Immigrating to America

By Eleanor Zeller Disselhorst, Solana Beach, California

My father was Friedrick Zeller born in Klostitz, Bessarabia, Russia on November 25,1885, to George Zeller and Katherina Ergezinger, originally ancestors came from Markgronigan, Germany and before that two generations were from  Reutlingen, Germany, also near Stuttgart there is a town named Ergezinger. We saw an Ergezinger old home in Markgronigan which was originally a walled city by Ludswigsburg. He came to the United States on a freighter in 1905  having worked his way to Detroit via the St. Lawrence Causeway into the Great Lakes. Then  to join his Uncle Jacob Zeller in Glen Ullin, North Dakota, and later homesteaded by Elgin. He was so grateful to be in this country.  He came through Odessa  and talked of those steppes and the wonderful trip he had on that freighter and what he saw coming here. His two nephews live near Stuttgart now and we have kept in touch through the years. They were forced to leave Bessarabia and fortunately landed  in the American Zone after World War II .They were so grateful to the Marshall Plan.  The one cousin's son have visited us a couple of times.

My father's birthday on November 25 often is on Thanksgiving Day like in 2010. He thought Thanksgiving Day was just for him as he was so grateful to be in this country. We always celebrated and praised the Lord for all his goodness to us.