Journey to the Homeland Tour – Ukraine & Germany

North Dakota State University Library sponsored tour

20 May – 30 May 2008

Biographies of Tour Group Members

A. Isabella Roth Allen, Kamloops, British Columbia

Ancestral villages: Speier (Bereasan District); Kandel (Kutschurgan District)

Born to German Russian immigrants on June 1, 1932, I grew up on a farm in southern Alberta Canada. My father Joseph B Roth came to Canada with his parents and four siblings in 1910. They left their village of Kandel in 1908 and traveled to Liverpool, England to board a ship for Halifax, Nova Scotia and from there went by train to western Canada. My grandfather worked for the CPR in Regina, Saskatchewan when first arriving in Canada. Urged on by my feisty (4’ 5”) grandmother, he eventually obtained his 40 acres of homestead land promised by the Canadian Government for $10. We have recorded all this wonderful family history in our history book The Greats of Roth published in 1985. My sister Dorothy Rapson provided the genealogical background and other family members contributed as well.

My mother’s name was Perpetua Hertz. Her immigration to Canada was actually more of an escape because of the Bolshevik Revolution at the time. Their village, Speier was torched and they fled Russia never to see or be able to get in touch with the older brothers of the family again.

My personal history is much less dramatic. My husband, Dwayne Allen and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in 2007. We have four children and five grandchildren, all of which are spread across Canada from Ontario to Alberta and British Columbia. I graduated as a Registered Nurse from the Holy Cross Hospital in Calgary and after a few years of working in hospitals, got married, had two daughters, and went back to work to support my husband through his engineering degree from the University of Alberta. Then we had two more children and Dwayne went on to work for the federal government in our capital city of Ottawa, Ontario. I earned my Masters Degree in Health Administration from the University of Ottawa and also worked for the Canadian government in the Health Promotion Directorate of Health Canada.

In 1989, my husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, so we decided to take early retirement and move to British Columbia. It proved to be a great decision and we had about 12 years of the good life; golfing, curling, and traveling until Parkinson’s took its toll and we had to sell our house on the golf course across from the lake and move to an Assisted Living Facility in Kamloops B.C. Dwayne now lives in residential care in this facility and I see him most days.

I am thrilled to be able to travel to Ukraine where both my parents were born and even better to do it with my sister Dorothy. I look forward to meeting other German Russian descendants and especially to meet Michael Miller who has done all the research that we so appreciate.

Melvin Bender, Medicine Hat, Alberta

Ancestral Villages: Grossliebental (Liebental District); Wointischi, daughter colony of Kassel (Glueckstal District); Hoffnungstal

I was raised on a farm near Hilda, a hamlet northeast of Medicine Hat, Alberta, the city where I now have lived for about forty years. Having taught elementary and junior high school for over thirty years, I am now retired and following my own timetable.

Recently I heard a speaker describe the close connection between social history and genealogy. I’ve always enjoyed both and belong to Medicine Hat’s Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many years ago, I noticed a newspaper article about Karl Stumpp’s book on the German immigration to Russia. Discovering that there were organizations that could help me with my research sparked my own interest in the Germans that came from Russia, of all places.

Through a matchmaker, my dad’s Woinitschni father married a young lady born in Freidorf, a daughter village of Grossliebental. Her Burstall, Saskatchewan family had spent some time around Ashley, North Dakota. before coming to Canada. My mother’s parents came from Hoffnungstal.

Traveling has always been a favorite pastime. Breaks in teaching included trips to exotic places, especially those with ancient roots. Odessa has always been on my must-visit list because it was mentioned in the family history I had heard and read.

Allean (Mertz) Boschee, Crookston, Minnesota

Ancestral villages: Glueckstal, Kassel and Neu Glueckstal (Glueckstal District)

My father, Reinhold Mertz, was born January 12, 1903 in Glueckstal, Russia. His two uncles, Jacob born October, 2, 1867 and Rosina (Koepplin) Mertz, and Adam, born July 24, 1869 and Karolina (Sifferman) Mertz and son Jacob, came to the United States. They came March 24, 1894 on the U.S.S. Allen from Bremen, Germany to check the United States out. Jacob Mertz family settled in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Adam Mertz family settled in Bowdle, South Dakota.

Their brother, my grandfather, Johann (John) and Christine (Reuer) Mertz came to the United States on April 2, 1906 with children Reinhold and John Jr. Johann’s parents Jacob and Carolina (Orhman) Mertz Neuer came to the United States. The Reinhold family settled in Bowdle, South Dakota for two years in 1908 they homesteaded 15 miles south of the Tappen, North Dakota area.

The early German from Russia settlers had a strong faith. They built a sod church in 1908. By 1913, the church was too small and they built a new larger structure. It was named “Glueckstal Lutheran Church” and it still stands strong and tall in the steppes south of Tappen, North Dakota. On June 14-15, 2008, there will be a 100th Anniversary celebration.

My parents Reinhold and Frieda (Wanner) Mertz were married February 11, 1926. Reinhold was the oldest of ten children. They had eight children; I am the third oldest. I was born July 6, 1932 on the Mertz farm 15 miles southeast of Dawson, North Dakota. I married Gideon Boschee in 1953. We had three children. We lived in Jamestown, Fargo, and Crookston, Minnesota.

I could not speak English until I started school in a one-room country schoolhouse. I worked for Polk County as a nurse and I continue to do a lot of volunteering in nursing homes, etc. The joy in my life is music; I sing and play guitar.

I am so thankful to be able to take this Journey to the Homeland Tour with my daughter Karen (Boschee) Horge, my sisters Esther (Mertz) Opp and Johanne (Mertz) Gauper, and nieces Julie (Opp) Burgum, Pam (Opp) Galegher and Lori (Gauper) Kishel.

Julie Opp Burgum, Casselton, North Dakota

Ancestral villages: Glueckstal (Mertz); Kassel (Wanner); Neu Gluckstal (Opp); Hoffnungstal (Mertz) (Gluesckstal District); Birlenbach, Alsace, France (Opp).

I grew up on a farm between Napoleon and Streeter North Dakota in an area called the “flat”. I experienced a few years of country schooling and then attended school in Streeter where I graduated in 1971. I received a home economics education degree from North Dakota State University. I was married to Bradley Burgum in 1976. Our first child, James was born in 1980 and presently does consulting work in Fargo. Our other son, Benjamin was born in 1982 and is married to Katie Ballard and lives in Minneapolis. They have a son, Parks who is 20 months old. I taught school at Central Valley, North Dakota and West Fargo Middle School and presently do Guardian ad Litem work for Juvenile Court in Fargo.

I took a Germans from Russia class taught by Timothy Kloberdanz in 1983 which helped me understand the uniqueness of our heritage. Knowing that my mother, Esther Opp, enjoys history, I decided to participate in this educational tour with her. In preparing for this tour, I have become more involved in our family genealogy and find it interesting. After hearing about the trip, my sister Pam along with two aunts and two cousins also decided to join in on this adventure in May. I look forward to learning more about our ancestors and to better understand the difficulties they experienced that led them to America.

My Parents:
Reinhold Opp, son of George Opp and Elizabeth Himmerich
George, son of George Opp and Barbara Buechler
Elizabeth, daughter of Philipp Himmerich and Katharina Martin
Esther Mertz, daughter of Reinhold Mertz and Frieda Wanner
Reinhold, son of John Mertz and Christine Reuer
Frieda, daughter of Frederich Wanner and Barbara Haas

Ruth Tietz DeNault, San Clemete, California

Ancestral Villages: Leipzig and Peterstal Bessarabia

In 1983, my husband Jim and I visited the U.S.S.R. extensively including Odessa and Kishinev. When I attempted to visit the ancestral villages from Odessa the request was refused because I didn’t have a visa beyond the city limits.

Traveling by train from Odessa to Kishinev we could see the countryside of the ancestral villages but were forbidden to take photos because it was a military district. Now this is a welcome opportunity to visit the villages with people of our heritage.

My father’s parents, Johan Tietz and Emilie Treichel Tietz, came to Dakota Territory in 1899 arriving through Canada. With them were his parents and his younger siblings. My father Robert Tietz was born in 1905 on their farm north of what is now New Leipzig, in Grant County, North Dakota.

My grandmother Emilie’s father and grandfather perished in a blizzard on a trip to market, which I learned from Marie Buchwitz Miller was in Kishinev. Emile’s mother couldn’t support all her children so Emile was sent to Peterstal to be a baby sitter and shepherd. During World War II she wrote to her sisters and sent clothing and food, but after a while they were removed and she heard nothing more.

My mother, Katherine Hertz Tietz was born to Henry Hertz and Lydia Reimer Hertz in 1907 in North Dakota. The family had arrived in the United States earlier and had settled in South Dakota. I was born in 1930, graduated from New Leipzig High School, and attended Jamestown College where I met my husband Jim DeNault.

After his military service we moved to San Clemente, California and began our retail hardware business which now includes seven stores and a commercial sales division. My husband died in 2003, and our four sons and I manage the business.

I am blessed to be active with the Jamestown College Board of Trustees, the Foundation Board of Trustees at Concordia University Irvine, The Center for U. S. Missions of the LCMS, and a local cultural center. This opportunity is also a blessing.

Emil H. Eberhart, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

German Villages: Bergdorf, Kassel, Neudorf (Glueckstal District); Wittenburg and Beresina, Bessarabia

My paternal great grandparents George and Margareta (Rudolph) Eberhard/t from Neudorf/Odessa, came to the United States in 1885 immigrating to Campbell County, South Dakota. My maternal great grandparents Johannes and Lydia (Mandei) Maier from Beresing, Bessarabia came to the United States in 1892. My grandparents were, Fred (Friedrich) born 1891 in Campbell County and Rosina (Maier) Eberhart born April 2, 1894 in Campbell County.

My maternal great grandparents Heinrich H. Mueller (changed to Henry H. Miller, April, 1911) and Katharina (Goehring) came to the United States from Kassel, South Russia on October 28, 1889 arriving on March 19, 1890 in Logan County, 13 miles southwest of what became Streeter North Dakota. My maternal grandparents Henry H. (born 1879 in Kassel) and Elizabeth (Steiger born 1885 Bloomfield, North Dakota.) Miller homesteaded a farm 14 miles northeast of Napoleon, North Dakota.

During my childhood years and teenage years, my family lived on different farms in Campbell County South Dakota. After graduating from Eureka High School in 1960, I attended Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa. and Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville, Illinois. I graduated from McCormick Theological Seminary in 1979 with a Doctor of Ministry degree. I was ordained as a United Methodist pastor 1968 and served United Methodist churches in South Dakota, retiring in 2005.

My wife, Penny, who is also a retired United Methodist pastor, and I are the parents of three adult children. They are married and have blessed us with eight grandchildren.

Activities since retirement include part time chaplaincy work at a hospital in Sioux Falls, spiritual direction, pulpit supply, and helping my brothers and nephews with the grain and corn harvest. Hobbies include photography, gardening, and making beef summer sausage.

I am looking forward to participating in this tour.

Penelope (Penny) Eberhart, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

German Villages: Bergdorf, Kassel, Neudorf (Glueckstal District): Wittenburg, and Beresina, Bessarabia

My grandparents, George and Christina (Schmidt) Kramer and John and Marie (Schlenker) Sackmann came to the United States from South Russia in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s and homesteaded in the Lehr and Ashley, North Dakota area.

During my childhood years, my family lived in both Lehr and Ashley. After graduating from Ashley High School, I attended Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa, majoring in Home Economics and Biology. I taught Home Economics and Science for several years, first in Beverly, Kentucky and then in Naperville, Illinois. Many years later, I entered seminary, graduating with a Masters of Divinity degree. I was then ordained as a United Methodist pastor and served United Methodist churches in South Dakota for 29 years, retiring in 2005.

My husband, Emil, who is also a retired United Methodist pastor, and I are the parents of three adult children. They are married and have blessed us with eight grandchildren.

I have fond memories of growing up in these Germans from Russia communities – the language, the customs, the food, the music, the religious faith. (Just hearing the song “Gott ist die Liebe” can move me to tears). Since most of the relatives of the preceding generation have died (only two aunts and my father, who has dementia, are remaining), I am very conscious of the fact that the memories and traditions of my ancestors may soon be lost. That is why I am looking forward to participating in this tour and all of the reading and researching that I plan to do before that time.

Marvin L. Frahm, Palm City, Florida

Ancestors: Frahm from Schleswig, Eichmeier from Holstein, Quass from Tharden Germany, and Clyde, etc. from Scotland, England, Wales, and Ireland

I was born in 1937 to LeRoy Frahm and Rose Quass Frahm on her parents farm near Memphis, Nebraska. I attended a 1-room 8-grade country school for eight years and high school in Lincoln, Nebraska where I graduated in 1954. I graduated in 1958 from the University of Nebraska with a BSEE and worked for Hughes Aircraft Company for 33 years as a Field Engineer. I married Sylvia Feiock in Eureka, South Dakota on 12 July 1959. I spent 14 years in Germany working with the German Air Force and the rest of my career working with the U.S. Navy in Rhode Island. I was retired in 1992. I have spent my retirement building a couple of houses on Cudjoe Key near Key West plus other odd jobs. We moved from Middletown, Rhode Island to Palm City in1999 to be near our three children who live in South Florida. I have led Bible studies, etc. in Newport, Rhode Island and we were members of Swanhurst Chorus for 24 years there. We are presently members of the St. Lucie Chorale in Stuart, Florida and went to England where we joined with a chorus and sang in the Royal Albert Hall in London. This past year we went to Ratingen near Duesseldorf to sing with a chorus there. My family came from Germany in 1848 and 1880. My Clyde ancestry came from Clydsdale in about 1750 or so and were in the Colonial Army in the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. I learned German while working with the Luftwaffe from 1960 to 1974. I was picked to work with the German tall ship “Gorch Fock” during their participation with our 200-year celebration preceding the 4th of July 1976 in Newport Rhode Island.

Sylvia M. Feiock Frahm, Palm City, Florida

Ancestral Villages: Rohrbach and Hoffnungsburg,(Beresan District), Bergdorf (Glueckstal District), and Peterstal (Liebental District)

I was born in 1937 to John and Edna Feiock, on a farm in Eureka, South Dakota. Because my grandparents did not speak English, I learned to speak German at a very young age. This community was largely German speaking. I graduated from High School in 1955 and graduated with a degree in Music Education in 1959. Got married to Marvin Frahm from Nebraska and moved to California where my husband was hired by Hughes Aircraft Company. Because he was an electrical engineer in field service we moved to Texas, back to California and then on to Germany, close to Daaden/Sieg. Our daughter was born in the village hospital. We moved after 18 months to Jever/Wilhelmshaven (North Sea). We then lived there for 7½ years and our daughter attended German kindergarten. It was a great experience to live on the economy, but also was able to take advantage of the American commissary and PX. We moved back to California and after 18 months, back to Bonn/Bad Godesberg, Germany where the three children attended the German schools but later on attended the American Embassy school, where I also taught music. Back to the states in 1974 to Rhode Island and after teaching music in the elementary schools for 20 years, I retired. My husband had already retired and we moved to Florida to be close to our three children and families. We are within 30 minutes and 90 minutes of our five grandchildren. We enjoy living close by and celebrating many special occasions with them.

Marv and I enjoy traveling and we sing in a chorale which has traveled to England and Dusseldorf, Germany within the last three years. The German chorale is coming in March, 2008 to sing with us. We have very fond memories of our stay with our German friends in Rattingen.

Family History

I feel blessed that my father kept and passed along documents such as: grandma Margaretha and grandpa George’s citizenship papers, homestead document for land in South Dakota and Russian Food remittance receipts with the Russian addresses and the amount they sent over to relatives back in Russia. This was through the American Relief Administration and the National Lutheran Council.

Grandma Feiock(Fuhrmann) was born in 1864 in Rohrbach, South Russia. Married Johann George Feiock who was born in 1863 in Rohrbach. Married in 1883 and came to the U.S. in 1884. Went to Scotland, South Dakota and from there found a place to settle down with land allotted, outside of Eureka. They had 11 children, three of whom passed away during infancy. There were many hardships since they had only a pair of oxen, a cow, and chickens. 10 cents was all they had, but more than money, they possessed an attitude of tilling the soil and reaping the harvest and instilling in their children great work ethics.

Mom’s mother was born in Hofnungsburg, South Russia and came to the states with two siblings; three siblings died in Russia. I believe they came to the U.S. about 1902. I have other information of relatives, thanks to a relative who did extensive research.

I am so excited to have the opportunity to take this tour and learn more about the places of my ancestry.

Pamelyn J. Opp Galegher, Thompson, North Dakota

Ancestral villages: Glueckstal (Mertz), Neu Glueckstal (Opp) (Glueckstal District); Birlenbach, Aslace, France (Opp)

I was born March 11, 1963 in Jamestown, North Dakota. I grew up on a farm 16 miles from Streeter and graduated in 1981. I spent the next four years at Jamestown College getting my RN Degree. I worked for a short time at Dakota Hospital in Fargo, before moving to Grand Forks to work in the ICU for eleven years. I took three years off to stay with the kids before going back to work in the ICU for two years and now I work in interventional pain management.

I married my husband in 1986. He farms near Thompson and raises sugar beets, potatoes, wheat, corn, soybeans, and navy beans. Our oldest son is a freshman at NDSU majoring in mechanical engineering. Our oldest daughter is a sophomore in high school and our youngest is a 6th grader.

JoAnne (Mertz) Gauper, Fargo, North Dakota

Ancestral villages: Ancestral villages: Glueckstal (Mertz), Kassel, Neu Glueckstal (Opp) (Glueckstal District); Birlenbach, Alsace, France (Opp)

I was born on a farm south of Dawson, North Dakota, to Reinhold and Frieda (Wanner) Mertz. Immigrating from New Glueckstal, Russia, my dad, Reinhold, came to America in 1906 with his parents, John and Christine (Reuer) Mertz. My mother was born at Wishek, North Dakota, to Frederich and Barbara (Haas) Wanner who migrated here from Kassel, South Russia.

I have four sisters and three brothers. We always spoke German at home until we entered school. I graduated from Valley City (North Dakota) State College, where I met my husband, Larry Gauper. We have two children and three granddaughters and have lived in Fargo, North Dakota, for over 40 years.

My grandparents, John and Christine were very influential in the construction of Glueckstal Lutheran Church, south of Tappen, North Dakota, and were lifelong members of that congregation. All of their children grew up attending Glueckstal Church, as did I along with my brothers and sisters. The church building is pictured on the cover of the Heaven Is Our Homeland DVD. Although no services are held there today, the church will open its doors June 14 and 15, 2008, for its 100th anniversary celebration.

Joining me on this journey is my daughter, Lori (Gauper) Kishel; two sisters, Allean (Mertz) Boschee; Esther (Mertz) Opp; and three nieces, Julie (Opp) Burgum, Pam (Opp) Galagher, and Karen (Boschee) Horge.

James R. Hardt, Ashland, Oregon

Ancestral villages: Glueckstal and Neudorf (Glueckstal District)

I was born and reared in St. Francis, a small town on the Great High Plains in northwestern Kansas. My maternal great grandparents (Raile) and their parents, emigrants from Russia, homesteaded there in 1884 prior to the founding of the town. I am in the fifth generation.

My paternal grandparents (Sclittenhardt) also emigrated from Russia and settled near Gackle, North Dakota.

Both sides of my family raised wheat and cattle, and my parents established and managed businesses in St. Francis and wheat operations in two states.

I attended University of Colorado, Boulder; served three years in the U.S. Army Intelligence (cryptography); was graduated with a B.A. from University of Massachusetts; a M.A. from Harvard University, and a PhD from University of California, Berkeley.

For 30 years I served in the California community college system as a teacher, dean, vice-president and president (12 years). Subsequently I managed for five years a large temporary employment agency covering southern Oregon.

My wife, Dale, and I reside in Ashland, OR, a small theater town of 20,000 that is visited by some 250,000 visitors annually to attend the numerous theaters. We have one daughter, Janice Lajoie, a thirty-one year old G.E. Capital assistance executive who lives in California with her husband.

Barbara Dale Gaston Hardt, Ashland, Oregon

Ancestral villages: Glueckstal and Neudorf (Glueckstal District)

My heritage is French/ Irish and Jim and I visited my paternal grandmother’s village of Letterfrack, Ireland a few years ago. This trip we will visit the sites where Jim’s ancestors once lived.

I am retired after a varied career, including work in advertising, broadcasting, public relations, commercial real estate, property management, computer programming, computer education and consulting.

Music is one of my primary interests. I play piano, accompanying a group which performs at local nursing homes, sing with a local community choir, and enjoy playing duets and two-piano selections with a friend. I am a member of the Rogue Valley Winds, a recorder-playing ensemble. I also love tennis, walking, bridge and travel.

Following this tour, I am looking forward to performing in June with the Siskiyou Singers, our community choir, in Prague and Budapest.

Karen M, Boschee Horge, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Ancestral villages: Glueckstal, Kassel (Glueckstal District)

I am the oldest of three children born to Gideon and Allean (Mertz) Boschee on June 16, 1954. My family lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Jamestown, North Dakota; Fargo, North Dakota and Crookston, Minnesota.

I went to high school in Crookston, Minnesota, and the University of Minnesota, Crookston. During that time I was a telephone operator. This was when we did not have direct dial long distance or directory assistance. After graduating from the University of Minnesota, Crookston, I moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota, to work for a law firm. After 4 ½ years, I took a job at First Trust Company of North Dakota. I am a trust officer for the bank, which is now known as U.S. Bank, and have worked there 29 years.

My husband, Jim, and I met in high school and started dating after graduation. We married in Crookston, on February 12, 1978. We have two children, Andrew and Alexis, who are grown up now. Jim is Production Manager at Concrete, Inc. in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

When I was a young girl we would visit our grandparents, who spoke mostly German when we were there. In the summer I would spend a week or two at my Grandpa and Grandma Mertz’s farm and my Aunt Esther and Uncle Reiny Opp’s farm. I have very fond memories of those times.

Family History

My grandparents on my mother’s side were Frieda (Wanner) and Reinhold Mertz. Reinhold was born in Neu Glueckstal, Russia on January 12, 1903, to John and Christine (Reuer) Mertz.

Frieda Wanner Mertz was born in Wishek, North Dakota on October 1, 1904, to Frederich and Barbara (Haas) Wanner, who came from Kassel, South Russia.

I don’t have as much information on my grandparents on my father’s side. They were August and Barbara Boschee. August was born to Jacob and Phillipina (Doer) Boschee from the Glueckstal District villages and possibly from Alsace, France.

I am very excited about visiting the places my ancestors were from. An added bonus is that we have seven Mertz family members going on the trip.

Edward Hust, Medicine Hat, AB

Ancestral Villages: Rohrbach, Wiesental and Winogradowka (Beresan District)

I was born in a small Hamlet called Wiesental near Rohrbach on July 26, 1934, the second of three children to Gustav and Lilli (Wiest) Hust.

My father and mother were both born and raised in Rohrbach and so was my sister and lived there most of their lives until 1944 when all Germans were ordered to leave because of WWII. I was 9 ½ years old at that time.

We left by horse and wagon going west to Poland.

Somewhere in Hungary we were put on a train. We had to leave the horses and wagons behind.

In June 1944 we arrived in Morzyczyn/ Wartheland (Poland)

There my father was drafted into the army.

So my mother was left alone with three children. We stayed there about one year. Then we had to leave again. This time it was by foot or train when we could find one going to West Germany.

We arrived in West Germany in Neuminster on July 1946. Shortly after we were reunited with my father and moved to Blessem, a town near Cologne (Köln) area, where my father was working on a farm.

In 1951, we immigrated to Canada to the Lethbridge, Alberta area where we worked three seasons on the Sugar Beet Farm.

In the fall of 1953, we moved to Medicine Hat, Alberta. This is still my home.

I have four children from my first marriage. I remarried ten years ago. I am a carpenter and worked most of my working years at a local Fertilizer Plant.

Towns I want to visit
#1. Rohrbach
#2. Wiesental, I was born there.
#3. Windgradowka, my brother was born there.

The last two villages probably are not there anymore.

I want to go back to my Homeland before I die.

Lori A. (Gauper) Kishel, Lita, Florida

Ancestral Villages: Glueckstal (Mertz), Kassel, Neu Glueckstal (Opp) (Glueckstal District); Birlenbach, Aslace, France (Opp)

I was born in Valley City, North Dakota to Larry and JoAnne (Mertz) Gauper. My maternal grandfather, Reinhold Mertz was the oldest child of John and Christine (Reuer) Mertz. They made the journey to America from their home in Neu Glueckstal, South Russia in 1906. My grandfather was three years old. My maternal grandmother, Frieda (Wanner) Mertz was born in Wishek, North Dakota after her parents had migrated from Kassel.

I grew up in Fargo, North Dakota graduating from high school in 1983 and the University of North Dakota in 1987. I married Eric Kishel on September 12, 1987 and moved to Duluth, Minnesota. Both of our daughters were born there; Kjerstin (18) and Kayli (16). We moved to the Tampa, Florida area in 1994 where I continue to be a stay at home mom.

I am excited to experience this once in a lifetime trip (unless you are Michael Miller) with my mom, JoAnne (Mertz) Gauper; two aunts, Allean (Mertz) Boschee and Esther (Mertz) Opp; and three cousins,

Karen (Boschee) Horge, Julie (Opp) Burgum and Pam (Opp) Galegher. I do not speak any German so I am relying on my relatives to get me through. About the only word I learned from both my grandma and mom was “Kommen Essen!”

Michael M. Miller, Fargo, North Dakota

Ancestral villages: Straßburg (Kutschurgan District); Krasna, Bessarabia

Michael writes, “My first visit to the villages of Straßburg and Krasna in June of 1994 is an experience I shall never forget. I was especially touched by the warmth and friendship of the local villagers. When I returned to Odessa, I visited the home of the late Antonia (Welk) Ivanova in the village of Selz in December 1995, where I completed a cassette tape interview in German. Antonia died in October, 1998.”

Michael was raised in Strassburg, North Dakota, leaning to speak English and German. His college degrees are from Valley City State University and the University of North Dakota. He has been on the North Dakota State University Libraries staff since 1967, where he compiled and annotated bibliography, Researching the Germans from Russia, published by the Institute of Regional Studies, NDSU, 1987.

He serves as Director and Bibliographer of the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection, NDSU Library. Since 1999, he has be an executive producer of Prairie Public Television documentaries, including the award-winning The Germans from Russia: Children of the Steppe, Children of the Prairie (1999), Schmeckfest: Food Traditions of the Germans from Russia (2000); and Germans from Russia Wrought Iron Crosses (2002); and a Soulful Sound: Music of the Germans from Russia (2005). He has visited Odessa and the former German villages each year since 1994.

Esther Mertz Opp, Napoleon, North Dakota

Ancestral villages: Glueckstal (Mertz), Kassel, Neu Glueckstal (Opp) (Glueckstal District); Birlenbach, Aslace, France (Opp)

I was the first born child of Reinhold and Frieda (Wanner) Mertz in Kidder County, south of Dawson, North Dakota. I spent my childhood on the farm and attended country school, even high school by correspondence. I have seven brothers and sisters. We spoke German until we started school. Even in our later years our parents spoke German.

I was always interested in history and enjoyed hearing stories from my Grandpa Mertz about his years in Russia. This trip should be interesting to me to get to see the area where he grew up and lived in the Glückstal area. Grandma (Reuer) Mertz too grew up in this area, but she didn’t live as long as Grandpa.

Grandpa helped build the sod Glückstal Church and then the wooden structure. Here in America he was the organist, and reader or layman in church when the pastor wasn’t there. He was also a Sunday school teacher and led the singing. He lived into his late eighties, so I remember much about him.

My Grandmother Barbara (Haas) Wanner’s ancestors were from Alsace near the Rhine River. Jacob Haas and his son Fredrich, who had four son’s of which we are descendants. I’m maybe about ten generations later. Roger Haas of Portland, Oregon had researched back to about 1764.

At first when they came here they longed to return back as life was really hard here, but that was impossible with no money.

The church was named “Glückstal” which meant “Lucky Valley,” after they built it here in America.

My two daughters, two sisters, and two nieces are also going on this tour.

We are retired, live in Napoleon and have many interests like reading, antiques, crocheting, quilting, and sewing. Also do volunteer work at the Golden Age like quilting, delivering meals, and at the nursing home.

Have been singing in the choir, taught Sunday school for many years. Got different awards for teaching 4-H for over fifteen years.

We hosted a 4-H exchange student from Germany in the eighties one summer. She was so amazed that I could speak German in her dialect and we understand each other in German. She called the dialect Swaübish. I had also taken a credit in German in the forties. Long time ago.

Ila Rae Reich, Eureka, South Dakota

Ancestral Villages – Bergdorf and Vassel (Glueckstal District) and Baden (Kutschurgan)

Ila Rae Reich was born August 6, 1937 in Linton, North Dakota. The oldest of five girls to Edwin and Alma Kaseman Reich. Graduated from Eureka High School, Eureka, South Dakota, class of 1955. I attended and a 1958 diploma graduated of Presentation School of Nursing Aberdeen, South Dakota. I received my BSN from Montana State University in Bozeman, MT in 1976.

Retired in July of 2000 of a nursing career, 10 years active duty, 6 years with being a Flight Nurse in Vietnam on C141 and 3 years active duty with the US Army as a Community Health Nurse, 14 years with the 801st General Hospital, USA Reserve, Chicago, IL, Total years – 24. As Civilian nurse for the Department of the USHP, Department of the Navy and the Department of Army. A total of 22 years. I have been in all 50 states and Atlantic and Pacific. The reason for my return to Eureka was to monitor the health and safety of my parents. My mom died July 2006 age 90 and dad March 2007 age 96.

I have always been interested in my family history and hoping to complete the genealogy book soon.

I belong to Germans from Russia Society, the Red Hat Society, the USAF Nurse Society, My retirement goal is to visit all 50 state capitals since 2001 I have completed 25 capitals.

(Mary) Dorothy Roth Rapson, Bow Island, Alberta

Ancestral Villages - Kandel, Mannheim (Kutschurgan District), Speier (Beresean District)

I was born on December 12, 1933 in Bow Island, Alberta, Canada, along with my twin brother, Frank. We grew up on a farm, south of Bow Island, along with my sister, and three older brothers. After high school, I went to Mount Royal College, in Calgary, Alberta, and then worked as a stenographer in Medicine Hat, Alberta, until I married my husband, Wilf Rapson. We have five children, and 12 grandchildren. We lived in Medicine Hat, Alberta for 18 years before moving to Bow Island in 1970, where we worked as barber and beautician for a time, later my husband went into the trucking business.

My father, Joseph Ben Roth, had immigrated to Canada, from Kandel, (Kutschurgan), Russia at the end of 1907, along with his parents, Jacob and Margaret (Giesinger) Roth, and his four siblings. This family was extended to include five more, through the years, all born in Canada. My grandfather's brothers and sisters also came to Canada, at various times, but one sister, Scholastica, and her husband, Michael Bachmeier, and family, remained in Russia.

My mother, Perpetua (Barbara) Hertz Roth came to Canada, with her mother, Dorothy Hertz in 1928, from Speier, Russia. They lived through the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, and though there were horror stories to be told about that, she didn't really want to talk about it too much.

My interest in ancestry started in the early seventies, and through contact with Dr. Joseph Height, I received several family records of Roths from Kandel. However, without anyone in the Roth family being certain as to the first name of my great grandfather, it was impossible to connect with the right lineage. In 1985 we had a Roth reunion which involved over 500 souls. It was very successful, and brought about an interest in a Roth History Book. After several years of compiling family histories, names, etc., the book was completed in 1996, at which time we had another family reunion, but only involving my grandfather's family. In later years it was discovered that our early ancestry in our book was incorrect, and through the help of a distant relative, we finally have our true ancestry back to the 1700s. I also have the ancestry on my mother's side, the Hertz's, as well as my great grandmother, Theresa Tuchscherer Giesinger Kuntz.

I find genealogy very interesting, and fascinating, and exciting too when you finally find an answer to something you've been searching for. I'm so looking forward to going to the Ukraine, and actually being at the villages where my parents were born, and raised.

William A. Tolle, Arvada, Colorado; Beatrice A. Haman Tolle, Arvada, Colorado

Ancestral villages: Kandel (Haman), Mannheim (Schiele) and Strassburg (Kutschurgan District)

I was born on a farm near Towner, North Dakota in 1939. My father was Peter Haman who was born in 1891 in Kandel, Kutschurgan, Russia and immigrated to America in 1898 with his parents and a family of nine children. My mother was Magdalena Jaeger who was born in 1895 in Stassburg, Russia and came to America in 1903. I have been involved in a variety of teaching jobs and currently work with a Water Aerobics Exercise program at our neighborhood YMCA.

Family history and genealogy has been assembled by Susie Wanner and her mother Winona Haman into a book entitled Ancestors and Descendants of Magdalena Jaeger and Peter Haman which was published in 1997.

My husband, Bill, is from southwest Missouri and a retired civil engineer.

Suzanne M. (Haman) Wanner, Dahinda, Illinois

Ancestral villages: Kandel (Haman), (Wolfe); Schiele (Mannheim); Wanner (Kassel)

I was born at Towner, North Dakota on 15 January 1951, and lived on a ranch/farm my whole life. I was the middle child of 11 children. My father died young and mother raised us on the farm, with a brother taking over the farming operations. I went to college at Devils Lake and then furthered my education at University of North Dakota. I got married and we moved to Minnesota for about six years and then my husband was transferred to Iowa where we lived until my retirement in September of 2007. I worked in the healthcare field for 28 years. We are currently living at our Lake Home, Illinois but my husband is continuing to work for another year.

I got married in 1974 and we raised a daughter who is married and an RN in the Twin Cities. They recently had a baby boy. We also had a son who recently got his PHD in electrical engineering and is employed in Olathe, Kansas.

About 15 years ago, my mother’s enthusiasm for genealogy bit me. She had done a lot of research and after adding additional information and entering it all in the computer, we published two family histories. The first was on my dad’s side, Haman book and then the Schiele book on my mother’s side. I am currently working on our Pendergraft/Murray/Stephens ancestors. It is truly a labor of love and very addictive. My mother passed away one and a half years ago and I really miss sharing information with her. Genealogy is a way of bringing your ancestors close up and personal.

I am excited about visiting the home of our ancestors and look forward to traveling with other family members. It has been a lifelong dream to visit the ancestral colonies of my ancestors and can hardly wait.

Kathy Kuntz Wellmann

Ancestral Villages; Kandel, Mannheim, Strassburg all of the Kutschurgann District.

My father came here from Kandel, Russia at the age of seven. He arrived in Baltimore, Maryland on December 15th, 1913 with his parents Urban and Mary (Kurtz.) Kuntz leaving a sister in Russia who was shot in the 1940 while she was kneeling and praying in the cemetery.

My Grandfather John Schela (spelling changed from Schiele when he came here as he wrote it as it sounded) left Russia in 1904. He left with his fathers blessing at the age of 20 in the middle of the night with a fake passport and little money to escape the beginning of the Russian Revolution leaving family, friends, and service in the army.

My Grandmother Theresa (Burckhard) Schiele came to the United States in June, 1906 at the age of 18 with her parents, two brothers, and two sisters. They came from Strassburg, Russia leaving one married sister in Russia who was married to a teacher. They eventually were sent to Siberia never to be heard from again. Their daughter was forced to stay in Russia and be cared for by
another family and eventually ended up in Canada.

My grandparents all settled and lived in Devil Lakes, North Dakota where my grandparents and parents met and married. My Grandfather Kuntz passed away a few years after arriving in North Dakota. My father left school with a fourth grade education. He worked in a bakery cleaning and learning the business as he grew up. This led my parents to move to Sebeka, Minnesota
where I was born and grew up. I moved to Minneapolis to attend cosmetology school and met my husband Eugene. After four years of military we moved to his family farm near Hanska, Minnesota where we had a dairy farm until 2000. We now crop farm and both have part time jobs off the farm. We have four children; two daughters and two sons. We also have one granddaughter and one grandson.

I have been interested in my family history as long as I can remember. I have always wanted to see where my grandparents came from after hearing so many stories while growing up. This will be a dream come true. I am looking forward to the Journey to the Homeland Tour.

I love to travel and see different places. This will be the most special trip I will ever take.