Governor to Open Casper Convention

Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal will provide the official welcome for the 2008 International Convention of Germans from Russia later this month in Casper. Registrants are coming from all over North America, and there'll be additional participants from Ukraine, Germany, Russia, and Argentina.

Official opening ceremonies for the convention begin at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 31st when the Governor addresses this historic joint meeting of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia and the Germans from Russia Heritage Society. The Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Casper is convention headquarters.

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Freudenthal is in his sixth year as Governor. A native of Thermopolis, the 57-year-old Freudenthal grew up on a family farm – one of eight children. He graduated from Amherst College in 1973 and returned to Wyoming to work for the state. He was appointed State Planning Coordinator in 1975. While working for the state, Freudenthal simultaneously earned a law degree from the University of Wyoming. While his ancestry is definitely German, there appears to be no direct ties with Germans from Russia.The Governor and his wife, Nancy, have four children. To learn more about Dave Freudenthal and his family, visit the Governor’s -official web site-

Several international speakers are on the program for the Germans from Russia convention, and the event includes more than 40 workshops ranging from research sessions and photo displays to cooking sessions and the latest technological developments in genetic genealogy.

Many conference-related events will begin on Monday, July 28th. The week-long conference runs through Sunday, August 3rd.