In Touch with Prairie Living, February 2025
By Michael M. Miller
Longtime columnist, newspaper publisher, radio host, and author, Tony Bender, passed away. He was publisher of the Ashley Tribune and the Wishek Star. Tony grew up at Frederick, S.D., with Germans from Russia heritage. Prairies Magazine was published by the Ashley Tribune. We are deeply grateful that Tony Bender provided permission to make the magazine available online at the South Dakota Germans from Russia Center, Northern State University, Aberdeen, S.D. Original copies of Prairies (1975-1986) are available at the NDSU Archives.
The October 1977 issue of Prairies Magazine featured a story, “Growing Up on the Prairie,” about Christ Schumacher at age 91. He was born in Glückstal, South Russia in 1886, and was three years old when he accompanied his parents, three brothers and five sisters to the New World – the vast unclaimed Dakota Territory.
His father, William Schumacher, was featured in the LIFE magazine of August 2, 1937. The following quote is from the article: “William Schumacher chose his land, filed his claim and built himself a sod house with a shiplap finish inside. His first stove was of sod and stone built in the ground. His first farm tools were yoke of oxen, a secondhand wagon, and a breaking plow bought on credit. His first trip to church services at a neighbor’s house was inside on a stone boat driven by oxen.”
“My father – his name was William – came right away to McPherson County, and homesteaded land three miles between Eureka and Leola, South Dakota.” Christ remembers his parents often talking about Russia. “The journey across the Atlantic took about two weeks. My father was 40 years old at the time he left Russia, older than most of the other men in the group. The main reason he left Russia was my two older brothers were 18 and 16 years old – the age when they would soon be drafted into the Russian army. Another reason was because the population of South Russia was increasing. My parents, older brothers and sisters thought there would be more opportunity in the Dakotas.”
When the Schumacher family finally arrived, they built a sod house. “It was big sod house with a kitchen and two rooms used for sleeping quarters. The sod barn was about the same length as the house and was attached to the house’s west side. The door and windows faced south, to utilize the warmth from the winter sun. The windows were small, and didn’t let in much light – or cold, in the winters. The walls were thick – about three feet.”
Christ’s father told him that it took quite a while to build a sod house. They had to break up the sod with a plow, and then cut the sod up with a spade so it could be handled. Afterwards, lumber beams were placed on the top of the roof. His father and older brothers trekked to the Missouri River to get smaller trees to use for the rafters. Sod was then put over the rafters to complete the roof. The last step was to plaster the walls inside and outside with a combination of clay, which was dug up, and straw. “We smeared it on everything. When I was a little older, I remember my father had me re-plaster the house many times. It took a week each time.”
“My father would go to Eureka once a week, usually on Saturday. But I didn’t go that often until I was older. I remember the first time I went to town – to Eureka – was on the fourth of July. My father gave me a quarter, but I was to spend only 15 cents. Since there were no restaurants, we brought our own lunch. But I do recall spending five cents to buy a mixed drink. It was lemonade and it tasted real good.” Mrs. Schumacher added that the lemonade was often referred to, in German, “Juliwasser,” or “July water.”
The only formal education Christ ever received was three months at an English-speaking school. “I never felt bad about not being able to go to school. I had a good home, and good parents. They taught me many of the things I needed to know.”
When Christ became older, about 13 years old, he worked with the threshing crews. He and others cut the wheat down with scythes, put grain up on stacks, pulled two of the stacks together, and then pitched the bundles onto the wagon. “It was hard work. But we just expected it to be hard work. It has to be done, and so there was no reason to complain about it. We had no binders those days.”
Christ’s father grew wheat, barley, and oats. Soon after he arrived near Eureka, a man helped him out to give him two sheep. “From that time on, we always had sheep on the farm. Mother spun the wool, and used it for such items as socks and gloves. She knitted everything. I always thought that lamb was the best meat on the farm. We would butcher a yearling, and it would last about a week. Then we’d butcher another. Most people stored food in holes about seven or eight feet deep. The holes were then covered with rafters and then with sod.”
Church services were held at home, or at a neighbor’s farm. “My father didn’t have a buggy, and so whenever we had to do any traveling, he put a board on the rake so that about five or six people could ride on it. The others had to walk. About the only time we would go to the Lutheran Church in Eureka was at the harvest festival or mission festival times.”
In 1909, Christ at age 24, married Christina Klooz. Christina was three years old when she came from Russia to Dakota Territory. When they were married, neighbors helped them build their house and barn. Seven teams with two horses to a team went to Eureka to bring back the lumber. Christina died in 1942, and Christ Schumacher married Ida Rath Fischer in 1946.
For more information about donating family histories and photographs, or how to financially support the GRHC, contact Jeremy Kopp, at jeremy.kopp@ndsu.edu or 701-231-6596; mail to: NDSU Libraries, Dept. 2080, PO Box 6050, Fargo, N.D. 58108-6050; or go to www.ndsu.edu/grhc. You may also contact me directly at michael.miller@ndsu.edu or 701-231-8416.
February column for North Dakota and South Dakota weekly newspapers.