INDEX President's Letter ...................................……………………………………….………… 1 Dr. Karl Stumpp-The Individual German Settlement Areas in Russia............................... 3 Glueckstal Colony.......................................…………………..………………………… 7 Rev. Hessel Stevens' Letter.............................….………………………………………...14 Reformed Colonies in South Russia-T. C. Wenzlaff.......………………………………. 16 John E. Pfeiffer Letter and Bibliography................…………………………………….. 24 New Books for our Society Archives - Emma S. Haynes.....…………………………… 29 Rev. Jacob Eichhorn Bibliography......................…………………………………………33 The Arrival of Volga Germans in the U.S.A. - Emma S. Haynes...................................…39 The Russian Germans Come to the United States -T. C. Wenzlaff.............................…...43 T. C. Wenzlaff letter.................................……………………………………………….. 47 Hope Valley Church - Paul E. Reeb.......................……………………………………... 49 Peter Heinze First Immigrant Ancestor - Esther L. (Heinze) Miller.............................…..61 Fred Ostwald News Story...............................…………………………………………….67 Miscellaneous Recent Newspaper Article..................…………………………………….68 Genealogy Section - Gerda S. Walker, Chairman...........……………………………….. 69 Map Back Cover - German Colonies on the Volga Map of German Colonies in the area of Odessa - inside back cover IMPORTANT! ! ! ! ! The first annual international meeting will be held June 19 and 20, 1970, at Greeley, Colorado. Membership Meeting - Lincoln, Nebraska - National Bank of Commerce Trust and Savings, March 8, 1970 at 2:00 P.M. Translation of Index to map on front cover:

AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF GERMANS FROM RUSSIA 1004 A Ninth Ave. P. 0. Box 1424, Greeley, Colorado 80631

February 18, 1970

The first annual international meeting of members of our Society will be held at Greeley, Colorado, June 19 and 20, 1970. Church visitations will be made June 21, 1970. John H, Werner, Vice President, will serve as convention chairman. The program will appear in Work Paper No. 4. The choice of the name Work Paper was made with the thought in mind that the members would share with each other the work which they have done. In this Work Paper, we are also reproducing some letters which are not only interesting but carry a very sincere message. It is my hope that as you read through the Work Paper, you will make notations of items which you can add or points at which your experience or your reading may differ from what is presented. Those of us who contribute to the Work Paper will value your comments. We seek the true facts. We need most of all the personal experiences of the early immigrants to the United States and Canada and the story of how they became a part of the community, the state and the nation. We have dispensed with the list of members in Work Paper No. 3. Many of you have not sent in your membership data sheets and your selection of committees on which to serve. Please send in your membership data sheets if you have not already done so. To those who have sent them in, we will furnish the information on others who come from the same village, are of the same profession, or indicate the same interest. A chairman will be selected to coordinate and to further the work of each group within our Society. Mr. Joseph Schnurr, editor of the Heimatbuch der Landsmannschaft der Deutschen aus Russland, seeks pictures of the churches of the German colonies in Russia and has requested that a notice be published in our Work Paper. The information requested on churches should include the following: location of the church, denomination (Lutheran, Catholic or Reformed), type of structure, (wood frame, stone or brick), seating capacity, name of the church, diagram of the floor plan, approximate dimensions, when built, description of the altar, organ, statuary, if any, and bells. The pictures are sought regardless of age. Pictures of church interiors are especially desirable. The photographs should be sent to American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Collection, c/o Miss Esther Fromm, Librarian, Greeley Public Library, Community Center, Greeley, Colorado, 80631. Miss Fromm will arrange for duplication of the photos for the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia at its expense and mail the originals to editor Schnurr for his use and ultimate return to Miss Fromm. The early history of 19 German Lutheran colonies in Cherson and 33 German colonies in Bessarabia, was collected by George Leibbrandt and published in Germany by the Deutsche Ausland Institute Stuttgart, in 1926. These reports were prepared by the city officials of each colony and cover the first half of the 19th Century. Translations of the reports on the colonies of Glueckstal, Freudental,

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Rohrbach, Johannestal, Cassel and Hoffnungstal were mailed to me. I verified their source against my copy of Leibbrandt. Either the person sending the translations to American Historical Society of Germans from Russia failed to write, or I inadvertently separated the letter from the translation. I extend to the person sending these translations my very sincere apologies. I hope that you will write me so that we can make the proper acknowledgement for the tremendous amount of work in making these translations. We have chosen Glueckstal for this Work Paper as it is more inclusive of general conditions. Leibbrandt's collection covers the following colonies in Cherson: Peterstal, Freudental, Neufreudental, Helenental, Grossliebental, Alexanderhilf, Neuburg, Gluecktal, Neudorf, Bergdorf, Cassel, Rohrbach, Worms, Waterloo, Johannestal, Gueldendorf, Lustdorf, Odessa and Hoffnungstal. Bessarabian colonies are Sarata, Gnadental, Lichtental, Alt-Arcis, Brienne, Toeplitz, Friedenstal, Neu-Arcis, Fere-Champenoise I, Katzbach, Fere Champenoise II, Dennewitz, Plotzk, Paris, Tarutino, Malojaroslawetz II, Malojaroslawetz I, Culm, Leipzig, Klostitz, Beresina, Borodino and Hoffnungstal. The map of the area was prepared by our newly elected director, Paul E. Reeb, whose home is St. Francis, Kansas, but spends part of the year in Denver, Colorado. His ancestors came from Hoffnungstal, Ukraine, South Russia. We are also indebted to director Reeb for his history of Hope Valley Church. Bessarabia was partly annexed to the USSR after World War II. We hope to have volunteers complete the translation and publish the translation if there is enough interest, and sell the publication to members and others. We hope to include the account of the Leikers' and Flegels' trips to Russia, and the Millers' trip to Germany and visit with Dr. Karl Stumpp, editor Joseph Schnurr and visit to the Frankfurt Chapter of Die Landsmannschaft der Deutschen aus Russland in the next Work Paper. We wish to thank all contributors. Perhaps someone can give us a short account of one of the Catholic colonies in South Russia. A membership meeting of the Society will be held in Lincoln, Nebraska, at the National Bank of Commerce Trust and Savings, on Sunday, March 8, 1970, at 2:00 P.M. All are urged to attend. Membership solicitation letters are included in each packet, Mail them to your friends. Very truly yours, David J. Miller, President * Several Catholic Colonies are included in Keller, Rev. K., The German Colonies in South Russia, translated by A, Becker, M.D.,619 7th Avenue, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, $4.50 postpaid. NOTE: Change in P. 0. Box to 1424.

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DR. KARL STUMPP THE INDIVIDUAL GERMAN SETTLEMENT AREAS IN RUSSIA

The areas of settlement extending from Bessarabia to the Caucasus and to the Volga cover some 1,500 km or about 922 miles. The climate, land use, and business are different. The type of farming varies greatly. In Volynia, grain and lumber in the Crimea in Southern Bessarabia and in the Southern Caucasus, vineyards - on the Volga, industry. All areas raised grain except the Southern Caucasus. The areas varied not only in their economy but also in their culture, customs, habits, dialect, education and time of settlement . 1. TIME OF SETTLEMENT (1763 to 1824)(Volynia 1863). 2. STATES OF ORIGIN: Wuerttenberg, Baden, Palitinate, Hesse and North Germany. 3. RELIGION: Evangelican (Lutheran), Catholic, Mennonite, Separatists. 4. DIALECTS: Swabian, the Palitinate, North Germany and Hessian. Only one group showed no variation--the Mennonites. They all came from Danzig or West Prussia, spoke the same dialect (Low German) practiced the same religion. This group remained the most "Closed" (Geschlossenste) for almost 200 years. To the contrary, the other emigrants from Germany to Russia differed chiefly as to religion. Hence, the true place of origin from Germany could not always be verified. It is true there were pure Swabian Evangelical colonies (Caucasus, Odessa area, and Crimea (Tauric). Low German (Plattdeutsch) speaking Evangelical colonies in Grunau area, Palatinate Catholic colonies in Odessa, and Hessian colonies on the Volga. In most cases, the emigrants in a given colony came from many parts of Germany. In by far the largest number of cases the inhabitants of each colony came from the many different parts of Germany. In each colony, the most diverse traditions, dialects, and work habits met each other and merged into a new culture—a fusion of old customs into new conditions. It is not the purpose in this article to go into specifics, but only to give a general picture of the different areas. The colonies may be divided into mother colonies, primary settlements, and daughter colonies. The date order of the primary settlements is: 1. The oldest is the Volga area exclusive of the cities, founded in the years 1763-1768. 2. The offshoots of the Volgatrek in Leningrad. (NOTE: The index map of the German settlement areas in the USSR omitting Leningrad and Asiatic USSR and a summary description of the areas by Dr. Karl Stumpp in German are from the 1955 Heimatbuch, the publication described by Mrs. Haynes at page 8 of Work Paper No. 1. An order blank for past and current issues is enclosed. Please note this publication is in German.) See map on cover,

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3. The Black Sea German colonies founded 1789-1824. 4. The extension of the Black Sea migrations to the Caucasus, (a) South Caucasus from Wuerttenberg in 1817 and (b) the North Caucasus from the Black Sea and the Volga. 5. Volynia-1863, primarily from Selesia and Poland. 6. The Siberian Germans as relocations or resettlement from the Volga, Black Sea and Volynia in the 20th Century.

In the course of time, the people within this great expanse have built special areas, the knowledge of whose existence should be passed on to posterity. This is true especially in the Black Sea.

The Volga area was divided into the Hillside (Mountain) and Plains. The rolling hillside area lies to the west or left bank of the Volga; the plains area lay to the east or to the right of the Volga. Originally, most of the colonies were west of the Volga, but the daughter colonies spread more to the plains where the greatest expansion of the Volga Germans took place.

Contemporary with the Volga settlement is the Bolowesch area southeast of Chernigov. Because of its isolation, this area was forgotten. Frieda Schlau is credited with a very interesting article on Bolowesch (Heimatbuch 19,55, p. 23). A special instance is the City of Riebensdorf southeast of Vronesch. B. Harder is thanked for the first presentation of the little known colonies (500 km (300 miles) northeast of the Volga area or 150 km (90 miles) from Kubyshev on the Volga (see page 33, 1955 Heimatbuch).

Perhaps the special case of Old Danzig southwest of Kirovgorad should be mentioned. '

And now the closed (isolated) settlements 'in the Black Sea area:

A. MOTHER COLONIES IN THE BLACK SEA AREA

1. The Grossliebentaler area (G) consists of seven Evangelican (Lutheran) colonies (Grossliebental, Alexanderhilf, Neuburg. Peterstal, Freudental, Lustdorf, Gueldendorf) and four Catholic colonies, (Klein Lieboital, Mariental, Josefstal, Franzfeld) so named after the City of Grossleibenthal, the cultural center with the central school, girls school, hospital, orphanage, commercial, government and court administration.

2. Hoffnungstal held a special place. 3. The Kutschurganer region (K) named for the stream on which four of the six Catholic

villages lie (Stassburg, Baden, Mannheim, Alsace, Kandel, Selz). The states of origin are Alsace and Baden.

4. The Beresaner area (B) named for the stream Beresan. Here are four Evangelical

(Johannestal, Rohrbach, Waterloo, Worms) and seven Catholic (Landau, Karlsruhe, Katharinenstadt, Munich, Rastadt, Speyer, Selz) colonies whose inhabitants for the most part came from Baden, Alsace, Wuerttenberg and the Palitinate.

5. The Gluecktaler (Gl) area consists of four Evangelical colonies (Gluecktal, Bergdorf, Neudorf, Kassel). The states of origin are primarily Wuerttenberg, Prussia (Low German or "Kaschuben") Poland and Bavaria.

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6. Further east lies the Swedish (Sch) area with four villages,Schwedendorf, Schlangendorf, Klosterdorf, Muehlhausenderf. The name indicates that most of the inhabitants came from Sweden.

7. A second area on the Dnepr is the oldest Chortitzer (Ch) area. Here lie the "closed" Mennonite settlements with Chortitza as their center.

8. The largest and the most closed settlement in the Black Sea area is the Prischib-Halbstadter (P-H), also called the Molostchna area. The stream Molostchna (milkstream) divides the area. To the right or west bank of the stream lie the Evangelical and Catholic colonies with Prischib as its center. To the left or east bank of the stream lie the Mennonite settlements with the central point Halbstadt and Gnadenfeld. The Evangelical and Catholic colonies came from Wuerttenberg, Baden and Hesse; the Mennonites from the Danzig-Elbinger area and Northern Germany.

9. An unusual group is presented by the Mariupoler, Grunauer or Planer colonies marked (M) because they lie northwest of the City Mariupol (Zhdanoz), called Grunau for the largest center point of the area and Planer because the colonies were laid out according to the prearranged plan. Here we are concerned with North German and Low German speaking emigrants of Evangelical faith.

Smaller settlement areas are the Evangelical Swabian colonies: a). Near Berdjansk (formerly Osipenko) (New-Stuttgart, New Hoffnungstal and Rosenfeld).

b). On the Crimea (Neusatz, Heilbronn, Kronental, Zuerichtal), c). In the South Caucasus. This completes the closed segregated or isolated areas of the

mother colonies.

B. DAUGHTER COLONIES

From these "Mother" colonies over 2,000"daughter" colonies were founded far away on the Black Sea, the Don, the Caucasus, scattered even into Siberia.

Even among the "daughter" colony areas closed settlement areas arose. One is the *Kronau Orlow Area (K-0) northeast of Nikolajew. The settlers came from

Molotschna and here arose a small reproduction of Prischib-Halbstadter colonies in the sense that both Evangelical and Lutheran and Catholic towns were founded. Kronau

was the center of the Evangelical and Lutheran areas. Orlow was the center of the Catholic area. Further is the Eugenfeld-Darmstadter area (E) and Tatsckenaker colonies on the stream of

that name. East of Saporashje is the Kankriner (Kk) area with Schoenfeld as its center named for the man who sold the land. There are also known the Memrik Kolonies

(Mennonites) and northeast of it New-York (M-N). It is hoped *It is interesting that Life Pictoral Atlas of the World p. 513 col. 4 shows only "Kronau, Sask., Can." Can one of our members find todays name for Kronau in the USSR? NOTE: A small map of colonies named in pp. 9.above appears on the back cover of Work Paper No. 2.

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this review of the "closed" settlement areas will assist in the understanding of the history of the German colonization of this great expanse of the USSR. NOTE: Dr. Stumpp's article and this translation will give our members an idea of the great number of the German colonies throughout the USSR. I have kept some of the German idioms. We have reproduced Dr. Stumpp's map with his permission. I suggest those who can, volunteer to translate from German to English the many interesting articles from the Heimatbuch or other sources which you find and mail them to Miss Ruth Stoll, 2150 South Avenue A, Greenwood Village No. 28, Yuma, Arizona, 85364. One purpose of the Work Papers is to share your work and the joy of doing it with all other members.

Translated by David J. Miller

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GLÜCKSTHAL (Glueckstal) I. The Founding of the Colony

The beginning of the settlement was made at the end of 1804 by three families of Württemberg immigrants who were directed by the government officials to the small Armenian village of Grigoriopolis on the Dniester. Other Württemberg families that had arrived at Ovidiopolis were likewise settled here in subsequent years: 67 families in l805; 9 families from Warsaw in l806; 24 families from Hungary in 1807; and 3 families from Germany in 1808/9. Athethe end of 1809 the German colony at Grigoriopolis consisted of 106 families, numbering 525 souls (272 males and 253 females). In the beginning 21 of these families lived in old houses assigned to them; the others were quartered with Armenian families until they were able to move into the new houses which were constructed for them between February l806 to May 1807.

It soon became evident that the location of the colony was very unsuitable in several respects. First, the village was situated at the extreme southern end of the colonists' land area. Secondly, the envy and national hatred of the Armenian townsmen caused discord and disunity. Thirdly, the town life exerted a harmful influence on the German colonists. For these reasons his Excellency Duke de Richelieu thought it best if the colonists of Griegoriopolis were resettled in the village of Glinoi, about 10 versts to the west. Accordingly, the colonists left moved to Glinoi in the spring of 1809 where 118 houses of sod or wickerwork were made available to them by the administrator von Ronsenkampf. In turn the inhabitants of Glinoi were resettled in the homes of the colonists at Grigoriopolis. At Glinoi, which was now renamed Glucksthal, the colonists also obtained an old stone church and 10 wells.

In order to complete the quota of 122 families for the Glucksthal colony and to establish three additional colonies, the colonial authorities found it necessary to provide living quarters at Glücksthal for 293 families, numbering l,304 souls. Of these, 19 families numbering 93 souls were added to the colony of Glucksthal; 100 families numbering 93 souls were settled in the new colony of Neudorf on January of 1810; 68 families numbering 263 souls were settled the same

year in the new colony of Bergdorf, and 99 families numbering 399 souls in the new colony of Kassel.

The complete settlement of Glucksthal consisted of 125 families numbering 6l8 souls (326 male and 292 female). These constitute the pioneer stock, which has not only doubled in size of population but also provided numerous emigrants that moved to Grusinia in 1818, and, after 1836, to Bessarabia.

The old village of Glinoi had been laid out without any plan, in irregular fashion, an: The huts were small and uncomfortable, and the yards were not enclosed by fences. The colonists therefore laid out the village according to a regular plan and, as soon as possible, began to build new two-room houses made of stamped earth or sun-dried clay bricks. Many of these houses still exist, but most of them have been replaced by better, more attractive houses of stone.

II. The location of the Colony and its Land

The former Moldavian village of Glinoi lay 260 versts southwest of Cherson, 45 versts from the administrative center of Tiraspol, and 10 versts from the Dnieper river, which divides southern Russia from the province of Bessarabia. In 1809 this village was transformed into the German colony of Glucksthal, which at the present contains 215 attractive houses for the 231 resident families.

The village is located in a side valley of the Chornenka which takes its origin 2 versts north of the colony of Bergdorf and debouches into the Dniester valley, near the town of Grigoriopolis, Both Neudorf and Bergdorf are also

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situated in the Ghornenko valley, which has several springs and also carried a considerable amount of water in the rainy season. The hills that flank the valley also furnish a sufficient supply of durable building stone for all three colonies.

The steppe land belonging to the colony covers an area of 7,034. dessiatines and its uneven terrain is traversed by ridges and gullies. To the south the land forms an obtuse triangle. To the north it borders on the steppe of the Russian village of Remanovka; on the south it adjoins the crown land of the village of Schippki; to the southwest and northwest lies the steppe of Grigoriopihihis. The steppe of Glücksthal has one to three feet of fertile black humus with a sub-layer of clay, sand, and gravel.

On the whole the land is of good quality and, if we except the years of drought, the following crops thrive best: spring and winter wheat, winter rye, maize, barley, potatoes, and several kinds of vegetables. The soil is also well suited for viniculture, and for this purpose 192 dessiatines containing 465,000 vines have been cultivated. To the north of the colony, 60 dessiatines have been planted with oak trees, but these are only

15-20 feet high and too thin to be used for timber. The 30,479 fruit tree that have been planted are likewise not doing well, largely because of the unfavorable climate.

The communal sheep lands lie to the southwest of the colony, between the borders of the colony and those of Grigoriopolis. Covering an area of 500 dessiatines, this pasture land extends over the Chornenko valley, which had two springs that provide abundant water for the herd. East of this pasture are the 120 dessiatines of church land which the government has designated for the use of the local pastor.

III. The Naming of the Colony.

When the German colonists were resettled in the village the president of the Colonists' Welfare Committee, Associate Councilor von Rosenkampf, on seeing the advantages of the new location, was led to exclaim: "Das ist euer Glückl" (This is your good fortune), and suggested that the colony be called: "Glücksthal."

IV. The Origin of the Pioneer Families.

The 12s) families that settled here came from various countries: 67 from Württemberg, 27 from Hungary, 10 from Alsace, 9 from Baden, 3 from the Palatinate (Pfalz), 3 from Saxony, 2 from Prussia, 2 from Hessen, 1 from Galicia, and 1 from Italy. The great majority were of the Evangelical Lutheran faith; the others belonged to the Reformed Church.

V. The Conductors of the Immigrant Treks.

Those that came from Württemberg traveled in different groups which were led by the following concuctors: Jakob Bauer, Jakob Götz, Michael Vögele, Heinrich Schöck, Stephan Weiss, and Friedrich Rosier. Those that came from the Rheinpfalz, Alsace, and Baden were led by Heinrich Heilmann. The others had no special conductors.

All these immigrants came to Russia in view of the privileges proclaimed by His Majesty Czar Alexander I of glorious memory. These privileges read as follows: 1. Freedom of religion in all respects. 2. Exemption from taxes and other tribute for the first ten years. 3. After the free years the colonists will placed on the same basis as the other subjects of Russian Empire with the exception that they will not be required to billet troops, unless these are enroute.

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4. The colonists are exempt from military and civil service, but each one is free to enter such service, though this will not exempt him from repaying his Crown debt. 5. Every settler will receive a grant to establish himself. This grant is to be repaid in the ten years following the 10 free years. 6. Every family may import its movable possessions and additional saleable goods not exceeding the value of 300 rubles. 7. The artisans are permitted to join guilds; and associations. They may also engage in trade and commerce through the Russian Empire. 8. All serfdom has been abolished in the imperial states by the magnaminity of His Excellency the Czar. 9. Every family will receive from the Crown 30-60 dessiatines of free land for its use. 10. The tax payable after the 10 free years is the annual land tax, which amounts to 15-20 kopeks per dessiatine, 11. Whoever wishes to depart from the Imperial Russian domain must first pay his Crown debt, plus the taxes for three years, for his use of the land. VI. The Original Condition of the Steppe assigned to the Colonists. The steope assigned to Glucksthal, Neudorf, and Bergdorf was originally in the possession of the Armenians, and used by them to pasture their flocks, exception that portion which the Moldavians in Glinoi had leased from them for the production of grain. VII. Government Aid and Private Resources. The Crown advanced the following loans to the settlers:

1. For food rations........ 37,432 rubles 2. For settlement ......... 47,282 " 3. For seed… ............... 2,4l0 “

In all 87,424 rubles. The personal possessions of the colonists consisted largely of clothing, bedding, household items, and in some cases, cash funds. The aloted value of these goods can be estimated at about 7,000 rubles. Several families also obtained an inheritance in later years and some more recent immigrants brought about 30,000 rubles in goods or cash with them. VIII. Events that had an Impact on the Colony. Every beginning is fraught with difficulties. This well-known saying was also true of the pioneering work that was accomplished by our forefathers. Not only those who had been artisans in their native country, and therefore unacquaint with agriculture, but also those that were experienced farmers needed many years before they were able successfully to cultivate the new steppe land that waa given to them. They had to learn from their mistakes. Moreover, since the immigrants had come from different parts of Germany and everybody attempted to retain his own customs and traditions, it is understandable that prejudices, abuses, and mistak occurred which had a disturbing and harmful effect on the community spirit, both in the relgious as well as in the social sphere.

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From the time of settlement until 1824 the colony had no pastor who could have checked the inroads of immorality through church discipline and admonition to good behavior. The pastor who was here from l8ll to l86l had to be removed from office because of reprehensible misconduct. Through his notorious behavior he did more harm than the good he achieved through his learned sermons.

The instruction of the young people was also deficient in the pioneer years. Since no actual teachers were available, men with only a rudimentary schooling had to be engaged for this work. But they received such poor pay that they were unable to devote themselves full-time to the task of instruction. Even so, they were only able to handle the most essential subjects. Often there was a woeful lack of instructional material and the children's attendance at school was very irregular. It is therefore understandable that many completed school without having acquired any real ability to read, write, or calculate.

The colony suffered many afflictions and losses that were caused by natural events. Earthquakes were felt here in 1812, 1829, l834, and 1838, but thank. God they caused no significant damage. There was only one major accident, namely in 1829, when lightning killed three adults (2 men and a woman) in their home.

Crop failures, in which only half the seed was harvested, occurred in l8l3, l8l4, 1832, and 1835. Only the seed was harvested in 1822 and 1823, and not much more in l841 and l845. Total crop failures occurred in 1833 and l834.

Grasshoppers appeared in 1823 until 1827 and caused considerable damage to both grass and grain. In l847 they destroyed grain valued at 121 silver rubles. In l846 a plague of field mice caused a crop damage of 2,684 silver rubles.

There was an outbreak of small pox in 1829 and an epidemic of measles in l843 that brought death to a considerable number of children. A so-called "nervous fever," which lasted from l843 to l845, exacted quite a few victims among the adults, mostly younger people between 20 and 30.

The community also suffered several severe losses from livestock epidemics. In 1829 such a malignant epidemic broke out among the cattle that many a farmer with 18-20 head had only 2 or 4 of them left. Less malignant was the hoof-and-mouth disease of 1836/7. Still another disease carried off many horses and sheep.

The hay harvest was poor in l847, and in the long, cold winter that followed there was such a shortage of fodder that a load of straw reached the enormous price of 60 silver rubles! In the four months between December and March, the lack of fodder together with the livestock epidemic carried off 119 horses, 690 cattle, and 646 sheep,

But the Lord also blessed the grievously stricken farmers with several bountiful harvests, particularly in l8l6, l8l8, 1836, 1837, and 1838. Through these harvests he was again able to recover and with unfaltering confidence in God's blessings, he continued to till his fields with utmost diligence.

IX. The Favorable Conditions of Progress. It cannot be denied that the community is now in a much better condition, that progress has

been made in agriculture, and that there is more community spirit, orderliness, cleanliness, and industry. We also gratefully acknowledge that the paternal solicitude of the Colonists' Welfare Committee has contributed much to our general welfare. In addition, the communities of this parochial district have, since 1824, been fortunate in having preachers who are deeply dedicated to the spiritual welfare of the communities and lead them along the good path, through word and deed. By virtue of the church law established in l834, the pastors together with the local magistrates have effectively eliminated many abuses, and introduced discipline and upright behavior. The preaching of the Gospel and of pure doctrine has raised the morals of the colonists and produced fundamental improvements in both the church and the school. The pastors have been urging the colonists to engage good

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Christian teachers and to see to it that the children attend school regularly, in order to receive a good education. To enable even the young people that were already confirmed to continue their education, the pastors introduced Sunday school or religious instruction. Community Buildings:

To the church building taken over from the Moldavians, the colonists added a belfry and bell, in 1810. A second, smaller bell was purchased in l8l8, at the suggestion of General von Inzow. In l8ll an attractive parsonage and school were constructed by the aid of Crown funds. However, the parsonage burned down in l8l$, after Pastor Krussberg fired a careless shot in the direction of the roof, and it became necessary to convert the school into a temporary residence for the pastor. In 1823, the community built a new school house of stone, which contained both a school room and a apartment for the schoolmaster. The growing number of school children and the fact that the old church, which was closed in 1832 and torn down in l840, made it necessary to hold services in the school building, led the community, in 1832, to unite the school room with the teacher's quarters, and to build him a suitable new house at a cost of 400 silver rubles.

Since the school house, though it was fitted out for religious services, still remained to small to accommodate the congregation, the need for a larger houses of worship became acute. Trusting in God's gracious assistance and encouraged by Councillor of State von Hahn, the community decided to undertake, the construction of a church for themselves and their posterity. The government not only approved this decision, but also donated 3,000 silver rubles provided by the communal district fund, and even granted an additional loan of 1,000 silver rubles. Accordingly, on April 2, l843, with the invocation of God's blessing, the foundation stone of this splendid project was laid.

The Lord blessed the undertaking by inspiring many hearts to participate. Soon 280 silver rubles were collected as free-will offerings. In two years the church was completed according to the plan approved by the Colonists' Welfare Committee. The cost of the building cane to 6,561 rubles, not including the free labor contributed by the community. September 30, 1845, when the attractive church was completed, was an unforgettable day of joy and elation. The choir sang hymns of praise. Pastor Pensel delivered & moving sermon to the vast crowd that had assembled for the occasion. Provost Fletnizter performed the solemn consecration, and his Excellency State Councilor von Hahn enhanced the festive day by his presence. The three bells, of which the largest weighed 540 pounds and which the community had recently purchased for 235 silver rubles, rang out harmoniously on the previous evening to announce the coming of the festive day.

The Graveyard As soon as the colony was established, a graveyard was laid out near the church. At first

it "was surround by a ditch, but this was replaced, in 1819, by a stone wall. In 1842 the cemetery was enlarged and a new section of wall was added. At that time the new cemetery was officially consecrated by Pastor Pensel in a solemn service which included procession, hymns, sermon, and prayer.

Plantations The beauty of the colony is greatly enhanced by the fine church and the plantation of new

trees surrounding it, and also by the house of the schoolmaster and the other attractive houses of the colonists. The vineyards to the north and south of the village also present a picturesque view. The first vineyards were planted in 1820 by a few farmers, and their efforts were richly rewarded. Soon others who recognized the advantages of viniculture began to imitate the pioneers, and now there are several plant-

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ations that have proved to be a profitable enterprise. In fact, vineyards have frequently been the economic salvation of the community in those years when the grain harvest failed.

The fruit trees that have been planted here did not produce such happy results. In most years the blossoms or the fruits were destroyed by noxious insects. As a rule, the trees remain thin and stunted in growth, and die out after 15-20 years. If the colonists still continue to cultivate fruit trees, this is not because of any expected profit but because of personal predilection or the injunction of the authorities.

Community Enterprises.

A communal enterprise that was started by the colonial authorities after the settlement was completed was the construction of a storage granary. In years of crop failure this granary has again and again furnished aid to many of the poorer the poorer members of the community who would otherwise have sunk into poverty and debt.

To increase the welfare of the colony the government also granted us the privilege, in

1828, of holding an open market every week. This market would indeed be in a flourishing state, if the Sunday bazaars, despite their prohibition by the authorities, were not held in the villages of neighboring Russian landlords.

In the spring of l847 twenty-three local farmers built a cheese factory, in order to obtain a

better price for their dairy products, for there was no market for milk and and butter had to be sold very cheaply. Despite the sparse pasturage, the success of the enterprise exceeded all expectations. Over 12,960 pounds of cheese were sold at 4 silver rubles per podd (36 lbs), thereby providing a total income of 1,440 silver rubles.

In the beginning of l847 the communities of the Liebenthal district decided to establish a

common Orphans' Savings Fund, in which the accumulated capital is invested for their benefit.

As of January 1, 1848, the colony of Glücksthal owned 1,260 head of Merino and Spanish sheep. The assets of this enterprise amount to 7,797 silver rubles that are deposited in the Commerical bank at Odessa and 1,839 silver rubles in cash or credit.

Glücksthal, April 25, 1848. Mayor: Philipp Flemmer. Burgomasters: Nies and Village Clerk; Heinrich Stotz Philipp Heil

Church schoolmaster: Christian Rapp (author)

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October 18, 1968

Hosmer, South Dakota P. 0. Box 147

Att. David J. Miller P. 0. Box 749 Greeley, Colorado 80631 Dear Mr. Miller: It took a lawyer's mind to settle whether these people should be called German Russians or Russian Germans. Germans from Russia is excellent. I found the history of your visit to Alma Ata, Kazakhstan most delightful. What a trip. I noticed that your father came from Norka in the Volga River region. This was one of the three "Reformed" Colonies in the Volga River Region. The other two were Ust-Solicha and Goloi-Karamysch. Most, if not all, of these people joined the German Congregational church when they came to this nation. There was a Norka Reformed Church in Irvin, Alberta Canada or near there and one in Hastings, Nebraska. Most of these churches later became Congregational. The Volga River Evangelical were under the Moscow General Consistory and although Moscow did have a Reformed Church, it was liberal. The Black Sea people were under the St. Petersburg General Consistory and when problems arose between the Reformed and Lutherans in the Black Sea region, Herman Dalton, the Pastor of the French-German Reformed Church of St. Petersburg with an elder from that church, sat on the Consistory. When the Lutherans began to introduce High Lutheran ideas into the colonies in 1836, the Reformed in the Black Sea Region appealed to the St. Petersburg Consistory and were granted the right to establish their own churches, Odessa in 1843 and Rohrbach in 1858 and Neudorf in 1861. But the Reformed Churches in the Volga River region had no such advocate on the Moscow Consistory. The Reformed of the Volga River region under the influence of the Mennonites and Moravians simply formed "Bruederschaft" Conventicles and thus became pietistic in their theology and congregational in church government. They thus did not feel at home when they joined the Reformed Church, that is the German Reformed Church of this nation. This is the reason the Volga River Germans are Congregational. If it had not been for Johannes Bonekemper, who carefully indoctrinated Rohrbach in the Calvinism of their forefathers, most of the German Russians from the Black Sea who were low church would have joined the Congregational Church also. The Evangelical Churches in South Russia received their ministers from Dorpat Seminary in Lativa. Dorpat was strongly influenced by the Reformed Church of Germany and so the ministers were acceptable to the Reformed and the Schwabish Pietists from

14

Wuerttenberg. After the Prussian Union of 1817, the Lutheran of Saxony became Hyper Lutheran and Sartorius and Phillipi from Saxony were called to teach at Dorpat. The New ministers commanded the Reformed to give up the Heidelberg catechism and their Reformed Practices. The Reformed in the Black Sea region founded their own churches but the Reformed of the Volga region had no where to turn so they formed Bruederschaft. When the Bruederschaft came to this nation, they wrote their own catechism. A full account of the establishment of the Bruederschaft can be found in *Pietism and the German Russians and the relation of the Reformed to the establishment of Stundists can be found in Das Heimatbuch 1968, pages 65 and following. Concerning Lutherans, consult Roemerich "The Lutherans in Todays Russia" and for a general survey, J. C. Pollocks "The Faith of the Russian Evangelicals' McGaw Hill, 1964. This should answer most of your questions.

Sincerely, /s/ Reverend Hessel Stevens

* Eisenach, Rev. Geo.

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REFORMED COLONIES in SOUTH RUSSIA by Hermann Dalton, Pastor From, the book, Immanuel! A tabernacle of God for the people. Printed by the Pilgrim Missions Publishing Company, St. Chrischona at Basel, Switzerland. About 1868. Translated from the German by Theodore Charles Wenzlaff. The question was once asked if there were a place on earth in which there were no Germans to be found. In Russia at any rate there is not a government district without Germans, and in a few regions they constitute the exclusive portion of the population, so that traveling for days one feels himself transported back to the precious German homeland. Everywhere one meets there only German word, German custom, German usage. There are two regions especially in which for miles around only German countryman are settled: in the south of Russia near the coast of the Black Sea, and on the fertile banks of the Volga, Our various tasks directed us for a short time to both regions, for here as elsewhere among the Germans our .Reformed brothers in the faith are represented. A few general remarks are, accordingly, at the outset, in, order about the colonization. So much of interest is presented that even one glimpse directed there warrants more than one page. They are branches separated from the large German oak tree, the one. branch planted on the vast steppes of the South, the other planted along the fertile banks of the Volga River. Years and decades have gone by since this separation so that the motherland has almost forgotten her children, and the children too have forgotten their native land. Has the detached branch evolved a self-supporting, peculiar life which yet assures a prosperous future for the sprig? Or instead has the "beggar's fist" of the steppes (in the characteristic expression of the poet) taken root in the-manner of the seed which survives for a while- on the rich humus soil structure, but which as soon as it would like to extend deeper roots, thrust into the dry sand structure, causes the tree to die? Who could conclusively resolve, the question now? For both views, we have forcible voices to present their opinions. In examining them, there have been foreign travelers who have visited the region who are. rather inclined in favor of the first view, whilst more serious-minded persons who have lived for years on the spot and who look to and fear the future with apprehension, believe the second view will be realized. For a general overall portrait, we will concern our self acre with a picture of the colonies of the South for there our conductress was our own personal observation during our trip, with conditions in the one or the other region not differing very much. Well-known, first, is the fact that South Russia separated from Turkey to become a possession of Russia during the preceding century. Only wandering Tatar tribes who lead their nomadic existence on the vast steppes had thinly peopled the area.

16

A pretty but important problem faced Russia in introducing culture into this far-flung wilderness, but with great vigor, with consider- able sacrifice, and also with skill and happy results, Russia undertook to itself this project. If one were to have ventured there 80 years ago, traveling through the endless, wild steppes with their rank growth of grass and then today were to come the same way, he would not recognize the region, and would form a deep respect for those who had accomplished the transformation. The first step that Russia took to accomplish this trans- formation was to attract settlers from everywhere to this newly- acquired land. The most desirable step, however, was the promotion at all costs of the immigration of Germans - those born colonists who with their upright, temperate industry are of the highest quality and who have conquered the most frugal regions of the world, The particular conditions in Germany at the beginning of the cen- tury favored this desired purpose. The poor, oppressed peasantry barely sustained itself one step above bondage, the extravagant demands of landowners abused and exhausted the land, so that the prospects that Russia offered were for thousands a strong induce- ment. The settlers would not have a manor lord, their village authorities would be self elected, they would be exempt from military service forever; every family would be assured of 60 dessiatines of land (about 250 Prussian morgens or l62 U.S. acres) and a loan of 1080 rubles to get started. As a result of this invitation, thousands of families, especially from l805 to 1809 and from l8l2 to l8l7, left their homeland and moved in long caravans toward their new homes. Great was the misery and distress on the tiring trip, greater yet -was the misery and distress on their arrival in the inhospit- able steppes when they unloaded their meager belongings from the Moldavian oxcarts into the wild tall grass of the steppes. With most of them the first crop sewed upon the new soil was bitter tears. But one couldn't allow his hands to remain idle. The government did what it could, but in the deserted, desolate region it could not be counted on for much help. The grandfathers in the colonies still relate how they dug their homes in the earth at first. A large, square, deep hole was dug in the ground, covered with poles, reeds, grass and dirt, the interior walls plastered with mud; therein one was able to withstand the first. winter. The next year four stout corner posts were planted in the ground, beams with rafters laid thereon, the beams covered. with thin poles and the rafter structure covered with reeds and grass, the space up to the beams filled with interwoven

l7

shrubbery, the entire structure inside and out plastered with mud. This was at least more comfortable. And now it has become even more comfortable. An instinctive feeling of ease takes possession of the traveler when, during the middle of the summer, he has placed several miles behind him on the treeless, hot and dry steppes in an uncomfortable vehicle, then toward evening turns into a friendly colonial village which extends along a wide country road. The separate houses are built neatly of stone, all with the same inside arrangement. When one steps from the street across the yard and threshold of a dwelling, the visitor is face to face with the kitchen, the sitting room to the left, the bedroom to the right. As a rule, the visitor is lodged in the- sitting room, the greatest ornament of which is a clean bed with pillows heaped high. The furnishings of the house are extremely simple and clean; no spot shows on the always freshly whitened walls; tables and benches are, as a rule, made of unpainted wood; in a corner on a small stand are a few books, only religious in character. The improved dwellings are a sign of increased wealth. One can say definitely that conditions are altogether better for the settlers than for those who remained in their homeland. Several very fruitful harvests contributed to this fortunate prosperity, particularly at the beginning of the colonization. In recent years, unfortunately, it has not been as good because of the recurring destruction by grasshoppers on the one hand, and on the other because of droughts, increasingly severe by the years, which have caused much worry for the future and have required ever-increasing efforts to strike water. In addition, in recent times, in several areas, to the customary needed harvests a more acute state of distress has entered due to an excess of population in several colonies. There were, for example, in the colony Neudorf 57 births and only 24 deaths in the year 1862; in 1864 there were 6l births to only 14 deaths. The result of this has been that branches must separate from the mother colony and must buy their own land, which acquisition already is attended by large costs. Considerable freedom in self government is allowed in the government of the various colonies. The guiding principle of all the colonies is one for all and all for one. Every community has its own self-government with a village mayor, two councilmen and a clerk. A number of colonies together are under a district jurisdiction, coming under a superior magistrate, two district associates and a district clerk. In the same way, district jurisdictions and the entire colonization come under a so-called

18

welfare office, with headquarters in Odessa and functioning under the mainstay of the domain in Petersburg, The village mayor is elected. by the community and heads the civil and political govern- ment in his village, but criminal cases such as murder and theft in which the stolen goods exceed 25 rubles silver come under the jurisdiction of the district court in which the concerned village is located. The office of mayor, though elected by free majority vote, not infrequently remains in one respected colonist family. The mayor, therefore, exercises considerable authority in his colony, which authority can rise to that of a despot if he can maintain a simple majority in all matters. Those who maintain this majority are the. determining expositors for the retention of the old customs. That which existed "at the time of the establishment of the. colonies" is good and incontestable, whereas the best of new ways are open to question because they have not existed "since the establishment of the colonies." The number of Germans in South Russia, amounts in round numbers to 150,000 living in 214 colonies in the four govern- mental sub-divisions of Cherson, Jekooterinoslaw, Taurien and Bessarabia. Alongside the Germans are found the following: important Russians, Russian peasants, Armenians, Bulgarians, Tatars, Rumanians, Jews and gypsies; a truly rich region for ethnographical studies for an outsider, who can view the different colonies and from their condition make conclusions of the various nationalities. Most of the immigrant Germans are from Wuerttem- berg, Pfalz and Bavaria with the names of the colonies disclosing the origin of the inhabitants. We find there Strassburg, Kandel, Baden, Mannheim, Landau, Speier, Karlsruhe, Rohrbach, Worms, Johannesthal, Rastadt, Darmstadt, Durlach, Munich, Kasael, Stutt- gart and many more homeland names; other colonies bear names related to historical occurrences at the time of their establish- ment, like Waterloo, Katzbach, Borodino, Beresino, Brienne, Kulm, Leipzig, Paris and others. After this short overall introduction, we can now turn our attention to the religious life in general. Under the rights guaranteed to the colonists, we find the sentence, "that the colonists shall be free to build suitable churches for their religion, retain ministers, and observe the rights appertaining thereto." To the credit of the Russian authorities, during the entire time, they have observed this concession faithfully, and in various ways aided the Protestant church in the building of churches and schools, guaranteeing to it in its internal admin- istration a self-determination and freedom in its holy work.

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It is evident, therefore, that the authorities have been well disposed to the churches of the colonists. The church and religious life, in the most evangelical colonies is very much developed. It comes into the foreground mightily, almost too much so. All other interests yield to that of religion. Politics, literature, industry, art, in so far as they can relate to a rural population, have entirely receded to the background, while all church and religious questions occupy most of the colonists in their leisure hours. The cause, in part, for this deserves investigation. The colonies were divorced from their homes of origin with no tie remaining; even to the oldsters in the villages, those who came as young boys or girls to Russia, the. remembrances of the German fatherland are almost obliterated; even for decades, they have had no contacts. There they sit, as it were, alone on the lonely steppe. Mingling in a closer association with other nationalities has served to erase the difference among the Germans themselves; yet the German cares not for an intimate association with the filthy, degenerate Tatars, Bulgarians or Jews. He stays in his own village and only maintains a limited contact with even the nearest German colony; often only a mile* wide field on the steppe separates a neighbor, but is a formidable obstacle for- any contact. This, then, is how the colonist lives his lonely existence in his colony on the endless steppe to which broad plain no sound from the outer world penetrates. At times the steppe is wondrously beautiful in its magnificent solitude and its well-nigh majestic stillness. When the sun has set blood red in the west, and then as far as the eye can see, the clear starry heaven descends upon the endless plain, there is not an audible sound in nature, nor a visible object on the vast expanse to hold the eye, as all life in nature has been lifted, as it were, into the very heavens. These are mighty impressions and unforgettable, which vibrating on and on, must finally terminate as spiritual emotions. One is reminded involuntarily of the lives of the patriarchs when they wandered throughout the lonely grassy plains with their herds, safe and unmolested their entire saintly lives, The surroundings, the isolation from the rest of the world, the lonely seclusion of the people, all have developed to a high degree an exceptional religious way of life, one perhaps found only in a very few regions. The colonist breathes and moves in a scriptural world, in which his’ greatest pleasure is to be occupied with his catechism. Morning and evening prayers in which the entire household participates have become rigid practice; the custom of the "study hour" was brought from Wuerttemberg and is regularly observed everywhere; only the worst element of the community does not participate. Discussions within the narrowed *1 German mile equals 5 English miles.

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confines of the most high-principled, religious ideas get in action and last for years with a touching patience. Generous collections are given for mission work; the money donated by ten thousands totals up to a goodly sum, such as Basel, Switzerland, received, for example, from these lonely villages, forgotten by the rest of the world. Beside the obvious beautiful bright side, the gloomy dark side must not be overlooked. Just as there are places where the Word of God is precious, so also are there places where it has become cheapened. A sincere and solemn pious course has to guard itself from the dangers of the moral claims of a biased religion. Neither one, actually, allow themselves to be swayed, but each one, one-sidedly accented, carries distortion to both. From the blessed conviction of being saved through the grace of Jesus Christ, the more blessed conviction must follow, that of growing daily from the same abundance of grace in the sanctification of all mankind. After this short introductory observation relating to the German colonies in general, we can now devote ourselves to the affairs of several Reformed colonies. There are by far more Reformed persons in the South, but they are scattered among the Lutherans with whom they have joined. _____________________________

Weights and Measures 1 tschetwert = 10.0 pud 1 pud = 40 lbs. Russian (36.113 lbs Canadian) 1 werschock = 1.75 indies 1 arschin = 28.0 inches 1 charschine = 7.0 feet 1 faden = 6 feet 1 shoe = 1 foot 1 werst = .5529 of a mile 1 dessätin =. 2.7 acres kopeck or kopek = Russian coin = ½ cents rubel = ruble = Russian coin = 50 cents

Courtesy A. Becker, M.D. from his translation of Rev. P. Conrad Keller, S.J.'s "The German Colonies in South Russia 1804 to 1904"

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THE COLONY ROHRBACH WITH ITS SISTER COLONY, WORMS In the fertile, so-called favorable sheep raising region of the governmental district Cherson, some 12 to 14 miles distant from Odessa, the two flowering colonies Rohrbach and Worms are located, hardly separated a mile. They were founded in the year 1809 the majority of the inhabitants came from the German Pfalz and profess to the Reformed Confession. They Joined with the other inhabitants in an evangelical parish. The congregation had cause to rejoice for its blessings in selecting Pastor Bone- kemper, a superior mission student at Basel, Switzerland, who occupied the position of pastor for 24 years and who lives on even today in grateful memory not only in his own congregation, but also, in a wider region, in those he influenced spiritually. "Father Bonekemper" is held by nearly all congregations of the South of Russia in revered remembrance, and the marks of his faithful labors are not easily effaced. In his time, the new church rules were promulgated, and it may easily be imagined how he and his congregation, those who came from the Pfalz and Wuerttemberg, would stand on the introduction of new, and to them completely strange, rituals, lie had many battles to fight on this account. He was also openly and secretly accused of being a strict Calvinist and of introducing predestination teach- ings in their entirety to the people. He produced a printed sermon on Romans 8:28-30 just in answer to this accusation which he had to deliver before the Lutheran general superintendent in l845, and which, for such a charge, did not offer the slightest defiance. Mention is to be made of an actual phenomenon which occurred there in the year l847 which had the greatest similarity to the revivals of 1859 and 1860 which were prevalent throughout the whole of Europe and which had originated at that tine in America. After several demonstrations in this connection had already been made by school children, it happened that at the celebration of commununion on the first Easter holiday, a loud screaming and crying broke out among individuals, while among others such a wonderful state of enchantment was experienced. An inner overpowering

22

happiness lingered for several days, so that those aroused felt as if their hearts would burst for joy. With these there were others who suddenly began to tremble violently, then struck out wildly with their hands, usually on their knees on which they most often sat. Thereupon they would grasp their head, tear off their head covering and often much hair too. Intermittently, they also beat on the table while at the same time calling out: "Get out, devil, I have served you long enough." As well as striking about wildly with their hands, some also stomped vio- lently with their feet. After this convulsive struggle, with their eyes cast downward or entirely closed, they would then raise their face toward heaven with an indescribable smile on their countenance, at the same time extending their hands upwards and clapping them, then shouting out the words: "Come, dear Lord, come, 0 come closer, I still have only a little faith," and so forth. Some in their ecstasy leapt in the air, their faces beaming, their hands extended heavenward as if they would like to and could grasp God and draw Him to them. During such a seizure, some were exceedingly agitated, violent and loud, so that, when there were several together, they made a horrible din. Some of these would put their head down when they sat, now. and then bursting forth in awe-inspiring loudness, during which they would receive violent inner impulses that would propel their entire body upwards. Others fought this battle soundlessly, so that one hardly noticed them, and it was just these who shortly showed by their experience who would be the first to be saved, in contrast to those who beat and raged the most vigorously and who would have to wait the longest for salvation. These struggles would one time last a shorter period, another time, a longer. There were instances where those attacked would carry .on for one. or more hours as if in a complete trance. They heard and saw nothing. Afterwards the attack would lessen and finally end entirely. Then they would be calm again, regain their right senses, and resume their work until the onset of another attack. It was very pleasing to them if during their attacks others sang suitable songs or individual verses. The number of those who experienced these attacks over a period of 8 to 10 weeks amounted to several hundred. In June, the phenomenon ended completely, On the 10th of November 1847, Pastor Johannes Bonekemper handed in his resignation. As he declared, incessant slanders as well as many vexations which did not cease were the cause for this step.

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215 North Kline Street Aberdeen, youth Dakota 57401 September 4, 1969

Mr. David J. Miller, President American Historical Society of Germans from Russia 1004-A Ninth Avenue, P.O. Box749 Greeley, Colorado 80651 Dear Mr. Miller:

As a new member of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, I just received the society’s two Work .Papers. It has given me an understanding of what the Society is and. what it is trying to do. In submitting my application card and dues, I had neglected to request such information, and so I was surprised to learn that the society was only just recently organized. I learned of it quite accidentally.

I have been ordering copies of Toepfer and Dreiling's CONQUERING THE WIND from The Hays (Kansas) Daily News, and. placing them, along with several other German-Russian books in several libraries in South Dakota. In the August issue of the American Legion Magazine, I noticed that a Vic Leiker of Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, was organizing a reunion of the 89th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron. Since I too served in a Cavalry Reconnaissance squadron, and since I knew that a Victor Leiker had edited and published CONQUERING THE WIND at Garwood, New Jersey, I wrote to him asking whether he was the same person. I received an interesting reply confirming that he was, as well as an application card for membership in the AHSGR. I knew nothing of it until then. So, Mr. Leiker should receive credit for ay membership.

I am a descendant of Sohartzmeerdeutsehen pioneers in this state. My grandparents all came from one or another of the Kutschurgan. Colonies near Odessa before or at the turn of the century. My great-great-great grandparents were all among the original colonists of the Kutschurgan who had emigrated from the Grand Duchy of Baden in 1808. Thus Johannes Brendel in his AUS DEUTSCHEN KOLO" NIEN IM KUTSCHURGANER GEBIET (p.82) lists my paternal ancestry as follows; "Wendel Pfeifer, egw. aus Steinmauern (Baden), kith., Landsmann, 39 J. -~ Frau; Marianna, 36 J. -—Kinder: Michael, 10 J.; Valentin, 4 J,; Joseph, 3 J.; Teresia 12 J. — Zus 6. — Wirtschaft: 2 Pferde, 2 Kühe, 4 Rinder, 3 Kälber, 1 Wagen, 1 Pflug."

I have always deplored the fact that the libraries here In Aberdeen contained nothing on the subject of German-Russians even though we have always been a sizeable minority here, and have contributed much to the development of this city. However, we have also been the object of derision and even contempt (probably because the first German-Russians here wore peculiar clothing, could not speak English, and were willing to do the most Menial of tasks to earn. a

livelihood) so that my generation, in particular, despised a heritage it knew nothing about, and was loath to admit being a "dirty Rooshun." This attitude has not completely disappeared even though our Mayor, a county commissioner, our state representative, several lawyers and educators, and many businessmen are German-Russians.

It was only a year ago, after I had given up hopes of ever finding anything on our people, that I learned of and obtained Dr. Height's translation of Stumpp's THE GERMAN-RUSSIANS. I was astounded by the fascinating story it told, and illustrated. It was then that I decided to do something about It by placing the book in the public and college libraries in Aberdeen, the University library at "Vermillion, and the State Historical Society Library at Pierre. Little did

I know then what a wealth of material is available.

24

-2-

The donation of THE GERMAN-RUSSIANS was followed by Aberle's FROM THE

STEPPES TO THE PRAIRIES (available from Rt. Rev. George P. Aberle, St. Mary's Church, Hague, North Dakota 58542, at $5.93 postpaid), Schock's IN QUEST OF FREE LAND, Beaker's translation of Father Seller's THE GERMAN COLONIES IN SOUTH RUSSIA, and even though there are few Volgadeutschen in this state, CONQUERING THE WIND.

A lively and rewarding correspondence with Dr. Height led to a correspondence with and ordering a set of HEIMATBUGH's from Dr. Stumpp for donation to the South Dakota State Historical Society Library. In corresponding with Monslgnor Aberle, I learned that he still has a limited supply of Bishop Kessler's GESCHICHTE DER DIÖZESE TYRASPOL which he sells for the exceedingly low price of $2.00. I donated copies to the above libraries as well as to the Catholic Diocese of Sioux galls Archives.

Monaignor Aberle also had a battered original copy of Father Roller's second volume on the German Colonies in South Russia (the Catholic colonies of the Beresan) which he allowed me to Xerox. I had this bound and have promised it to the South Dakota State Historical Society Library. The bookbinder, Brother Victor Prankenhauser of Assumption Abbey, Richardton, North Dakota, obtained permission for me to Xerox Brendel's AUS DEUTSCHEN KOLONIEN IM KUTSCHURGANER GEBIET, which was in the college library there. He bound it for me and it too has been promised to the SDSHSL.

Ordering Dr. Beaker's translation of Seller's first volume on the German Colonies in South Russia (the Catholic colonies of the Liebenthal) led to a correspondence which resulted in an exchange of a Xerox of Brendel for a Xerox of an original of Seller's first volume,

I have collected a few other items which are listed on the attached bibliography. All of these materials have been promised as a donation, along with five framed maps, to the South Dakota State Historical Society Library as (vanity of vanities) The John E. Pfeiffer German-Russian Collection.

I also have a Ukrainian costume, which by various combinations can be made representative of the Poltavian, Zaporoshian Cossack, or Hutsulian regions, and which, when I no longer have use for it, will probably go to the SDSHSL. How do I happen to have it ? As a child, one of my greatest desires was to be able to do the fascinating Kozachok which some of the old-timers used to dance at our church bazaars. Tilhen they died, so did the Old-country dances. Several years ago, while working in Milwaukee, I was drawn, like a bee is to honey, to the Ukrainian comunity there after I saw the "Dnipro" Ukrainian Folk Dance Ensemble of Milwaukee perform. I danced with this award-winning group for four years and learned many dances and steps that bad so fascinated me as a child. I'd like to start such a group among the Scbwasrtaneerdeutschen teenagers here, but several "feelers" have produced no reaction (I doubt that they know what the Sohwartzaeer is, or where it is, or that their ancestors came from there.)

Well, enough "tooting my own horn." In closing, I can only wish that our people here will take an interest in and become members of the AHSGR. I shall do what I can. With every best wish for a lively, productive organization, I am,

Sincerely yours,

John E. Pfelffer 215 North Kline Street Aberdeen, South Dakota 57401

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THE FOLLOWING MATERIALS, TO BE KNOWN AS THE JOHN E. PFEIFFER GERMAN-RUSSIAN COLLECTION, WILL BE DONATED TO THE SOUTH DAKOTA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY LIBRARY MEMORIAL BUILDING, PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA 57501. Aberle, Rt. Rev. George P. FROM THE STEPESS TO THE PRAIRIES. Bismarck, North Dakota; Bismarck Tribune Company, 1964. 213 pages. _____. PIONEERS AND THEIR SONS, Vol. I. Bismarck, North Dakota: Bismarck Tribune Company, (no date). 471 pages. _____. PIONEERS AND THEIR SONS, Vol. II. Dickinson, North Dakota; North. Dakota Herold, (no date). 401 pages, Becker, A. "St. Joseph's Colony, Balgonie," SASKATCHEWAN HISTORY. Saskatoon,

Saskatchewan: Saskatchewan Archives Office, University of Saskatchewan, Vol. XX, No. 1, pp. 1-18.

Brendel, Johannes. AUS DEUTSCHEN KOLOIEN IM KUTSCHURGANER GEBIET. Stuttgart,

Germany: Ausland find Heimat Verlags-Aktiengesellschaft, 1930. 108 pages, (bound Xerox copy)

Fettig, Rev. Matthew, O.S.B. GOLDEN JUBILEE, STS. PETER AND PAUL CHURCH,

STRASBURG, NORTH DAKOTA. 1948 ? Gross, Brother Placid (Alois). O.S.B. VETTER (Family genealogy). Richardton,

North Dakota; Assumption Abbey (typescript), 1968 ? Heidt, Prof. Joseph S. (Editor-Publisher). HISTORY OF THE MANNHEIM HEIDT KIN-

SHIP, 1786-1966. Franklin, Indiana: Joseph S. Heidt, 1966. HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - 1956. Stuttgart, Germany: Der Lands-

Mannschaft der Deutschen aus Russland. HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - 1957. HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - 1958. HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - 1959. HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - I960. HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - 1961. HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - 1962. HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - 1965. HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - 1964. HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - 1965. HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - 1966. HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - 1967-1968 Hildebrand, J.J. HILDEBRAND'S ZEITTAFEL. North Kildonan, Manitoba: J. Regehr, 1945. 416 pages. _____. SIBERIEN. Altona, Manitoba; D.W. Friesen and Sons Ltd., 1952. 96 pages.

26

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KALENDER 1954, HEIDMATBURCH DER OSTUMSIEDLER. Stuttgart, Germany: Der

Arbeitsge-meinschaft der Osturmsiedler. KALENDER 1955, HEIDMATBUCH DER OSTUMSIEDLER. Keller, P. Conrad. DIE DEUTSCHEN KQLONIEN IS SÜDRUSSLAND, I BÄNDCHEN.

Odessa, Russia: Stadelmeier, 1905. 310 pages, (bound xerox copy) _____. THE GERMAN COLONIES IN SOUTH RUSSIA, 1804-1904. (DIE DEUTSCHEH

KOLONIEN IN SÜDRUSSLAND, I BÄNDCHEN.) A. Becker (translator.) Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: The Western Producer, (no date). 251 pages.

_____. DIE DEUTSCHEN KOLONIEN IN SÜDRUSSLAND, II Band. Odessa, Russia: Jakob Zeirtner, 1914. 373 pages plus ? (bound xerox copy) Kessler, Erzbischof Joseph A. GESCEICHTE DER DIÖZESE TYRASPOL. Dickinson, North Dakota: Rev. George Aberle, 1930. 288 pages. _____. REISEERLEBNISSE. Dicklnson, North Dakota: Rev. George Aberle, 1930. 70 pages. Malinowsky, Dr. J.A. DIE DEUTSCHEN KATHOLISCHEN KOLONIEN AM SCHWARZEN

MEERE. Stuttgart, Germany: Ausland und Heimat Verlag-Aktiengesellschaft, 1927. 36 pages (xerox copy) Pfaller, Rev. Louis, O.S.B. "Bishop Vincent Wehrle and the German Immigrants in North

Dakota." THE NQRTH DAKOTA QUARTERLY. Grand Forks, North Dakota: University of North Dakota Press, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 93-97.

Poell, Rev, John M. "The Cross in the Valley," GOLDEN JUBILEE, HOLY CROSS CHURCH, PFEIFER, KANSAS. 1968.

Schock, Adolph. IN QUEST OF FREE LAND. San Jose State College, California, 1965. 203 pages.

* Stumpp, Karl. DAS SCHRIFTUM UBER DAS DEUTSCHTUM IN RUSSLAND. Stuttgart, Germany: Der Landsnannschaft der Deutschen aus Russland, 1958. 60 pages.

_____. THE GERMAN-RUSSIAN: TWO CENTURIES OF PIONEERING (DIE RUSSLAND-

DEUTSCHEN-ZWEIHUNDERT JAHRE UNTERWEGS.) Prof, Joseph S. Height (translator.) Bonn, Germany: Atlantic-Forum, 1967. 139 pages.

* SONDERDRUCK AUS DEM HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - 1961:

DIE DEUTSCHE AUSWANDERUNG NACH RUSSLAND 1763-1862. Stuttgart, Germany: Der Landsmannschaft der Deutschen aus Russland. 146 pages.

Toepfer, Amy Brungardt, and Dreiling, Agnes. Victor C. Leiker (editor and publisher) CONQUERING THE WIND. Garwood, New Jersey; Tabloid Lithographers, Inc., 1967.

208 pages. WORK PAPER No. 1. Greeley, Colorado: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia,

January, 1969. WORK PAPER No. 2. Greeley, Colorado: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia,

July, 1969. * These two works have been bound together under the title HEIMTBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - COLONISTS AMD BIBLIOGRAPHY.

27

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THE FOLLOWING MAPS HAVE BEEN FRAMED AND ARE A PART OF THE ABOVE COLLECTION.

DIE DEUTSCHEN SIEDLUNGEN IN SUDRUSSLAND, aparte beilage. From: HILDERBRAND’S ZEITTAFEL.

KARTE DER DEUTSCHEN SIEDLUNGEN IM GEBIET ODESSA, beilage. From: HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - 1956.

KARTE VON WÜRTTEMBERG, BADEN, PFALZ UND ELSASS, beilage. From: HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - 1961.

KARTE DER RUSSLANDDEUTSCHEN SIEDLUNGEN IN DEN U.S.A. UKD MEXIKO, beilage. From: HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - 1963.

KARTE DER WELTWEITEN WANDERUNGEN DER RUSSLANDDEUTSCHEN, beilage. From; HEIMATBUCH DER DEUTSCHEN AUS RUSSLAND - 1966.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….. THE FOLLOWING ARE NOT PART OF THE ABOVE COLLECTION, BUT ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE HISTORY OF THE GERMAN-RUSSIANS IN THE DAKOIAS WILL PERHAPS FIND THEM USEFUL. Bercovici, Konrad. ON NEW SHORES. New York: The Century Company, 1925. pp. 54-69. Durstaschek, Sister Mary Claudia, O.S.B. THE BEGINNINGS OF CATHOLICISM IN SOUTH

DAKOTA. Washington: The Catholic University of America Press, 1943. Gross, Fred W, '"Type and Nature of the German Publications in North Dakota." Unpub- lished M.A. thesis, Universlty of North Dakota, 1934. Jeanewsin, J, Leonard, and Boorman, Jane (editors), DAKOTA PANORAMA (Dakota Territory Centennial). Sioux Falls, South Dakota: Midwest-Beach Printing Company, 1961. pp, 86, 123, 123-35, 209, 210, 226. Johansen, John P. IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR CHILDREN IN SOUTH DAKOTA. Brookings,

South Dakota: Departnent of Rural Sociology. Agricultural Experiment Station. _____. IMMIGRATION SETTLEMENTS AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATION IN SOUTH

DAKOTA. Brookings, South Dakota: Department of Rural Sociology, South Dakota State College, 1937.

Robinson, Elwyn B, HISTORY OF NORTH DAKOTA. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1966. pp. 160-61, 171, 194-95, 246, 258, 282-88, 297, 305, 415, 440,

472. Schell, Herbert. HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA (New Edition). Lincoln: Nebraska: University

of Nebraska Press, 1968, pp. 116-119, 169, 200, 388. Voeller, Joseph B. "The Origin of the German-Russian People and Their Role in North Dakota."

Unpublished M.A. Thesis, University of North Dakota, 1940. Pfaller, Rev. Louis, O.S.B. (General Editor). THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN NORTH

DAKOTA, 1758-1960. Mandan, North Dakota: Crescent Printing Company, 1960.

28

NEW BOOKS FOR OUR SOCIETY ARCHIVES

From a variety of sources, twelve additional books have "been added recently to the repository that has been established in the Greeley Public Library. These books include: 1. Amburger, Erich, Geschichte des Protestantismus in Russland, Evang. Verlagswerk, Stuttgart, 1961. Dr. Amburger was born in St. Petersburg (modern Leningrad) and he devotes more space to the Germans of the big cities and the Baltic area than he does to the people in the colonies. However, Chapter V is particularly interesting because Dr. Amburger tells how the Baptist Church has become the largest Protestant organization in the Soviet Union today. The Congregational Church is mentioned briefly on page 158. 2. Däs, Nelly, Wölfe und Sonnenblumen. Signal Verlag, Baden-Baden, 1969.This is the story of a little German girl from the Black Sea area whose parents fled from their native village in 1935 because the father feared arrest. Two years later, after the father really had been arrested, the mother took her children back to a village in which relatives lived. Here the family remained until 1941 when Hitler invaded Russia. All Ukrainian Germans were then ordered deported, but the German army arrived in time to rescue these particular villagers. In 1943 when the Germans began retreating, the girl's mother joined the "trek" and eventually reached safety in Western Germany. The whole story is told -with a great deal of charm and with a surprising lack of bitterness. This is one of the few books connected with Russian-German history which is still available for purchase in Germany today. The book sells for $2.75. Interested members might contact Mr. Miller, our President, and send a combined order to me, so that the cost of postage will be reduced. 3. Fast, Gerhard, Im Schatten des Todes, Winnipeg, Canada, 1956. Mr. Fast first published this book in Germany during the 1930's and later had it reprinted in Canada. The author is probably a Mennonite, but he never mentions his denomination and his story could be that of any deeply religious person. He tells that Stalin's terroristic methods in forcing farmers to join the collectives, resulted in the mass exodus of 15,000 Germans who came to Moscow in 1929 in an attempt to get permission to leave the country. About one-third of these people were able to go to Germany, but the other 10,000 (including the author and his family) were either arrested or sent back to their native villages. Fast himself was confined in both the Lubjanka and the butkrki prisons in Moscow, and in the spring of 1930 he was sentenced to a concentration camp near Archangel on the White Sea. Conditions in this camp were so terrible (as described on pages 91-111) that he knew he would

29

never survive, but he succeeded, in stowing himself away on one of the German ships that had arrived to pick up lumber. In this way he managed to reach Germany safely and was eventually joined by his wife and son. 4. Malinowsky, Josef Aloys, Die Planer Kolonien am Schwarzen Meer, Stuttgart, 1928. This is a scholarly, extremely worthwhile book about the colonies on the Sea of Azov. The first seventeen of these colonies were founded in 1823 and 1824 by a mixed group of Catholics and Protestants from Danzig and Marienburg in West Prussia. They were followed by people from southwest Germany as well as from areas within Russia, such as farming communities near Kiev and St. Petersburg where German colonists had previously settled. Malinowsky, as a Roman Catholic, devotes more space to people of his religious faith"; but he is always objective and reliable. He left Russia in 1921 in order to escape the terrible conditions existing at that time. 5. Neusatz, H. and Erka, D, Ein Deutscher Todesweg, Berlin Steglitz, 1930. This book begins with a summary of the history of the Volga and the Black Sea Germans. On pages 23 to 65 the authors describe events in Russia between the years 1918 and 1928. The rest of the book consists primarily of letters sent to Germany describing the suppression of religion, the collectivization of farms, the arrest of the "kulaks", and conditions in the prison camps of the north. One might be tempted to believe that these stories are exaggerated, but according to recent histories, they are evidently only too true. 6. Sawatzky, Templer Mennonitischer Herkunft, Canada, 1955. The Templer religious movement arose among a group of pietistic brethern whose belief in the Second Coming of Christ induced them to leave their homes in south-western Germany after the year 1866 and emigrate to Palestine. Their ideas spread among the Mennonite churches of the Black Sea area, and a small group of people separated from the main Mennonite body and migrated to the Caucasus. From here quite a few families, Including that of the author, moved on to Palestine. At the end of World War II, all of these Tempters were forced to leave Palestine. Most of them eventually settled, in Australia after being interned on the island of Cyprus in 1948. 7. Kugler, Christian, Grossliebenthal. Sammlung Georg Leibbrandt, 1959. This book describes not only the colony of Grossliebenthal, but also those other villages which were included in the district with the same name. The material was compiled by Herr Kugler in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the colonies, and is based upon original documents dating from the years 1860 to 1906. The book furnishes extremely valuable source material on the Black Sea colonies. 8. Ponten, Josef, Volk am Morgenstrom, Hamburg, 1957. The novels

30

of Josef Ponton are quite confusing because the same material of ten appears under different names. In 1950 a book entitled Wolga Wolga was published. Three years later it was re-writ- ten Im Wolgaland, and shortly thereafter the same book appeared as Volk am Morgenstrom. But whatever it is called, the novel contains valuable information on the Volga Germans. The main character is a schoolteacher named Christian Heinsberg who lives in a "Bergseite" village which Ponten calls "Bellmann." The action of the story takes place before World War I, and the description given of the life of the colonists, of their festivals and religious services, and of the founding of new "daughter colonies" on the east bank of the Volga, all coincide with the stories which we American-born Russian-Germans used to hear from our grandparents. Three other novels by Ponten (which our archives should attempt to obtain) are: Die Väter Zogen aus, based upon the earlier novel Rhein und Wolga; Rheinisches Zwischenspiel, and Die Heiligen der letzten Tage. The last of these books describes the coming of German pietists to the Black Sea area in the early 19th century. 9. Ponten, Josef, Der Sprung ins Abenteuer. This is the only novel of Pontens which proved to be a disappointment. In this book Christian Heinsberg goes off to Rome and then leaves for French Morocco where he becomes involved in the French Moroccan War. There are only a few scattered references to Russian-German history, 10-12. Last September my husband and I spent two weeks in the. Soviet Union. While we were in Moscow I had an opportunity to talk to the editor of the German-language newspaper "Neues Leben." When I described our American Historical Society and our attempts to establish an archive for books dealing with Russian-German history, the editor very kindly donated three volumes of short stories and poetry that had been published in Moscow in recent years. The titles are; Immer in der Furche, Durch der Heimat weite Fluren, and Schwänke von einst und jetzt. Although many of the stories are written from a communist point of view, they do contain information on the present-day life of Germans in the Soviet Union. They are also valuable for the examples they give of the various German dialects which are still spoken by our distant relatives in Siberia and Soviet Asia today.

Emma Schwabenland Haynes

31

GERMAN-RUSSIANS Books, pamphlets, articles, periodical series, historical novels, unpublished manuscripts, and other material. Collection of Rev. Jacob Eichhorn, Saginaw, Michigan.

Books and Pamphlets Agenda für die evangelisch-lutherischen Gemeinden im russischen Reiche. Revidiert im

Auftraga der livländlschen Provincial-Synoda des Jahres 1883. 2 volso Dorpat: H. Laakmann, 1885-86.

Agenda für die evaneglisch-lutherischen Gemeinden im russischen Reiche. St. Petersburg: R.

Gollcke, 1898. √Amburgar, Erike. Geschichte des Protestantismus In Russland.

Stuttgart; Evangelisches Verlagswerk, 1961, Ballensky, J. J. Die Wolga-Deutschen an der_ untaren Wolga und In Nord-Amerika. Denvers

The Colorado Herold Publishing Co., 1924. √Beiträge zur Helmatkunde des deutschen Wolgagebiets. With an Introduction by G Dinges.

Pokrowsk (Kosakenstadt): Abtellung für Volksbildung des Gebiets der Wolgadeutschen, 1923.

Baratz, Gottlieb. Die deutschen Kolonien an der unteren Wolga in ihrar Entstehung und arsten Entwickelungs: Gedenkblätter zur hundertfünfzigsten Jahreswende der Ankunft der arsten deutschen Ansiedler an der Wolga. 29. Juni 1764-29. Juni 1914. Saratow: H. Scbellhorn

u. Co. for the author, 1915. √Bier, Friedrich and Schick, Alexander. Aus den Leidenatagen der deutschen Wolpgakolonien.

Edited with an Introduction by Karl Esselborn. Darmstadt: L. C. Wittich. schen Hofbuohdruckerei, 1922.

Bonwatsch, Gerhard. Geschichte der deutschen Kolonien an der Wolga. (Schriften des

Deutcschen Ausland-Instituts Stuttgart. Stuttgart: J. Engelhorns Nachf., 1919. √Dalton, Hermann. Belträge zur Geschichte der evangelischen Kirche In Russland. Vol. I:

Verfassungsgeschichte der evangalisch-luthertheischen Kirche In Russland., Vol. II; Urkundenbuch der , evangelisch-reformirten Kirche In Russland. Gothha: Friedrich Andreas Perthes, 1887-89.

√_____. Geschichte der Reformirten Kirche In Russland. Gotha; Rudolf Besser, 1865. Eisenach, George J. A History of the German _Congregational Churches in the United States. Yankton: The Pioneer Press, 1958.

32

Eisenach ______. Das religiöse Leben unter den Russlanddeutsehen in Russland und Amerika. Translated by Helena Derichsweiler. Marburg: Hermann Rathmann, 1950.

√Ev. Luth. Konferenz Wolgadeutscher Pastoren In Deutschland.

Die Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Russlands im Todeskampfe. Berlin: Ev. Luth. Konferenz Wolgadeutscher Pastoren In Deutschland, 1923.

√Geaetz für die Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche In Russland, mit Erläuterungen nach

Entscheidungen des Dirigirenden Senats, Erlassen des Ministers des Innemrn und Befehlen des General-Consistoriums. Translated and edited by R. von Freymann. Reval; Franz Kluge, 1901.

√Häberle, Daniel. Auswanderung und Koloniegründungen der Pfälzeri1m 18. Jahrhundert.

Kaiserslauten: H. Kayser, 1909. (Part III, Section E, pp. 144-53 on Russia.) √Justus, K. F. Privolshskie Kolonisty. Saratov: B. L. Rabinovitsch, 1917. (In Russian.

Translation of full title In English; Volga German Colonists regarding the Law of February 2, 1915.)

√Klaus, A. Nashi Kolonii. St. Petersburg; W. W. Nuswalt, l869. (in Russian. Translation of title

In English: Our Colonies.) König, Lothar. Die Deutschtumsinsel an der Wolga: Ein Beitrag zur länderkundlichen

Darstellung der deutschen Wolgakolonien und der natülichen Grundlagen ihrer Wirtachaft. Heft 64/65 of Deutschtum und Ausland; Studien zum Auslanddeutschtum und zur Auslandkultur. Edited for the Deutsches Institut für Auslandtunde E. V., Münster i. W. by Georg Schreiber. Dulmen: Verlag Laumann, 1938.

Leibbrandt, Georg. Die Auswandarung aus Schwaben nach Russland. 1816-1823. (Schriften des

Deutschen Ausland Instituts Stuttgart.) Stuttgart: Ausland und Heimat Verlagsktisengesellschaft, 1928.

Martens, C. Unter dem Kreuz: Erinnerungen aus dem atien und neuan Russland. 2d ed.

Wernigerode a. H: Verlag "Licht im Osten", 1929. √Meyer, Theophil, Bischof. Nach Sibirien im Diensta der evangelisch-lutherischen Kirche. Dresden; C. Ludwig Ungelenk, 1927. Neufeld, Dietrich. Mennonitentum in der Ukraine: Schicksalsgeschichte Sagradowkas. Emden: By the author, 1922.

33

Neufeld ______ . Ein Tagebuch aus dem Ralche das Totentanzes. Emden: By the author, 1921. Neusatz, H. and Erka, D. Ein deutscher Todesweg: Authentiache Dokumente der wirtachaftlichen.

kulturellen und seeliachen Vernichtung des Deutachtums In der Sowjet-Union. Heft 1 und 2 of Die Notreihe: Fortlaufende Abhandlungen über Wesen und Wirken das Bolschewismus. Berlin—Steglitz: Eckart-Verlag, 1930.

Nilostonski, R. Der Blutrausch des Bolschewismus. 3d ad. Lorch: Karl Rohm, n. d. Reimesch, Fritz Hainz. Die Deutschen Wolgakolonien: Von ihrer Gründung bis zu den Tagen

linhrer grössten Leidanszeit. Berlin: Verein der Wolgadeutschen E. V., 1922. Riffel, Jakob. Die Russlanddautschen Insbesondere die Wolgadeutsehen am La Plata

(Argantinien. Uruguay und Paraguay ): Festschrift zum 50-jährigen Jubiläum ihrer Einwanderung. Lucas Gonzalez: By the author, 1928.

______, Die Russlanddeutschen insbesondere die Wolgadeutschen am La Plata (Argentinien,

Uruguay und Paraguay): Festschrift zum 50-jährigen Jubiläum ihrer Einwanderung (l878-l928). 2d ed. Revised. Lucas Gonzales: By the author, 1928.

Sallet, Richard. "Russlanddeutsche Siedlungen in den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika," in

Jahrbuch der Deutsch-Amerikaniscahen Historischen Gesellschaft von Illinois. Vol. XXXI. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1931.

√Schabert, Oskar and Steinwand, Ed. Des Glaubens Not und Sieg in, Russland: Predigten. und

Ansprachen. Riga: Izdevnieciba O. Schabert, 1936. Schleuning, Johannes. Die deutschen Kolonien im Wolgagebiete.

2d ed. Portland: A. S. Kern, 1922. ______, Die Stummen reddens: 400 Jahre evangelisch-lutherische Kirche in Russland. Erlangen:

Martin Luther Verlag, 1952. ______ Aus tiefster Not: Schicksale der deutschen Kolonisten in Russland. Berlin: Carl

Flemming und C. T. Wiskott, 1922.

34

Schleuning______. Aus tiefster Not: Schicksale der deutschen Kolonisten in Russland. 2d ed. Berlin; Carl Flemming und C. T. Wiskott, 1922.

Schmidt, D. Studien uber die Geschichte der Wolgadeutachen: Ereter Teil: Seit der

Einvanderung bis zum imperialistiaehen Weltkriege. Pokrowsk: Zentral-Völker-Verlag der Union der Soz. Räte-Rep., 1930. (Marxist interpretation.)

Schock, Adolph. In Quest of Free Land. San Jose: San Jose State College, 1964, Schünemann, Georg. Das Lied der deutschen Kolonisten in

Russland. Vol. III of the Sammelbände für ver- gleichende Musikwissemschaft. Edited by Carl Stumpf and E. M. von Hornbostel. Müchen: Drei Masken Verlag, 1923.

Schwabenland, Emma D. A History of The Volga Relief Society.

Portland: A. E, Kern and Co., 19A1» Sinner, Peter (ed.). Der Deutsche im Wolgalande. Heft 30

of Der Deutsche im Auslande. published by the Aus- landsabteilung des Zentralinstitutes für Erziehung und Unterricht. Langensalza: Julius Beltz, n. d.

√Stenzel, Johannes. Wolgadeutsche Predigten und Lebens-

erinnerungen sovie Lebensbilder von der Wolga. Berlin: Georg Eichler, 1923.

Stumpp, Karl. Die Russlanddeutschen: Zweihundert Jahre

unterwegs. Freilassing: Pannonia-Verlag, 1964. √Traeger, Paul (ed.). Die Deutschen in Südtirol. Deutsch-

böhmen, Westungarn, in der Zips, der Bukowina, Kongresspolen, Wolhynien, Südrussland, an der Wolga, in Sibirien und Mittelasien, im Kaukasus und in Transkaukasien. (Schriften zum Selbst- bestimmungsrecht der Deutschen ausserhalb des Reiches mi Auftrage des Vereins für das Deutschtum im Ausland.) Berlin; Verein für das Deutschtum im Ausland, 1919.

Unruh, Benjamin. Revolution und Reformation in Russland.

Wernigerode a. H: Hans Harder Verlag, 1928, √Unwerth, Wolf von. Proben deutschrussischer Mundarten aus

den Wolgakolonien und dem Gouvernement Cherdon. (Aus den Abhandlungen der Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Jahrgang 1918. Phil.-Hist. Klasse. Nr. 11) Berlin; Verlag der Akademie der Wissenachaften, 1918.

35

Zentralkomitee der deutschen Wolgakolonisten in Saratow. Verhandlungen der Versammlung der Kreisbevoll - mächtigten der Wolgakolonien in Saratow am 25.- 27. April 1917. Saratow: Zentralkomitee der deutschen Wolgakolonisten in Saratow, 1917.

Epp, Frank H. Mennonite Exodus: The Rescue and Resettlement

of the Russian Mennonites Since the Communist Rev- olution. Altona, Manitoba: D. W. Friesen and Sons Ltd., 1962.

Toews, John B. Lost Fatherland: The Story of the Mennonite

Emigration from Soviet Russia, 1921-1927. Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1967.

Historical Novels

Harder, Hans. Das Dorf an der Wolga: Ein deutsches Leben

in Russland. 2d ed. Stuttgart: J.F. Steinkopf, n. d. √_______. Die Hungerbrüder. Heilbronn; Eugen Salzar, 1938. √_______. In Wologdas weissen Wäldern: Ein Buch aus dem bol- schewistischen Bann. 3d ed. Stuttgart: J. F. Stein- kopf, 1938. Löbsack, Georg. Einsam kämpft das Wolgaland: Ein Bericht

Aus 7 Jahren Krieg und Revolution. Leipzia: R. Voiogt- ländar' Verlag, 1936.

√Lonsinger, August. "Nor net loppar g'gewa! " (Nur nicht nach-

gegaban); Eine Erzählung aus den deutschen Wolgakolo- nien. Aberdean: Freie Presse Printing Co., n. d.

Ponten, Josef. Yolk auf dem Wegg. Vol. I; Im Wolgaland.

Vol. II: Die Väter zogan aus. Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1933-34.

36

Articles and Periodical Series √Barfh, Maria, "Deutsche Pionierarbait in Wolhynien," (Schluss)

Die evangelische Diaspora, VI, Heft 2 (Juni, 1924), 109-11.

√Bruhns, Oskar, "Deutsche Bauern in Sibirian," Die evangel-

iache Diaspora. VI, Heft 2 (Juni, 1924). 103-09. Landsmarnschatf der Deutschen aus Russland. Heimatbuch

der Deutschen aus Russland. 1954-to present o √Nlkolaus S. A. [pseud.] "Die Lage der russischen Kirche am

1. August 1929," Die Eiche. XVIII, No. 2 (1930), 172-85.

√Nlkolaus S. A. pseud. "Ubersicht der jüngsten Entwick-

lung der religiösen Zuständo in Sowjetrussland," Die Eiche. XVIII. No. 2 (1930), 185-96.

√Siegiaund-Schultze, F. "Zu den rugsischen Religionsver-

folgungen," Die Eicha. XVIII, No. 2 (1930), 160-72. Siegmund-Schultze, F. "Sympathiekundgebungen für die

russischen Verfolgten," Die Eiche. XVIII, No. 2 (1930), 196-215.

Unruh, John D., Jr. "The Burlington and Missouri River

Railroad Brings the Mennonites to Nebraska, 1873" 1878, “ Nebraska History, XLV, No. 1 (March, 1964), 3-30.

Unruh, John D., Jr. "The Burlington and Missouri River

Railroad Brings the Mennonites to Nebraska, 1873- 1878," Part II, Nebraska History. XLV, No. 2 (June, 1964), 177-206.

Verein der Wolgadeutschen E.V., (Berlin). Wolgadeutsche

Monatshefte. 1922-1924. NOTE: The √ indicates items of special interest to Rev. Eichhorn.

37

Unpublished Material

Kirchengesetz und Kirchenordnung der Evangelisch-Lutherischen

Gemeinden in Russland. Part I:Verfassung der Ev- angelisch-Lutherischen Kirche In Russland." Part II: "Kirchen Ordnung der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Gemainden in Russland." Protokoll der I. konbinierten Synods der ev.-luth. Wolgagemeinden vom 28 bis 30 September 1924 In Saratow." (Hand written copy.)

Lonsinger, August, "Mister Horn: Ein Schauapiel in 4 Auf-

zügen aus den dautschen Wolgakeolonien." Saratow, 1912. (Typewritten.)

Other Material Fessler, I. Rückblicke auf seine siebzigjährige Pilgerschaft:

Ein Nachlaas an seine Freunde und an seine Feinde. 2d ed. Breslau: Wllhelm Gottlieb Korn, 1824. (Hand written copy of Chapter VII. "Melne Kirchliche Wirksaiakeit, Jahre 1819-1825," pp. 371-418.) Author was Supt. des ev.-luth. Consistorlum in Saratow.

38

THE ARRIVAL OF VOLGA GERMANS IN THE USA (Author Unknown)

When Volga German colonists arrived in Russia more than 150 years ago, they were promised freedom from military service,but after one hundred years had passed, the Russian government wanted the Germans to serve in the army, just the same as the Russians, which was not more than right. But our parents did not want to go to the army, and people from different colonies came together and paid a committee to go to North America and investigate this country. In the summer of 1874 this committee set out. One man with the name of Schwabauer came from the colony of Balzer, and a man named Scheibel came from Kolb. The two others were from Frank and Norka, but I do not know their names. The four men went to Iowa, Kansas and Wisconsin. In about three or four months they came back to Russia. In 1875 Mr. Schwabauer with a group of people from the colonies of Balzer, Dittel and Mohr left for North America. When they arrived, there was nobody at the depot to meet them. They had no relatives, no money, and they did not know if they could find work. On May 28, 1876 my wife and I, along with the following people, left the colony of Dittel: my sister Catherine. Margaret; to. and Mrs. David Strecker and their four sons; John Miller; Mr. and Mrs. George W. Wamboldt; Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Wamboldt; Mr. and Mrs. George Schmidt and one child; Mr. and Mrs. George Weimeister and one child; Mr. and Mrs. George Kinsvater and two children. On June 1st we paid twenty-five Rubles for our railroad tickets from Saratow to Eydkuhnen. This trip lasted eight days. At Eydkuhnen we bought further tickets from an agent named Lisman. The tickets cost one hundred Rubles each. We arrived in Bremen by way of Berlin, and left on June 15th for New York on the steamer Königen Louisa. Our trip across the ocean took eleven days. When we arrived in New York we were met by many immigration agents, some of whom were crying, "Wisconsin has the best farming land." But others said "Kansas" and some said "Nebraska" and some "Iowa." But I had uncles in Red Oak, Iowa, who had come to America the year before, so my wife and I, as well as Mr. and Mrs. George Schmidt, Mr. and Mrs. Weimeister, and Mr. and Mrs. George Wamboldt, paid $21.00 each for railroad tickets to Red Oak. We also exchanged our Russian money into American money. We received seventy-eight cents for a Ruble, whereas today you will only get from twelve to thirteen cents for a Ruble. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Kinsvater went to a town in Wisconsin, and Strecker and Miller went to Little Rock, Kansas. When we arrived in Red Oak, Iowa, my uncles Jacob Wamboldt and Chris Schmidt met us at the depot. We were all very glad to see each other again. ."We stayed with our uncle for a few days.

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During this time we had to sleep on the floor because the house in which my uncle lived had only two small rooms and there were not enough beds for all of us. Then, for $5.00 a month I rented one room from my uncle. It was twelve "by fourteen feet in size and had a little bed against the wall. The vertical wall boards were covered with paper, but there was no plaster. The place was quite different from the five to ten room houses in which our German people now live. My first job was on a section gang of the Burlington Railroad. The first year I received $1.25 a day, but in 1877 my wages went down to $1.00. My wife worked on a farm for $2.00 a week. She worked twelve to fourteen hours a day and also on Sunday. We couldn't afford to buy coal, so we burned old ties which we got from the railroads. The price of food was as follows:

48 pound sack of flour $2.10 Rye flour $2.10 1 bushel potatoes .50 1 lb salt pork (the only meat

we could afford) .18 1 pound coffee . .55 7 pounds sugar 1.00 Butter -- we could not afford to buy it

During the first year in America we would have been happy to walk back to Russia if it had not been for the ocean. That was the time "When a Feller Needs a Friend." I myself often thought that I would have preferred five years in the Russian army. The land around Red Oak, Iowa, was worth from eight to ten dollars, but today it sells from $200.00 to $225.00 per acre. In 1883 I heard about the land around Friend, Nebraska. Several of our people were farming around Friend, so I went there in the fall of 1885 and that was the first time I came through Lincoln, Nebraska. Lincoln was at that time a small town and only a few families of our people were here and they lived in one and two room houses. When I came to Friend most of that territory was prairie, and I bought eighty acres four miles southwest of Friend for $1290.00. In 1884 I moved my family from Red Oak, Iowa, to Friend, Nebraska. We stayed here until the fall of 1887 when I sold this eighty acres for $2,200.00. (At this point the author tells that he moved to Beaver Crossing, Nebraska. After his children were grown, he and his wife rented their farm and retired to Lincoln, Nebraska, where they bought a nice home on 9th and E Streets. They were living in Lincoln at the time this report was written.) In 1885 Friend had a population of three hundred and most of our people were from the colony of Balzer; others were from Norka and Merkel and one family named Bernhardt had come from Frank. Corn was sold for $.13 per bushel; wheat, $.45; oats $.15; and eggs, $.08 per dozen; a good horse brought up to $200.00; and a cow from $40.00 to $70.00. Our people at that time were all poor farmers. There was only one man who was said to be worth three to four thousand dollars, and we looked upon him as a rich man. But today there are farmers around Friend who are worth up to $100,000.00.

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In the first years I was in America, the farmers planted their corn by hand, cultivated by horse, mowed their wheat with a scythe, and drove ten to fifteen miles to town with oxen. Some came to town with one horse and one oxen hitched together. Today horses are not good enough to drive to town with. Neither is a Ford or a small four cylinder car good enough. People want big eight cylinder cars. In Red Oak there was no German church. Sometimes a pastor named Miller from the Evangelical "Brüder Geraeinde" came to hold services in a schoolhouse, but nobody who smoked could join their church. Then a pastor from the Congregational Church came, and he couldn't make it go. The same was true of a pastor from the Lutheran Missouri Synod. So far as I know there is no regular church at Red Oak, Iowa. From 1876 to 1880 laboring people had a hard time in the United States. Thousands of men would walk twenty-five to one hundred miles to find work. A man who needed boots would have to pay $7.00 to $15.00 for a pair, but a carpenter received only $1.25 for ten hours work. This was in the year 1876. From 1880 to 1890 we had good times in America, but from 1890 to 1896 there were hard times. Cattle were the cheapest in the year 1895. You could buy a horse from twenty-five dollars to fifty dollars, a cow from eleven to twenty-five dollars; hogs from 2 ½ to 4 ½ cents a pound; eggs from four to six cents per dozen; butter from fen to fifteen cents a pound. The first binder and planter I saw on a farm was in 1882; the first bicycle in 1878. Money consisted of one, two and three cent copper coins, the latter of which looked like silver but wasn't. Paper money came in denominations of five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five and fifty cents as well as in one dollar bills. The first gold coins I saw was in 1880; the first silver in 1888. My uncles Jacob Wamboldt and Christ Schmidt were the first people to leave the colony of Dittel for the United States in May, 1875. "When I left Dittel we had the following officer: Mayor, Jacob Wamboldt; County Secretary, Henry Scheibel; local Secretary, Carl Korg; Pastor, Ernst Karoline; Schoolteacher, a man named Schneider; Assistant teacher, Conrad Steiver. Can somebody tell me who are the officials in Dittel today?

- - - - - - - - - - - -

This report on the arrival and life of early Volga German colonists in the United States was given to me in Colorado about forty years ago. Unfortunately, the author's name was not written on the paper, and I have even forgotten from whom I received it. If any of the members of our Society can furnish me with pertinent clues, I shall be most grateful. I am particularly interested in knowing the name of the author and the approximate date when these memoirs were written. I would also appreciate hearing to what extent the facts given here are historically accurate. I have

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made no changes in the context of the text. However, mistakes in grammar and spelling were corrected. Please mail your comments to me at the following address:

Mrs. Emma S. Haynes HQ V CORPS SJA Section APO New York 09079

May I further suggest that comparable articles on the ar- rival of Black Sea Germans or of Volga Germans from Catholic villages be sent to our President, Mr. David Miller, for inclu- sion In future Workbooks. The large exodus of Russian-Germans to the United States began after the year 1871. It would cer- tainly "be a worthwhile project for our Society to celebrate the Centennial Anniversary of the coming of these early pioneers, by making a special effort to compile their names and place of settlement in North America.

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Nebraska History

Volume 49, Number 4

The Russian Germans Come to the United States

Edited and translated by

THEODORE C. WENZLAFF RUSSIAN Germans—Germans living in Russia-first began to migrate into Dakota Territory and Nebraska in 1873. In the following articles, some of the experiences encountered by the first groups leaving the Old World for the New are related. Prior to the period of emigration, from 1763 to 1859, it had been the policy of the Russian government to invite colonists from western Europe, particularly Germany, to settle in Russia in order to bring under civilized control and cultivation the vast uninhabited areas of virgin steppe land. Extraordinary inducements were necessary to influence people to settle in these unknown wilds. The 1763 Manifesto1 of the German-born Empress Catherine II, who __________________________ 1. Gottlieb Bauer, Geschichte der Deutschen Ansiedler an der Wolga (Saratov, 1908), 10-15. A translation of the full text of the Manifesto as well as of the original edition of the book is filed in the Nebraska State Historical Society Library. Colonel Wenzlaff, U.S.A. Ret'd, is a member of the State Legislature and a resident of Sutton, Nebraska. His parents, both Russian German. came to the United States with their parents in 1874.

379

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380 NEBRASKA HISTORY inaugurated the policy, served as the inducement throughout the entire colonization period. The Manifesto included the following provisions guaranteed to colonists and their descendants forever: free land, initial financing, exemption from military service, complete control over their own churches and schools, and local self-government. Well-timed and widely published, the Manifesto found ready response from thousands of war-weary Germans following the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763. Most of the first colonists were directed to the region along the Volga River in Central Russia, Catherine's primary concern. From 1764 to 1768, twenty-three thousand Germans settled there in 104 colonies.2

Mennonites emigrated from Germany in 1789 to the eastern part of the Black Sea region, and from 1854 to 1859 to-the Volga region.3 After the accession of Catherine's grandson Alexander I to the Russian throne, the Black Sea region of south Russia was opened to colonization in 1804. Again the invitation was well timed, for now Napoleon Bonaparte was ravaging Europe with his conquests. Thousands of Germans left their war-torn country to settle in the Ukraine, the Crimea, Transcaucasia, and Bessarabia. By 1859, when colonization was terminated, some three hundred primary mother colonies had been established in the various settlement areas of Russia. There were extreme pioneering hardships to endure at first, but the colonists persevered and prospered. Due to an inordinately high birth rate, their population grew from about one hundred thousand immigrants to one million seven hundred thousand in 1914. At the same time, some three thousand secondary daughter colonies were added to the original three hundred mother, colonies, making a total of approximately __________________ 2. George J. Eisenach, Pietism and the Russian Germans in the United States (Berne, Ind.: Berne Publishers, 1946), 22. 3. Karl Stumpp, Die Russlanddeutschen (Freilassung, Bavaria: Pannonia-Veriag, 3rd ed., 1966); translation by Joseph S. Height, The German-Russians (New York: Edition Atlantic-Forum, 1967), 10, 13.

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THE RUSSIAN GERMANS 381 thirty-three hundred German villages in Russia at the beginning of the Bolshevist era.4 As an alien people living under the protectorate of a foreign government, the segregation of the German colonists from their Russian neighbors was virtually inevitable. Living in their wholly German villages with their own elected officials, attending their own German schools and churches, they lived lives distinctly separate from the native Russians. As there was no intermarriage with Russians, the colonists remained culturally and racially pure German.5

Suddenly, the Russian Germans found their traditions and institutions in danger. As privileged foreigners, they had been growing ever larger in numbers and in wealth, acquiring ever more land at the expense of the Russian economy. In 1871 an imperial decree abrogated their special privileges. A period of ten years' grace was granted, but even this was not honored; a second decree in 1874 instituted military conscription at once.6 Violently opposed to this attempt to Russianize them, thousands of German colonists migrated to the Americas. Not only did the United States welcome them, but other countries, notably Canada, Brazil, and Argentina, offered them a new home. The U. S. Census Bureau for 1920 lists 301,214 Russian Germans, first and second generation, with North Dakota having 69,985; Kansas, 31,512; South Dakota, 30,937; and Nebraska, 22,421. Other states counted lesser numbers.7 It was estimated that in 1940 there were between three hundred- fifty thousand and four hundred thousand Russian-born Germans and their descendants in the United States.8_______________________ 4. Ibid., 26. 5. G. G. Wenzlaff, A Son of Colonia the Forgotten (Los Angeles: David H. Schol Co., 1937), 8, 9. 6. Georg Rath, "Die Russlanddeutschen in den Vereinigten Staaten van Nord-America," Heimatbuch der Deutschen aus Russia/id (Stuttgart: Die Landsmannschaft der Deutschen aus Russland, 1963), 11. 7. Eisenach, Pietism and the Russian Germans in the United States, 92 footnote. 8. Stumpp or Height, The German-Russians, 31.

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382 NEBRASKA HISTORY The honor of leading this exodus from Russia in 1872 belongs to three courageous groups of colonists living in the adjoining colonies of Johannestal, Rohrbach, and Worms in the Odessa District of the Black Sea region. Bidding friends and relatives good-by—they thought for all time—they left within a few weeks of one another for the United States. They became united in Sandusky, Ohio, where they spent the winter, then traveled as a single group in the spring of 1873 to settle in Dakota Territory. In the first of the two following articles, Friedrich Mutschelknaus describes the experiences of these resolute immigrants. His article first appeared in the November 11 and 18, 1924, issues of the German-language newspaper Dakota. Freie Presse of New Ulm, Minnesota. In 1873, eight months after the first emigration, a larger group of about four hundred persons left Rohrbach and Worms for the United States. Peter H. Griess, the son of Heinrich Griess, related their experiences in an article for the November 18, 1909, issue of the Freie Presse. then of Aberdeen, South Dakota. Most of this group settled in and near Sutton, Nebraska, where many of their descendants are still living today. Nebraska History, a quarterly journal, Volume 49, Number 4, published by the Nebraska State Historical Society.

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January l6, 1970 Mr. David Miller 1004A Ninth Avenue - P. 0. Box 749 Greeley, Colorado 80631 Dear Dave: As you perhaps know, I have long advocated the institution of a "Who's Who" book of outstanding Russian Germans with the book dedicated in honor of Jacob Volz, Jr., recipient of our nation's highest award, the Medal of Honor. I have enclosed a copy of a biography of Jacob Volz, Jr., which I prepared for submission to the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission. I think the "Who's Who" book should be a project of our American Historical Society of Germans from Russia. First a committee should be appointed which would submit the form the book should have, the recommended criteria for inclusion of individuals in the book, etc. The com- mitte should also recommend when the first volume should be published with recommendations for its revision or later editions. I think such a book would do much in the way of engendering a sense of pride in our people. My work still keeps me quite busy. I am serving on two interim study committees which meet off and. on in Lincoln, and, of course, I am called upon by various groups for speeches. Incidentally, I recently filed for the election to the Legislature to be held during 1970. If possible, I plan to attend the annual meeting tentatively scheduled for April 11 and 12 April in Greeley. I'm sure that the firm date and place will be given later. With best wishes,

Sincerely,

Theodore C. Wenzlaff

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JACOB VOLZ, JR.

(1889-1965)

MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT JACOB VOLZ, JR., of German ancestry, was born on June 23, 1889, in the German colony Balzer, near the Volga River, Russia, the eldest child of seven children born to Jacob Volz. Sr., (1868-1950) and Amalia Schwabauer (1868-1948). The family emigrated on November l6, 1891, from Balzer, Russia, when JACOB, JR., was two and a half years old, and arrived on December 19 (or 21), 1891, at Sutton, Nebraska, where the family made their home. JACOB, JR., lived with his parents in Sutton until they moved to Lushton, Nebraska, about 1896, then to McCook Junction, Nebraska, and then to York, Nebraska, in 1901. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1908 and while attached to the USS Pampang, for exctraordinary heroism displayed in a skirmish against Moro insurrectionists on the Island of Basilan, Philippine Islands, on September 24, 1911, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. He married Mattie Alice McCarty (1893- ) in Lewistown, Montana, on August 1, 1914. They had two children, Charles Jacob and Shirley Ann, both now deceased. JACOB VOLZ, JR., homesteaded on a ranch in Montana for a time but then returned to York, Nebraska, with his family where he worked as a carpenter until 1924 when he moved with his family to Portland, Oregon. There he continued in the carpentry trade and during the 1930's worked on the construction of the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River near Portland. At the time of his retirement he was employed by the Portland Housing Authority. He died in Portland on July 22, 1965, and is buried in Portland. He is survived by his wife who resides at 5282 N. Yale Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97203. Charles Jacob Volz, the son of JACOB VOLZ, JR., was born on July 26, 1917, in Lewistown, Montana. Prior to serving in World War II, he was on the Portland Police Force. After WWII he attended the University of Minnesota. He was married to Barbara Jean Fletcher on February 2, 1940, and to this union were born Charles Joseph on February 2, 1942; Daniel Stephen on July 27, 1944; and Claudia Jean on March 14, 1949. Charles Jacob Volz was instantly killed in an automobile accident in Montana on September 17, 1954. His wife and children live in Portland, Oregon. Shirley Ann Volz, the daughter of JACOB VOLZ, JR., was born on October 2, 1920, in Lewistown, Montana, and was married to Harold Abelson on February 29, 1943, in Missoula, Montana. To this union was born Dennis Harold Abelson on November 15, 1943, who resides with his grandmother in Portland, Oregon. Shirley Ann died after a short illness on January 2, 1949. Sntten, Nebraska Theodore C. Wenzlaff January l6, 1970 Nebraska State Senator

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Historical Report submitted by Paul E. Reeb

Hope Valley Church (German Free Church)

1907 - 1959

About 15 miles northwest of St. Fancis, Kansas, four German speaking farm fami- lies assembled, themselves together during the year 1906 to discuss the establishment for themselves of an independent place of worship. They were the families of John Brunswig, John Knorr, Sr., George Herth and John Rieb, Sr. John Brunswig, 42, the chief promoter and sponsor of the idea, settled on his farm in the spring of 1885 after having taken up the site as a homestead in the fall of 1884. John Knorr, Sr., 43, had settled on his farm in the same neighborhood in the year 1892. George Herth, 62, came to the neighborhood in 1893, and the newest arrival of the four was John Rieb, Sr., 42, who had bought his place that very spring. Rieb came from Hoffnungstal and Knorr from Bergdorf; two neighboring villages located about 80 miles northwest of Odessa, South Russia, and both families were of Lutheran background. John Brunswig and the children from his first wife were also of Lutheran heritage; Mr. Brunswig was a pioneer coming from eastern Nebraska where his father had settled as an immigrant from Mecklenburg, Germany. However, Mrs. Brunswig, nee Lucas, and the step children together with the family of George Herth were previously of the Evangelical faith. The George Herth family came from the village of Rohrbaoh north- east of Odessa. All of them had been assembling for worship in their various homes and had been served by various itinerant ministers; they had also attended the Ohio Synod Lutheran, Church located on the Jacob E. Rath place about 7 miles southeast of the Brunswig homestead, and sometimes had gathered at the Missouri Lutheran Church meeting in the Zeuge school some distance north of the Rath church. During this same time (1906) other German-Russian immigrants also of the Lutheran faith, who were living a- bout 8 miles to the south, were gathering in their various homes and schools for wor- ship. The Zweygardt families of this group were also thinking of building a church. Mr. Brunswig negotiated with members of this group with the thought of perhaps build-

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-2- ing a church somewhere midway in distance between the two groups, but they could not come to an agreement. Subsequently, the families to the south started to erect their own building that year at their chosen location which then became known as the Salem Lutheran Church.

In the spring of 1907 the elder John Brunswig directed his sons to gather native rock, from the hills north of his farmstead, and these stones were then deposited on a rather large knoll about ¼ mile southwest of their farm to be used as a foundation for the new church building. This was done with team and wagon. After the wheat harvest that summer the four fathers and their sons, consisting of 13 persons, donated their labor and whatever resources they owned to erect a frame church house on a 15 acre piece of land donated by John Brunswig. The plot fenced off for the church and ceme- tery consisted of 2 ½ acres. The balance of the acreage was laid aside for a possible future parsonage, garden plot and place for livestock. The church site was the high- est point along the road going east and west and commanded a magnificent view of the prairie country in all directions. It was exactly 15 miles northwest of St. Francis, Kansas, on state highway 27 and then ¾ mile west to the top of the highest hill. The 24 ft. by 40 ft. structure with 8 ft. by 8 ft. bell tower (which never had a bell) faced toward morning (east), overlooking the cemetery plot and a vast expanse of prai- rie land—a view which filled the hearts of the early settlers with a sense of awe be- fore God, and gave them. a spirit of hope toward the fulfillment of a better future. On the top of the steeple they placed a wooden cross. Toward the rear of the building on the southwest corner there was an entrance door for the pastor that lead to his pulpit. Although this new house of worship was relatively small in size and modest in architectural style, it, being painted white and so uniquely located, was visible for many miles around, and stood out like a white gem. silhouetted against the dark blue Kansas sky. All its builders could see the church from their plow fields, and its sight was a constant reminder of their contribution which they had given to God. The four organizing families lived the following," distances from the church site; George Herth. was 4 ½ miles southwest; John Knorr, Sr. was 2 ½ miles east; John Brunswig was ¼ mile northwest; and John Rieb, was 1 ¼ miles west.

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-3- The names of the sons of these four families who donated. their labor were; (l) the son of George Herth was Fred.; (2) the son of John Knorr, Sr. was John, Jr., (3) the sons of John Brunswig were Edward and August, and two stepsons, Henry and John Ochsner; (4) the sons of John Rieb, Sr. were John, Jr., William and Gustav. while con- struction was in progress Henry Klinzman joined the group and helped some with labor. Of the four founders, Mr. Brunswig was the best established. Therefore he took it upon himself to run the lumber and, materials account through his name, the intention being that the others would, pay him back later when their project was finished. The supplies cost amounted to approximately five hundred dollars. All material were bought at the Woods Lumber Co. in Haigler, Nebraska, and were hauled out to the site by team and wagon. When they were finished with the construction they discovered that the cost of materials surpassed by twenty-five dollars the cost estimate that the four founders had agreed to share equally among themselves. For a moment there seemed to be a dilemma, but Mother Brunswig promptly suggested that perhaps her eldest son. Henry Ochsner could pay this extra sum, and to this suggestion Henry agreed. It was the agreement among the four principal founders that their newly-formed place of worship should be a free church and not affiliated with any denomination. The name chosen was "Hoffnungsfelde Gemeinde", which, literally translated, would be, land of hope congregation, but which was known under a freer translation as the Hope Valley Church, and at the same time it was designated that it be the "Deutsche Freie, Kirche" (German Free Church). The church name came about as a result of a suggestion from John Rieb, Sr., who still had a fresh recollection of what it means to come to a strange and unknown land with little more than s. strong feeling of hope, and an abiding faith in God's charity towards man. Only two years before, Rieb and his family had left their colonist village in South Russia named, Hoffnungstal (Hope Valley), so named by the early German settlers who came to Russia in the year 1817, The first Hope Valley Lutheran Church was built in that village in the year 1842, and it was the grandfather of Mr. Rieb who helped organize that church and perhaps unknown to Rieb in America, it was also his grandfather who built the church pews of that original church, just as

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-4- John Rieb, Sr. did for this church in America. John Rieb, Sr. was a wagon-maker in Russia before coming to America., and therefore he was skilled in tooling various ob- jects out of wood. On a beautiful fall Sunday and only a few months after construction began in the late summer of 1907, this new church was dedicated by Pastor A. Busse who was from. the Ohio Synod Lutheran Church. Pastor Busse hold the forenoon service entirely in the German language, while in the afternoon guest Pastor G. R. Spring, also of the Ohio Synod, who was serving Benkleman and Bird City, spoke in both German and English. Dur- ing the noon hour the ladies spread their tasty and abundant dishes of food on long tables in the warm outdoors. After the dedication it was discovered that it was not easy to find a minister who was willing to remain denominationally unaffiliated. Thus, Pastor Busse continued to serve them. during the early winter months in conjunction with his mission work at the J. E. Rath school house. The first Christmas service for the new church was then conducted by Pastor Busse. After Christmas the church fathers were successful in ob- taining the limited services of Rev. Gustav L. Henkleman, a German Congregational min- ister from McCook, Nebraska. He would take the train from McCook to Haigler once or twice a month. During that first winter of 1907-08, John Rieb, Jr., a young lad of 19 years, who had attended a secondary school and had also started classes for the minis- try just before his father left Russia for America, was called upon to teach the Ger- man language and to give catechistical instruction to the first confirmation class. Weather permitting, this class met every Saturday and on some Sundays in the bunk house at the John Brunswig farmyard. The class was confirmed under Rev. Henkleman on April 16, 1908, in the new church. This class consisted of four members; August Brunswig, John Ochsner, Elisabeth Brunswig who later became Mrs. John Ochsner, and Elisabeth Ochsner who later became Mrs. Chris Bath. The early months for this new church were not easy. Dissension and dissatisfac- tion soon arose due to the varied religious backgrounds of its members. The split was down the middle with Rieb and Knorr families leaving, and it being reported that Mr. Brunswig actually did refund these persons their money, but on the other hand, this

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-5- may have only been an offer during the heat of a debate. During the early summer of 1908 Rev. Henkleman brought to the Hope Valley Church the additional services of Rev. Wagner, a single young Congregational ministerial stu dent on summer vacation. This young man then lived in the home of the John Brunswig family, helping them during the week with farming, and then preaching on those Sunday when Rev. Henkleman was not able to come from McCook. The arrangement did not last for the entire summer. Rev. Henkleman became deeply burdened over the church split. The hearts of the church fathers that once were filled with hope had become embittered The goodwill of the neighborhood seemed at stake. Rev. Hinkleman announced to all that he would hold a farewell sermon, and in his address he admonished the members of the congregation to lay aside their fears and misunderstandings, and he further pleaded with than), that they would serve God better by reuniting and returning to their Luther- an faith, and that he could not stay where his presence was cause for a split. All that heard him agreed that what he said was good and right, and there followed much soul searching among the church members. On September 21, 1908, a great tragedy struck, and the news reverberated over the entire countryside and reached as far as Russia. A known girl jumped on a horse to rush to the fields where the men were working, and many a farmer detoured his horse and wagon trip to relay the message to his neighbor. Out of a small cloud in another wise clear sky, a bolt of lightning struck the hay wagon which John Rieb, Sr. was load ing, as his son, his namesake, was pitching hay up to him from loose shocks on the ground. The senior Rieb was the first to be buried at the cemetery of the Hope Valley Church. His brother, William Rieb, Sr., arranged for Pastor Ronge of the Missouri Synod, then serving the Zeuge church, to conduct the services. Be it the course of events or the ever-present hand of God, this tragedy, painful as it was for the Rieb family, carried a sort of catalyst that soon brought about the reunification of the split Hope Valley congregation. At the time of the Rieb tragedy, the Salem Luthern Church (Zweygardt church) was also without a pastor, so the Iowa Synod sent a young minister, Gottfried Kolb, who had

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-6- just arrived from Germany, to go to St. Francis. After the pastor alighted from the train at the St. Francis depot, he was on foot in a strange town. He had reference to see Michael Raile, but his inquiry in broken English was misunderstood by a local townsman, and the immigrant pastor was instead directed to the Charley Roberts farm, 3 miles north of town.. Following instructions he crossed the river bridge and walked over several buffalo grass covered hills, and he did reach the Roberts’ place. Much to his dismay, he discovered that these people could not understand German, and he real- ized that he was not where he had hoped to be. Mr. Roberts did finally understand the pastor's desire to see Michael Raile who was his neighbor living about four miles east and across the river from. his place. Hence, Mr. Roberts patiently explained to the young walkíng pastor that there was no bridge across the river directly east, and that the only bridge was back toward town. Pastor Kolb decided to rather take off his shoes and wade the river directly east of the Roberts’ place. Michael Raile took in the travel weary pastor who then stayed with the family for several weeks. On Sunday Oct. 8, 1908, Pastor Kolb preached his first sermon at the Salem Lutheran Church. Not long After this, an agreement was reached between the Salem and Hope Valley congregations that the new pastor serve both places on alternating Sundays. Pastor Kolb then moved in with the John Knorr, Sr. family where he lived until about a year later when his bride arrived from Germany. Scarcely six months had passed since the untimely death of John Rieb, Sr., when a second tragedy occurred in the Hope Valley community. Again....people were stunned and left speechless...for the utter calamitousness of the happening! On Good Friday, Apr. 9, 1909, John Brunswig's 11-year-old son, Elton, was dragged to death by his pony while herding cattle for his grandparents. The boy had placed the bridle bit under- neath the pony's chin to allow him, to graze, and had tied the reins to his wrist. The Easter Sunday burial was conducted by Pastor Kolb at the Hope Valley Church cemetery. Apparently using this traumatic experience as a pretext. Pastor Kolb must have tempo- rarily swayed Mr. Brunswig into conceding to begin affiliation of the Hope Valley Church with the Iowa Synod, for in the official church book Pastor Kolb wrote the following entry:

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-7-

Die Hoffnungsfeldegemeinde kam. an Ostern 1909 zur Iowa Synods nach manchen harten Erfahrungen, die sie in der kurzen Zeit von Jahresfrist gemacht hatte seit Ihrer Grüindung durch 4 Glieder: J. Brunswig, G. Hörth, John. Rieb, John Knorr.

As translated into English, this statement reads as follows: On Easter Sunday 1909 the Hope Valley Church became a member of the Iowa Synod after some pretty dire ex- periences within the short time of a year's span since being founded by the 4 members; J. Brunswig, G, Herth, John Rieb, John Knorr. Mr. Edward. Brunswig relates that as best as he can recall, the congregation navel did. join a synod, but remained a free church until its abandonment. Mr. Brunswig be- came church treasurer in the early 1920s, succeeding his father, who had kept the original records from the time of the church's inception, and Edward continued to be treasurer until the church building was sold in 1945, and today, he still continues serving as treasuries of the remaining cemetery fund. With regard to the possible synodical status of the Hope Valley Church, the ar- chivest of the American Lutheran Church at Dubuque, Iowa, has reported the following;

….While it was served by Pastor Kolb, it is listed in the minutes of the Western District of the Iowa Synod as a "synodical" congre- gation. There is no formal notice of reception, however. About 1916 it is listed as "non-synodical" likewise without any details.

Evidence thus seems to indicate that Pastor Kolb must have been desirous of having the church become synodical, but due to the feeling of his parishioners, ha likely decided not to persue the matter to a formal declaration. When his successor. Pastor F. Thiel, served during 1915-16, the reports then were submitted in accordance to the status as desired by the congregation. The church book which Pastor Kolb started is highly incomplete, as the church was founded approximately one year before he arrived, then he only remained for six years and. succeeding pastors apparently did not follow through with the records that were started by Pastor Kolb. Later entries apparently were transferred over from other books from time to time and give the impression of being lacking in completeness.

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-8- First list of communicant members as shown in church book, Feb. 5, 1910: John Knorr. Sr. Henry Klinzman Rosina Rieb Friederika Knorr, wife Hanna Klinzman, wife John Rieb, son Maria Knorr, daughter William Rieb, son Elisabeth Knorr, daughter Albert Klinzman Gustav Rieb, son John Knorr, Jr. Phillin Bredy George Hörth Wilhelmina Knorr, wife Klemantino Bredy, wife Anna Hörth, wife John Brunswig John -Rath Carolina Brunswig, wife Barbara Rath, wife First listed baptism: Last listed baptism: Edwin Bredy, b. 10-13-1910 Elmer Raymond Hilt, b. 11-27-1938 to Phillip & Kleiaantine Bredy to Emil & Lydia Hilt baptised 11-20-1910; G. Kolb baptized 1-8-1939; I.A. Mueller First listed wedding: Last listed wedding: Johannes Knorr & Elmer Brunswig & Christine Wilhelmina Kamla Ester Kilt May 24, 1910; Pastor G. Kolb Dec, 10, 1939; Pastor H. Meyers List of pastors and dates they served at Hope Valley Church: NAME FROM TO Rev. A. Busse Oct. 1907 Jan. 1908 Rev. Gustav L. Henkleman Feb. 1908 Aug. 1908 Rev. Gottfried Kolb Nov. 1908 Nov. 1924 Rev. F. Thiel Apr. 1915 Fall 1916 Rev. 0. H. Zeilinger Apr. 1917 Oct. 1937 Rev. E. Mueller Oct. 1937 Feb. 1938 Rev. I. A. Mueller Feb. 1938 Aug. 1939 Rev. Henry Meyers Oct. 1939 Nov. 1939 On April 22, 1934, John Brunswig, the pillar of the free church concept, peace- fully closed his eyes to answer the call of his Maker. He worked hard, endured much, stood firm to his faith and beliefs and loft behind for posterity an enduring achieve- ment. He was laid to rest in the cemetery of the church that he had founded, and sex-v- ices were conducted in the German language by Pastor 0. H. Zeilinger, who had become the most liked and endeared pastor in the history of the church. With Mr. Brunswig passing, the evening time for the church was likewise at hand, a foot of which Father

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-9- Brunswig was in all probability not aware, nor perhaps did those who were bereaved on that April day realize how short was the time ahead until their church would be only a nostalgic memory of the past. The horse and buggy days were gone, radios had come, the older folks were moving to town, the children were going to high school, and many of the younger people were married to spouses who could not understand German. The German country church, as es- tablished by the forefathers, was being challenged for its continued existence. The younger generation balked by pretending it was too much for them to learn German, while many parents were dismayed and attempted to insist otherwise. Pastor Zoilinger was, as one might say, caught in the middle. To show favor toward the younger generation and, try to keep them from falling away from the church would alienate him from the very hands that were feeding him. On the other hand, the numbers that formerly sup- ported him were getting fewer and fewer with the changing times, and in addition to this dilemma, the community was thrown into the national economic depression of the 1930s. Pastor Zeilinger had served the Hope Valley and Salem congregations for over twenty years. He saw the transition from horse to automobile and tractors. All the young folks grew up with his residence at Hope Valley and Salem and looked upon him like a father. The pastor himself felt as though he belonged here where his own chil- dren were born and his first wife was buried. The other aspect was that he also wanted to put his children through college. He needed to be closer to a school, and he also was looking for a higher salary. The future was no longer something in the far dis- tance, but was, so to speak, at hand. Something had to be done! There was much delib- eration between the pastor and the congregation. The problem to be resolved seemed im- possible, yet...some sort of new resolution was inevitable. Finally, the matter crys- tallized around the point that the only way out was for him to resign. Both congrega- tions were thrown into a state of shock, and many of the women wept on that autumn Sunday of October 9, 1937, when he delivered his farewell sermon. One man said, "We had Pastor Zeilinger for twenty years and never got tired of him, and he could be with us another twenty years and it would be still the same." The parting was as painful for the pastor and his family as it was for the congregation, but there was seemingly

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-10- no other alternative. He felt that he must go! The parishioners of the Hope Valley and Salem congregations realized that it would. be most difficult to find a replacement for their beloved Pastor Zeilinger. Before his departure it was arranged that Pastor E. Mueller, who was serving the Zion Lutheran Church in the town of St. Francis, would come out to their churches on alternate Sun- days to hold services for them during the interim period until someone could be found. Weeks passed into months and it seemed impossible to fill the void that had been left. No pastor who was sent on trial seemed to be suitable, and the problem was intensified by the fact that the choice among those who could preach in the German language was extremely limited. Ultimately it became apparent to Pastor Mueller that he had over extended himself by trying to serve three congregations over such a prolonged period of time, and a new crisis was in the making. Church consolidation was mentioned, but the people did not wish to hear of it. Finally, it appeared that a solution was found. Pastor I. A. Mueller, brother to Pastor E. Mueller was available, and he agreed to serve the two country parishes of Hope Valley and Salem. Pastor E. Mueller then in- stalled his brother on Sunday, February 20, 1938. One and one-half years later, August 15, 1939, Pastor I. A. Mueller held his last service, and the two congregations were once again in the same predicament that plagued them after the departure of Pastor Zeilinger. Pastor Henry Mayors of Goodland, Kansas, held one service in the month of October and another in the month of November at the Hope Valley Church, and there after there was never another regular service held there. The church was used once more the following month on the 10th of December 1939 for a special service, which was the wedding of Elmer Brunswig and Ester Hilt. No one that day had the slightest realization that when the key was turned to close the door that it would never again be opened for another service, for they still had, hope. That winter every effort was made to secure another pastor, but every trail lead only to another dead end. At last, in desperation, Pastor Zeilinger was contacted and prevailed upon to consider returning to their fold, for now there was no more question or doubt that their very survival was at stake. Discouraged families were beginning to transfer their membership to other churches, and those who were waiting for a better

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-11- tomorrow began to realize the emptiness of their lot. Pastor Zeilinger was not with- out other commitments, and this request was for him a most difficult consideration. After long and exhaustive negotiations between the church elders and Pastor Zeilinger, the year 1940 did witness the return of their former long-time pastor to Cheyenne County, Kansas; but, he only came under the stipulation that both English and German services be held, and that he not be required to travel to the Hope Valley Church for separate services since the parsonage was located at the Salem site. Salem was the larger of the two congregations. This was in effect an ultimatum that the two churches merge, and thus nightfall did indeed descend upon the Hope Valley Church. Some of the members of Hope Valley Church joined Zion Lutheran Church, located in the town of St. Francis, the rest joined Salem Lutheran Church, located in the open country about 8 miles northwest of St. Francis. The little white church on the hill became gray and weathered looking, and for several years thereafter dust settled in its pews and pi- geons hovered about. On December 3, 1945, the Hope Valley church building with its contents was sold for the amount of $1478.25 to Trinity Lutheran Church of the Missouri Synod, which was commonly known as the Lampe church. The church building was moved to the town of St. Francis and placed on the back portion of a lot facing toward evening (west) on the corner of W. 3rd Avenue and S. Scott Street. As though an unseen hand had directed the movements of men, the church building now itself accomplished the physical turn from its beginning when it faced toward the dawn of day to its ending when it faced the de- parting rays of dusk. Its new location was not a rebirth, but merely a faint last gasp for survival. The new worshipers soon found this building too small for their needs, and they purchased a larger building which they placed on the front part of the same lot where was standing their earlier purchased Hope Valley church building. In the early 1950s, the members then sold the unneeded little church building to Mr. Bennett Anderson, who moved it about three blocks to the area of S. River Street and W. 1st Avenue. He removed the bell tower, partitioned the inside of the building for living rooms and rented the building as a residence. In 1953-54 it became the Roylston feed store. Later the building became a restaurant, then a music and record shop, and since

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-12- 1961 until the present (1968), it has been the Walz TV Shop, The monetary proceeds that the Hope Valley treasurer, Ed Brunswig, received from the sale of the church building and fixtures was disposed of in the following manner: (l) a sturdy steel fence with two large swinging gates anchored in concrete was built Ground the Hope Valley cemetery plot; (2) one hundred dollars was donated to the Martin Luther Home for Crippled Children at Beatrice, Nebraska; (3) the balance was placed into a cemetery fund for whatever care and needs may arise in the future, and with additional donations received and the accumulated interest on money invested, the cemetery fund in 1968 totals approximately $1700.00. This historical account of the Hope Valley Church of Cheyenne County, Kansas, has been related according to records available and as told by those still living. Strik- ing and intriguing analogies between the daughter Hope Valley Church in America and the mother church in South Russia have come to light. Both churches existing within the time span of a century (1842-1929) (1907-1939) have succumbed to a common destiny, Both churches were founded by Germans in a foreign land and remained totally German to their very end. Both churches were founded about two decades after the first settlers arrived in their respective communities, and having experimented with other faiths, they established a Lutheran church as was their religious background in Germany. At both churches the name Rieb was among the active organizers, but at neither place was Rieb among the first settlers, and at both places a Rieb built the pews of the church. Both churches expressed the conservative temperament of their congregations, who at- tempted to preserve in a close-knit fashion the heritage of their forefathers. Both churches found, that after they were closed there was soon no longer any worship serv- ice in the German language in their communities. Both churches stood empty for a num- ber of years after their closing. Both churches were eventually extensively remodeled and put to use as commercial or public buildings. The bell tower, steeple and cross came down at both churches, and neither church is today recognizable from its origi- nal. For both churches their cemeteries are all that is left for marking that which once had been. To such sad endings, should one allow this thought to come to mind that perhaps some other day there may be another.... a New Hope Valley Church?

Very respectfully submitted, Paul E. Rieb

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20 February 1969 1113 West Maple Street Independence, Kansas, 67301 Mrs. Harold C. Miller

David J. Miller, President American Historical Society of Germans from Russia 1004 A Ninth Avenue - P.O. Box 749 Greeley, Colorado, 80631 Dear Mr. Miller: I am mailing to you the following material for Work Paper No. 2 in typewitten form ready for reproduction:

PETER HEINZE, First Immigrant Ancestor ( one page) JACOB WEBER, Immigrant Ancestor (three pages)

It was such a thrill to receive Our Society's Work Paper No. 1, and the copy of your trip to the U.S.S.R. in 1967. The design on the cover was something I did not know existed. Would it be possible to obtain a copy of the Coat of Arms? As I stated in my membership questionnaire: I have compiled the HEINZE-WEBER family history and genealogy back to my great-grandparents on both sides of may father’s family. This will be printed in book form, very shortly. I am going to contact the Mennonite Press at Newton, Kansas, for an estimate, and for additional information before going to press. The compilation contains five parts Historical, Genealogical, Biographical, Geographical, and German Recipes and quotations. As Ben Franklin stated: "If you would not be forgotten, As soon as you are dead and rotten; Either write things worth reading, Or do things worth the writing". "All in all, you cannot escape the fact that your ascendants were human beings, not merely names which have survived in musty old records. They lived and breathed, had their joys and pleasures, their trials and tribulations, their work and play, however different these may have been from yours. Moreover you will find that they, obscurely or prominently, took their part in the affairs of their times and contributed in some way to the development of civilization. By learning more about them and their times, you'll be the wiser in knowing "how we got this way". (Searching for Your Ancestors, G.H, Done). Enclosed also is a list of the oldest known living descendants of JACOB WEBER and JOHAHR FRIEDERICH HEINZE, and their addresses. Perhaps they may be interested in becoming charter members. Enc. stamped envelope for reply concerning obtaining copy of Coat of Arms.

Very sincerely yours,

Esther L. (Heinze) Miller 61

PETER HEINZE

First Immigrant Ancestor ("Grossvater Heinza Paeter")

Compiled by Mrs Harold (Esther Heinze) Miller 1113 West Maple, Independence, Kansas 67301

20 February, 1969 PETER HEINZE was born of German parents in the village of Dreispitz, State of Saratov, Russia, in the German Volga Colonies, on 15 July 1854, His father was Johann Friederich Heinze, Doctor, born about 1804, His mother was Eva Elizabeth Langhofer, born about 1808. They were of Luth- eran Faith. Both parents, sister Sophia, and brothers Andrew and Gott- fried wre buried in Russia. Sisters and brothers of Peter Heinze: Sabina Elizabeth, b. 1830; Maria Katherine, b. 1831; Andrew, b.--; Gottfried, b. 1836; Sophia, b. 1839; Reinhardt, b. 1840; David "King Dave", b. 1848; Katarina Elizabeth, b. 1852.

EMIGRATION FROM VOLGA RIVER TO PLAINS OF KANSAS Passport (Reise Pass) issued in City of Saratov, Russia, Sept. 20, l875. This was to allow him to go to Amrica freely without any inter- ference on tour. It was signed by Gouverneur Galkin-Wrasky Sept, 30, l875 (day of departure). It was made in three languages: French, German, and Russian. (His son, Fred Heinze, Greensburg, Ks. has it.) Peter Heinze and nephew, Peter Steinle, came together on the long Voyage. Neither of them knew one word of English! They settled in Marion and Dickinson Counties, near Peabody and Marion, Kansas.

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JACOB WEBER

Immigrant Ancestor….."Yahcoeb Va-ber" Compiled by Mrs Harold (Esther Heinze) Miller 1113 West Maple, Independence, Kansas, 67301

20 February, 1969 JACOB WEBER was born 13 February l8l8 in Russia of German parents and brought up in the Lutheran Faith. (The names of his parents are not known). He married Mary Barbara ("Maria Baervel") Heinze about 1839. Two known close relatives of Jacob Weber, my great-grandfather, were Wilhelm “Kaiser Bill” Weber, b. ? 1834; died age 85, 1919, buried Roseland Cemetery, Okeene, Oklahoma. His wife, Mary Katherine Schlott- hauer, is buried in the Strassburg Cemetery between Hillsboro and Marion Kansas. Sister, Mary Elizabeth, (husband) Jacob Schmidt.

EMIGRATION FROM VOLGA COLONY TO KANSAS In 1876 Jacob Weber and family emigrated from Strassburg, State of Samara, Russia, settling at Lincolnville, Kansas. They later home- steaded at Dorrance, Russell County, Kansas, south of the Smoky Hill River. The five children coming with them were: Juliana (my grand- mother), age 20; William (Wilhelm), age 18; Mary Katherine, age 16; Anna, about age 14 ?; and Christopher, age 12. Their oldest daughter, Maria Barbara (wife of Frederich Metzler), died at an early age leaving two children: David and Katharine. Frederick Metzler then married another daughter, Kathrene Elizabeth. When Frederick Metzler died about l874, Kathrene Elizabeth then married David Blehm. A son, Adam, went to Southern Russia with his wife. Marguerite Siegfried, and 5 children. Two sons, Henry and Chris came to America later.

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David and wife, Mary Catherine Weber (cousin), emigrated to America in 1881. George and wife, Anna Elizabeth Schuber, came to America later and homesteaded near Beaver Creek south of Dorrance, Kansas. When the Charokee Strip opened up they homesteaded near Okeene, Oklahoma. William married Mary Elizabeth Blehm at Dorrance; they lived south of the Smoky Hill River near Blehms and Schubers. Later they moved to a farm about five miles north of Marion, Kansas. "Katerina" married George Haffner in Russia; they lived in Oklahoma, Anna married Adam Weber (cousin)} they lived in north Long Beach, California. Adam was a tailor by trade. Christopher married Anna Elisabeth Humburg in 1886. "Chris" entered in his Bible that he was born 2 Dec 1864, Somaranaski, Gobania, Straussburg, Russia; his mother was Mary Barbara Heinze, and his father was Jacob Weber. (His son, William Weber, Ramona, Kansas, has family Bible) Mary Katherine married Peter Steinle and lived at Dorrance, Kansas, near Juliana and Peter Heinze. My grandfather, Peter Heinze, and Peter Steinle (his nephew) were the first ones to come to America in 1875. Juliana and Peter Heinze ware Married 12 November, 1877, Dickinson County, Kansas, at residence of D. H. Heilman. WOOD ARTIST: MADE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AHD BUILT FURNITURE Jacob Weber made violins, mandolins, pianos, dulcimers, wooden toys. He also made cabinets and furniture for the home. All of his living grandchildren and other kin claim that he invented a railroad coupler. (he used to stay up nights working on his device——carved a wooden replica——paid his neighbor to take it to the U.S, Patent Office: the neighbor and wooden coupler were never heard from again) Relatives said a St. Louis or Kansas City newspaper printed an article about a man who confessed on his death bed that he stole the patent. (Jacob's tomb- stone reads WEER, instead of WEBER...an error never corrected since 1903).

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HEIRS OF JACOB WEBER Jacob Weber died intestate. The patent on his homestead dated March 22, 1906 (filed February 23, 1907), recorded in Volume 174, page 267, Patent Record No. 3, Blaine County Courthouse, Watonga, Oklahoma. Land description: W ½ | of NE quarter and W ½ of SE quarter 11-18-12 of Indian Meridian in Oklahoma, 160 acres. Document is signed by Theo- dore Roosevelt. Case # 8657 in the District Court of Blaine County, State of Okla., Stephen J. Stuteville, Plaintiff vs George Weber, et al. Defendants, petition filed January 18, 1950. This legal document names all the descendants of Jacob Weber, as well as grandchildren (when direct heir had died). Without this information, a complete family history could not have been obtained,.....since I had not even known about the oldest daughter, Marie Barbara.

Places of Burial Mary Barbara Heinze Weber, wife of Jacob Weber, is buried in the Colony Cemetery south and west of Dorrance, Russell County, Kansas. It is believed she died between 1884 and 1894.…. the tombstone is worn smooth; her death is not listed in the church records. She is buried in the William T. Fletnitz, M.D., Lot, immediately south of Peter Heinze Lot. Jacob Weber is buried in Peaceful Cemetery between Okeene and Hitchcock, Oklahoma. Grave marker number fourteen. (Gravestone is presently reading WEER....the "B" was not engraved). On the left side of his grave are buried David and Elisabeth Schuber; on the right side are Christ and Kate Schuber. Buried nearby are George and Katherine E. Haffner, and Henry and Katherine E. Schuber.

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ADDRESSES OF Relatives descended from JACOB WEBER & Johann F. HEINZE:

Mrs, Joe ADAMEK, Wilson, Kansas 67490 Mrs. Mary Beisel 810 E. 30th St., Hutchinson, Kans., 67501 Mrs. Marie Claussen Dorrance, Ks., 67634 Mr. Andrew H. Heinze 107 So. Jefferson St., Hillsboro, Ks., 67063 Mr. Fred G. Heinze 1819 Pallisade Wichita, Ks., 67213 Mr. Adam Blehm Wilson, Ks., 67490 Mr & Mrs Sam S. Blehm, Sr., % Al # 229 Soappoose, Oregon, 97056 Mr and Mrs William Behm 348 E. Oak Street Lodi, Calif., 95240 Mr and Mrs Sol Blehm 520 E. Locust Street Lodi. Calif., 95242 Miss Hannah Weber 317 N. 15th Enid. Okla., 73701 Mr and Mrs William Weber Bamona, Ks., 67475

Mrs. Fred J. Luck 220 E. Lost Lincoln, Ks., 67455 Mr. Fred E. Heinze 211 N. Walnut, Box 594 Greensburg, Ks., 67054 Mrs. Henry Heinze 521 Pine Ave., LaCrosse, Ks., 67548 Mrs. Jacob Heinze 1515 High St., Wichita, Ks., 67213 Mr. Jona Meyer 1516 - 37th Place Paseo, Washington, 99301 Miss Julia Metzler, R.N. 637 N, Erie Wichita, Ks., 67214 Miss Mollie and William Metzler Route 1, Hillsboro, Ks., 67063 Mrs. Emma (Nusz) Weber Okeene, Okla., 73763 Mrs. Katie Propp 704 Hudson Marion, Ks., 66861 Mrs. Hannah Haffner Rogers Ventura Estates Newbury Park, Calif., 91320 Mrs. Karl Schlotthauer 311 So. Roosevelt Marion, Ks., 66861

Mrs. Sarah Saouse 3240 W. Bear Creek,Drive Englewood, Colo., 80110 Mrs, Anna Strecker 402 West 8th Russell, Kans., 67665 Mr. David Weber Rte. #1, Marion, Ks., 66861 Mrs. Chris Weber 204 So. Market, Cortez, Colo, 81321 Mr. Gottfried F. Klein 215 S.E. St., Herington, Ks., 67449 Mr. Gottfrled D. Klein Shattuck, Okla., 73858 Mr and Mrs Fred Michel, Jr 316 E. 3rd St., Russell, Ks., 67665 Mrs. A. R. Steinle 32 Fossil, Russell, Ks., 67665 Mr and Mrs Solomon Weber Box 99. Foremost, Alberta, Canada Mr. Jacob Weber 408 So. Date., Hillsboro, Kansas 67063 Mrs. William Steinle 655 No. Crestway, Wiehita, Ks., Mrs. Hannah Houser 925 Sally St., Hollister, Calif.

Mailed in by Mrs, Esther L, Miller. 1113 West Maple, Independence Kansas 67301

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GENEALOGY SECTION With this issue of the WORKSHEET your AHSGR is beginning a modest little Genealogy Section. In it you. will find material which is espec- ially pertinent for genealogical research of Germans from Russia. Many of our members have expressed their desire to write down their family history but need help in getting started or in how to record the information which they collect, others have been doing research for some time but have problems. The Genealogy Committee hopes to provide both those just beginning and the more advanced family researcher with gene- alogical helps in order that you may do your own researching. It is our hope that the experienced researchers among our members will share their knowledge of German-Russian resources and special problems with us. We feel it is important for our members to assist in collecting and preserving the fascinating history of our people. By compiling the genealogy and history of your family you will be aiding in this important work. Whether your efforts result in just a few pages or a volume, all such information will become increasingly valuable to your descendants and others. Your AHSGR would appreciate your donating a copy of your family record to our library. We already have a number of fine family genealogies in our collection and in our next issue we will list the names and authors. It is often remarked that we should have been gathering this inform- ation years ago, and although this is true, lets not waste time on regrets and fail to put on paper and tape the family history and traditions which we still have knowledge of! The number of our original immigrants to America are dwindling and since they are the last direct bridge to the past we should make every effort to interview them and record their rec- ollections. Many an interesting anecdote or valuable clue will be saved. For our first issue we have a short article on how to get started in your family research, a list of helpful books and where to get them and the forms which are so helpful in your work. For our next WORKSHEET we offer a Family Name Exchange. We hope that by listing the family lines you are working on many of you will be able to get in touch with other researchers who are interested in the same family. In addition to the Genealogy Helps and the family Name Exchange there will be an article by one of our experienced committee members which will be of interest to everyone. We are open to suggestions as to what you would like to have in the Genealogy Section and welcome any help you can give us.

Gerda S. Walker Genealogy Committee Chrm.

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"Digging up" your ancestors can be a most facinating and rewarding pastime. In tracing the paths your family followed you will learn more about the reasons they left their homes and loved ones to settle in distant lands. You will read stirring accounts of their hardships and disapointments, their perseverance and frustrations in search of freedom and opportunity—stories of humor and pathos that rival any fiction. Your research will take you to Russia and Germany, and often to other lands, as you write or personally visit the archives which hold the key to the past. At the same time you will acquire a rich store of information on the life and times of your forebears as well as the history and geography of their homes. There are many books, manuals and articles being published today which cover nearly every phase of genealogical research...from giving detailed instructions to beginners to publishing your finished work. Since it is our aim to give you material and sources which will be of particular help in Germans from Russia research we will not dwell at length on teaching you how to get started in doing your family history. You will find a number of excellent instruction books at your public library. Consult the card catalogue or ask for help from one of the librarians. In larger libraries an entire section is devoted to the collection of genealogical material. If your smaller library does not carry the book you want you may be able to borrow it through an interlibrary loan. Several books found in nearly every library are: Searching for Your Ancestors by Gilbert H. Doane The How Book For Genealogists by George B. Everton, Sr. Genealogical Research Methods And Sources, by the American Society of Genealogists, Edited by Milton Rubicam Another source of learning how to do your own genealogy research would be to enroll in a class. These are often given by the Genealogy Society and are free of charge except for the cost of forms used in class work. Consult your newspaper, library bulletin board or the Genealogy Society in your town for time and place. The sessions are usually in the evening and held in a library or other public place. You will not only learn to fill out forms but learn where to go for specific information, work out actual problems, be able to have your questions answered and often make field trips to libraries and archives. A number of you may not be able to get to a library to borrow books or join a class to learn what you want to know. Below are listed the names and addresses of publishing firms which sell genealogy books and supplies. The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 568, Logan, Utah 84521 (Send for their free catalogue of books and supplies.) Goodspeed's Book Shop, Inc., 18 Beacon St., Boston, Massachusetts 02108 (Catalog costs $1 .00) We will add additional sources in later articles.

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FAMILY NAME EXCHANGE Please fill out this form by either printing very neatly or typing. Mail to: Gerda S. Walker, 1840 So. Utica, Denver, Colo., 80219 __________________________________________________________________________________ Your name_________________________________________________________________________ Your address _______________________________________________________________________ List Family Lines you wish information exchange on. Names__________________________________Place______________________________________ (i.e.Wacker Hebron,South Russia) For those of you who would like to practice recording your family genealogy before you have an opportunity to order printed forms we offer two samples to work on. You can remove them from the WORKSHEET by opening the staples and slipping them out. You can also use them as an example of of how to draw up some sheets of your own for practice. These forms are similar to Family Group and Pedigree Charts commonly used. The forms come in different shapes and sizes but I happen to like a form that fits a standard notebook. If the front cover of the notebook folds back and under you have a handy writing surface when you take notes either at the library or while interviewing someone. A manila envelope pasted in the back cover will hold loose papers and pictures, etc. until you can file them. You can place dividers in your notebook to seperate the different family lines until you accumulate enough records for each to have their own notebook. There are two methods of making up ones family's genealogy, one is called the Historical and the other the Legal. In the Legal method you prove each date, place and name with contemporary records, such as birth, marriage and death certificates, any proof which would stand up in court. If you want to be a good genealogist try to prove all of your information, do not rely on memory or hearsay. For many of us, access to the records which we need is still not permitted or have been destroyed. We can work out rather good genealogy records by the Historical method and hope that some day the records we need become available. It is so simple to get duplicate copies of documents and papers made that you should make an effort to have copies of all the important records of your family. Start by filling out the Family Group Sheet. Use your own family to begin with. Print or type if possible and do not rely only on your memory.

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