black hills chapter grhs news - members.rushmore.commembers.rushmore.com/~bhgrhs/bh...
TRANSCRIPT
February 2011 Volume 16 Issue 1
Black Hills Chapter GRHS News
Inside This Issue Page #
Youth Essay Contest Publicity 2
February Program Information 2
Ukraine Tours 2
Chapter Birthdays/Anniversaries 3
Message from President Kramer 3
Chapter Election Notice 3
Chapter Committee Reports 3&4
German Dinner Poster & Article 4
Cultural Expo Invitation 4
2011 Convention News 4&5
GRHS Board Meeting News 5
Vera Hoff Tribute 6&7
BH Chapter Calendar of Events 7
GRHS Application 8
Chapter Meets 20 Feb.
The Black Hills Chapter of the Germans
from Russia Heritage Society will meet at 2
PM on Sunday 20 February 2011 at Faith
Lutheran Church in Rapid City. The doors
will be open at 1 PM for those who wish to
chit-chat or to avail themselves of the Chap-
ter Library or Genealogy Workshop. Vera
Hoff will present the Program, “Out of
Russia” (see page 2). Please invite and bring
guests. There will be a Drawing for a GRHS
Membership.
The Refreshment Committee will serve
goodies and coffee. Members whose names
begin with A through K should bring food.
General Membership Meeting 20 February 2011
Faith Lutheran Church 17 Indiana Street
Rapid City SD
Genealogical Research Workshop—1:00 PM
Chapter Library Open—1:00 PM
Membership Meeting—2:00 PM
PROGRAM: Out of Russia—Vera Hoff
German Dinner—27 Feb. 2011 Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall 4500 Jackson Blvd., Rapid City
Vera Hoff has been a dedicated member of the Black Hills Chapter of Germans from Rus-sia Heritage Society since 1994. She (along with husband Dick) has played a ma-jor role in virtually all BH Chapter activities. (continued on page 6)
Vera Hoff Tribute
Issue
Vera Hoff in 1950
9th Annual German Dinner Sunday, 27 February 2011
IT’S HERE AGAIN!!!— Our Chapter’s main community
public relations event and moneymaker!!!
It all started modestly in late 2002 as a possible means of relieving our chronically financially strapped Chapter of money woes. Vera and Dick Hoff‘s experience managing the Missing Link delicatessen and Vera‘s famous German potato salad and sauerkraut recipes and Jim and Arletta Schuh‘s knoefla made for a winning culinary experience. 300 folks were served at that first dinner, and it was so financially successful that the Chapter has continued the dinner ever since. Same menu even!! At that first dinner, 30 pounds of flour and 130 pounds of sausage were used. This year we will sell close to 800 tickets and we will use up and sell 100 pounds of flour, 500 pounds of sausage, 250 pounds of ND red potatoes, 105 pounds of kraut and 250 kuchens! It will require a huge effort (continued on page 5) February 2011
BH GRHS
Anyone who is interested in the Germans from
Russia Heritage Society is welcome to attend our Chapter
meetings.
Chapter Officers
President: Milt Kramer
(605)-343-0654
Vice President: Del Beck
(605)-718-2603
Secretary: Ken Vogele
(605) 348-4518
Treasurer: Hilda Sieler
(605) 342-1030
Board Members:
Jim Schuh
(605) 343-7998
Millie Halsey
(605)-722-3393
Larry Schmoll
(605)-393-7559
Rich Hauck
(605)-559-0272
Vera Hoff
(605)718-4116 [email protected]
Newsletter Editor
Ken Vogele
1605 Palo Verde Drive
Rapid City SD 57701-4461
Web Frau
Vera Hoff
Chapter Website: http://members.rushmore.com/
~bhgrhs
2 Black Hills GRHS Newsletter--February 2011
Heritage Tour to Ukraine/Crimea/Moldova SCHNEIDER LLC has space available on the fall tour to Ukraine, 19 Sep-
tember through 4 October, 2011. In addition to visiting tour members‘ ancestral villages, a tour itinerary generally includes attractions such as an art gallery, an Odessa Opera House performance, visiting an archive, museums, and city tours in Odessa, Nikolaev, and Yalta, as well as visiting palaces and sight seeing along the beautiful southern Crimean seacoast. Van transportation and excellent Ukrainian guides and interpreters are provided for the tours.
SCHNEIDER LLC also arranges private family tours, or individual tours, with an English speaking Ukrainian guide and driver. The itinerary can be arranged to include ancestral villages and attractions that you plan to visit. To inquire about a SCHNEIDER LLC tour, contact Robert R. Schneider, Manager, 1649 N. 3
rd St., Spearfish, SD, 57783; or, email: rschnei-
[email protected]; or call: 605-722-7712; or, for information about tours, click on the SCHNEIDER LLC website: http://members.rushmore.com/~ukrainetours.
The Youth Committee reminds our members that the deadline for submitting essays to our chapter contest is March 20, 2011. Last year, all entries, with possibly one exception, were due to efforts that members made in local schools or with their relatives. We know it is hard to convince busy students to write another essay but hope our members can find some who are willing to do so. If you are part of any internet social networks, please consider using that tool to communicate with students about our history and essay contest. Be sure to have students check our website for entry forms and regulations. There is a length restriction this year —10 pages.
We sent advertisements to about 140 teachers across South Dakota and to a similar number of school superintendents and principals. We also sent a public service announcement to all newspapers in the state. And we sent notices to higher education instructors of history, geography and German if we were able to find email addresses for them. We also asked some of our German-Russian groups to pub-licize our contest. If you know teachers, we ask that you talk to them about our essay contest and our Teacher‘s Corner on our website.
Our Teacher‘s Corner has directions for obtaining copies of The Black Sea Migration and The Volga River Migration. These could be used by parents or teachers with their students to develop background information prior to writing an essay. In advertising our essay contest to administrators and teachers, we pointed out that they could have free copies of these modules. So far one teacher has asked for a copy of The Black Sea Migration. That is a slow start but still a start. Again, we ask members to let teachers know about our Teacher‘s Corner and these teaching modules.
We should have a module on the migration to America by German-Russians. But we need a teacher with time to work with us on it. If you come across such a rare individual, please have them contact me at 641-9301. Finally, we ask our members to consider writing a book or DVD review for our Teacher‘s Cor-ner. Check out a sample and more information at http://members.rushmore.com/~bhgrhs Bill Bosch – Chair, BH GRHS Youth Committee
BH Chapter Youth Committee is ―Getting the Word Out...‖
February Program: ―LOST IN RUSSIA‖, a PowerPoint Presentation
Michael Renner was born in 1908, the son of a wealthy land owner in Speier, South Russia. At the age of 10, his father is murdered by the Bolsheviks and Michael grows up in terror of what the Russians will do if they find him. He marries a Ukrainian girl and they begin their family, only to be separated 4 years later by events in Russia. He marries a second time in Germany and Michael raises a family of six children here in the USA, and openly shares the fact that he had two other children back in Russia that he believed were dead. This is the true story of his families and the search undertaken by his 2nd family to find their siblings. A photo of his two children taken before he left Russia is the only proof of their existence when the search started. Emma and Adolf Renner were found in January of 2003, and possessed a copy of the same photo! To be presented by Vera Hoff. Val Ingram
BH Chapter and GRHS International Committee Reports
Black Hills GRHS Newsletter--February 2011 3
Message From President Milt Kramer Dear members of the Best Chapter in GRHS. I say
that with great conviction because I really believe it. When I look around GRHS and see what is going on in other chapters, I know this is true. We have many activities go-ing on, and it is a joy to visit with you at our chapter meet-ings.
I am looking for a Chapter Representative to attend
the Board of Directors meetings in Bismarck. I would be grateful if someone would take this position. It is interest-ing to attend the meetings in Bismarck and report back to the Chapter what has transpired. This position would mean that you would have to travel to Bismarck on the Friday before the meeting on Saturday. Our chapter helps some with expenses with a $50 stipend. February 20, 2011 is our bimonthly Chapter Membership Meeting. Try to set some time aside to attend this meeting. Also, attempt to bring a guest to this meeting. The more guests we bring, the greater the chance that we can in-crease our membership. The old axiom, ―There is strength in numbers,‖ is still true. Sincerely, Milt
Chapter Membership Committee
A new year brings with it a time of renewal -- renewal in the form of resolutions and goals as well as our posi-tive spirit. One of those "other" renewals is the need to renew our Society membership. The current report from GRHS Headquarters tells that about 80% of our Black Hills area members had sent in their dues by January 1st. By the time you read this article many more (we hope) will have renewed their memberships. We strive for a 100% return of our chapter members for 2011. Actually, even that isn't ideal since we really hope to increase the number of Black Hills Chapter members this year. Recently our Membership Committee got together for a "brain-storming‖ session, a meeting where everyone present contributes ideas for a particular cause. Our cause is to advance the membership of our chapter and at the same time adding to the membership of the Society which has been on a decline for several years. We all know what that means. Here are some ideas which came from the session: 1. We must convince ourselves and then convince other descendants of Germans from Russia that pre-serving our heritage is highly important and worth doing. It is up to every one of us to pass along the spirit, history, genealogy, customs, etc. which were given to us.
2. Identify folks who are Germans from Russia and communicate our message to them and invite them to join us. 3. Buy memberships for your family members or relatives. Del Beck, Chair, Membership Committee
Chapter Membership Committee
A new year brings with it a time of renewal -- renewal in the form of resolutions and goals as well as our posi-tive spirit. One of those "other" renewals is the need to renew our Society membership. The current report from GRHS Headquarters tells that about 80% of our Black Hills area members had sent in their dues by January 1st. By the time you read this article many more (we hope) will have renewed their memberships. We strive for a 100% return of our chapter members for 2011. Actually, even that isn't ideal since we really hope to increase the number of Black Hills Chapter members this year. Recently our Membership Committee got together for a "brain-storming‖ ses-sion, a meeting where everyone present contributes ideas for a particular cause. Our cause is to advance the membership of our chapter and at the same time adding to the membership of the Society which has been on a decline for several years. We all know what that means. Here are some ideas which came from the session: 1. We must convince ourselves and then convince other descendants of Germans from Russia that pre-serving our heritage is highly important and worth doing. It is up to every one of us to pass along the spirit, history, genealogy, customs, etc. which were given to us. (continued next column)
Chapter Membership Committee
% The GRHS Internation-al membership drive has been mentioned several times. It is of
such importance that it is worth mentioning again. As you know, GRHS has set as its top priority a 10% membership increase. The
GRHS Membership Com-mittee has been working on this membership drive for a while now. It is nearly ready to be launched.
Our goal is to enroll 310 new members this year! It abso-lutely cannot be accomplished without your help. When you receive the membership announcement, please take a serous look at people you know that might be potential new members. I know people like that, and, if we don‘t ask, there is zero chance of adding new members. As chairperson for this drive, I can tell you at this time that for every new member you enroll you will be given a 25% reduction towards your 2012 membership dues. We hope that this will be a little incentive to look for those new mem-bers. Thanks you so much for helping with this membership drive and……..GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF US! Milt Kramer, Vice President GRHS & Chair, GRHS Membership Committee
Dues, Dues, liegst mir im Hertzen Dues, Dues, Dues ist Due
GRHS Membership Committee
Dues, Dues, liegst mir im Hertzen. Dues, Dues, Dues ist Due!!!
Chapter Anniversaries & Birthdays January: Kevin & Fay Clegg...1/25
Del Beck...1/1 Marvin Paschke...1/2
Kathy Schneider...1/23 Ida Engelhardt...1/26
Myron Buchli...1/27
February:
Alex Imberi...2/2 Jim Schuh...2/7
Gary Krein...2/18 Ralph Fitzner...2/19
March: Steve and Deb Eberle…3/5/1977
Bob Schneider...3/1 Norma Merkel...3/11
Dominic Horning...3/21 Jim Kramer...3/22
Kevin Clegg...3/26 Dave Zulauf...3/29
Black Hills GRHS Newsletter--February 2011
4
BLACK HILLS CHAPTER LIBRARY Maps, Books & Games
Several new books have been donated and purchased since our October meeting. Books donated by Cindy Horning are: Other Losses by James Bacque, which is about an investiga-tion into the mass deaths of German prisoners at the hands of the Americans and French after World War II; and Service in Siberia by Ned E. Wick. This story is based on experiences of a Nebraska farm boy who enlisted in the service of his country and was sent to Siberia during the Russian Revolution of 1918-1920. From Johannestal With Love by Olga Fromm was compiled and donated by Milt & Valentyna Fromm Kramer. It is a book with many pictures and stories about Olga‘s relation-ships with people that came to Ukraine on tours to visit the vil-lages of their ancestors. Fifty Years of Family Memories by Allen ―Jack‖ Kleinsasser is an account of 50 years in the life of Jack and Anita Kleinsasser and their family. Del & Sharon Beck donated Flotsam of World History – The Germans from Rus-sia between Stalin and Hitler(1996) byRichard H. Walth and translated by Alex and Michael Herzog. (Flotsam is defined as: a floating population as of emigrants or castaways). The prima-ry information for this book was gathered by the Nazis‘ Genea-logical Office beginning in 1942. Under supervision of Dr. Karl Stumpp, various data concerning the lives of Germans from Russia were recorded in ―village reports‖. Scholars maintain that ―the great advantage of these reports is that they consist of on-site accounts and demonstrate no propagandistic intent‖, thus they are of great importance for research. The book con-tains a good index of key words that is very helpful in finding information which may be of interest to you. About half of the book consists of an appendix with tables, pictures and docu-ments that are written in German, so it would be helpful to have some expertise in reading the German language. Three books were purchased for the chapter library. German- Russian Handbook, a reference book for Russian-German and German-Russian history and culture with place name listings of former German settlement areas is authored by Ullrich Mertens and translated from German to English by Bridgitte von Budde
and Alex Herzog (copyright 2010). I found it helpful to pay at-
tention to the table of contents and the beginning explanations on page one to be best able to understand the layout of the book. Anton, a young Boy, his Friend & the Russian Revo-lution by Dale Eisler is a book that is more fiction than history, but the essence is true. Two little boys tell the compelling story of their families during the Russian Revolution, and how their friendship grows deeper and becomes a refuge from the vio-lence and suffering they witness. La Vern J. Rippley, currently a professor at St. Olaf College authored The German-Americans. This book is an account of Germans in America, starting with early immigration at the time America was discov-ered, their contributions to our society in the form of agriculture, industry, commerce, music, architecture, the sciences; and the effect of their religion, education and language on America. Dr. Rippley also devotes a chapter to the Germans who emigrated to Russia and then came to the United States. This book is a comprehensive and important contribution to American history. Please check on what our Black Hills Chapter library has to offer and be sure to return any books you may previously have checked out. Kathy Schneider, Chapter Librarian
2011 GRHS Convention Taking Shape The Inland Northwest Chapter has been actively recruiting presenters for the upcoming GRHS Convention being held in Spokane, WA July 20-24 at The Davenport Hotel and Tower. This year‘s program is looking VERY exciting! A friend to many GRHS members who have toured Ukraine, Inna Stryukova will once again be a highlighted convention speaker. Inna is a very charming English pro-fessor who lives in Nikolaev, Ukraine...who speaks our lan-guage fluently! She‘s open to suggestions on a topic to fo-cus on, so if you have any suggestions please let us know! Homer Rudolf will be giving a presentation on ―The Histo-ry & Practice of the Brauche (Faith Healing) Tradition of the Germans from Russia.‖ This might explain some of the strange concoctions our ancestors relied on and might have passed down to your parents or grandparents! (My own mother had a few ―favorites‖ that she used.) Phil Kambeitz is lining up some games that our ancestors used to play and will share some humorous stories of antics that were played on friends and families. Those very seri-ous faces you see in the old photographs definitely did their share of laughing when the camera wasn‘t set up! And speaking of games, Dwayne Janke is bringing his board game ―Colonists of Deutschenfeld‖ to his presentation for members to try out while they learn some of the history and heritage to pass on to their children / grandchildren in a fun way. Tim Janzen will be presenting ―How DNA Testing Helps in Genealogy‖ and also ―Resources for Mennonite Research‖ We‘ve got a couple of authors lined up: Vernon Keel is returning to talk about ―The Murdered Family‖ which is the story of the 1920 murder of the Jakob Wolf family and a hired boy near Turtle Lake, ND that‘s still a mystery to this day; and Dale Eisler has tentatively agreed to present his book ―Anton: A Young Boy, His Friend and the Russian Revolution‖ an engrossing story which takes place during the worst years in Russia. A new book for Bessarabian researchers being published this year by NDSU is ―Bessarabia: German Colonists on the Black Sea‖ by Dr. Ute Schmidt will be introduced by James Gessele, who translated the German book into Eng-lish. All 3 books will be available for sale in the GRHS bookstore. There are plenty more presentations awaiting you, as well as a few cooking workshops! Put the convention dates on your calendar and make Spokane part of your vacation plans! Make your reservations today to take in this year‘s convention at the luxurious, full-service 4-star Davenport Hotel & Tower and be prepared to be pampered at the dis-counted price of only $129 a night! (These deluxe rooms normally go for $400+). The Spokane area has a lot to offer for the whole family. No matter what your interests are…there‘s something for everyone! Valerie Ingram, GRHS Secretary
Chapter Election at April 17 Meeting The three year terms of Board of Directors Del Beck, Milt Kramer and Jim Schuh expire this year. A Nominating Committee will submit names for consideration at the April meeting. Nominations from the floor will be accepted in ad-dition. After the election, the Board will chose 2011officers.
German Dinner
The Black Hills Chapter of the Germans from Russia Heritage Society Invites you to enjoy an
Authentic
When: Sunday, 27 February 2011 1st Seating…4:00 to 500 PM 2nd Seating…5:30 to 6:30 PM Where: Blessed Sacrament Parish Center 4500 Jackson Blvd., Rapid City SD Dinner includes
German Sausage, Sauerkraut, German Potato Salad, Knöpfla & Kuchen
Advance Ticket Sales Only Adults—$10.00 Children—10 and under—$5.00
Tickets Available in Rapid City at: Heart & Hearth Shoppe, 306 Main St.
Copy Country, 1026 Main St.
* For Information and tickets please call:
German Dinner
9th Annual BH Chapter
German Dinner
(continued from page 1) on the part of Chapter members, but, as they say, ―many hands will make light work.‖ As in the past, preparing the dinner will result in much camaraderie and merriment and will allow us to get to know each other better. GO TEAM!!! Many people look forward to en-joying our delicious meal. Let's give them that opportunity by selling lots of tickets. To get the tickets you need, please call or email Sharon Beck, 718-2603 or [email protected], Do not wait too long because we will likely have a "sell-out" crowd. Sponsoring a huge food-centered event such as this requires much help to make it all happen. Please call or email Hilda Sieler, 342-1030 or [email protected], to volun-teer your services. Beck & Vogele
Ukrainian Prof. to speak at 41st GRHS Convention in July Inna Stryukova, a University Professor from Nikolaev, Ukraine, is no stranger to mem-bers of the Germans from Russia Heritage Society as 2011 will mark her fourth GRHS Convention appearance. Convention host, Inland Northwest Chapter, Spokane, WA, has invited Inna to give the Saturday evening banquet address, along with being a Con-vention workshop presenter. Inna‘s appearance as a speaker should provide an insight into present-day life in the Black Sea villages. Inna has also been invited to speak at the AHSGR Convention in August in Salt Lake City, UT. Inna is fluent in Russian, Ukrainian, French, and English. She has worked as a teach-er of English at the Civil Engineering Institute, and has served as head of the Foreign Language Department at the Agrarian University in Nikolaev. Besides teaching English, Inna has done translation work for American and Canadian professors, and she has translated for Christian missionaries who have had a great impact on her life. During her tenure serving as translator for SCHNEIDER LLC Tours, Inna has visited many for-mer German villages the Black Sea region. The GRHS Convention Committee has asked me to do a fund-raiser to pay for GRHS‘s share of Inna's airline ticket and other expenses. If you decide to donate, please send a check made out to Robert R. Schneider and send it to my mailing ad-dress: 1649 N. 3rd St., Spearfish, SD 57783, by February 15, 2011. This date was set as a deadline because I need to pay for Inna's airline ticket, the cost of which is $2,360, by about the middle of February. However, if this time-fame isn't suitable for you, just let
me know and you can send your donation later. by Robert Schneider
Don’t Miss the SD School of
Mines Cultural Expo March 26
GRHS Board Meeting News Overall, GRHS revenues exceeded expenditures in 2010.
Membership and GRHS Library at-tendance totals were less in 2010 than in 2009.
2011 GRHS Membership Drive: Goal is an increase in membership and revenue of 10%.
2011 Annual GRHS Convention in Spokane has the potential to lose money if attendance is low. Please strongly consider attending this Con-vention.
Most of the damage caused by the GRHS computer crash in October 2010 has been remedied.
Donations to the Archive Acquisi-tions Committee have been good and thus many new and early cen-sus, crop, village and land records have been obtained and are ready to be translated.
GRHS Library building in Bismarck is in need of some repairs. Ken Vogele
5 Black Hills GRHS Newsletter--February 2011
Black Hills GRHS Newsletter--February 2011
6
Vera Hoff Tribute, continued from page 1 For example, the Chapter‘s Annual German Dinner would not have been the success that it has without her organizational talent and knowledge of German cookery. She has been a long-standing Chapter Board member and has served on the International GRHS Board of Di-rectors for six years. A special interest of Vera‘s has been youth involvement in GRHS, and she con-tinues to Chair the International GRHS Youth Committee. Her hard work has invigorated the Soci-ety‘s youth activities and has resurrected the Youth Essay Contest from a mori-bund state to one of the Society‘s success stories. But most noteworthy from this writer‘s standpoint is that Vera has been the BH Chapter Newsletter editor for the last — years. She has made this Newsletter arguably the best in the entire GRHS. Your new editor has accepted the position with trep-idation as he realizes he has big shoes to fill. Please wish him luck. by Ken Vogele, your new Newsletter editor.
The following is an ad-miring look at her mother by Tove Hoff Bormes: Picture it: the year was 1992, and I was unpacking my little household into the tiny trailer my husband and I had just pur-chased as our new home while I attended law school at the University of South Dakota. It had two bedrooms, one of which was designated as my official ―office.‖ I had a desk, I had a filing cabinet. I had more textbooks than I could ever conceive of actually reading. The one thing I didn‘t have – and had no idea how to acquire, much less operate – was a computer. For most folks, that would have been time to go to
a technology store. For me, it was time to call the most im-portant number I would have in law school: Mom. My classmates were amazed. ―Your MOTHER knows about computers? You‘ve got to be kidding.‖ Six months later, my entire law school class called Vera Hoff by her new nickname, ―1-800-computer-mom.‖ When we couldn‘t figure out how to make a printer work, or connect a modem, or any other new
―techie‖ question, we knew she would know what to do. Ninety per-cent of the time, she already knew the an-swer, and when she didn‘t, we‘d hear the most important words I ever heard my mother speak, ―I don‘t know how to do that…but…‖ You see, with my moth-er, ―I don‘t know how‖ is always followed by ―…but…‖. She is the epit-ome of that catch-phrase ―life-long learn-er‖ and - in no small measure due to a te-nacity that would take down a bull - she has never capitulated to any challenge, no mat-ter how big or how small. It is who she is. Elvira Berger Hoff (aka ―mom‖) was born Au-gust 25, 1933 at her Grandmother Hoerner‘s home, on a farm out-side Richardton, North Dakota. She was an overachiever from the very start, finishing 8
th
grade when she was 11, and graduating high school at age 16. After attending Dickinson State Teacher‘s Col-
lege, she returned home, and taught at the country school she had attended. She and Richard Hoff (aka ―dad) married in a traditional morning ceremony on November 5, 1952. The next 20 years were spent traveling the world, courtesy of the Unit-ed States Army, where Dick achieved the rank of Major before retiring in 1969. They moved to Rapid City in 1970, and opened ‗The Missing Link‘, a delicatessen and restaurant, which featured sausage made in Dick and Vera‘s hometown of Richardton, as well as Vera‘s now-world-famous German Potato Salad, in 1980. Continued on page 7
Dick and Vera Hoff
Black Hills GRHS Newsletter--February 2011
7
20 Feb. 2011 1:00 PM Genealogy Workshop & Library Opens
2:00 PM Membership Meeting
Faith Lutheran Church, 17 Indiana Street
Rapid City SD
Program: Out of Russia—Vera Hoff
27 Feb. 2011 9th Annual BH Chapter German Dinner
(Sunday) Blessed Sacrament Parish Center
4500 Jackson Blvd., Rapid City SD
6 March 2011 BH Chapter BOD Meeting
24&26 March International Cultural Expo
2010 SDSM&T, Rapid City SD
1-7 August 2011 AHSGR Convention
Little America Hotel
Salt Lake City UT
20-24 July 2011 41st Annual GRHS Convention
Davenport Hotel
Spokane WA
The Key to the GRHS Website
This lock emblem on the GRHS website indicates a
page or file that is reserved for GRHS members only. If you
are a GRHS member and would like to access the locked files
and take advantage of vast amounts of information on the
members only pages, send an email to [email protected] with
your name and membership number. The GRHS User ID Ad-
ministrator will send you a password and instructions on how
to access the members only pages.
If you are not a member of GRHS, and would like to join
the Black Hills GRHS Chapter please contact our president,
Bob Schneider, at [email protected] or our treasurer,
Time is Running Out! Turn in Tickets on 20 February or call
Sharon Beck with your totals.
Continued from page 6 It was opening the restaurant, and all of the bookwork it en-tailed, that got Vera thinking about how computers might be used to make her work easier. She contacted a friend, and bought her first computer in 1985, at age 52. (I remember thinking at the time that she‘d lost her mind….after all, ―no regular people owned computers,‖ right?!) It was a fancy one, too. Almost all computers at that time ran on ―floppy disks‖ and didn‘t actually have the ability to save anything. Mom decided that it made sense for a computer to have a ―hard drive‖ too, so she added one to hers. Once again, Vera was a little ahead of the curve. I asked Vera recently what in the world inspired her to try to learn an entirely foreign subject like computers at 52. She hemmed and hawed about it being difficult, and knowing it just HAD to get easier. What I heard, because I know my mother pretty darn well, was this: ―I was NOT getting left behind.‖ It‘s been interesting how much Mom‘s life since that time has been shaped by her willingness to embrace the technological world. Shortly after closing the Missing Link, she and Dick became active in GRHS. She was asked by Bruce Mehlhaff to help with the newsletter in 2000, which quickly became her ―baby.‖ When she realized the newsletter wasn‘t available online, she taught herself how to create a website, and devel-oped one for the Black Hills Chapter. When she took over the Chairmanship of the GRHS Youth Committee, she knew that if she wanted to reach students, she would have to ―go where they live.‖ In this day and age, that‘s the internet. So, per usual, she created a website for the Youth Committee, and figured out how to disseminate the scholarship opportunities to the world. The year before she took over, there were 4 en-tries. Last year, there were 177. That willingness to embrace the technological world has brought all sorts of new people into Mom‘s world, too. Some years ago, before Vera had taken on the internet, she was playing on the computer with her granddaughter Sarah, who was explaining how the internet made it possible to reach out to all sorts of people one would probably never meet in per-son. They went to the GRHS website, and checked on who else was researching Vera‘s family names. The first names
that popped up were Valerie Renner Ingram and Al Berger! Vera had never met either, but decided then and there to write them a note, and meet with them the next time she got to the Spokane area. The result? Vera and Valerie figured out they were related, and developed a friendship that will last a life-time. It was also this meeting that set in motion one of the most amazing, miraculous stories I‘ve ever been privileged to wit-ness: in the reuniting of Valerie with her long-lost siblings, in Ukraine. Vera introduced Valerie to Bob, who put her in con-tact with Valya (Valentina) Kramer and her mother Olga Fromm. Together, they actually found Valerie‘s siblings. And it all started – at least in part - because ―Grandma Deara‖ (her nickname with her grandkids) took the time to learn about how the internet works. It goes without saying that my siblings and I are incredibly proud of our Mom and Dad. They‘ve spent their lives in ser-vice – military, and otherwise. But today, it‘s as a member of the Black Hills Chapter that I wanted to give a ―hats off‖ to Mom, for the many years she has dedicated to making sure that all members of the Black Hills Chapter are informed of what‘s happening. The lifeblood of any organization is the involvement of its membership, and Mom has done her best to ensure that each of us is aware of, and can participate in, the activities of the organization. And I just have to add this, too: Dad deserves a big thank you, also, for being the sort of man who did whatever was necessary to support Mom‘s efforts. Sure, he was a proofreader extraordinaire, but he was also chief cook and bottle-washer when needed. Congratulations to you both, and a heartfelt ―thank you‖ for your many years of dedicated service to GRHS!
Black Hills Chapter Calendar of Events
Black Hills GRHS Newsletter--February 2011
BHGRHS News
Black Hills GRHS Chapter News 1605 Palo Verde Drive Rapid City, SD 57701-4461
8
“Food /N Customs Recipes of the Black Sea Ger-
mans”
A cookbook of German-
Russian recipes and cus-
toms is available for pur-
chase at our meetings. See
our chapter treasurer, Hilda Sieler, or
call her at 342-1030. Only $16.00
Germans from Russia Heritage Society Membership Application
Preserving Our Heritage—Enriching Our Lives
Date _______________ New _______ Renewal ________
Name(s) _____________________________________________________________________
Maiden Name ______________________________________________
Address ______________________________________________________________________________
City ________________________________ State _____________________ Zip ___________________
Phone # ____________________________ E-mail Address __________________________________
Chapter Preference: ________________Black Hills GRHS Chapter______________________
Ancestral Names & Villages ____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Attached is my remittance of $__________. Membership fees are due annually on January 1. Life
membership fees may be paid in annual installments of not less than $130.00.
Annual Dues: Membership $50
Life (minimum of $130 per year) $650
I would like to receive the Black Hills GRHS Chapter Newsletter _____by E-mail or _____by US Mail
Check for payment of GRHS dues should be made to GRHS. Please mail membership applications to Rachel Schmidt, GRHS Library &
Bookstore, 1125 W. Turnpike Ave., Bismarck ND 58501-8115. Dues can also be paid on line at the GRHS website at www.grhs.com .
I would like to volunteer:
Membership_______________
Publicity__________________
Hospitality________________
Genealogy_________________
Newsletter_________________
Photographer______________
Program__________________
Scrapbook_________________
Youth Program_____________
Refreshment_______________
Fund Raising_______________
Birth Month (optional):_________________
Anniversary Date (optional):_____________