists in Russia were for the most part Russian Germans, who came from the Mennonite-Brethren-Church or, like Lobsack, from the Lutheran Church. In 1894 Lobsack was ordained as the first Adventist minister in Russia and was undoubtedly after that time the most influential leader of Adventism in that country- From 1921 until his imprisonment in 1934, Lobsack was the president of the Adventist Church for the entire Soviet Union.2 In 1938 he was executed in a Stalinist prison camp. Difficult and often dangerous missionary trips took him from the foot of Mount Ararat on the Turkish border to the remote regions of eastern Siberia. During many years he set to poetry his deep religious convictions and the many impressions he received from his extensive travels. Some of his poems appeared in the Adventist church paper, Der Adventbote, which Lobsack began to publish in

Moscow in 1925. This Adventist magazine was the only one to View of the mill "Hessen-Bruckenmuhle" in the village ever appear in Russia in the German language. When we look Miinster in the Wetterau, Hesse, where Johann Emanuel back on Lobsack's life and that of his family members, we find Lobsack worked prior to his immigration to Russia in 1766. out that their fate is quite typical in many aspects of the fate of The building still looks the same as it was 250 years ago. many Russian Germans. They were persecuted, deported, and Courtesy of Daniel Heinz. many—such as Lobsack —lost their lives in the turmoil of history. Through the recent opening of the state archives of the rounding his death, for example, cannot be explained up to this former Soviet Union some long-kept and secret documents were day. discovered that give us more detailed information on the life and Heinrich J, Lobsack was born on 4 January 1870 in Prank work of Lobsack, this courageous champion of the Adventist (Saratov gubernia). This German settlement was located on the cause in Russia. Still, many questions remain unanswered. The hillside of the Volga River along the Medveditsa Creek, and was closer circumstances sur- officially founded on 27 May 1767. Around 320 people of the Lutheran faith were settled there. Most of them had left their homeland the previous spring and had spent over a year in Daniel Heinz, M.A; Ph.D., is a lecturer in church history at the Theolo^ische Hochschule Friedensau, Germany, and Director of reaching the Volga area. Among the settlers was also a young the European Adventist Archives. He is a member of AHSGR and adventurer, Johann Emanuel Losack, who was born in 1741 in is currently working on a major book on curly Russian A dventism. Steinheim/Hesse, near the city of Hungen. He was a miller by His research interests also include other smaller evangelical trade, Heinrich J. Lobsack was a direct descendant of this Johann denominations in Russia and the Soviet Union. Dr. Heim traveled Emanuel Lobsack.3 Before his immigration to Russia, Johann widely in Russia and in the succession states of the former Soviet Union, visiting various state archives there. Emanuel Lobsack worked in a nearby mil! belonging to his relatives in Hessenbriickerhammer in Laubach-Miinster (Wetterau). The mill still exists today. The ancestors of Heinrich J. Lobsack were zealous Lutherans, who were influenced by the Pietist spirit of the region. Heinrich J. Lobsack remembers that his

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998

The Lutheran church in Frank was built in 1842. It seated more than 1,140 people. The church was demolished in 1937. In this church young Heinrich was baptized and later used to ring the bells for church service, from AHSGR archives. parents, Johannes Friedrich Lobsack (1846-1918) and Lobsack. The marriage ceremony was conducted by the Anna Margareta, maiden name Lesser (1844-1919), were village pastor Karl R. Roos. As we have already concluded, strongly influenced by the apocalyptic ideas of the there were two families by the name of Lobsack living in Lutheran pastor Samuel Gottfried Christoph Cloeter (1823- Frank who were not directly related to each other.5 1896). Cloeter was an influential preacher who propagated Heinrich J. Lobsack spent the first twenty years of his life his view on the imminent coming of the end times since in Frank. Since the age of sixteen, the religious young man 1865. He purchased land in southern Russia near Mosdok conducted, on behalf of the local pastor, Bible studies and on the Terek River in order to establish a chiliastic prayer meetings not only in his home village but also in settlement there. Cloeter considered Caucasia as God's neighboring colonies. At this time he was already in chosen land for the millennial kingdom. Although the contact with the Adventist Church and zealously circulated young Lobsack did not adopt Cloeter's enthusiastic ideas, its literature among his friends and relatives. In the he readily accepted the Adventist message of a soon beginning of 1890, the Russian-German Adventist pastor coming of Christ. Nevertheless, Cloeter's preaching paved Jakob Klein visited him in Frank. Right after Klein's visit, the way for Lobsack's deep interest in Adventism. The Lobsack and his wife decided to leave the Lutheran Church eschatological concept that Christ would soon establish his and to begin Bible studies for baptism into the Adventist eternal kingdom and bring an end to the world's sufferings Church, which had barely gained a foothold in Russia at acts as a central thread running throughout the life and that time.1' Lobsack was already familiar with the biblical thought of Heinrich J. Lobsack. Many poems, especially concept of adult baptism through the teachings of the those of his later life, are dedicated to this theme. Mennonites who had been present in the Volga region As the oldest son of the family, Lobsack worked at since 1853. The withdrawal of Lobsack and his wife from first together with his six siblings, Maria Katharina (born the Lutheran Church caused great unrest among the 1871), Johannes (born 1873), Anna Maria (born 1875), colonists of the village, who were, without exception, all Jakob (born 1877), Georg Johannes (born 1883), and evangelical. His father disinherited him. Friedrich Johannes (born 1886), on his parents' farm and From now on, Lobsack gave his entire strength to the learned the trade of book-binding,4 In 1888 he married service of the Adventist Church. He traveled to Hamburg, Maria Katharina whose maiden name was also Germany, where the headquarters of the

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 Heinrich Lobsack 13

The Lobsack family in 1901. Children from left to right: Rahel, Lea, Amalie, and Samuel Georg. The youngest child, Martha, was not born yet. European Adventist Church were located at that time. Courtesy of Darnel He'mz. There, he was baptized in April 1890 and attended a the entire day smoking, dancing, whistling, and singing. missionary training course for a few weeks before he was Lobsack and his brother-in-law, who had won the trust of sent back to Russia as a colporteur and pastoral assistant. the guards, were sometimes allowed to shovel snow in the His ardent wish was to proclaim the Adventist message prison courtyard. The fresh air in the outside yard gave among the German colonists of southern Russia. When them new strength and energy. During this work, they sang Lobsack began his missionary work, he faced a number of spiritual songs such as "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." problems. The greatest problem was undoubtedly the close They aroused their cellmates' astonishment when they knelt alliance between the Orthodox Church and the state, an down for prayer. After the governor had examined the alliance which provided protection for both of these and books and could not find anything offensive to the church left hardly any room for the development of new religious and to the state in them, they were released. We do not groups. Among the Russian-German population, however, know exactly how many times Lobsack had to suffer Adventism fell on fertile soil. This was especially true in imprisonment due to his ministry. Looking back, he wrote: areas where ethnic German groups had remained faithful to "As an Adventist minister I was hunted by the Czarist the Pietist traditions of their ancestors. authorities like a deer. . . but God always stood by me in In the winter of 1892, Heinrich and his brother-in-law, my 'Gethsemanes' and on my 'Mountains of Transfigura- Heinrich Konrad Lobsack, who had also become an tion.' He never left me alone." From 1894 on, until his Adventist book colporteur, were arrested and later death, Heinrich J. Lobsack worked uninterruptedly as a imprisoned in Taganash at the northern line of the Crimean superintendent of the widely scattered Adventist con- Railroad. The prison cell was furnished by a wooden bench gregations in Russia. only and was barely heated. Meanwhile the Russian New The legal recognition of the Adventist Church by Czar Year had arrived. The prison was rapidly filled with Nicholas II, who, in 1906, ordered the Ministry of Interior drunkards and thieves, who spent to place the Seventh-day Adventist Church equal to the Baptist Church in Russia, certainly repre-

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 sents one of the highlights of Lobsack's career. The years from 1920 to 1927 arc considered the "golden years" for the spread ofAdventism in the Soviet Union. Under Lobsack's leadership the number of church members doubled from 6,500 to 13,404 during this time. At two Adventist congresses, in 1924 and in 1928, Lobsack tried to strengthen the position of the Adventist Church through a cooperative attitude with the Soviet government. Under the constant pressure of the Soviet authorities, Lobsack adopted a middle course in his church leadership attempting to maintain dual allegiances to Communism and God. Some Russian Adventists criticized him strongly because of his pragmatic approach and his willingness to compromise. As a result of Lobsack's compromise, various Adventist dissident groups originated, causing much unrest in the church. However, the pressures of the Communist authorities continued to increase from year to year, and in 1933 the central Adventist "All-Union" church organization was practically dissolved. There were also many disappointments in Lobsack's personal life. In 1922 his daughter Rahel died of a typhoid infection in Kiev, and Georg Samuel, his only son, had immigrated to Germany. The father had expected the son to follow in his footsteps and become an Adventist minister. Therefore, in 1908, young Georg Samuel was sent by his father to the Adventist seminary in Friedensau, Germany, to study theology. Because of his unusual abilities, he completed in two years the courses of study that were normally done in four. However, the intelligent son decided not to follow his father's plan. His interest in journalism and his nationalistic attitude, which was strengthened by the unfortunate war in which he had to fight as a German The Adventbote, No. 4, April 1925. In this German church for the Czarist army, brought him into conflict with his paper, which was published in Moscow, many of Lobsack's father and his religious beliefs. During the war, at the articles and poems appeared. The motto for this issue was Turkish front, he contracted typhus and malaria. Finally, taken from the Bible (2. Peter3:12): "Look forward to the Day Georg Samuel left his parents' home, gave up Adventism, of God and speed its coining." Christ's soon return and escaped to Berlin. There, he became the editor of the represented a central idea in Lobsack's thought. Courtesy of magazine Der Wolgadeutsche, Since 1924, he edited the Daniel Heinz. prestigious monthly journal Der Harz. A personal friendship connected him with the well-known writer Josef Ponten, who encouraged him to publish an dom. The conflict of generations could have hardly been autobiographical book on the fate of the Volga Germans more obvious. On one side there is the pious father, who, during the revolutionary years. Georg Samuel Lobsack was because of his deep religious convictions, stayed in Russia already seriously ill at this time. Nevertheless, he managed despite of the trouble and distress caused by the Soviet to complete his book, entitled Einsam kdmpft das authorities. As a shepherd he felt responsible for his flock. Wolgaland, shortly before his death in 1936. In his book On the other side, there is the son, politically-oriented and and in his articles, which describe the political and national entirely estranged from any Christian hope, turning his back tragedy of the Volga Germans, the son completely on Russia out of national fervor under the motto Heim ins separated himself from the Christian orientation of his Reich.7 Heinrich J, Lobsack overcame only with great diffi- father, who based his hope exclusively on Christ and his culty the separation from his son. Nevertheless, he wrote his soon coming king- most beautiful poems during that time. Most of these poems have a religious meaning and are written in the German language. They describe Christ's

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 'Genrikh Ivanovich Lebsak, you are arrested! Where is your weapon, and where are your jewels?' Lobsack silently listened to their insults, curses and mockery. Before he was taken away by the police, he turned around and said: 'Brethren, work and do not get discouraged! God's work is like a river which no one can stop from flowing.' After these words he was hit in the face, but his bleeding lips uttered again; 'Work, work, and never get discouraged!"" Lobsack spent the next few weeks in various notorious state prisons in Moscow such as Lubianka and Butyrka, before he was transferred to the city of Yaroslavl, northeast of Moscow.'1 There, he spent the last months of his life in solitary confinement. Besides his Bible, he owned a German-Russian dictionary, with the help of which he was forced to do translation work for the prison authorities. Coincidentally, his wife learned two decades later that he was shot in "1938. An official notification of his execution never reached her, and the more detailed circumstances of his death remain a mystery even today. One of Lobsack's last poems is entitled Trost in Trubsal (Comfort in Distress). In only a few sentences, he outlines his strong belief in the salvation of Jesus Christ, who brings comfort to him in life and in death. The poem ends with the verse:

Ich danke meinem Gott mit Freuden, Daft ich durch Christi Blut bin rein. So kann ich stark in Lobsack with his only grandchild, Ruth Nikolayevna Volkova- Schwachheit sein, Denn Jesus isf und hieibet Lebsack shortly before his arrest in 1934. Ruth is the sole mem! survivor of Hei finch's family and lives today in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Courtesy of Daniel Heinz. I thank my God with joy, That I am cleansed through the blood of Christ. Therefore I can remain strong in my weakness, Because second coming, the missionary task of the church, the Jesus is and will stay mine! heavenly reward of the true believer, his sufferings and temptations, and the final triumph of God's grace. He often Notes connects his poetry with events in nature, with God's 1. The usual spelling of Lobsack's name in Russian is creation, and the seasons of the year. The Sabbath, the Genrikh Ivanovich Lebsak, The Russian name of the biblical day of rest, is praised as a symbol of creation. Some village, Frank, is sometimes wrongly given as poems also voice a deep love for his Russian homeland. In Medveditskoy Krestovoy Buyerak. In the original docu- general, his poetry follows the typical Adventist pattern of a ments the name appeares in the German version as strong eschatological emphasis, dealing largely with the Medweditzko-Krestowoj Bujerak. The village was named final gospel commission and the impending end of the after its first Vorsteher, Johann Georg Frank. The Russian world. The true Adventist longs for the heavenly kingdom, interpretation of the name of Frank would be "Bear and does not place his hopes in this world and its temporary Crossing Ravine." After 1945, the name of the village was political achievements. He continually awaits God's cosmic Medveditskoye. See Das Frankerer Nachrichtsblatt, vol. 1, solution, Spring 1986, 1 (Archives of AHSGR, Lincoln, Nebraska). In the night of 21 March 1934, HeinrichJ. Lobsack was Some photographs of the village together with a portrait of arrested in Moscow. His associate, G. A, Grigoriev, who Heinrich J. Lobsack and his wife, also showing their home, was present at his arrest remembers: "After the night prayer were published in Das Frankerer Nachrichtsblatt, vol. 1, we went to bed but could not sleep. Our sad thoughts were Summer 1986, 1, 7 (Archives of AHSGR, Lincoln, interrupted by a loud knocking on the door. We knew that Nebraska). this knocking did not mean any good for us. Brother Lobsack opened the door and several agents from the secret police entered by shouting:

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 2. Today the Seventh-day Adventist membership in the tion of Adventist believers at Berdy-Bulat in the north- countries of the former Soviet Union numbers more than western part of the Crimean Peninsula. The members of 100,000. this congregation were, without exception, German settlers. 3. K. Stumpp, Die Auswanderung aus Deutsch-land Most of them came from the Mennonite Brethren Church. nach Rufiland in den Jahren 1763 bis 1862 (Stuttgart: Some belonged originally to the small "Apostolic Brethren Landsmannschaft d&r Deutschen aus RuBland, 1993, 6th Church," which already kept the seventh-day Sabbath. ed.), 143, records an "Emanuel Lobsack" and a "Job. Therefore, Adventism, when it first reached Russia, could Emanuel Lobsack" on his emigration list. However, these build on a religious tradition that was similar to its own two names represent one and the same person. The Russian teachings. Regarding the history of Adventism in Russia, Census of 1798 for the village of Frank lists a second see D. Heinz, "Origin and Growth of the Adventists in immigrant family with the name of Lobsack. From this we Russia," AHSGR Journal 10 (Winter 1987): 39-43. can conclude that there were two different immigrant Adventism found entrance into the Volga region also in families with the same name in Frank. These two families 1886 when the Russian German Konrad Laubhan returned were somehow related to each other in former times but to the area from the United States. He transplanted obviously represent two different genealogical lines in Adventism from America to his Lutheran home village Russia. See Description of the Saratov Colony of Shcherbakovka (Strickcr) on the lower hill side of the Medveditskoy Kreslovoy BuyeraklFrank^ Nr. 138 (Lincoln, Volga River not too far away from Frank. Cf. D. Dahlmann Nebraska: AHSGR, 1995), 3. and R. Tuchten-hagen (eds.), Zwischen Reform und 4. Out of his siblings, the four older on&s spent their Revolution. Die Deutschen an der Wolga 1860-1917 entire life in Frank or got married into another neighboring (Essen: Klartcxt, 1994), 275-280. colony. The two youngest brothers migrated. Georg 7. Heinrich J. Lobsack had five children: Amalie (born Johannes left Russia at the turn of the century and studied 1891 in Frank), Georg Samuel (born 1893 in Adventist theology in Friedensau, Germany, for a few Koblanowsfeld, Don region), Lea (born 1897 in Chigir/ months. His career as an Adventist minister was not Tschihir, northern Crimea), Rahel (born 1898 in Frank), successful. He later lived in Thale/ Harz where he owned and Martha (born 1903 in Alexandrodar, Kuban region). the well-known hotel "Waldkaler." He died in Quedlinburg Amalie was shot in 1938 by NKVD agents, in the same in 1949. Friedrich Johannes emigrated to the United States year when her father died in prison. Lea fled to Berlin in in 1912. He died there in 1971. A son of Friedrich the early 1930s with her German husband, Rudolf Hans Johannes, Dr. Jacob Robert Lebsack, was a charter member Born. The youngest daughter, Martha, was deported, along of AHSGR and served as an editor of the AHSGR with her mother, from Tiflis to Central Asia during the war. Workpaper. Lobsack's wife died in 1958 in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan. 5. Heinrich J. Lobsack's wife coincidentally had the Heinrich J. Lobsack had only a granddaughter named Ruth same name as his oldest sister. His wife's parents were Nikolayevna Volkova-Lebsak, the daughter of Martha, Konrad Georg and Anna Margarete, maiden name Hof. His who is still living today in Alma-Ata (Almaty). wife's oldest brother, Heinrich Konrad Lobsack (born 8. Anna Matsanova and Pavel Matsanov, Po 1862), also became an Adventist minister and worked as ternistomu puti (Kaliningrad; Yantarnyi skaz, 1995), 13. such in Siberia. The Adventists in Russia later nick-named 9. Lobsack's court records are kept in the Archives of him, the "little Lobsack" to differentiate him from Heinrich the FSB (former KGB Archives) in Moscow under the J. Lobsack, who was known as the "great Lobsack." In this record number p 35162 (sledstvennoye delo Nr. way, it was easier to tell the two apart. 3398/1934). They reveal the arbitrariness and brutality with 6. The German Adventist church leader, Ludwig which church leaders were generally treated by the Soviet Richard Conradi, organized in 1886 the first congrega regime during that time.D

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 A ROUNDTRIP THROUGH DOBRUDSCHA

Alida Schielke-Brennier Translated by Elaine Sauer DeBoer This poem was originally published in So war's daheim in der Dobrudscha. Reprinted with permission.

A Rondreis durch d Dobrudscha

Wer amol a Rondreis gmacht hat, Kotschalak, des war schon groesser, von drheim sich mol entfernt, dort hats viele Strossa geba der hat vielerlei erfahra, on en Markt on Kaffeehauser, Leit on Dorfer kenna glernt. die Leit hen was ghat vom Leba.

Jedes Dorfle hat sei Name, Abseits so uf kargem Boda manchmol wars a fremdes Wort, war des Dorfle Kolelie, doch fr ons waren se alle ob die Leit zufrieda waren, lieber, trauter Heimatort, des verroten se jo nie.

Malkotsch, onser altschte Siedlung, Die Karamurater Baura von dort hat mr immer ghort, waren stolz uf ihre Tracht, dass dort kluge Baura glebt hen, d schonste Rosser hen se gfahra, die sich geger d Gwalt hen gwehrt. ihre Kirch, des war a Pracht.

Ttiltschea war en Donauhafa, Wer in Grosspalas drheim war, net weit weg vom Schwarze Meer, hat vrdient on a viel gschafft, hunderte von deutsche Menscha aber dann, im iange Winter, hen dort gJebt, vielleicht noch mehr. sich sei Leba schoner gmacht.

Atmatschea, a ruhigs Dorfle, Kodschealie, des war so sauber des zweitalteste im Land, wie kei Dorf im ganze Land, isch ganz tief im Wald drenn glega, d Hauser waren immer gweissielt, s'wara liberal! bekannt. d Wegia waren gstreut mit Sand.

Tschukurow war gleich drneba, Ruhig, eifach on bescheida, d Lett hen gred, fascht alle platt. warn die Leit von Horoslar, Die hen aber ganz am Anfang weil en reicher Mann vom Dorfle rait em Wald zu kampfe ghat, immer ihre Vorbild war.

PIogt hen sich die Tuwakbaura So am Rand, dicht bei Konstanza in dem kleine Ortachioi, liegt a noch Anadolchioi, wer zu Land hat komma wolla, gut Deutsch hen d Leit nemme konna der hat miissa fleissig sei, on hen gsagt; "asa i la noi."

On in Katalui, dort kriegt mr Neue Weingarta, die Siedlung frische Butter, frischer Schmand, war en Vorort von dr Stadt, als beriihmte Spinnradmacher d Leit hen sich was leischta konna, waren selle Leit bekannt. im Haus hen se s nobel ghat.

In dem schone Tariwerde Tekerghiol, des kleine Stadtle, waren d Strossa grad on breit, an dem See on dicht am Meer, stattlich waren dort die Hauser, die Leit hen sich immer gwonscha: stolz on fremdlich waren d Leit. "Wann's doch immer Sommer war."

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 Wenig Deutsche hat mr gfonda Kalfa hat des Dorfle gheissa, in dem grosse Murfatlar, ganz drenn im Kadrilater, wo doch so en schoner Bahnhof deutsche Baura sen deutsch blieba on so guter Wei dort war. mittia im Bulgarameer.

In dr Mitt von dr Dobrudscha Tat mr a noch abseits fahra, liegt des Dorfle Alakap, geha kann mr net zu Fuss, nur den Fleiss, wo die Leit ghat hen, tat mr in a Dorfle komma legen se noch lang net ab, on des heisst Tschobankuius.

Luschtig on vrgniigt beim Schaffa Peschtera on Tschernawoda, waren die Leit von Karatai, Mangalia on Schermet, die hen baut on gsaet on gackert, waren froh, wann jetzt noch immer waren alle schuldafrei. dort en Deutscher wohna tat.

Fachrie war a bsonders Dorfle, On so konnt mr wetter fahra weil s dicht an dr Donau liegt, in dem kleine Schwarzmeerland, guter Wei on susse Trauba on noch deutsche Menscha sucha, hat mr nur in Fachrie kriegt. viele bleiben unbekannt.

Wer nach Kobadin isch komma, der hat denkt, des isch a Stadt, mr hat gsagt, des sen die Fromme, A Roundtrip through Dobrudscha dort war halt a s Pastoral. Since this poem was written in the dialect of the Dann Ebechioi on Omurtscha, Dobrudschaner, it is difficult to capture the exact translation die zwei Dorfla sen net gross; accurately, but hopefully you will capture the "flavor" of was dort Schones war zu seha this great poem. The English version of the poem was des war nur die schon deutsch Stross. provided by Elaine DeBoer, nee Sauer, of Rocklin, California. Mrs. DeBoer is an AHSGR life member. The Reiche Leit on grosse Guter translation was originally published in a slightly different waren nur in Sofular, version in Der Dobrudschabote, December 1997. Reprinted arme Baura waren traurig, with permission. weil s fur sie kei Zukunft war. Whoever has made a round trip from Zahe Baura waren blieba home to a far-off home has experienced in dem Dorfle Atschemler, much in learning to know people in ihre Grunder sen fort zoga, other villages. weil s fur sie nix Rechtes war. Each village has a name, sometimes Kunschtler waren d Sarioler, an unfamiliar word, but for us, they dort kann mr die Fraua loba, are all dear, true home villages. feine Wolle hen se gsponna on sich schone Blachta gwoba. Mallkotsch, our oldest settlement. We had always heard that there On die schone Klingerwaga hen in lived intelligent farmers who were Mamuslie laut klonga, on die opposed to the "Authority." allerschonste Lieder hen nur d Mamuslier gsonga. Tultschea was on the Danube harbor not far from the Black Sea. Fromme Menscha, Gott ergeba, Hundreds of German people waren in Mandschabunar, lived there, perhaps more, die hen miissa Opfer bringa bis des erscht a Dorfle war.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 Atmatschea, a quiet little village, So on the edge close to Konstanza the second oldest in the land, also lies Anadolchioi. lies very deep in the forest Good German, they no longer knew It was well known everywhere. but said, "asa, i la noi." (Romanian)

Tschukurow was right beside it. Neu Weingarta, new grape vineyards There, the people all received land. this settlement had as its foreground. However in the beginning, People there could allow themselves something they had to fight the wilderness. special. Houses were furnished as for nobility.

The tobacco farmers toiled Tekerghiol, the little town in the little Ortachioi. on the lake and close to the sea: Whoever wanted to come to this land These people always wished had to be very industrious, that it would be summer forever.

And in Katalui, there one can get Very few Germans were found there fresh butter and fresh lard, in big Murfatlar, As famous spinning wheel makers where one finds a beautiful train station, these people were well known. and one could always find good wine.

In beautilful Tariwerde In the middle of the Dobrudscha lies the the streets were straight and broad. little village of Alakap. There the houses were stately and Only the ambition that the people had proud, and friendly were the people. didn't stop them, no way!

Kotschalak was bigger (Cogealac), Cheerful and satisfied while working There were so many streets were the people from Karatai. and a market, and coffee houses. They built and sowed and tilled the land The people there knew how to live. until all were free of debt.

Work like in no other paltry land Fachrie was a very special village was the village, Kolelie. because it lies near the Danube. If the people there were really satisfied Good wine and sweet grapes they would never say! one could only find in Fachrie.

The Karamurater farmers Whoever came to Kobadin were proud of their village dress. thought this was a town. They drove the finest horses. People said, "They were religious" Their church was a "showpiece." because there was a "Pastorate."

Whoever called Grosspalas home Ebechioi and Omurtscha: learned a lot and worked very hard, these two villages were not big. but in the long winter What was especially nice to see he made certain that life was better. were only the nice German streets.

Kodschealie, it was so clean, Rich people and big estates like no other village in the entire land. were found in Sofular. The houses were all painted white, Poor farmers were sad the roads were strewn with sand. because no future lies for them there.

Quiet, simple, and contented Ten farmers remained were the people from Horoslar in the little village of Atschemler. because a rich man in the village Its founders moved away was always their "example." because nothing was right for them there.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 The Sarioler were artists. in Europe with the same variety of plant and animal life. It There, one can be proud of the women. is the birds' paradise in the north. In the south it is called Fine wool they spun to make a beautiful the "silver coast," In the east is the Black Sea. "Blachta" (a coverlet to carry a child). The west borders the Danube River. During the time of the Romans, Christianity was introduced there. The name And the nicest "Klingerwaga" "Dobrudscha" came from the time of the Bulgarian made a loud clang in Mamuslie, Kingdom during the fourteenth century when Prince and the most wonderful songs. Dobrotisch (thought to be a Turk) ruled. Thus the county (By the sound of the clanging was given the name of Dobrudscha. He detached himself of the metal wheels, people from the Bulgarian Kingdom and established an indepen- could recognize its owner.) dent Bulgarian nation and received as his kingdom the whole west coast of the Black Sea. Because of its location, Religious folk, dedicated to God, it often became a bloody scene of war. were found in Mandschabunar. In 1994, when I was in Germany I was invited as a They had to make a big sacrifice guest by Charlotte Sauer-Schnaidt to the Dobrudscha re- until it could become a little village. union, which is held each year at the beginning of June. It Kalfa was the name of this little village proved to be a very interesting day, and upon meeting deep in Kadrilater district, near Bulgaria. some of the people, I discovered many of them had previ- German farmers there remained German ously lived in Bessarabia and had moved south to find a near the Bulgarian sea. new homeland. They are a fun-loving group of people who seem to have a great deal of natural musical talent. They If one wished to drive aside have their own folk-dancing group and a wonderful singing (one could not walk by foot), group (with guitar and accordion accompaniment). They one would come upon a village. are very talented musicians who harmonize beautifully, Its name was Tschobankuius. most of whom are completely musically uneducated. The Sandau brothers play, sing, and lead this unusually Peschtcra and Tschernawoda, entertaining group. They sing songs of their homeland, and Mangalia and Schmnet, the nostalgia is heightened for the audience. At times, the would still be happy audience will join in and the enthusiasm is heart-warming. if a German would live there yet. The city ofHeilbronn has adopted this ethnic people, and a museum is housed in that city with memorabilia from the And so, one could drive farther homeland, "The Dobrudscha." Needless to say, the food on to the little Black Sea land this day was also ethnic and a real treat for me. There are and still search for German people, very few people stilt living who are capable of leading this but many remain "unknown." group. Their dedication is to be honored for a very interesting publication, Der Dobrudschabote, much of which is compiled and written by its editor and co-editor. It My curiosity was aroused while I was writing my is printed three or four times a year and becomes available family history book, Bending Branches, as to where the with membership to the society. It contains the lovely Dobrudscha was, since my great-grandfather Peter Uhl, poetry of Frau Gertrude Knopp-Riib and Frau Charlotte grandfather Jacob Stiickle, and Stciger relatives lived there. Sauer-Schnaidt as well as other talented writers. At the end Some of my late mother's sisters and cousins were born of the publication, obituaries of recent deaths are printed. there in Tariwerde. So I did do some research to find out This has often been a help to me as well as to friends more about this country which now is a part of Romania whose heritage stems from that part of the world. So in and Bulgaria. The Dobrudscha is south of Bessarabia, closing, I urge you readers to do research on this little where my late father was born. There is no other country nation if you have forefathers who lived there.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 21

FROM VOLGA-GERMAN HERITAGE TO PROUD AMERICAN

George Schissler

Preface efits. This was and still is true of our Schissler-Butherus There was a motivating force that prompted me to write this family. We are overwhelmed to count our blessings over article, "From Volga-German Heritage to Proud American." and over again, knowing what would have happened to us For many years I have been a member of the American had our parents of German heritage remained in Russia. I Historical Society of Germans from Russia, whose think it was no less than a miracle that our mom and dad headquarters are located in Lincoln, Nebraska. In their carried out the decision to leave their homeland in the published material, especially in the Journal, \ have read Volga region of Russia and come to America. To begin many articles on the disastrous fate of our German people with, only a certain percentage of the German people living who remained in Russia during the first half of this passing in Russia immigrated to America during the late nineteenth twentieth century. Their loss, pain, suffering, and often and early twentieth century. Vast numbers remained in untimely death seem beyond imagination. In reading these Russia. Secondly, our dad was not an adventurous person. I tragic accounts about our German people in Russia don't think he was really anxious to leave his home town of (including our relatives), I have often thought how fortunate Walter, Russia, and start a new life on another continent. our Schissler-Butherus family was and still is. What would However, the opportunities in Russia were bleak. The Ger- have happened to us had our parents remained in Russia? I man rural villages were limited in population and the cringe from even thinking about the answer. How fortunate acquisition of land. The families lived in the village and we are to have had the opportunity of growing up and living farmed the outlying countryside. For practical reasons they our lives in America. had to limit the distance to the land they farmed, Some of After coming home from our last enjoyable family the villages started daughter colonies several hundred miles reunion in 1996,1 was overwhelmed with a sense of grati- distant. Families from the village of Walter started such a tude. The "wheels" in my mind kept turning and I felt daughter colony named Klein Walter (Little Walter). Our compelled to write down all of these thoughts on paper, dad, after serving four years in the Russian army, may not which you can read on the following pages concerning our have had the desire to move to a frontier region. He family of Volga-German heritage becoming proud probably preferred the haunts of his childhood experiences. Americans. Even here in America he did not venture far from his home surroundings. I recall only one time when he made a short The land we call America was a land of freedom and visit away from the Greeley area. This happened when a opportunity for poor and hard working immigrants, who car dealer in Greeley drove him to Denver to see the new ventured across the seas to begin a new life here in the model of the 1935 Dodge sedan. I have often wondered United States of America. Their children and grandchildren what convinced our dad to leave his home in Walter, have reaped and are still reaping the ben- Russia, and journey to this distant continent of North America and begin a new life with his young wife, a small George Schissler's parents, George and Elizabeth, came to Ameri- child, and a babe in arms. It probably was more than the can in 1911 and lived the rest of their lives in the Gree/ey, good news of the wonderful opportunity for success and Colorado, area. They had ten children, seven of whom are still living. The family were members of'(he Sl. Paul's German happiness in this land of "milk and honey," which was Congregationa lChurch in Greeley. certainly not available in Russia. I have the feeling that our George Schissler graduated from Yanklon College and the mom's constant urging and persuasive arguments were the Yankton School of Theology in South Dakota and then served two primary influence on his decision. German Congregational churches: one in Rocky Ford, Colorado, We also were told that after a few years in America our and the other in Torrington, Wyoming. Later he graduated from dad wanted to return to Walter, Russia. However, our mom Oherlin Graduate School of Theology in Ohio with degrees of was very firm in opposing such a thought. She told him that Bachelor of Divinity and Master of Sacred Theology. After serving Bethany United Church of Christ in Cleveland, Ohio, for twenty- he would have to go back to Russia seven years, George Schissler is in his eighteenth year of retirement in Metaine, Lousiana, a suburb of New Orleans.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 alone, for she and the children would remain in the United wife and mother dropped her "bundle" and exclaimed; States. Of course. Dad would not leave without his wife "And this is America!" I wonder how these labor huts and children. His desire to return to Russia may shock us Mom and Dad lived in while working in the fields com- somewhat. Maybe if we could understand his feelings at pared to the sturdy and well constructed homes in which the time, we wouldn't be puzzled about his desire to return they were born and raised in the old country? Maybe at to the land of his birth that had little promise for a good times Dad's early experience as a farm laborer in America life. For one thing. Dad was desperately homesick for his became quite disappointing. Our parents didn't start father and mother and other close family members. He was farming for themselves until 1919 or 1920. For eight or homesick for the familiar surroundings in which he grew nine years they worked as farm laborers, especially in the up. We can understand this homesickness. Dad may also beet fields. Later, as farmers themselves, with more cash have been struggling with a feeling of deep coming in from the harvested crops, life became more disappointment. Remember life wasn't that easy for our prosperous, satisfying, and beneficial for the whole family. parents in their early years in America. They worked at Today, we should be deeply grateful that our parents or hard labor on the farms, especially the long and tedious grandparents of German heritage left the Volga region of hours in the beet fields. We, the children of immigrant Russia and journeyed to America, the land of freedom and parents, had a good taste of this tedious and hard work. I opportunity. Let us rejoice as proud citizens of this beloved don't think anyone of us today would wish this kind of country, back-breaking work on anyone. Dad probably did not Did you ever wonder what would have happened to us experience as much backbreaking work in Russia as he did had our parents remained in Russia? Our relatives who in America. He started his apprenticeship as a shoemaker at remained lost everything under the Communist or Bol- sixteen years of age. In the long winter months he repaired shevik rule. Families were shipped via rail like animals to shoes and the felt boots that were so popular in Russia. In Siberia or other eastern countries of the Soviet Union. the summer time he worked on the farm land, mainly in the Often fathers and older sons were separated from the other orchards. To observe the fruit maturing and the crops family members. Many were driven into slave labor. Vast growing was a satisfying and enjoyable experience. While numbers were murdered or died of hunger and disease. We serving his four years in the Russian army, he worked in a do not know what eventually happened to our uncles, harness shop, repairing and keeping in good condition the aunts, cousins, etc. in Russia. Dad had at least two brothers harness the army horses had to wear. Since Dad was a who remained in Russia. Mom left behind two brothers, shoemaker, he probably appreciated this familiar work with three sisters, two half-brothers, and two stepbrothers. Some leather. Life for him in Russia may have been quite of these half-brothers and stepbrothers immigrated to South satisfying and pleasant. America. However, only God knows what really happened After coming to America, our parents were hired as to the above relatives. Thank God Dad's older brother, farm laborers, living at times in little two-room shacks and John, and sister, Katherine (Linker), immigrated to working under the hot sun in the beet fields blocking, America several years before our parents. They brought up thinning, hoeing, and doing other tedious work on the farm. their families in Walla Walla, Washington. Mom's older Dad's vision of a land of opportunity may have begun to brother. Henry, and his wife also immigrated to this fade. This reminds me of a family who were members of country and settled in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area, the first church I served as an ordained minister in Rocky where they successfully reared their children, Ford, Colorado. The parents were also German immigrants We brothers and sisters inherited the good fortune of from Russia. When they arrived in Rocky Ford, they growing up in America. We attended public schools and sought out a family they had known in Russia. The friends quickly assimilated with the other American children. The had attained a fairly high degree of economic and social English language became our primary language. But we status in their old homeland. The newly-arrived immigrants also learned the German language in our home and our were expecting to greet this family, who had arrived church. This was especially true of the older siblings several years before, in a lovely new home, the kind of (Emma, Ted, Pauline, George, Rip, and Mollie). We home they had lived in during their latter years in Russia. learned to read in German and conversed with our parents But when the new immigrants arrived, before them stood a in the language in which they were fluent. Though we were one-room mud hut with two small windows. Were they brought up by parents of German heritage, we were proud surprised! As they neared the hut, the young to be American! In our growing-up years, we did have some diffi-

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 culty in being accepted as equals with some of the established with the English language than with German. Though we usually members of the community. They did not understand how we spoke German with our parents, we always conversed in the could be of German heritage since our parents were born and English language amongst ourselves. Our parents never objected. raised in Russia, In reading the obituaries of the older German As we grew into our teens, the German influence became less and people who had died, the place of their birth was usually listed as less and the American way of life became more natural. Russia. Therefore, they insisted that our parents were Russian, and Our parents had a more difficult time becoming they called us children Russians. What made us angry was that Americanized. It was not easy for them to learn a new language. they referred to us as Rooshians, and sometimes called us dirty They appreciated the freedom to continue their German customs Rooshians. We considered this a derogatory attack on our German and traditions in their home and church. Our family enjoyed the heritage. Though our parents were born and raised in Russia, they camaraderie with other German families who had emigrated from considered themselves Germans. Russia was a backward and Russia. Our parents knew many of them from the "old country." primitive country in the early years of the twentieth century. This Above all, the German church to which our family belonged be- was especially true of the vast majority of the peasants in the rural came the center of our religious and social life. Though we areas. No doubt, Russia also had its centers of rich culture in its enjoyed our family life with its German ethnic influence, we fell highly populated cities. The German people in the rural areas did in love with America. Our loyalty and commitment to this land of not mingle with the Russian people. A marriage between a opportunity and freedom became of vital importance. Today we German and a Russian was a rarity. There was only one of these are deeply grateful for the many, many blessings we have enjoyed families of a mixed marriage in the Greeley area that I knew of. over the past years in the U.S.A. We still appreciate our German This was the Kelimoff family. The father was Russian and the heritage. However, above all we are proud to be American. God mother was German. Their older children could speak both lan- bless America' guages as well as the English language. Our parents, though they were steeped in German customs 0 beautiful for spacious skies, and traditions, made efforts for us children to be assimilated in the For amber waves of grain, American way of life. They enrolled us in public schools with the For purple mountain majesties desire that we receive the same educational opportunities as the Above the fruited plain! America! America! other children in the community. It didn't take us long to share and God shed His grace on thee, enjoy the classroom studies and playground activities- We, the and crown thy good with brotherhood children of immigrant parents, became more comfortable From sea to shining sea!

The photo shows the farmhouse George Schissler was born in. It is located near Peckham, a few miles south of Greeley, Colorado. 1996. Courtesy of the author.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 24

PLANT THE SEEDS AND REAP THE HARVEST

Jean Roth

Twenty years ago, I attended my first AHSGR convention But now, as many of our original AHSGR members which was held in San Francisco, There were so many of are gone or unable to continue much longer, it is the our people there who had actually been born in Russia and genealogy and family history that most interests the new remembered what it was like to live there. I had a chance to members of AHSGR, as well as their cultural heritage. Art meet people who had come from the Volga villages of my Flegel is another person who planted early seeds in ancestors. We shared stories and I learned about my AHSGR's bountiful garden. Now, at every convention, Russian-German heritage. When we compared family hundreds of researchers stampede the genealogy consulting notes, I discovered new-found cousins and we excitedly workshops to browse through the massive card files of filled in missing pieces on our genealogical charts. But family group sheets and obituaries —especially those from now, with the passage of time, there are many wonderful the German language newspapers. AHSGR's obituary and people who used to come to every convention . . . who are family files are a wealth of information to researchers and now gone . . . whose voices are stilled and whose stories remain one of the most valuable resources that the Society may or may not have been told. I'd like to share a few ideas provides its members. and stories with you—to show what we each must do to I remember that my first interest in my Russian-Ger- "plant the seeds so that we may reap a harvest in the man heritage was sparked when 1 was about eight or nine future," You may say. . . "But what can one person do?" years old and my father, Fred, told me stories that he was In the early years of our Society, it was primarily the told when he was a child by his father, Jacob—stories folklore which caught the interest of most of our members. about his parents' life in the village of Walter in far-off The children of our immigrant ancestors were much more Russia. His father told him that, in the wintertime, the active in AHSGR, and it is important that they were able to villagers used to drive troikas—big sleighs that were pulled share their knowledge so that it could be preserved. Dr. by three horses. Hungry wolves sometimes attacked— and Timothy Kloberdanz and his wife, Rosalinda, have spent villagers threw chunks of meat out the back to distract many hours recording the folklore and customs of the them. If that didn't work—then one horse could be cut free Germans from Russia. They are two people who have and sacrificed. Sometimes, Jacob was handed the reins so planted seeds that we now enjoy. I know that 1 would have my dad's grandfather, Johannes Roth, could swing a big never learned to play "bannock" if it hadn't been for Tim spiked club when Turks, who had come into the small town and his family sharing their expertise at this favorite game to raid and rob, would try to climb into the troika. played by our people; and I finally found out how to make My grandfather also told his children about the mys- "Schintz soup." terious place outside of Walter on the road to Frank. Each farmer didn't have his own field to graze his sheep and Jean Roth Joined the Greater Seattle Chapter of AHSGR in 1977 cows—there were community grazing grounds. Everyone and is a life member of AHSGR. She is an AHSGR Village Coor- had to take a turn as herder and take the animals out to the dinator and is active in recording the history and genealogy for the far fields. Once when it was Jacob's time to serve as herder, Volga Villages of Walter and V/alter-Khutor. Her paternal ancestors he and two other men from the village took the herd up to came from these villages as well as Frank and Messer. A life member of the Seattle Genealogical Society, Jean an area where there were strange clearings in the grass. It currently serves on the SGS Board, completing her second term as was said that many years ago, there had been great battles President. In 1989, she was co-chair of Seattle's successful with the "Dadars" [Tatars]—and the blood had flowed so genealogy conference for the Washington State Centennial and deep that it poisoned the ground. They bedded down for was local arrangements chair for the 1995 national conference of the night on a small knoll above the animals— in one of the Federation of Genealogical Societies. She is a member of the those circles where no grass would grow. Suddenly, the Association of Professional Genealogists and is a genealogy writer in the Pacific Northwest. blankets that they had spread over themselves were yanked A thirty-year veteran of the travel industry, Jean is currently an off and tossed away! Believing it to have been just a gust outside sales consultant and group specialist and in 1991 was of wind, they retrieved their blankets and settled back awarded her Certified Travel Consultant (CTC) designation, the down. Again their covers were flung aside. Suspecting a highest professional degree in the travel industry. prank, they blamed each other and watched carefully to Jean Roth presented this paper at the 1997 AHSGR convention make sure that it wasn't a joke as they once more put their in San Jose, California. blankets over them, "It was as if

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 they flew off," said Jacob as he told the story about it "Well Henry, I think they gave you one of (hem books happening yet again. Finally, they gave up. Taking their about our village Walter. That is all wrong. That woman bedding they moved off the knoll and out of the circle. don't know nothing about my village. She got the Hinderdorf After moving away from the ring, they slept the rest of the for the Federdorfand the south, east; and the north, west. night without incident. They all believed that it was the She says one blacksmith shop in the middle of the village. ghosts of the soldiers who had been slain there that haunted We had seven blacksmith shops. Three in the Fedderdorf, the Dadar Rings that night. Jacob Heberlein, George Walter, and the Kechters. In the For someone who had grown up with The Shadow and Hinderdorf: Morland, George Giesick, my uncle, Christian /wet-Sanctum on the radio and was just getting into the Giesick, my father's brothers. I learned the blacksmithing movies of the 1950s like It Came from Outer Space and from Uncle Christ. The fourth one was the Krenings. They Attack of the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the wolves were on the west side of the village, right along the and the ghosts were pretty fascinating, but soon forgotten Medwitz. In the spring, when the river got out of the banks, until many years later. the water came close to my uncle '5 shop." The letter went When I first started there was very little information to work with. In 1977, Mary Mills of Denver, Colorado and I on, saying what I had gotten wrong . . . including the map. discovered each other from the Society's surname exchange He said "I'II draw you a map oj Walter Khutor. It had a little book Clues. We were both researching the surname "Hill" river on the west side of the village, the name was from the Volga-German village of Walter and were obvi- Schalkan, that flows north to south. She says only one store ously related. But, we were unable to pinpoint an exact in Walter. We had THREE: Schesslers, Dorn, and connection. Large families and multiple marriages added to Friedrichs." the dilemma as did the taciturn nature of the Volga Well that certainly set that straight! Those seeds I Germans who seldom acknowledged relatives as distant as planted may have grown a weed or two—but look how second cousins. When asked how the Roths of Wapato much we learned from just trying. You will probably be were related to the Roths from Walla Walla, since both very surprised to learn that many of the village coordinators families were from the same village of Walter, my spend thousands of dollars of their own money to research grandfather told his curious family: "Their cat slept on our and preserve the family history of the people of their front porch." Try to put that on your family tree! village. Now, many records are starting to come out of The concept of the Village Coordinators are Mary's and Russia because of the AHSGR's CIS Project, and we finally my legacy. We were the first coordinators and introduced have some early records to use in our research, but we need the concept of working on the entire village instead of just more. the surname at the 1979 AHSGR Convention in Seattle. It is the personal stories, the journals, and the letters that What a rich harvest I have reaped because we planted a few are the most compelling for they reflect the emotions seeds. Soon, others like Elaine Frank Davison and Margaret expressed by our people. They are the truest portrayal of our Freeman, with the unflagging enthusiasm and ancestors, and while perhaps not completely accurate encouragement of Gerda Stroh Walker, made this an historically, one can sense what life must have been like in official AHSGR program. It was Barbara Claussen whose Russia, How many of you, here, were born in Russia? At surname data base for Frank showed us all what we must most of the meetings I have attended in the past few years do in the future. there have been none. Rarely, there will be one or two, but Now there are many AHSGR Village Coordinators— usually those people came as infants or toddlers. One only over one hundred and fifty of them and they have been needs to look at the AHSGR convention pictures to see that, called a "cultural network of detectives." They coordinate, each year, the number born in Russia has dwindled to a aid, and assist individuals bringing families and villages scant few. Now there are only a few left in our chapters who together. They do this work on a volunteer basis and spend were born in Russia, and most came to America as very many hours gathering and organizing information. Some small children. Nearly a century has passed since the village coordinators publish newsletters and a few are villages of the Volga and Black Sea and others were home working on books because it soon became evident that to most of our ancestors. Recent events have finally allowed unless we did it ourselves, there would never be a history of some of us to go back there and have opened once our villages recorded. Twenty years ago, I used what little inaccessible archives to researchers. Our quest is taking us information I had been able to pry out of people and put to all parts of the world as we gather lost branches of our together three small booklets on the village of Walter. I was family trees and attempt to rebuild what was once thought delighted and grateful to receive a copy of a letter sent by a lost forever. man who had been born and raised in the village. He wrote: Of the people we interviewed many said "I don't know anything important," but they did, and I suspect, so do you. My father, Fred Roth, turned ninety this January and

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 was the second child born in this country, in 1907, in the young married couples in their twenties and thirties. The heart of Walla Walla's "Russa-Eck." His parents were still old people were their parents, in their forties and fifties, in their twenties when they came and they adapted to There wasn't time to treasure their rich heritage—it was all America relatively quickly. He is the patriarch of the Roth they could do to survive. Perhaps, they didn't really realize Family of Walter, Russia—and he never even lived there. that they had a heritage. He, too, "didn't know anything important." But, gradually I In the 1920s our people stilt in Russia were claimed by got him to remember—literally, one tidbit at a time, and epidemic diseases, drought, and starvation. Many who died the stories are wonderful. were immediate family members of those who had In "Russa-Eck" everything was kept very clean—it emigrated. Our people knew when they left Russia that was a matter of honor: they weren't "dirty Rooshans"! The they would never again see the family members they left women cleaned the woodwork in their houses once a week, behind. But now, they knew their families were dying of wiping everything until it shined. There were wooden disease and starvation, and there was little they could do to sidewalks until 1919, but when the sidewalks came, Lucille help. Perhaps the hardest to read are those letters that came [Gies] Whitman remembers having to go out and scrub the from the villagers left in Russia to their families in sidewalks on Saturday nights. She'd get a licking if she America begging for help—'for they were dying of hunger. didn't get them clean. All the kids had to help clean. On It was a trying time in many households; our families' Saturday and Sunday evenings, the parents would sit out on anguish was hidden from the children who were kept the front porches and spielagang or visit. They'd chew ignorant of the hardships in Russia—but many recall see- knuberkin [sunflower seeds], and soon the porches would ing the frustration and sorrow. They knew that when a have piles of shells that the kids had to clean up. They also letter came from Russia their parents cried. Some of you remembered that Mrs, Fritzler even polished her coal still have these letters. They are in German and many have bucket! yet to be translated. The history contained in these fragile Our people didn't waste—they used everything! My pages needs to be shared. dad remembers that his mother always made their under- My immediate family was lucky. My grandparents, all wear from bleached flour sacks . The print didn't always their children, both sets of great-grandparents, and alt their come out, so he usually had "Dement's Best" across the children came to Walla Walla. But I was shocked when I bottom of his BVDs. My grandmother would go to the found the obituary for my great-grandmother, Elizabeth butcher's and "borrow" the geese that would be sold to Butherus Roth, who died in Walla Walla in 1933. It said customers for their Thanksgiving dinners. She would pluck that she was survived by four sisters and two brothers still the geese, saving the down for pillows and comforters— in Russia. The starving time suddenly became more then return them to the butcher so he could sell the birds personal as I began reading letters from the Welt Post. The already plucked. His cousin Mollie [Oswald] Gies, now year that she died there was another great famine that ninety, recalled that it wasn't fun growing up. You were surpassed the one in the early 1920s. During the years 1932 never allowed to play until all your work was done. All the and 1933 over six million died in Russia. Many were our Russian-German parents were very strict and took re- cousins. sponsibility for everyone else's children. You knew that if The final humiliation came in 1941 as the Germans you got caught by one adult, your parents would be told, were shipped in boxcars or forced to march to Siberia and and if you lied about anything, then you got a licking. Kazakstan. Many died along the way and families were Lying was the worst crime of all. His friend, Bill separated forever. We are now beginning to hear from Schneidmiller recalled: "Most folks probably considered descendants of those people because of the very important the families of Russa-Eck were poor, and we probably Aussiedler project of AHSGR. Many of our people who were. No one had any money... but us kids never thought were trapped in Russia have now made their way, through that we were poor. We had a house, warm bed, family, and relocation, to Germany. They are seeking cousins in and all the food that we wanted." Yes, my dad didn't "know America and the Aussiedler are finally able to share their anything important," and Bill Schneidmiller who told me stories. such wonderful stories last year is gone now. How many We now are the transition generation; a few of us had stories do you have that still need to be shared— or will closer ties to the immigrants by being raised in a Russian- they be lost ? German family, but most of us possessing information got My mental image of my Russian-German ancestors it only because we have fought for it—and fought for it was always of old people—but I am older than my great- when there was little hope of future success. At an AHSGR grandfather was when he came to America, 1 am three meeting in Leavenworth three years ago, I told Dick years older than my grandfather was when he died. Most of Scheuerman that he made a grave error in his new book the Russian-Germans who came to Walla Walla were Return To Berry Meadow. Dick wrote that now, as

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 Plant the Seeds 27 he pages through his first book, Pilgrims on the Earth: A German For my village of" Walter, we now have the original settlers' Russian Chronicle, he finds "little reason to be proud of the stiff list of 1767, which lists the first colonists from Germany and the prose written by a nineteen year old." I told him that he was 1798 Census, which shows the inhabitants thirty years later. We wrong: For he planted a seed that has reaped a tremendous harvest also know that some of the church and town records from Walter for all of us. For many of us, his book was one of the first that have survived, though they are still not readily accessible. explained Just what a Russian German was. Dick, now Dr. Remember my great-grandpa, Johann Christian Hill, Sr. of Richard Schcuerman, is one of the most respected chroniclers of Walla Walla who was born in Walter, Russia in 1842? Now, the Germans from Russia. His later efforts led to the opening of because of the CIS record retrieval projects which provided the communications between our country and the Russian archives. In link to research in Germany, we finally learned that he DID have 1991, he became the first westerner to return to the Volga River a father! Christian Hill was the: villages of our Russian-German people after they were closed. He son of Johann Philip Hill, b. 1812, Walter, Russia became the "miracle worker" for whom "it is impossible" has son of Johann Helfrich Hill, Jr., b. 1778, Walter, Russia never had much meaning. son of Johann Helfrich Hill, Sr., b. 1747, Altheim, Because of Dick, contact was made with Dr. Igor Pelf, Germany deputy dean of history at Saratov State University in Saratov, who son of Georg Wilhelm Hill, b. 1712, Altheim, Germany understood our need to know and who took the risks necessary to son of Johann Conrad Hill, b. 1674 , m. Gelnhausen- help bridge the gap between generations separated by years of 1701. political upheaval. You are indeed privileged to meet this man— Five more generations have been added to my family tree. far more so than you realize. His efforts are also what one person Much of this information has come from the CIS project. I now can do! have three of my four Russian-German lines back to the original I asked one of my dad's cousins the name of his mother, immigrant who went to Russia in 1766 and know their place of hoping to get her maiden name. He replied: "1 don't know, we just origin in Germany. The villages of my ancestors are now open so called her Ma," My great-grandpa, Christian Hill, Sr. was I can walk in their footsteps. I have visited the churches in somewhat of a character and a loner, despite his very large family. Germany where they worshipped over three hundred years ago in He had always been closed-mouth about himself, and his parents' the early 1600s. For years, we have all said that we would do names were unknown. At his death in 1931, the undertaker came ANYTHING to get whatever information was available on our to the house and met with his four adult daughters to fill out the Germans from Russia. Well, "ANYTHING" can now be defined, death certificate. He somberly asked them: "What was his father's and it has a price tag. name?" His daughter "Madja" Gies answered: These records are buried in archives scattered throughout the "fch weis nicht halt tier a Vater eber net\" [I don't know if he even former Soviet Union. These archives are not modern, well- had a father'] Her sisters started to iaugh, but not wanting to equipped facilities. They have suffered from the ravages of appear disrespectful, they held their hankies up to cover their political upheaval, war, archaic preservation techniques, and faces. The undertaker, who didn't speak German, thought the bureaucratic indifference. Some village files have been moved to grieving women were sobbing as they sat there convulsed, with other locations or mixed in with other documents/The situation is their faces in their hands and their shoulders shaking. But, over like trying to excavate the Grand Canyon with a teaspoon. It takes sixty years after his death—we still didn't know if Christian Hill many, many hours of work by dedicated, experienced researchers had a father! who have both the access to these repositories, and the expertise For years, we bemoaned the fact that we were unable to see to decipher the records. Everything must be done by hand. The any of the records that pertained to our ancestors' lives in Russia. sheer volume of records for so many villages will take years of We just knew that Communist Russia would never release any work to make the information available. We cannot expect this information on the Germans from Russia. But, miracles do effort to be on a volunteer basis: It is a full-time job. Itjs only happen and they did for us! The entire political structure of the right that we pay for theJH-chivists' time and expenses. The more former Soviet Union changed and we began to have hope. It was we pay, the faster the job will be done and the more material we tenuous at first—but now, a rich treasure trove awaits us! The will be able to recover. Remember the window of opportunity original emigration lists for many of our villages been obtained may close without warning. and are being processed. The early census records for a number of Rick Rye is returning to Russia for more records. AHSGR the Volga villages are available for sale here in the Convention has money for a three-week stay, and they desperately want to bookstore. The acquisition of records for Black Sea villages is raise enough money to add another week. well under way.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 Please help us keep Rick out of town as long as we can! tion to carry on the work and dreams begun over a Our regular AHSGR membership fees and donations quarter of a century ago. . . The farther removed from the go to ongoing organizational costs. We cannot rely on this migration of our ancestors, the more difficult it is and will money to pay for records. Wisely recognizing what needs become to get our children involved . .. But, that is our to be done and that the tenuous political situation in the CIS challenge and it must be met, or all of [he effort and could once again shut the doors, AHSGR has committed struggle may very well have been in vain." itself to funding a massive record retrieval program. But, You. as an individual, can help by recording your in- since the initial flurry at the 1994 convention, we have formation for posterity, by sharing it with your family and gotten complacent. Your cooperation has started to dwindle other researchers, and by contributing financially to help down at a time when it is needed the most. Records are bring records out of Russia and to record the stories told by fragile. The 1890 U.S. Census was destroyed by fire. Irish the Aussiedier. In addition to sending your family in- researchers are frustrated by the loss of nearly all the formation to headquarters at Lincoln. . . records of Ireland when the Four Courts in Dublin were 1. Contribute to the work of the village coordinators by blown up in the 1916 revolution. sending them a copy of your genealogy forms as well as At my first AHSGR Convention the "youth" included family stories. It doesn't have to be fancy—but it is myself. Dr. Richard Scheuerman, and Dr. Timothy important that it gets done. Keep some note cards handy Kloberdanz. Admittedly we were old youth, but still you and when you think of something, write it down. These looked up to us as the future of AHSGR. Well, my hair is stories that we have, no matter how small, cannot be lost. turning white and I can't read with my glasses off or walk Unless you each take the time to record them, no one will with them on. When I do research my arms are out to here, ever know what happened. Some of you have been prom- and the magnifying glasses get more powerful, Dick's little ising to do this for the past twenty years "as soon as I have baby daughter, Mary Katherine, who used to run around at time." our past AHSGR conventions is in college. Many who 2. Share your information with your family—we need helped us are now gone. We will all continue to work as the next generation to continue our work. Get your children long as we are able, and the success of the past few years in or grandchildren to use their computers to help. There are gaining information has been rewarding. We who planted simple genealogy software programs that make the job of those early seeds, and that includes all of you who have compiling a family tree very easy. At the very least put the made an effort to do family group sheets or conduct oral names on the back of your old photographs and write down interviews, are now profiting as the barriers have come the names, dates, and places of birth, marriage, and deaths down. in your immediate families. Now I challenge you to help plant more seeds so we 3. Purchase the materials that are being published by can reap future harvests. If you don't do it and do it now— AHSGR and our Russian-German authors so that there is a who will care in another twenty years. Will there even be positive return on their investment of time and costs, and any AHSGR chapters? Who will come to the meetings? so that the money can be "recycled" to other projects. Our chapter potlucks are fun—I enjoy them and it is laud- ... and finally, and most important; able that we try to preserve our folklore and customs at our 4. Contribute to the CIS Project for obtaining records meetings. But is that the extent of your participation? in Russia and also to the Aussiedier Project which assists Doesn't our heritage deserve more? Look on the back of and interviews the Germans from Russia who have made your membership card; it gives the AHSGR Member their way back to Germany, We are finally receiving Pledge: records from Russia, but we need your extra financial / pledge, through my membership in AHSGR, to dis- support now. Help us obtain more records and record more cover my heritage so the traditions and culture of our stories while we can. MAKE OUT A DONATION ancestors will be known for generations to come. CHECK payable to AHSGR. Indicate CIS Project or Are you keeping that pledge? The torch must be passed Aussiedier Project on your checks. We all have demands on—it cannot be dropped now. Who will take our place? on our money, and we realize that some of our members How many of you here at this meeting are under fifty? Not are on fixed incomes and may not be able to contribute, but very many. Have you made the effort to share your heritage for those who are able these contributions should be above and family stories with your family? The program for the and beyond your normal contributions to AHSGR. Your 25th anniversary of the AHSGR Convention held at AHSGR chapter can and should plan special CIS fund- Lincoln in 1994 notes: raising projects. "We must work together to bring the fourth or fifth or PLEASE. . . PLANT THE SEEDS TODAY, SO sixth generation Germans from Russia into the organiza- THERE WILL BE A HARVEST FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 29 1997 JOURNAL INDEX

Brent Alan Mai Following is a subject, author, photograph, illustration, and map index to the material contained in the four 1997 issues of the Journal of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia. These four issues comprise Volume 20, issues numbered sequentially 1 through 4, and dated respectively Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter 1997. Adelsheim (Zaporozhye) Russia "During the Stalin Regime." E.N. Miller. Winter 1997, p.21- "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer 25. 1997, p.1-12. Bandesch Family Adelung, F.P. " 1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. 1997, p.1-12. Miller. Fall 1997,p.27-31. Baskal/Basgal Family Albert Family "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & M.E. Baumler Family Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. Alexander II, Tsar (1818-1881) Baumtrog, Augustin "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & 1997,p.l-12. M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. Alexander, Baron von Beideck (Volga) Russia "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." I.R. Pleve. "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." I.R. Fall 1997, p.25-26. Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. Alexanderwohl (Zaporozhye) Russia Belenina, Irina "The Germans in Russia; Their Present "Perils of a Journey." P.J. Klassen. Fall 1997, p.3-6. Situation." E.N. Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. Altonau (Zaporozhye) Russia Bell, Diana (auth.) "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "One Hundred and Ten Years of Volga Germans in 1997,p.l-12. Fresno." D. Bell. Fall 1997, p.40-46. Annual Reports, AHSGR & AHSGR International Bellinghausen, Fabian Gottlieb von "The Germans in Russia: Foundation - see specific officers and committees. Their Present Situation." E.N. Miller-Fall 1997, p.27-31. Anthology - German-Russian Literature Berg, A.I. "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." "German Writers in Russia Today." E.N. Miller. Winter E.N. Miller.Falll997,p.27-31. 1997,p.26-30. Bergdorf (Odessa) Russia Arzis (Bessarabia) Russia •The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. Bergstrasser, Friedrich Adamovich Assimilation of German-Russians into America "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. p.32-37. "The Experience of the German-Russian Pioneer Women." Bergtal (Zaporozhye) Russia "1837: A Year in the Life of I.M. Rader. Winler 1997, p.31-37. David Epp." D. Epp. Summer 1997, p.1-12. "One Hundred and Ten Years of Volga Germans in Berlin Document Confer "Unite Your Family with the Fresno." D. Bell. Fall 1997, p.40-46. Berlin Document Center Records." M. Wheeler. Fall 1997, Assimilation of German-Russians into Germany, Post 1990 p.7-11. Blumengart (Zaporozhye) Russia "1837: A Year in "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer 1997, p.1-12. Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. Bolshevik Revolution, 1917 Assimilation of German-Russians into Russia "Memories of Seelman." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. "German Writers in Russia Today." E.N. Miller. Winter Brandt Family 1997,p.26-30. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Authors "German Writers in Russia Today." E.N. Miller. 1997, p.1-12. Winter 1997,p.26-30. Braun Family "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Axt, Gil (auth.) Epp. Summer I997,p.M2. "When We Were Young." G. Axt. Fall 1997, p.53. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & M.E. Balzer (Volga) Russia Leiker. Spring 1997, p.1-8. "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." I.R. Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26.

Brent Alan Mai is an assistant professor of Library Science at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 30 1997 Journal Index

Braun, Clara Greilich "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A,A. Pfeifer & M.E. Lciker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. M.E. Leikcr. Spring 1997, p. 1 -8. "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. Braun, Clara Greilich (photo) "Conversations with Germans in "Perils of a Journey" P.J. Klassen. Fall 1997, p.3-6. Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Congress of the Volga Germans (Third), 1997 M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p. 1-8. "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. Brenneisen, Sophia "From God's Lost Crop: A Black Sea Miller. Fall 1997,p.27-31. German Album." R, Vossler. Spring 1997, p.23-27. Construction Techniques Brenner Family (photo) "From the History ofJosefstal." I.R. Pleve. Summer 1997, "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebcrt. Spring 1997, p.9-22. p.23-30. Brüllow, K, Convention -AHSGR 28th International (San Jose), 1997 "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. (photo) Fall 1997, p.ii. Fall 1997, p.37. Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. Crime Brungart Family "Conversations with Germans in Russia." "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. A.A. Pfeifer & Danzig Prussia M.E. Lciker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. "Perils of a Journey," P.J. Klassen. Fall 1997, p.3-6. Buechler Family "The Experience of the German-Russian Daughter Colonies, Settlement of - Volga Pioneer Women." I.M. Rader. Winter 1997, p.31-37. "From the History ofJosefstal." I.R. Pleve. Summer 1997, Burwalde (Zaporozhye) Russia p.23-30, "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp," D. Epp. Summer Debus Family 1997,p,M2. "The Life of the German Women in Russia." L.W. Pfeifer. Bylaws and Operations Manual Committee, AHSGR Fall 1997, p.38-39. International Foundation - Annual Report Fall 1997, p.20. Dechant Family Chapter Presidents and Board Members (Combined "Volga-German Sisters Locate Family." A. Fischer. Winter Meeting), AHSGR - Annual Report Fall 1997, p,14. 1997,p.l9-20. Chapter Presidents' Council, AHSGR - Annual Report Degott (Volga) Russia Fall 1997, p. 13, "From the History ofJosefstal." I.R. Pleve. Summer 1997, p.23- Chelyabinsk (Urals) Russia 30. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & M.E. Dekterov Family Leiker. Spring 1997, p. 1 -8. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifcr & "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer &. M.E. Lciker. Spring 1997, p. 1 -8. M.E. Lciker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. Delwig, A.A. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. Milter. Fall 1997, p.27-31. Chemnitzer, I.I. Demuroff, Stephan "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. Miller. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & M.E. Fall 1997, p.27-31. Lciker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. Childbirth Deportation of the Volga Germans, 1941 "The Experience of the German-Russian Pioneer Women." l.M. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Rader. Winter 1997, p.31-37. M.E. Lciker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. Childhood "During the Stalin Regime." E.N. Miller. Winter 1997, p.21- "During the Stalin Regime." E.N. Miller. Winter 1997,p.2I-25. 25. Christmas "German Writers in Russia Today." E.N. Miller. Winter 1997,p.26-30. Traditions "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. "The Life of the German Women in Russia." L.W. Pfeifer. Pfeifer & M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. Fall 1997, p.38-39. "Conversations with Germans in Russia," A.A. Pfeifer & "Memories of Seelmann," V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. M.E. Lciker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. "The Dumb Farmer." Depression, 1929-1939 J.D. Samlcr. Winter 1997, p. 1-12. "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samlcr. Winter 1997, p.1-12. Cody, Dalton Diary "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "The Dumb Farmer." J.D, Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. 1997,p.l-12. Collectivization, 1928-1938 Dick, Viktor "The Germans in Russia: Their Present "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A, Pfeifer & Situation." E.N. Miller. Fall 1997,p.27-31. M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p. 1 -8. Dietel (Volga) Russia "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer &M.E.Leikcr. Summer 1997, p.14-22. &M.E,Leikcr. Summer 1997, p.14-22.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 1997 Journal Index 31

Ditzel Family Epp, David "Memories of Seelmann." V. Licbert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. (1782-1843) "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Doerksen Family Summer 1997,p.l-12. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp, Summer Epp, David (auth.) 1997,p.l-12. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer 1997, Donations, Listing of- AHSGR p.1-12. Fall 1997, p.47-52. Esau Family Dönhof (Volga) Russia "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." I.R. 1997, p.1-12. Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. Evangelical Christian True Church of God Driedger Family "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer p.32-37. 1997,p.l-12. Executive Director, AHSGR - Annual Report Dyck Family Fall l997,p.ll- "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Famine, 1921-1922 1997, p.1-12. "During the Stalin Regime." E.N. Miller. Winter 1997, p.21- Easter Traditions 25. "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A, Pfeifer & Famine, 1932-1933 M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997. p.12-18. "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. Edelmann Family Farming Practices "Unite Your Family with the Berlin Document Center Records." M. Wheeler. Fall 1997, p.7-11. "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. "The Experience of the German-Russian Pioneer Women." Editorial and Publications Committee, AHSGR - Annual Report Fall 1997, p.l9. I.M. Rader- Winter 1997, p.31-37. Education Methods Fast Family "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. 1997,p.l-12. Eichhorn, Irma E. (ed.) Fenzel Family "During the Stalin Regime." E.N. Miller. Winter 1997, p.21- "Memories of Seelmann," V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. 25, "German Writers in Russia Today." E.N. Miller. Winter Financial Statements, AHSGR - Annual Report 1997,p.26-30. Fall 1997, p.22. Einlage (Zaporozhye) Russia Financial Statements, AHSGR International Foundation • "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Annual Report Fall 1997, p.21. 1997,p.l-12. Fischer, Avery (auth.) Eisfeld, Alfred "Volga-German Sisters Locate Family." A. Fischer. Winter "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Pall 1997, 1997, p. 19-20. p.32-37. Flegel Family (photo) Fall 1997,cover. Fall 1997, p.53. Ellis County Volga German Society "Volga-German Sisters Locate Family." A. Fischer. Winter Fliehmann Family 1997, p. 19-20. "Unite Your Family with the Berlin Document Center Emigration Patterns "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration Records." M. Wheeler. Fall 1997, p.7-11. to America." I.R. Fonwisin, D.I. Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. Endowment Fund, AHSGR Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. "Leaving a Legacy, For Generations to Come." Summer Food Preparation - German-Russian Traditions 1997, p.37. "Leaving a Legacy, For Generations to "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. Come."Winter 1997,p.42. Ford, Maria (auth.) Engles (Volga) Russia "New Additions to AHSGR Library." M. Ford. Spring "During the Stalin Regime." E.N. Miller. Winter 1997, p.21-25. 1997,p.39-40. "German Writers in Russia Today." E.N. Miller. Winter Frank (Volga) Russia 1997,p.26-30. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Epp Family M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Franz Family Epp."D.Epp.Summer1997,p.1-12. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer 1997, p.1-12.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 Freeman, Bob & Margaret Zimmerman (photo) Gorbachev, Mikhait Sergeyevich (1931-) "Distinguished Service Award." J. Schieicher. Fall 1997, "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. p.23-24. Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. Freeman, Margaret Zimmerman (1929-) Gornung Family "Distinguished Service Award." J. Schleicher. Fall 1997, "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & p.23-24. Fresno CA - History "One Hundred and Ten M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. Years of Volga Germans in Fresno." D. Bell. Fall 1997, Gortmann Family p.40-46. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Frick Family M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Gortmann, Agatha Mare (1924-) M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Friesen Family M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Gortmann, Frederick (1922-) 1997,p.l-12. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Frison, Alexander M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifcr & Gorz Family M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Fund Raising 1997,p.l-12. "When We Were Young." G. Axt. Fall 1997, p.53. Got Family Furstenau (Zaporozhye) Russia "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. 1997,p.l-12. Greilich, Jacob (photo) Genealogical Resources – Ukraine "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine," R. Rye. Fall 1997, M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p.1-8. p.32-37. Gross, Frieda (photo) Fall 1997,cover. Genealogy Research/Service Committee, Grimm (Volga) Russia AHSGR - Annual Report "German Writers in Russia Today." E.N. Miller. Winter Fall 1997, p.18-19. 1997,p.26-30. German Immigration Center, 1939-1945 Grosheim Family "Unite Your Family with the Berlin Document Center "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Records." M. Wheeler. Fall 1997, p.7-11. 1997,p.l-12. German Records - Microfilming Gruenfeld (Don District) Russia "Unite Your Family with the Berlin Document Center "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Records." M. Wheeler. Fall 1997, p.7-11. M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p.1-8. Germans Born in Russia (photo) Günther Family Fall 1997, p.6. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Germany - Support of German-Russians in Russia, Post 1990 1997, p.1-12. "German Writers in Russia Today." E.N. Miller. Winter Guryevsky (Kazakhstan) Russia 1997,p.26-30. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Gietel Family M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Haag Family M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p.1-8. "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. Gluckstal (Odessa) Russia Haigler NE "The Experience of the German-Russian Pioneer Women." "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. I.M. Rader. Winter 1997, p.31-37. Halbstadt (Siberia) Russia Gluckstal Colonies Research Association "Distinguished "Perils of a Journey." P.J. Klassen. Fall 1997, p.3-6. Service Award." J. Schleicher. Fall 1997, p.23-24. Hamm Family Gnadenfeld (Zaporozhye) Russia "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer 1997,p.l-12. 1997,p.l-12. Gobel (Volga) Hansen, Rosa (photo) Russia "Volga-German Sisters Locate Family." A. Fischer, Winter "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A,A. Pfeifer & 1997, p. 19-20. M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997,p.I2-18. "From the History of Harder Family Josefstal." I.R. Pleve. Summer 1997, p.23-30. " 1837; A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer 1997, p.1-12. Harsch Family "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 Haverkand Family Immigration to Brazil "Conversations with Germans in Russia-" A.A. Pfeifer & "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." I.R. M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. Heckenlaible, Matthias Immigration to the Ukraine, 1787-1884 "From God's Lost Crop: A Black Sea German Album." R. "Perils of a Journey." P.J. Klassen. Fall 1997, p.3-6. Vossler. Spring 1997, p.23-27. Index -1996 Journals, AHSGR Heibert Family "1996 Journal Index." B.A. Mai. Spring 1997, p.28-38. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Irrigation 1997,p.l-12. "One Hundred and Ten Years of Volga Germans in Heimtal (Volhynia) Russia Fresno." D. Bell. Fall 1997, p.40-46. "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, Isaak Family p.32-37. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Hellwig, Magdalena 1997,p.l-12. "From God's Lost Crop: A Black Sea German Album." R. Jaeger Family Vossler. Spring 1997, p.23-27. 'The Experience of the German-Russian Pioneer Women.' Hermann, Gottfried (1772-1848) I.M. Rader. Winter 1997, p.31-37. "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. Janke Family Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, Herrman Family p.32-37. "Volga-German Sisters Locate Family." A. Fischer. Winter Johanncstal (Berezan) Russia 1997, p. 19-20. "Unite Your Family with the Berlin Document Center Heubuden West Prussia Records." M. Wheeler. Fall 1997, p.7-11, "Perils of a Journey." P.J'. Klassen. Fall 1997, p.3-6. Josefstal (Volga) Russia Hildebrand Family "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp."D. Epp. Summer 1997,p.l-12. 1997,p.l-12. Josefstal (Volga) Russia - Church (illus.) Hildmann (Volga) Russia "From The History of Josefstal." I.R. Summer 1997, cover. Pleve. Summer 1997, p.23-30. Josefstal (Volga) Russia - Founding Families Hinimler, Heinrich "From the History of Josefstal." I.R. Pleve. Summer 1997, "Unite Your Family with the Berlin Document Center p.23-30. Records." M. Wheeler. Fall 1997, p.7-11. Kaiser Family Historical Research Committee, AHSGR - Annual Report "During the Stalin Regime." E.N. Miller. Winter 1997, p.21- Fall 1997, p. 19-20. 25. Hoffinan Family Kamenka (Volga) Russia "Volga-German Sisters Locate Family." A. Fischer. Winter "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." I.R. 1997, p. 19-20. Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. "From the History of Josefstal." I.R. Homesteading Pleve. Summer 1997, p.23-30. "The Experience of the German-Russian Pioneer Women." Kamla Family I.M. Radcr. Winter 1997, p.31-37. "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.M2. Horodiszcze (Volhynia) Russia Kampen, von Family "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer p.32-37. Husaren Volga) Russia "From the History of 1997, p.l-12. Josefstal." I.R. Pleve. Summer 1997, Karaganda (Kazakhstan) Russia p.23-30. "Perils of a Journey." P.J. K Jassen. Fall 1997, p-3-6, "Volga- Hussenbach (Volga) Russia German Sisters Locate Family." A. Fischer. Winter "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & 1997,p.I9-20. M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p. 14-22. Kessler, Joseph A. Immigration to America "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." I.R. M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. "The Experience of the German- Kharitonova, Iraida Russian Pioneer Women." "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. I.M. Rader. Winter 1997, p.31-37. "One Hundred Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. and Ten Years of Volga Germans in Fresno." D. Bell. Khortitsa (Zaporozhye) Russia Fall 1997, p.40-46, "1837; A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer 1997,p.l-12. "Perils of a Journey." P.J. Klassen. Fall 1997, p.3-6.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 Khortitsa (Zaporozhye) Russia - Teachers College - Band Kroker Family (photo) "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Summer 1997, p.1-12. 1997, p.1-12. Kiev (Ukraine) Russia - Central State Archive Krusenstern, A.J. von "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye, Fall 1997, "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation," E.N. p.32-37. Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. Klaassen/Klassen Family Kuchelbecker, Wilhelm Karl (1797-1846) "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. 1997,p.l-12. Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. "Perils of a Journey." P.J. Klassen. Fall 1997, p.3-6. Kuhr, Jo Ann (trans.) Klassen, Peter J. (auth.) "Memories of Seelmann."V, Liebcrt. Spring 1997,p.9-22. "Perils of a Journey." P.J. Klasscn. Fall 1997, p.3-6. Kustenai (Kazakhstan) Russia Klements Family "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p.1-8. M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p.1-8. Kutter (Volga) Russia Klippenstein, Lawrence (auth.) "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." I.R. "Registry of Mennonite Materials from the St. Petersburg Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. Archives." L. Klippenstein. Summer 1997, p.31-36. Lacher, Karl Knelsen Family "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer p.32-37. 1997,p.l-12. Lang Family Knorr Family "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "The Dumb Fanner." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12, M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p. 12-18. Knosp Family Lang, Maria Haverkand (1936-) (photo) "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Kohler (Volga) Russia M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. "From the History of Josefstal." I.R, Pleve. Summer 1997, Lange Family p.23-30, Kokshi (Siberia) Russia "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "During the Stalin Regime." E.N. Miller. Winter 1997, p.21- 1997,p.l-12. 25. Lechen Family Kolb (Volga) Russia "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp, Summer "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." I.R. 1997,p.l-12. Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. Legleiter, Gene (photo) Königsberg (East Prussia) Russia "Volga-German Sisters Locate Family." A. Fischer. Winter "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer 1997,p.l9-20, 1997,p.l-12. Leichtling (Volga) Russia Kopeisk (Siberia) Russia "From The History of Josefstal." I.R. Pleve. Summer 1997, "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & p.23-30. M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997,p.l2-18. Leiker, Mary Elise (auth.) Korotyshchskaya Luga (Volhynia) Russia "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p.1-8. "Conversations with Germans p.32-37. M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. "Conversations with Krause Family Germans in Russia." A.A, Pfeifer & M.E. Leiker. Winter "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer 1997,p.l2-18. in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & 1997, p.1-12. Leiker, Mary Elise (photo) Krauter Family "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "The Experience of the German-Russian Pioneer Women." M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p. 1-8. I.M. Rader. Winter 1997, p,31-37. Library, AHSGR Krenz, Wilhelm "New Additions to AHSGR Library." M. Ford. Spring "From God's Lost Crop: A Black Sea German Album." R. 1997,p.39-40. "New Additions to AHSGR Library." J.T. Vossler. Spring 1997. p.23-27. Roth. Winter 1997,p.38-41. Krenzler, Karolina Library, AHSGR - Policies "From God's Lost Crop; A Black Sea German Album." R. "AHSGR Library." Spring 1997, p.38. Vossler. Spring 1997, p.23-27. Liebert, Valentina (auth.) "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebcrl. Spring 1997, p.9-22.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 Life Members, AHSGR Mennonite Research - Resources Fall 1997, p. 11. "Registry of Mennonite Materials from the St. Petersburg Linenberger, Joseph (1838-1911) Archives." L. Klippenstein. Summer 1997, p.31-36 "The Life of the German Women in Russia." L.W. Pfeifer. .Mennonites Fall 1997, p.38-39. " 1837; A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Lisanderdorf (Volga) Russia 1997, p.1-12. "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration (o America." I.R. Merz Family Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Lissmano Family M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p. 14-22. "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." I.R. Merz, Helena Weigel (1922-) (photo) Pleve. Fall 1997. p.25-26. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Literature "German Writers in Russia Today." E.N. Miller. M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. Winter 1997,p.26-30. Messer (Volga) Russia Lobanova, Erika "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." I.R. "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. Miller. Fall 1997,p.27-31. Microfilming Lopp Family "Registry of Mennonite Materials from (he St. Petersburg " 1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Archives." L. K Hppenstein. Summer 1997, p.31-36. 1997.p.l-12. Miller Family Lowen Family "During the Stalin Regime." E.N. Miller. Winter 1997, p.21- "1837; A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer 25. "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. 1997,p.l-12. Miller.Falll997,p.27-31. "Volga-German Sisters Locate Luzern (Volga) Russia Family." A. Fisehcr. Winter 1997, p. 19-20. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Miller, Eugen E. (photo) "German Writers in Russia Today." M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p. 12-18. E.N. Miller. Winter 1997,p.26-30. Madering Family Miller, Eugen N. (1929-) (auth.) "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "During the Stalin Regime." E.N. Miller. Winter 1997, M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p.1-8. p.21-25. "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." Man Family "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. E.N. Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. "German Writers in Russia Pfeifer & M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. Today." E.N, Miller. Winter 1997,p.26-30. Mai, Brent Alan (1964-) (auth.) Miller, Eugen N- (photo) "German Writers in Russia Today." "1996 Journal Index." B.A. Mai. Spring 1997, p.28-38. E.N. Miller. Winter 1997,p.26-30. Malchenko, Victor Moeder Family "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, "Volga-German Sisters Locate Family." A. Fischer. Winter p.32-37. 1997,p.l9-20. Mare Family Moessner, Ursula (tra/is.) "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "During the Statin Regime." E.N. Miller. Winter 1997, p.21- M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. 25. "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. Marienfeld (Volga) Russia. Millcr.Falll997,p.27-31. "German Writers in Russia Today." "From the History of Josefstal." I.R. Pleve. Summer 1997, E.N. Miller. Winter 1997,p.26-30. p.23-30. Mohr (Volga) Russia Marienthal (Volga) Russia "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." I.R. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p. 14-22. Molochna Colonies Martin Family "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. "The 1997, p. 1-12. Experience of the German-Russian Pioneer Women." Moor Family (photo) I.M. Rader. Winter 1997, p.31 -37. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & M.E. Maser Family Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. "The Life of the German Women in Russia." L.W. Pfeifer. Fall 1997, p.38-39. Membership, AHSGR - Annual Report Faill997,p.)4-16. Membership/Public Affairs Committee, AHSGR -Annual Report Fall 1997, p.17-18.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 Moor, Agatha Albert (1933-) Ohrloff (Zaporozhye) Russia "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer &. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18, 1997, p.1-12. Morgenstern Anthology Project Okenyuka (Siberia) Russia "German Writers in Russia Today." E.N. Miller, Winter "Conversations with Germans in Russia," A.A. Pfeifer & 1997,p.26-30. M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. Morhardt Family Omsk (Siberia) Russia "Unite Your Family with the Berlin Document Center "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Records." M. Wheeler, Fall 1997, p.7-11. M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p. 1-8. Munsterberg (Zaporozhye) Russia Orenburg (Siberia) Russia "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & 1997, p.1-12. M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p. 1-8. Music (Words Only) Ostenek, A.Ch. - see Wostokow, A.Ch. "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. Palesch, Wilhelm Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Muzychuk, Olga "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. Rye. Fall 1997, Pankrats Family p,32-37. "1837: A Year in the Lite of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Neuendorf (Zaporozhye) Russia 1997,p.l-12. "1837-. A Year in the Life of David Epp," D. Epp. Summer Papakin, Gregorii Volodimirovich 1997,p.l-12. "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R, Rye. Fall 1997, Neufeld Family p.32-37. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Papenfuss, Herman & Albina Younger (photos) 1997,p.l-12. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Neu-Osterwick (Zaporozhye) Russia M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p. 1-8. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Pastwa (Zaporozhye) Russia 1997,p.l-12. " 1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Neustadter Family 1997,p.l-12. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Penner Family 1997,p.l-12. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer New Economic Plan, 1921-1927 1997,p.l-12. "Registry of Mennonite Materials from the St. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Petersburg Archives." L. Klippenstein. Summer 1997, p.31-36. M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p. 14-22. Penza (Volga) Russia Nieder-Khortitsa (Zaporozhye) Russia "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997. p.12-18. 1997,p.l-12. Peru NE Norka (Volga) Russia "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. Pestel, "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." I.R. P.I. "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. Miller. Fall 1997,p.27-31. Novaya (Volhynia) Russia Peters Family "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, "1837'. A Year in the Life of David Epp." D, Epp. Summer p.32-37. 1997, p.1-12. Novosibirsk (Siberia) Russia Petropavlosk (Kazakhstan) Russia "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p.1-8. Novoyeh Derevneh (Siberia) Russia Pfeifer (Volga) Russia "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "From the History of Josefstal." I.R. Pleve. Summer 1997, M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. p.23-30. Nuss, Hilda Pfeifer, Alice Ann (aulh.) "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p.1-8. "Conversations with Germans Odessa (Odessa) Russia – Archive in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14- "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, 22, "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & p.32-37. M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p. 12-18. Oelkers, Bernadette Legleiter (photo) "Volga-German Sisters Locate Family." A. Fischer. Winter 1997, p. 19-20.

AH SGR Journal/Spring 1998 1997 Journal Index 37 Pfeifer, Leona Wasinger (auth.) Religious Education Methods "The Life of the German Women in Russia." L.W. Pfeifer. "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. Pall 1997, p.38-39. Religious Practices Plesskaya, Elvira "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Rye. Fall 1997, M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. "The Dumb Farmer." p.32-37. J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. Pleve, Igor (photo) Rempel Family "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. "German Writers in Russia Today." E.N. Miller. Winter Epp. Summer 1997, p.1-12. 1997,p.26-30. Renunciation Decree, 4 June 1871 Pleve, Igor R. (auth.) "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." l.R. to America." l.R. Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. "From the History of Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. Josefstal." l.R. Pleve. Summer 1997, p.23-30. Resettlement to Germany, 1939-1945 "Unite Your Family Poetry with the Berlin Document Center "From God's Lost Crop: A Black Sea German Album." R. Records." M. Wheeler. Fall 1997, p.7-11. Vossler. Spring 1997, p.23-27. Resettlement to Germany, post 1990 "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. Poets Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. "German Writers in Russia "German Writers in Russia Today." E.N. Miller. Winter Today." E.N. Miller. Winter 1997,p.26-30. 1997,p.26-30. "Perils of a Journey." P.J. Klassen. Fall 1997, p.3-6. Postyan Family Resolutions Committee, AHSGR - Annual Report "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Fall 1997, p.l4. Richter, S. "The Germans in Russia: Their M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p.1-8. Present Situation." E.N. Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. Riedel Prairie Lifestyles Family "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. & President of the International Society, AHSGR - Annual M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p. 14-22. Report Falll997,p.l3. Romanovskaya, Irina Preuss (Volga) Russia "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. Miller. Fall 1997,p.27-31. Puhl Family Rome Family "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. Purges, 1929-1935 "Conversations with Germans in Russia." Rosengart (Zaporozhye) Russia A.A. Pfeifer & "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. 1997, p.1-12. Pyatin, Nikolai Roshdestwenka (N. Caucasus) Russia "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. Rader, Irene M. (auth.) "The Experience of the German-Russian Roth, Jan Traci (auth.) Pioneer Women." "New Additions to AHSGR Library." J.T. Roth. Winter I.M. Rader. Winter 1997, p.31-37. 1997,p.38-41. Rais Family Roth, Johannes "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." l.R. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. Rath Family Ruder Family "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. "Volga-German Sisters Locate Family." A. Fischer. Winter Regehr/Regier Family 1997,p.l9-20. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Rudnerweide (Zaporozhye) Russia 1997, p.1-12. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Reimer Family 1997, p.1-12. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Russian Records - Microfilming 1997,p.l-12. "Unite Your Family with the Berlin Document Center Reising Family Records," M. Wheeler. Fall 1997, p.7-11. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 38 1997 Journal Index Rutz Family Schtinau (Zaporozhye) Russia "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "Perils of a Journey." P.J. Klassen. Fall 1997, p.3-6. M.E.Lciker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. Schonchen (Volga) Russia Rye, Richard (auth.) "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A, Pfeifer & Rye. Pall 1997, p.32-37. M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. Rye, Richard (frans.) Schoneberg (Zaporozhye) Russia "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." l.R. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp, Summer Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. "From the History of Josefstal." l.R. 1997, p.1-12. Pleve. Summer 1997, p.23-30. Schonfeld (Zaporozhye) Russia Samler Family (photos) "1837: A Year in (he Life of David Epp," D. Epp. Summer Winter 1997, p.ii, 1-12. 1997, p.1-12. Samler, Jacob David (auth.) Schonhorst (Zaporozhye) Russia "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. "1837; A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Samler/Semmler Family 1997,p.l-12. "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. Schfinwiese (Zaporozhye) Russia Samolyuk, Yedina Yakovlevna "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp, Summer "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, 1997,p.l-12, p.32-37. Schreiber Family San Jose Convention "The Life of the German Women in Russia." L.W. Pfeifer. " see Convention - 28th International (San Jose), 1997 Fall 1997, p.38-39. Saratov-Ulyanovsk Writer's Union of Russian Germans Schreiner Family "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. "German Writers in Russia M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. Today." E.N. Miller. Winter Schuck (Volga) Russia 1997,p.26-30. "From the History of Josefstal." l.R. Pleve. Summer 1997, p.23- Sauber, Clara Heckenlaible 30. "From God's Lost Crop: A Black Sea German Album." R, Schwaab Family Vossler. Spring 1997, p.23-27. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & M.E. Sauter Family (photos) Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. "Unite Your Family with the Berlin Document Center Schwabauer Family Records." M. Wheeler. Pall 1997, p.7-11. "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." l.R. Schamne, Julia (photo) Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. "Volga-German Sisters Locate Family." A. Fischer. Winter Schwabenland Family 1997, p. 19-20. "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. Scheerer Family Seelmann (Volga) Russia "Unite Your Family with the Berlin Document Center "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. Records," M. Wheeler. Fall 1997, p.7-11. Seelmann (Volga) Russia (map & photo) Scheidenian Family "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." l.R. Seelmann (Volga) Russia - Teachers College (photo) Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. Spring 1997, cover. Schellenberg Family Seewald (Volga) Russia "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & M.E. 1997,p.l-12. Leiker, Summer 1997, p.14-22. Schick Family Seewald Family "The Experience of the German-Russian Pioneer Women." "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. I.M. Rader. Winter 1997, p.31-37. Shelcztishkova, Eleonora Schiller, F. "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. Miller. Fall 1997,p.27-31, Miller.Falll997,p.27-31. Siemens Family Schleicher, John (auth.) "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp, Summer "Distinguished Service Award." J. Schleicher, Fall 1997, 1997.P.1-12. p.23-24. SiIbernagel, Alvina Werth Schmit Family "From God's Lost Crop: A Black Sea German Album." R. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Vossler. Spring 1997, p.23-27. 1997,p,l-12. Smailov, Albert "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. Miller. Fall 1997,p.27-31.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 Sobolevski, A.J. Swidnicki, Joseph "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. M.E, Leiker. Winter 1997, p. 12-18. Society of the Soviet German Wiedergeburt Tauberger Family "Conversations with Germans in Russia." "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. A.A. Pfeifer & Miller. Pall 1997, p.27-31. M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p.l-8. Sod House (photo) Tetzel Family Winter 1997, cover. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Solodyri (Volhynia) Russia M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997,p.l4-22. "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, Thiessen Family p.32-37. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Sonnenfeld, Donnette (aulh.) 1997, p.1-12. "The Vision of Hope." D. Sonnenfeld. Fall 1997, p.1-2. Tiegenhagen (Zaporozhye) Russia Soshnikov, Vladislav "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, 1997, p.1-12. p.32-37. Toews Family South Russia (map) "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Summer 1997, p.ii. 1997,p.l-12. Soviet Union - German Settlements (map) Toews, John B. (trans.) Spring 1997, p.ii. Summer 1997, p.l3 "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Spartak (Ukraine) Russia 1997,p.l-12. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Tbtleben.E.L M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p. 1-8. "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. St. Petersburg Microfilming Project Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. "Registry of Mennonite Materials from the St. Petersburg Trappe, Georg Archives.'* L. Klippenstein. Summer 1997, p.31-36. "Perils of a Journey." P.J, Klassen. Fall 1997, p,3-6. Stahl am Tarlyk (Volga) Russia Trautman Family "One Hundred and Ten Years of Volga Germans in "From God's Lost Crop: A Black Sea German Album." R. Fresno." D. Bell. Fall 1997, p.40-46, Vossler. Spring 1997, p.23-27. Stalin, Joseph V. (1879-1953) Tretyakova, Nclli "The Germans in Russia: Their Present "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. Situation." E.N. Miller. Fall 1997,p.27-31. "Perils of a Journey." P.J. Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. Klassen. Fall 1997, p.3-6. Unger Family Stasser Family "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. 1997, p.1-12. Stock Family Urbach (Volga) Russia "From God's Lost Crop: A Black Sea German Album." R. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Vossler. Spring 1997, p.23-27. M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p. 14-22. Straub (Volga) Russia Volga German Republic, proposed 1992 "One Hundred and Ten Years of Volga Germans in "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. Fresno." D. Bell. Fall 1997, p.40-46. Miller. Fall 1997,p.27-31. Strobel Family Volhynia - Genealogical Resources "The Experience of the German-Russian Pioneer Women." "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, l.M. Rader. Winter 1997, p.31-37. p.32-37. Sudermann Family Volmer (Volga) Russia "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "From the History of Josefstal." I.R. Pleve. Summer 1997, 1997, p.1-12. p.23-30. Surkova, Christel Volochova, Ludmilla "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. "The Germans in Russia; Their Present Situation." E.N. Miller.Falll997,p.27-31. Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. Sverdlovsk (Siberia) Russia Vossler, Ronald (auth.) "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "From God's Lost Crop: A Black Sea German Album." R. M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p.1-8. Vossler. Spring 1997, p.23-27. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & M.E. Voth Family Leiker. Winter 1997, p.12-18. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer 1997, p.1-12.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 Vydumka (Volhynia) Russia Women "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, "The Experience of the German-Russian Pioneer Women." p.32-37. I.M. Rader. Winter 1997, p.31-37. Wagenleiter Family "The Life of the German Women in Russia." L.W. Pfeifer. Fall "Memories of Seelmann." V, Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. 1997, p.38-39. Workers' Army, 1942-1948 Wagner Family "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A, Pfeifer & "The Experience of the German-Russian Pioneer Women." M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p.l-8. I.M, Rader. Winter 1997, p.31-37. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & Wahl, Dale Lee M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22, "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & p.32-37. M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997,p.l2-18. Warkentin Family "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Workers* Army, 1942-1948 (photo) 1997,p.l-12. "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. Warneeke, Wilhelm Worms (Berezan) Russia "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R, Rye. Fall 1997, "Unite Your Family with the Berlin Document Center p.32-37. Records." M, Wheeler. Fall 1997, p.7-11. Waterloo (Berezan) Russia Wostokow, A.Ch. "Unite Your Family with the Berlin Document Center "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N, Records." M. Wheeler. Fall 1997, p.7-11. Miller. Fall 1997,p.27-31. Wedel Family Writers' Union of Russian Germans - sec "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer Saratov-Ulyanovsk Writers' Union of Russian Germans 1997, p.M2. "The Life of the German Women in Russia." L.W. Writers Pfeifer. Fall 1997, p.38-39. "German Writers in Russia Today." E.N. Miller. Winter Weigel Family "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. 1997,p,26-30. Pfeifer & M.E. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. Yelizarov, Sergei Weigel, Lawrence (photo) "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Fall 1997, "Volga-German Sisters Locate Family." A. Fischer. Winter p.32-37. 1997, p. 19-20. Younger Family "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Werth Family Pfeifer & "From God's Lost Crop; A Black Sea German Album." R. M.E. Leiker. Spring 1997, p. 1-8. Vossler. Spring 1997, p.23-27. Yuzhny (Kazakhstan) Russia "Volga-German Sisters Locate Family." A. Fischer. Winter "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & M.E. 1997, p. 19-20. Leiker. Summer 1997, p.14-22. Zander, F.A. "The Germans in Wheeler, Marianne Sauter (auth.) Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. "Unite Your Family with the Berlin Document Center Zeilinger, O.H. Records." M. Wheeler. Fall 1997, p.7-11. "The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.1-12. Wiebe Family Zhitomir (Volhynia) Russia - Oblast Archive "1837: A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye, Fall 1997, 1997,p.l-12. p.32-37. Wiens Family Zimmerman Family "1837; A Year in the Life of David Epp." D. Epp. Summer "Distinguished Service Award." J. Schleicher. Fall 1997, 1997,p.l-12. p.23-24. Wiesen, D.I. von - see Fonwisin, D.I. "Memories of Seelmann." V. Liebert. Spring 1997, p.9-22. Wiest, William M. (ed.) "The Germans in Russia: Their Zottmann (Bishop) Present Situation." E.N. Miller. Fall 1997, p.27-31. "Beginning of Volga-German Emigration to America." I.R, Wilde (Pastor) "Recent Genealogical Finds in Ukraine." R. Rye. Pleve. Fall 1997, p.25-26. Fall 1997, p.32-37. Zug (Volga) Russia Wittgenstein, P.Ch. "Conversations with Germans in Russia." A.A. Pfeifer & "The Germans in Russia: Their Present Situation." E.N. M.E. Leiker. Winter 1997, p. 12-18. Miller.Falll997,p.27-31. Zweygardt Family “The Dumb Farmer." J.D. Samler. Winter 1997, p.l-12.D

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 41

LEAVING A LEGACY, FOR GENERATIONS TO COME Your Legacy Six Ways For You to Give

What Do I Want to Be Remembered For? Write a Check Today Have you ever asked yourself the question: What can I Writing a check for your tax deductible gift is the easi- do that is special, that will be for future generations, and est, and most frequently used means of supporting the will be appreciated for years to come? Our parents, our Endowment Fund. Write your check to the Endowment grandparents, our ancestral families, by coming to America Fund today. and Canada, from Russia, from western Europe, from everywhere in the world, that was something really special. A Bequest by Will They have left us their priceless legacies. Now we must Gifts by will often enable a person to make a significant look to the future, to a legacy for our children, grand- gift which may not have been possible during life. Update children, and generations beyond. Will a part of our legacy your will, and remember the Endowment Fund as a legacy be to help preserve those ethnic qualities of the German- to your loved-ones. Russian people, of which we are so Justifiably proud? Can we reach out to the those of German-Russian heritage As a Life Insurance Policy Beneficiary throughout the world and say we accepted the challenge? A gift of life insurance is appealing to some donors, as Because of what we have done, all that is German-Russian it allows them to make a gift of a previously acquired will Jive on? policy that is no longer needed. It is easy to make the Endowment Fund both owner and beneficiary of that "no longer needed" policy. Call your agent and do it now while you're thinking about it.

Charitable Gift Fund Investment Pools The AHSGR Endowment Fund AHSGR has made arrangements with Fidelity Invest- ments so that you can donate cash or securities into any Planning For the Future one of four mutual fund investment pools where assets can Since its founding in 1968, the members and friends of grow tax free, thus allowing your gift to grow, while taking the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, advantage of the charitable gift benefits today. The AHSGR, have supported the tradition of generous giving to minimum initial gift is $10,000. Your initial gift plus earn- support the everyday activities of the Society. Because of ings comes to the Endowment Fund at the time of your this generosity, AHSGR has become the most extensive death. repository of German-Russian information in the world. The Society's bookshelves, microfilm, card files, and Invest in a Pooled Income Fund archives have become an invaluable resource for both the Fidelity Investments also offers a Pooled Income Fund scholarly historical researcher, and the dedicated family which allows you to continue to receive the earnings of history buff. But the surface has barely been scratched. your donation, while taking partial advantage of the chari- Rich and valuable treasures of information are yet to be table tax benefits now. Your gift comes to the Endowment tapped. And we wonder what we can be remembered for? Fund at the time of your death. The Endowment Fund was established by the In- ternational Foundation for the sole purpose of assuring that Real Estate Donations by Bequest or Lifetime Transfer these accomplishments continue into the future. The Ask your attorney or financial advisor about the several AHSGR Endowment Fund can become the pathway to ways you can donate real property to the Endowment Fund- your legacy, You will be surprised how both you and AHSGR can benefit from the several plans that are available.

Send your contribution, or write for information or call AHSGR (at 402-474-3363) for information today. Endowment Fund, International Foundation, AHSGR, 631 D Street, Lincoln, NE 68502-1199.

AHSGR Journal/Spring 1998 AHSGR Members enjoy unique benefits! Join today and receive: • Genealogical services by staff researchers working with our extensive archives. • Translation services for documents and letters in eight languages at far • The AHSGR Journal with quarterly reports on the history and culture of below market cost. Germans from Russia, both in Russia and North and South America, past • Discounts on books, maps and on registration for the society's annual con-and present, ference. • Access to over 5,000 books, maps, manuscripts, and publications in the • Members may join one of 60 local chapters. AHSGR library.

Enclosed is my check for membership ^mcan^lltatorWJtone^ ofdienttans front |Russta i in AHSGR for the calendar year 1998. Membership Enrollment Form r-& Check one; D $50 Individual D NAME 0 $50 Family (husband and wife) D wos " $50 Institutional D $75 so esi Contributing D $100 Sustaining D •a $750 Life PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT, circle one- CO CM Mcii; to: AHSGR 631 D Street Mr, Mrs., Miss. Ms.. Dr. Prof, § Lincoln.NE68502.119 Your name will appear as you print it here MAIDEN NAME ^i 9 (402) 474-3363 F/RST AND LAST E;(^ 5) NOTE: REMIT IN U.S. FUNDS ONLY ^' £ CfTY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP (PLUS 41 COUNTRY B MN 90 TELEPHONE Home Business ; ANCESTRAL VILLAGE (H) 3^ ^ ANCESTRAL VILLAGE (W) -si? f-

TELEPHONE Home Business 1 ANCESTRAL VILLAGE (H) ^ ANCESTRAL VILLAGE (W) i

s ^ Enclosed is my check for membership ^mmcan ^HiatoroaIJSocbtg rf(Bmnatis from ^ussta — ^ in AHSGR for the calendar year 1998. Membership Enrollment Form (0 ^ Check one: 0 $50 Jndividuai D NAME ^ 1 $50 Family (husband and wife) D (A CO $50 Institutional D $75 3 Contributing CI $100 Sustaining D 5 -a $750 Life "-am PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT, circle one— e .Sis Mall to: AHSGR 63 ID Street Mr. Mrs., Miss, Ms , Dr., Pro/ Lincoln. NE 68502- stg^ Your name will appear as you print it here MAIDEN NAME 1199 (402) 474-3363 FIRST CQ'3 NOTE: REMIT IN U.S. FUNDS AND LAST a» . 0 a ONLY ^ a CITY STATE/PROVINCE ZIP {PLUS 4f COUNTRY ^ 5^ 'U ^ < TELEPHONE Home Business s0 iJ ANCESTRAL VILLAGE (H) § ANCESTRAL VILLAGE (W) 1