Monday, June 5, 2017

German Proverbs, Continued...

At a round table, every seat is the head place.

Were there no fools, there would be no wise men.

Tis the mind ennobles, not the blood.

A good word costs nothing.

The sundial counts only the bright hours.

Happy is the one who forgets that which cannot be changed.

Mirth is the sugar of life.

A day without laughter is a day lost.

A penny's worth of cheerfulness can dispel a pound of problems.

Those who can be happy today should not wait until tomorrow.

Memorial Day

Having just celebrated Memorial Day, my thoughts are turned to those in my family who have served in the military in some way.  I thought particularly about the ones of German ancestry and perhaps even recent arrivals who may have been caught up in the anti-German sentiments during WWI and WWII.  I know very little about these particular men's experiences, but it made me grateful to them for their service.  I know there were many others of this same heritage who served as well.  If you have a family picture you'd like to share, please send me a copy and I'll be happy to post their pictures.



Sunday, June 4, 2017

Faith of Our Families

Several years ago my son attended Law School at KU.  On our travels to visit his family, I often noticed beautiful churches off the interstate and wondered about them.  Finally, I convinced my husband that I needed to check one of them out.  We stopped in Victoria, Kansas.  I was so pleased to find out about its history and its link to the German Russian heritage.  Traveling on a little outside of Victoria, we visited the beautiful church in Pfeifer, Kansas.  I loved seeing it, as I had a personal connection to Pfieifer. When my grandfather first arrived in the states in 1900, he visited relatives there.  I purchased a little booklet at the church in Pfeifer, and learned more about the great faith of those first settlers.  It has been a source of strength for me, just knowing that my ancestors had such a strong faith.  Both of my paternal grandparents came from German colonies along the Volga in Russia.  My grandmother came from a Lutheran colony, and my grandfather from a Catholic colony. Their marriage was an interesting event according to family tradition. With all of this in mind, I was fascinated by an article written by Sherry Pawelko in the AHSGR Winter 2016 Newsletter.  She mentioned that three things were of paramount importance to our ancestors in both Russia and the New World:
1. The importance of the people's faith in God.
2. The importance of their families.
3. The importance of the education of their children.
Wow! I realized that I am so much a result of the beliefs of my ancestors.  While I share neither of their religious affiliations, I absolutely find that the same three things are of greatest importance in my life. Many thanks are in order to this group of people who kept their culture alive, communities cohesive, and families strong.
 

VILLAGE OF ANTON RUSSIA


Anton was known by many names: Antonow, Antonowka, Sadovoye, Sebastinovka, Sebastjanowka, Sebastyanovka, Sewastjanowka, Sevastinovka, Sevastjanovka, Sevastyanovka and Sadovoye.

To locate Anton on a map you need to know the lat long:  51º2' N 45º51' E

In 1764 Anton was founded as a Reformed colony.  Anton was part of the parish in Messer. 
Village surnames, located to date, are available on the AHSGR web, see village files for Anton. I will update these files on an annual basis.
It was not uncommon for villagers to relocate due to land shortage, famine, war, etc.  Anton surnames have been located as far away as the Caucasus. 
Research continues and inquiries are welcomed.  I am interested in gathering family data. 
Watch for updates on the AHSGR website and displays at annual conventions. 
The Center for Volga German Studies lists resources for Anton: Sources:
- Beratz, Gottieb. The German colonies on the Lower Volga, their origin and early development: a memorial for the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first German settlers on the Volga, 29 June 1764. Translated by Adam Giesinger (Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1991): 348.

- Diesendorf, V.F. Die Deutschen Russlands : Siedlungen und Siedlungsgebiete : Lexicon. Moscow, 2006.

- Orlov, Gregorii. Report of Conditions of Settlements on the Volga to Catherine II, 14 February 1769.

- Pallas, P.S. Reise durch verschiedene Provinzen des Russischen Reichs. Theil 3,2, Reise aus Sibirien zurueck an die Wolga im 1773sten Jahr (St. Petersburg: Kaiserl. Academie der Wissenschaften, 1776): 621.

- Pleve, Igor. Einwanderung in das Wolgagebiet, 1764-1767 Band 1 (Göttingen: Göttinger Arbeitskreis, 1999): 19, 51-69.

- Pleve, Igor R. The German Colonies on the Volga: The Second Half of the Eighteenth Century (Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 2001): 311, 319.

- Preliminary Results of the Soviet Census of 1926 on the Volga German Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Pokrovsk, 1927): 28-83.

- "Settlements in the 1897 Census." Journal of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (Winter, 1990): 19.
AHSGR store makes the following available:
Census 1775 and 1798, Klemm Chart (Anton, Jost and Kukkus), Paul (Anton), Pauly (Anton).
Census from Dr. Brent Mai: 1834, and 1857.
Thanks to Sharon White for volunteering to assist, and for all the time donated time towards translation projects.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or interest in securing additional records from Russian archives for this village or others.  Due to the mobility of the villages I am researching additional areas.

Dee Hert
VC: Anton, Alexanderdorf(s) and numerous Caucasus areas.
Intermountain Chapter, Membership Chair
Member: AHSGR Life and Board Member


Village Coordinators of the Month

I am personally very grateful for the work that AHGRS Village Coordinators do.  Sharon White is the coordinator for one of my villages, Warenburg.  She has been a tremendous resource for me in my research.  If you go to this link, you'll find other coordinators who have been spotlighted for their service.  I found it very interesting, and new people are added monthly.  Check it out.
https://ahsgr.site-ym.com/page/MonthlyVCs

Wreath Party

You are all invited to attend the upcoming chapter Wreath Party at my house.

So you ask, now what is a wreath party?  That is an event where we all gather at a location, bring various materials to create wreaths and have fun.

We plan to sell these wreaths at the Scottish Festival.

I have taken my Michael's coupons and slowly purchased grapevine wreaths and various greenery and flowers for the wreaths.

I could use a lot of help as I do not consider myself artistic.  

The date is not determined as I am checking with you all to see if we can come to a consensus on the date.

Suggestions welcomed!!  We could also meet multiple times if necessary.

Dee Hert

Calendar Items

FEEFHS, July in SLC.  These sessions look marvelous, note the German-Russian subjects and the professional presenters.  
Check out the link for additional information



Focus Tracks and Classes
  • Austro-Hungarian Empire
  • Polish
  • Russian
  • German
  • Russo-German
  • Jewish Research
  • And more
Chirstkindlmarkt SLC

Dates November 29-30 and December 1-2, 2017

This is the Place Heritage Park, 2601 E. Sunnyside Ave, SLC, UT

Check out the link at http://www.christkindlmarkt-slc.com/


British Institute

September 18-22, 2017, SLC 
for details visit www.isbgth.org

Russia circa 1910 Map


Open the link and you will see a beautiful map of Russia, circa 1910 which was copied from an Atlas at AHSGR.

ALERT!!!

It has come to my attention that an unauthorized email has been sent to many of our members and ex-members requesting funds for “one of our members and her son who needs special equipment before being taken to the UK for treatment.” This is absolutely NOT an email sent from headquarters.  We have had nothing to do with this dishonest plea for money.
Do not respond to this email.  It is bogus and a scam! 
Please share this news with all your friends and family who may have received this phishing email.  It is too bad that people resort to such dishonest means to con innocent people out of their hard earned money.  But this has absolutely nothing to do with the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia.  We would never send out an email like this.

AHSGR Convention

Here is the link you may use to access the convention invitation/registration form. It will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from August 28- 31, 2017.