Alice (Zimmerman) Ackerman – Ancestral Villages: Bergdorf, Glückstal & Kassel (Glückstal District); Johannestal (Beresan District).

“My paternal great grandparents, Jacob Zimmerman (born Dec. 16, 1838 and died Nov. 16, 1897), and his wife, migrated from Johannesthal, South Russia. He married Barbara Steiger in 1865 (she died in 1887). They had 5 children. He remarried Barbara Koepple and had 4 children. They came to America in 1893 and settled on a farm 4 miles south of Venturia.”

“My grandfather, Christian Zimmerman (born Feb. 7, 1881), married Wilhelmina Kusler (born June 12, 1885) on Feb. 2, 1902. They farmed 7 miles north of Venturia and had 5 children, my dad, Alvin Zimmerman, and 2 sisters. Wilhelmina Kusler’s parents, Nicholas Kusler (born April 8, 1858 in South Russia), migrated to America when he was 15 and married Caroline Mutchelknaus (born Oct. 26, 1859). Her parents migrated to America in 1874. Nicholas and Caroline settled on a farm 10 miles north of Eureka.”

“My maternal great grandparents, Ludwig Nies (born Jan. 24, 1860), in Glueckstal, South Russia married Margarel Nie Schmidt Walth (born Dec. 6, 1862) and came to America.”

“My grandfather, Jacob (born Oct. 24, 1893 in Gluckstal), married Martha Aipperspach, whose parents migrated from Bergdorf, South Russia. Her dad, Frederick Aipperspach (born Aug. 17, 1873), came to America at the age of 20 and settled on a farm 10 miles north of Zeeland. Frederick married Magdalina (Kassel, South Russia) Meidinger on Jan. 7, 1895 at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church 12 miles north of Zeeland. Martha was 1 of 13 children.”

James R. Ackerman – Ancestral Villages: Johannestal & Rohrbach (Beresan District); Neudorf (Glückstal District); Neusatz (Crimea).

“My grandparents, Ackerman, Pfieffer, Werre, came to the United States from South Russia in the 1800’s and homesteaded around Java, Artas, Mound City, Eureka, and Greenway, SD, area. My great grandfather, Jacob, and Kathrina (Eissinger) Ackerman were the first settlers in the Artas, SD, area. They arrived May 8, 1885.”

“I was born to Reinhold and Rose (Pfieffer) Ackerman, August 15, 1942. I have two brothers and two sisters.”

“I graduated from Eureka High School in 1962. I married Alice Zimmerman in 1963. We have two children and four grandkids. I worked in the Oil Industry for 35 years and worked in different areas. I retired from Kaneb Pipe Line in 2003 and moved to Fargo to be close to family.”

“I have always been interested in my family history, hoping I can get it done someday.”

(Source: http://library.ndsu.edu/grhc/outreach/journey/tours/tourbiogs10.html)