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Memoir and CD

 File — Box: 1, Folder: 2

Scope and Contents

From the Collection: 1. Scanned color copy of confirmation certificate. Color litho of bouquet of mostly overblown pink roses on entire left side; exterior church scene; with inset of Bible, cross and chalice. “Erinnerung an den Tag der Konfirmation/ Denkspruch.” “Jakob Herman geboren den 24th Juli 1889 konfirmiert den 21 Mai 1919 in (der) seinem Hause” “H Nagel Luth Pastor.” Printed in Germany. Condition: four vertical tears at bottom and one wrinkled spot at bottom. Humidified and flattened 1 May 2019.

2. Scanned color copy of confirmation certificate. Color litho of bouquet of mostly overblown pink roses on entire left side; exterior church scene; with inset of Bible, cross and chalice. “Erinnerung an den Tag der Konfirmation/ Denkspruch.” Ottilie Roloff geboren den 2nd Mai 1889 [getauft im 4 Mai 1889 – written in] konfirmiert den 25th April 1904 in der Kirche zu Kloestitz Sud Russland [can’t read rest] von Pastor Peters / “H Nagel Luth Pastor.” Printed in Germany. Humidified and flattened 1 May 2019.

3. Scanned color copy of marriage certificate. Color litho “Trau-Schein” “Dass Herr Jakob Herman aus Gackle, N Dak. und Fraulein Ottilie Roloff aus Fredonia, N Dak. am 22 ten Januar 1914 in Gegenwart der Zeugen Philipp Rivinius, Samuel Labrense, Johann Herman, Karoline Herman, Lydia Wolf, Bertha Roloff.” And ends “Streeter den 10 ten April 1914, H Nagel Luth Pastor. Printed in Germany. Has almost legible seal reads “H. Nagel, Pastor, Evang, St Olev, Iowa.” St. Olaf, Iowa, is northeast of Waterloo, northwest of Dubuque. Humidified and flattened 1 May 2019.

[pb 12 June 2012. Below are scanned copies (some multiple) of photographs and certificate with three having no printout. Images of 1-3 were not found in file, on CD or on the computer.]

Updated 25 April 2019 by Pam Burkhardt: Color photocopies of the first three certificates above were found rolled up in April of 2013. There are no scanned copies of these. They were identified on the mailing tube as from Melinda (Herman) Snell and Charles Snell and filed separately under their name. They had been identified earlier as the donors of non-rolled material and all materials were combined into one collection on 25 April 2019.

4. Baptismal Certificate: Herbert Herman b 24 Dec 1915 in Logan Co., son of Jacob Herman and wife Ottile Herman born Roloff; baptized 2 April 1916 in the German Congregational Church in Gackle, ND. HM Baumann Pastor. (2 copies, 1 discarded)

5. Photograph: Herbert Herman seated in fancy, white wicker chair, abt 6 months of age in 1915[?], b. 24 Dec 1915 in Logan Co., son of Jacob Herman and wife Ottile Roloff Herman.

6. Photograph, studio print: married 22 January 1914, wedding of Jacob Herman and Ottilie Roloff. Bride on right has right arm in front of groom and holds his right hand. He wears a liebsband. (2 copies, 1 discarded)

7. Photograph, studio print: abt 1918 of Jacob and Ottile Roloff Herman and son Herbert (abt 3 years old). Jacob in fancy wicker chair. Family residents of Gackle, ND.

8. Photograph studio print, matted; abt 1932 of Jacob and Ottile (Roloff) Herman and son Herbert (abt 17 years old). Family residents of Gackle, ND. Photographer Berg, Jamestown, ND.

9. Photograph, studio print of Edward Herman and wife Maggie (Schott) Herman of Portland, OR. Edward was born 18 January 1895 at Venturia, ND, to Jakob Herman II and Karoline (Grenz) Herman. He died in Portland, OR on 16 Nov 1959. Maggie Schott was born Jan 1901 and died Jan 1962. They were married in December 1920 in Portland, OR.

10. Photograph, studio print abt 1918 of Johann Roloff, father of Ottilie (Roloff) Herman and maternal grandfather of Herbert Herman. He was born 24 April in Kulm, South Russia and died 23 Jan 1933 in Fredonia, ND, buried in the Fredonia Congregational Cemetery. He married Caroline Schlenker at Postal, South Russia. Caroline Schlenker was born 20 Mar 1857 in Katzbach, South Russia, and died 24 Dec 1909 in Beresina, South Russia. Children: Maria (Roloff) Pahl born and died in Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia. Lydia (Roloff) Rempfer born in Beresian, Bessarabia, South Russia and died in Clinton, OK. Johan Roloff born in Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia and died in Fredonia, ND. Ottilie (Roloff) Herman born in Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia and died in Gackle, ND. Bertha (Roloff) Fergien born in Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia and died in Jud, ND. 11. Photograph, studio print of Bertha Roloff Fergien and her nephew Herbert Herman. Herbert wears a child’s soldier’s uniform and sandals.

12. Photograph, studio print of sisters of Jakob Herman IV abt 1914; Standing L-R: Lydia (Herman) Ketterling of Gackle; [?] Donat of Streeter, ND; Seated: Caroline (Herman) Grenz of Gackle, ND.

13. Photograph, studio print of brothers and sister of Jakob Herman IV taken abt 1914. Standing L-R Edward Herman and Caroline Grenz; (seated) Adolph Herman. 14. Photograph, studio print of Mr. and Mrs. John Handel of Streeter, ND, friends of Jakob and Ottilie (Roloff) Herman.

15. Photograph, studio print of Maria (Roloff) Pahl taken in Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia. She was born in 1884 in Beresina, daughter of Johann Roloff (b. 24 April 1859 in Kulm, south Russia and d. 23 January 1933 Fredonia, ND) and Carolina (Schlenker) Roloff (b. 20 March 1857 Katzbach, South Russia and d. 24 December, 1909 Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia. She was a nurse in the hospital in Sarata, South Russia when she married Johann Pahl in 1903. They had a son named Artur Pahl born 1 September 1904. On February 1908, Maria died at the age of 24 of tuberculosis.

Arthur was with his Roloff grandparents until 1910 when the Roloff family immigrated to the USA. Arthur remained in South Russia with his father. He married Louise ? . They had 4 children, but 2 died as infants. One died in Beresina during the difficult times in South Russia prior to WWII. The other died as the family fled South Russia to Germany during WWII.

In March 1955, the Pahl family, which consisted of Arthur, Louise and 2 surviving daughters – Hilma (Pahl) Kinzler and Erna (Pahl) Martin immigrated to the USA and settled in Gackle, ND. Arthur became the Gackle School janitor and took care of the new boiler at the school since he had experience with these types of heating systems in Europe. In 1970, they moved to Sunnyvale, CA. Arthur died 6 February 1977, and Louise died 20 May 1977. Both are buried in a Sunnyvale Cemetery.

16. Group photograph of a group of friends on Sunday afternoon abt 1909 in the Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia area. Ottile [Roloff] Herman is the lady sitting on the grass on the far right.

17. Group photograph of wedding of the son of Mathius and Magdalena Nitschke in Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia after 1911. Mathius Nitschke is the son of Gottlieb Nitschke (b. 1804 in Gombin Polan) and Katharina Miller (b. 1804).

18. Photograph, outdoor scene of Albert Fergien of Jud, ND, and his team hitched to a drill about 1930. He is the uncle of Herbert Herman. 19. Interior scene of Ruff Department Store in Gackle, ND taken abt 1910. Founder Mr. Ruff in lower left in dark cap. His sons William and Samuel Ruff worked in the store also.

20. Group outdoor photo of tent meeting abt 1920-1921 in the courtyard of the Neudorf Lutheran Church west of Gackle, ND. Pastor H Nagel is on the right wearing a white hat. Herman Herbert believes he might be the “unhappy” child hugging the post in the center of the front row.

21. Studio print of Ottilie (Roloff) Herman about 1914. Ottilie was born 2 May 1889 at 4 AM in Beresina, Bessarabia, South Russia. She immigrated to America with father Johann, 1 brother, 2 sisters on the ship Grosserkurfuerst arriving in New York 10 May 1910. She married Jakob Herman IV 22 Jan 1914 in Fredonia Lutheran Church in Fredonia, ND. She died 2 December 1946 in Gackle, ND.

22. Snapshot of group of grown children of Johannes Pahl of Bessarabia, South Russia. Prob. taken about 1959-1960 in North America when Arthur and Louise Pahl and daughters, Hilma and Erna traveled to Davis, Canada to visit Arthur’s half-brother Johann Pahl. Back Row: L to R -5th person is Arthur Pahl. Second to Back Row – L to R: 4th Person – Louise Pahl. Third to Back Row – L to R: 4th Person – Erna (Pahl) Martin (blond). Third to Back Row – L to R: 5th Person – Hilma (Pahl) Kinzler (brunette)

In 1903, Johannes Pahl married his second wife, Maria (Roloff) Pahl (b. 1884 and d. 12 February 1908 in Beresina). They had one son Arthur Pahl (b. 1 September 1904). After his mother’s death, Arthur lived with his Roloff grandparent in Beresina until the Roloff family immigrated to America in 1910. His father Johannes Pahl had remarried and started another family and Arthur remained in South Russia with his father. Arthur married Louise ?. They had 4 children, but 2 died as infants. One died in Beresina during the difficult times in south Russia prior to WWII. The other died as the family fled South Russia to Germany during WWII.

In March 1955, the Pahl family, which consisted of Arthur, Louise and 2 surviving daughters –Hilma (Pahl) Kinzler and Erna (Pahl) Martin immigrated to the USA and settled in Gackle, ND. Arthur became the Gackle School janitor and took care of the new boiler at the school since he had had experience with these types of heating systems in Europe. In 1970, they moved to Sunnyvale, CA. Arthur died 6 February 1977, and Louise died 20 May 1977. Both are buried in Sunnyvale, CA.

Included: 1. “The Pahl Family Memoirs” as told to Herbert Herman by his mother Ottilia (Roloff) Herman and Arthur Pahl about 1960. 2. CD containing only 8 scans, (4) photos, (1) certificate, (3) text docs.

Dates

  • Majority of material found within 1889 - 1960

Access

Access to the physical collection is available upon request. Request must be made at least three (3) business days prior to ndsu.grhc@ndsu.edu.

Extent

From the Collection: 2 Folders (Color photocopies of historic images, one memoir, and one CD. )

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

From the Collection: German

Repository Details

Part of the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection Repository

Contact:
NDSU Dept 2080
PO Box 6050
Fargo ND 58108-6050 United States
(701) 231-6596