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Gwen Bernice Black Pritzkau / Walter and Alice Riedlinger Essig

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Walter and Alice (Riedlinger) Essig Collection

Alice was born on March 30, 1911, in rural McClusky, North Dakota, to Chris and Ida (Wahl) Riedlinger. She lived in McClusky as a child with her family and later moved to Washburn. She passed away February 1997.

Alice married Walter K. Essig in McClusky on June 24, 1931. In 1933, they moved to the Essig family homestead in the Lincoln Valley area. Walter and Alice moved to Bismarck in 1974. They were married over 61 years and had four children.

Alice was one of the original founders of the Germans from Russia Heritage Society, and worked many years in its headquarters office. Alice was able to help many people with their family research and translation of German documents.

The Essig books donated to the GRHC are unique and contain her marginal notations with facts verified firsthand.

Gwen was born on September 7, 1932 to Ward Black and Hilda B. Marshall in Salina, Utah. Gwen grew up in Salt Lake City.

Gwen married Julius Pritzkau in 1948. Gwen and Julius were married 58 years and had eight children. She passed away May 2006.

Gwen generated a compelling interest in the ethnic heritage of her husband Julius from historic Moldova. With a career as a Salt Lake City librarian, she was co-founder of the Glueckstal Colony Research Association (GRCA). Her faithful and tireless efforts as a genealogical research specialist, was respected internationally when involved in new resources at the Family Research Center (Salt Lake City), Germany (Stuttgart), Russia (St. Petersburg), and Ukraine, (Odessa).