tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32288390428443727862024-03-12T18:29:56.150-06:00International Convention of Germans from RussiaUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-9740101005412094212022-04-20T10:07:00.000-06:002022-04-20T10:07:06.143-06:00<div align="right"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJYLS92B0xI/AAAAAAAABtc/67pPoj2gQj8/s1600-h/Masthead.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="60" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230380437704135442" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJYLS92B0xI/AAAAAAAABtc/67pPoj2gQj8/w310-h60/Masthead.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="310" /></a> </span><div align="center"><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJXCUzHY0bI/AAAAAAAABs0/1ei9ryXLkzg/s1600-h/Masthead.jpg"></a><span style="color: #3366ff; font-size: 130%;">Guten Morgen! <u>FINAL EDITION</u> Sunday, August 3, 2008</span></div>
<div align="justify"><span style="color: #000099;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;">CASPER, WYOMING – The Ballroom was chock full last night (8/2) for the final banquet of the 2008 International Convention of Germans from Russia in Casper, Wyoming. Nearly 800 persons attended the weeklong joint gathering of the <em>American Historical Society of Germans from Russia</em> (AHSGR) and the <em>Germans from Russia Heritage Society</em> (GRHS). The week was replete with workshops, sing-a-longs, international speakers and Kuchen breaks! Ed Hoak of Long Grove, Illinois, a Past-President of AHSGR, presided over the banquet festivities.
<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJX_pQsYeYI/AAAAAAAABtE/i4rVWKkkBWA/s1600-h/IMG_8030.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="278" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230367626581539202" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJX_pQsYeYI/AAAAAAAABtE/i4rVWKkkBWA/s320/IMG_8030.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" width="222" /></a>Lewis R. Marquardt and Dona Reeves-Marquardt of Austin, Texas gave the special message, <strong><em>Our German-Russian Communities: A Common Heritage, An Uncommon History</em></strong>. Lew and Dona are both Life Members of both societies. Theirs was a wonderful concluding message for this first joint session of these two German-Russian societies. <span style="font-size: 85%;"><strong><u>Editor’s Note</u>: As expressed by Lew and Dona, let us not allow this to be our last joint convention! The Parkway did a wonderful job, and the food was outstanding – but what really made this a remarkable convention was “<em>unser Leute</em>,” kindred souls from two organizations, coming together to </strong><em>Celebrate Our Common Heritage</em><strong>, the theme of the convention. We depart with new friendships and many memorable experiences!</strong></span>
Directors and Officers for both societies and their foundations were recognized, and the AHSGR <em>Distinguished Service Award</em> recipients, <strong>Mayo Flegel</strong> and the late <strong>Raymond Pfau</strong>, were honored. It was also an opportunity for Convention Co-Chairs Al Feist of Hebron, North Dakota, and Patti Sellenrick of Sheridan, Wyoming, to identify those many folks who worked on the Planning Committee for the convention.</span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color: #000099;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;">
</span></span></div></div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230368145736217234" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJYAHesgMpI/AAAAAAAABtM/WKxDEAiDGEA/s400/IMG_7760-copy.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /> <span style="color: #000099;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;">
<p align="justify"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;">The banquet concluded with the <strong>Passing of the Lantern</strong>. For AHSGR, it passed from Casper, Wyoming, to Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, where the 2009 convention will take place. For GRHS, the lantern passed from Casper to Rapid City, South Dakota, site of the next GRHS annual convention.
</span><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJYAdhqdoWI/AAAAAAAABtU/ACIEz00pn7M/s1600-h/IMG_8120.jpg"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"></span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJ2yZwzio9I/AAAAAAAABug/OIQHD7SPpao/s1600-h/IMG_8120.gif"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232534497741939666" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJ2yZwzio9I/AAAAAAAABug/OIQHD7SPpao/s320/IMG_8120.gif" style="cursor: hand; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" width="162" /></a>About 200 persons attended the Non-Denominational Worship Service in the Ballroom Sunday morning. The service was led by Rev. Mr. Don Stewart of Casper. Corinne Koehler and Del Beck were Music Leaders.</span> </p></span></span><p align="justify"><span style="color: #000099;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;">A reminder that many random photographs of convention actitives are posted at a gallery we've named <a href="http://galey-miller.smugmug.com/gallery/5586611_peSWb#342683546_54ih6">Casper Memories</a>. That gallery will remain available indefinitely, and we encourage your "Comment," if you can identify a photo or wish to make a correction or comment. All photographs are being made available to AHSGR and GRHS headquarters. This convention web site will also remain active indefinitely, although there will be no new postings, except for any necessary corrections. Many thanks.</span></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color: #000099;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><p align="right"><span style="color: #000099;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;">-- Larry Miller, Editor</span></span></p><div align="center"><span style="color: #000099; font-size: 180%;"><em>Gott mit euch, bis wir uns wiedersh’n!</em></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-11850517271596502912008-08-02T01:24:00.016-06:002022-04-20T10:09:50.601-06:00<div align="center"><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJN8KGsl3sI/AAAAAAAABsU/U9Jiom2Tet8/s1600-h/Masthead.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="60" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229660105345457858" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJN8KGsl3sI/AAAAAAAABsU/U9Jiom2Tet8/w334-h60/Masthead.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="334" /></a><span style="color: #3366ff; font-size: 130%;">Guten Morgen! Today is Saturday, August 2, 2008</span></div>
<div align="justify"><span style="font-family: arial;">CASPER, WYOMING -- It’s straight to work this morning at the Germans from Russia convention. Seven workshops begin at 8:30 (see the list below), but then we get down to “business.” The GRHS Annual Business meeting moves into the Ballroom at 9:45. At 10:45, the AHSGR Board of Directors meets in Adrienne’s, the GRHS Board gathers in Champagne, and the IFAHSGR Board of Trustees convenes in the Senate Room. All three Boards are scheduled to conduct elections.
<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJQD2PhlKNI/AAAAAAAABsc/-uHSig2KwLY/s1600-h/Mila.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="279" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229809297699186898" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJQD2PhlKNI/AAAAAAAABsc/-uHSig2KwLY/s320/Mila.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 255px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 202px;" width="224" /></a>"Anything but boring!" That’s how Dr. Mila Koretnikov characterized her family’s life in Germany over the past 18 months. As the luncheon speaker Friday (8/1) at the International Convention of Germans from Russia in Casper, the relatively young Dr. Koretnikov told the story of her family leaving Russia for a new life in Germany. <strong>One-Way Ticket from Russia to Germany: Aussiedlers in the Beginning of the 21st Century</strong> recounted how, by 1998, nearly all of her known relatives – more than 300 – had gone from Russia to Germany. She shared the experiences of transitioning through “Friedland” in Lower Saxony to finally settling in Anstatt. The heavy migration of Aussiedlers has plummeted in the last few years, from nearly 100,000 a year at the start of the millennium to fewer than 6,000 in 2007. Because they are perceived as “different” -- language dialects and media perceptions about immigrants – it remains difficult for Aussiedlers. Of her family’s experience in Germany, she says, “…after 15 years, we still don’t feel at home.”
Another day at the shops! We’re talking <em><strong>workshops</strong></em> – 21 of them today – and there truly is something for everyone. For the early birds (8:30 a.m.) here’s the lineup:
</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong>Kherson Taurien & Ekaterinoslav Region-</strong><em>Adrienne’s</em>
</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><strong>Looking at the Land of Your Ancestor-</strong><em>American</em>
<strong>Documents on the Famine of 1921-1922 in the Volga-</strong><em>Ballroom A</em>
<strong>From Steppe to Steppe: Black Sea to Volga German Kansas-</strong><em>Ballroom B
</em><strong>Grossliebental Area Research-</strong><em>Ballroom C
</em><strong>Archive Research in the Lower Volga Region-</strong><em>Tiffany
</em><strong>The German Brotherhood-</strong><em>Wyoming</em></span><em>
</em>This afternoon, the first round of workshops begins at 2 o’clock with:
</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><strong>Germans to Prussia, Poland to Russia-</strong><em>Adrienne’s</em><strong>
History of a Colony-How to Restore a Family History</strong><em>-American</em>
<strong>Understanding Russia in the 21st Century #1-</strong><em>Ballroom A</em><strong>
Germans from Russia and North Platte Valley Ag-</strong><em>Ballroom B</em><strong>
The Long Trek-</strong><em>Ballroom C</em>
<strong>From Steppe to Steppe-</strong><em>Tiffany</em><strong>
Lost in Russia-</strong><em>Wyoming </em>
</span>
The final workshop sessions of the convention start at 3:30 p.m. with:
</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><strong>Hungary to Russia-</strong><em>Adrienne’s </em>
<strong>Our German Russian Relatives in South America-</strong><em>American
</em><strong>Understanding Russia in the 21st Century #2-</strong><em>Ballroom A</em>
<strong>Northern Volga Protestant Villages-</strong><em>Ballroom B
</em><strong>The Long Trek-</strong><em>Ballroom C
</em><strong>The Development of the G-R Settlements in North Caucasus-</strong><em>Gourmet
</em><strong>Southern Protestant Villages of Kanton Kamenka-</strong><em>Wyoming
</em></span>
</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229809804195928322" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJQETuX0GQI/AAAAAAAABsk/8Y4BhmQloSM/s400/Kuchen-Break.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></u>Appetites were whetted yesterday by a mid-afternoon Kuchen Break, and now some of “unser Leute” are going to figure out how to become full-fledged purveyors of tasty Kuchen! They are those lucky souls who pre-registered for the 2:00 p.m. <strong>Cultural Cooking Class</strong> at the Mills Senior Center. Del Paulson of Pierre, South Dakota, along with Diane White and Nancy Borrell of Lincoln, Nebraska will be joining forces to share tips on making great Black Sea and/or Volga Kuchen. Not to despair for the many of us who didn’t sign up for the class – we can still partake of some tasty Kuchen at 3 o’clock this afternoon between workshop sessions!
<u><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJQF3ktJ6mI/AAAAAAAABss/np3zJkiiup4/s1600-h/Erin-Deis.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="274" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229811519588002402" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJQF3ktJ6mI/AAAAAAAABss/np3zJkiiup4/s320/Erin-Deis.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 253px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 239px;" width="253" /></a></u>Erin Deis and Gwen Schock Cowherd treated the audience to readings of their <a href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dczcvrbc_124fj6kpxj2">AHSGR award-winning stories</a> yesterday morning during the Folklore Symposium of the International Convention of Germans from Russia. Gwen’s Second Place entry “<em>The Pendulum Still Swings</em>” mesmerized the audience with an ancestral tale from the northern plains – German-Russian families swinging like a pendulum between their Old World heritage and modern day society. First Place was won by Erin Deis of California. Her “<em>Leaving One Home in Search of Another</em>” lovingly recounts her <a href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dczcvrbc_123d86zqffm">grandmother’s trek </a>from Saratov, Russia, to Fresno, California. That's Erin on the right, receiving her award yesterday. Then the GRHS spotlight shone on winners of the Youth Essay Contest, which lured entries from nine states and overseas. Alyssa Miller’s essay about her immigrant grandparents took First Place in the University division; Ryan Hoff was runner-up. The Senior High Scholarship Award went to Rebecca Anhorn, while Sarah Mettler, who was runner-up, read her essay for the audience. Thanks to Dick and Vera Hoff for providing this complete list of winners for the <a href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dczcvrbc_120fwgqn7gb">GRHS Youth Essay Contest</a>. Check out award photos within the gallery at <a href="http://galey-miller.smugmug.com/gallery/5586611_peSWb#342683546_54ih6">Casper Memories</a>.</span></div>
<div align="justify"><span style="font-family: arial;">Professor Inna Stryukova returns to the speaker’s platform for the Lunch Buffet at 11:30 this morning (8/2) to give <strong>A Ukrainian’s Perspective of the USA</strong>. A linguist by training, Professor Stryukova is no stranger to either AHSGR or GRHS, having spoken before both organizations several times. Inna has traveled widely in the former Soviet Union, the countries of Western Europe, Canada, and many states in the USA. It’s a pleasure for members of our societies to renew friendships and welcome Inna to our 2008 convention. Her home is in Nikolaev, Ukraine, and she is well suited to deliver this incisive look at the United States of America.</span></div>
<div align="justify"><span style="font-family: arial;">Dr. Tim Janzen of Happy Valley, Oregon, has been a busy man during the convention. His family has accompanied Janzen to the convention, and he’s already presented two workshops on Mennonite genealogy and genetic genealogy; he partners with Debbie Bieck at 8:30 this morning to present the <strong>(KET) Kherson Taurien and Ekaterinoslav Region</strong> workshop. But he also plans to spend lots of time near his hallway display board dealing with genetic genealogy, specifically to collect DNA samples as part of a project sponsored by the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundations. It’s the only lab that offers DNA testing for free. Curious? Stop by and visit with Dr. Tim Janzen at his display near the Lobby end of Heritage Hall.</span></div>
<div align="justify"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family: arial;">For a variety of photographs from the 2008 International Convention of Germans from Russia, take a look at our </span><a href="http://galey-miller.smugmug.com/gallery/5586611_peSWb#342683546_54ih6"><span style="font-family: arial;">Casper Memories</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> gallery. Today is the <span style="font-size: 85%;"><strong>Final Edition</strong></span> of the printed <em>Casper Morgen Zeitung</em>. Expect a few more posts to the web version. We intend to keep the blogsite up indefinitely; however, there will be no new postings except to correct any errors. Thanks. -- Larry Miller, Editor. </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-29539588481837942782008-08-01T01:05:00.017-06:002008-08-05T20:16:25.163-06:00<div align="center"><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJK2MedUPAI/AAAAAAAABrk/evfYeskuPSg/s1600-h/Print+Masthead.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229442442781277186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJK2MedUPAI/AAAAAAAABrk/evfYeskuPSg/s400/Print+Masthead.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;color:#3366ff;">Guten Morgen! Today is Friday, August 1, 2008</span> <div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#333399;"></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJK6dytQ2qI/AAAAAAAABr8/NaPmSO25idk/s1600-h/Freudenthal-Photo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229447138321160866" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="196" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJK6dytQ2qI/AAAAAAAABr8/NaPmSO25idk/s320/Freudenthal-Photo.jpg" width="257" border="0" /></a></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">-</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><u>A BIG WELCOME</u> Governor Dave Freudenthal, who grew up in nearby Thermopolis, Wyoming, took time out from his busy schedule to give us a personable and witty welcome yesterday, while reflecting upon his own German heritage. (Okay, he’s not German-Russian, but we think he’s worthy of being an Honorary G-R!) Kenyne Schlager, the Vice-President of the City Council welcomed us to Casper. It was a nice touch for the “official” opening of the convention.<br /><br /><u>IT’S AUGUST 1st</u> Much of this morning will be for recognizing the achievements of young people. It’s part of the Folklore Symposium: Storytelling, Youth Essays, and Music as the 2008 International Convention of Germans from Russia begins its fifth day of activities in Casper. The symposium gets underway at 8:30 in the Ballrooms of the Parkway Plaza Hotel. AHSGR’s Ken Koehler of Arvada, Colorado will preside over the Storytelling event, while Del Beck of Rapid City, South Dakota will be the point person for the GRHS Youth Essay Contest. It’ll be a chance to acknowledge the achievements of young and old alike in preserving our German-Russian heritage through the written and spoken word. There’ll be music, too, as Cyndi Lesser-Babish of Greeley, Colorado – accompanied by John Stehle of Denver – pays tribute to her famous accordionist father, Adolph Lesser.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJK4m7OEXLI/AAAAAAAABr0/JBGP3DyF7T8/s1600-h/Vaschkau-Nina.jpg"></a><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJK6osCpOFI/AAAAAAAABsE/D6zr8oU6sFE/s1600-h/Vaschkau-Nina.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229447325510350930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="253" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJK6osCpOFI/AAAAAAAABsE/D6zr8oU6sFE/s320/Vaschkau-Nina.jpg" width="192" border="0" /></a><u>VASCHKAU</u> Dr. Nina Vaschkau of Volgograd State University in Russia was the speaker for the Foundation Luncheon yesterday. Her talk, Deportation of Russian Germans in 1941, provided a grim reminder of the ruthlessness of the Russian government and the despair of the German deportees. Those who criticized the deportations were considered anti-Soviet; and Germans who dared oppose it were subject to 20 years of hard labor. Even those persons who hid Germans could go to prison for five years. As late as 1955, after Stalin died, German-Russians were still given no compensation for the confiscation of their property when deported.<br /><br /><u>WORKSHOPS</u> Professor Inna Stryukova of Kikolaev, Ukraine made the trek to Casper – among other things – to lead a workshop entitled “Looking at the Land of Your Ancestors” yesterday. There was standing room only in the Tiffany Room. It’ll be repeated tomorrow morning (8/2) at 8:30 in the American Room. Stryukova’s presentation was one of 14 workshops available yesterday to the more than 700 people at the convention.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJK64BUS8qI/AAAAAAAABsM/OnIwF0zFma8/s1600-h/Kloberdanz.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229447588919571106" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJK64BUS8qI/AAAAAAAABsM/OnIwF0zFma8/s200/Kloberdanz.jpg" border="0" /></a><u>"NOT STRANGERS”</u> North Dakota State University professor Tim Kloberdanz had a timely reminder for Black Sea, Volga region, and other German-Russians: we have more in common than you might think. After a demonstration of differences in language and some customs, Kloberdanz, with the assistance of his wife, Rosalinda Kloberdanz, and her mother, Maria Appelhans, shared the touching story of Rosalinda’s 100-year-old grandmother and her experience as an immigrant. Kloberdanz said that the grandmother visited the United States and spoke at a very early AHSGR convention. No matter where ours roots may be – Black Sea, Volga, or elsewhere – we German-Russians have more in common that we have that sets us apart. And that would seem to be true whether we live in Canada, Germany, Argentina or the United States. Heritage evening concluded with informal village visits and socializing.<br /></div></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-51104922099149792722008-07-31T17:50:00.006-06:002008-07-31T18:04:58.844-06:00Are we having fun yet?<div align="justify"><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJJQAgHqLxI/AAAAAAAABrc/p-sN-A-ABkk/s1600-h/Mammy-Yokum.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229330086882848530" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 239px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 189px" height="217" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJJQAgHqLxI/AAAAAAAABrc/p-sN-A-ABkk/s320/Mammy-Yokum.jpg" width="270" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;">She might have been Mammy Yokum, but she was really one of the Crimson Dames from the Red Hat Society Kitchen Band. They performed last night (7/30) for the International Convention of Germans from Russia at the Parkway Plaza Hotel in Casper, Wyoming, during the Welcome Night Western Buffet.<br /><br />You’ll find more photographs at <a href="http://galey-miller.smugmug.com/gallery/5586611_peSWb">Casper Memories</a> – and we’ll be adding captions and more photos in the days to come!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-4254858042845517022008-07-31T00:41:00.023-06:002022-04-20T10:10:49.765-06:00<div align="center"><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJFe9B7n9pI/AAAAAAAABqU/rBfp0FUismo/s1600-h/Masthead.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="60" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229065044937406098" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJFe9B7n9pI/AAAAAAAABqU/rBfp0FUismo/w326-h60/Masthead.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="326" /></a><span style="color: #000099; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="color: #3366ff;">Guten Morgen! Today is Thursday, July 31, 2008</span></span></div>
<div align="justify"><span style="font-family: arial;">CASPER, WYOMING -- </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>GOVERNOR APPEARS TODAY</u> It was an Old West welcome last night for more than 700 people registered thus far for the International Convention of Germans from Russia in Casper. More are anticipated today (7/31) as the week-long convention at the Parkway Plaza Hotel moves in to high gear with Opening Ceremonies slated for 8:30 a.m. Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal will greet conventioneers to the Cowboy State.
</span></div><p align="justify"><u><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229073628147265906" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJFmwo4UsXI/AAAAAAAABqc/qONVkYg2Y14/s320/Firemen.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" />IS THERE A FIREMAN IN THE HOUSE?</u> At mid-day Wednesday (7/30), what was said to be a “small electrical fire” at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center caused a bit of an uproar. Shortly after noon, hotel workers evacuated the hotel after a small fire was detected, triggering alarms throughout the complex. The Casper Fire Department arrived on the scene and spent a good deal of time securing the area, which was confined to a small part of “The Tower” building. The furor delayed check-ins for persons just arriving for the convention. Some weren’t able to get to their rooms until about 4:00 p.m. In the end, despite a hint of remaining smoke, hotel workers opened windows and made up most of the rooms so that by 5:00 p.m., it was hard to tell there had been any disturbance.</p> <p align="justify"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJFszNsys-I/AAAAAAAABq8/qpUgi12YbDw/s1600-h/VC-Meeting.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="205" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229080269460517858" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJFszNsys-I/AAAAAAAABq8/qpUgi12YbDw/s320/VC-Meeting.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" width="267" /></a>V-Cs THANKED</u> Just off Heritage Hall, German-Russian Village Coordinators met yesterday afternoon in the Wyoming Room. Rich Aspenleiter of Spokane, Dennis Zitterkopf of Wichita, and Gayla Gray of Spokane, welcomed V-Cs to the convention. All had a chance to introduce themselves and say a few words about their village or area.
</span>
</p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>OLD WEST CUISINE OFFERED UP</u> Convention Co-Chairs Patti Sellenrick of Sheridan, Wyoming and Al Feist of Hebron, North Dakota greeted attendees during a Welcome Night Western Buffet with some great hot barbecue sandwiches with corn on the cob and all the tasty trimmings the chuckwagon boss could put together. Many attendees got with the program and were sporting cowboy hats and boots, but there were probably more “city slickers” in the crowd.
<u><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJFm7CQuKKI/AAAAAAAABqk/kAtUwejg7XY/s1600-h/Murdock.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229073806759176354" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJFm7CQuKKI/AAAAAAAABqk/kAtUwejg7XY/s200/Murdock.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a>EDUCATOR SAYS ‘HOWDY”</u> Dr. Maggie Murdock, Associate Vice-President for Academic Affairs for the University of Wyoming was on hand to extend greetings as well. She acknowledged the enormous contributions that German-Russians have made in Wyoming and across the country. She noted that former Wyoming Governor Jim Geringer – a German-Russian descendant – helped establish a special relationship between the University of Wyoming and Saratov State University in Russia, which continues to this day.
<u>ABOUT THAT FIRE</u> Hotel General Manager Patrick Sweeney made an unexpected appearance before the dinner gathering, noting that any danger from the small electrical fire earlier in the day was quickly curtailed. In fact, the fire was put out before Casper Fire Department units were on the scene. Nonetheless, he outlined the rigorous inspection process that was implemented in order to ensure guest safety. He assured the crowd that everything was now safe.
<u>IT’S “DOGIE” – NOT ‘DOGGY”</u> Western singer Kent Neubert of Casper provided some great after-dinner music featuring songs of the Old West. Accompanied by Jim Halsey, also of Casper, Neubert seemed to capture the attention and appreciation of the entire audience.
<u><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJFq_cMU-wI/AAAAAAAABq0/pcBye2tMBww/s1600-h/Drama.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="250" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229078280486058754" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJFq_cMU-wI/AAAAAAAABq0/pcBye2tMBww/s320/Drama.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" width="138" /></a>LOCAL DRAMA</u> The evening was not without its humor, offered up first by Marvin Nolte as an <a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJFnQSg7ltI/AAAAAAAABqs/jaKib7xJWuM/s1600-h/Drama.jpg"></a>alcoholic and rowdy “Dr. Benson,” and Carol Chapin as “Ettie Hurt.” Their portrayals of these colorful characters from yesteryear gave the audience a flavor of the early days of Casper and the Old West. They wandered through the audience and told their stories – warts and all -- pulling no punches about their trials and tribulations. It was a bit of western history with a touch of good humor!
<u><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229081358776213138" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJFtynt5HpI/AAAAAAAABrE/Wf1WhoFX2_U/s400/Red-Hats.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" />WHO WAS THAT LADY IN THE RED HAT?</u> Not to be outdone, the Crimson Dames Red Hat Society Kitchen Band brought the house down with their inventive musical talents, occasionally bawdy humor and lighthearted musical stylings of many great American standard songs. Alas, one of the damsels just wouldn’t stay with the group, straying around the audience and planting lipstick on the foreheads of more than just a few of the gentlemen in the audience.
<u>ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS</u> Earlier in the day, the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR) Directors and the International Foundation of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (IFAHSGR) Trustees met for meeting. Foundation President Mayo Flegel of Mankato, Minnesota says a full report of foundation activities will be presented Thursday (7/31) at the Foundation Buffet Luncheon in the Ballroom of the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Casper. Flegel will preside for IFAHSGR, while Ted Becker of Minneapolis will preside for HFGR. The luncheon speaker will be Dr. Nina Vaschkau from Volgograd State University in Russia on Deportation of Russian Germans in 1941 and its Consequences.
<u>CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS BEGIN TODAY</u> More than 40 workshops on a variety of topics begin this afternoon. Among the offerings starting at 2:30:
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><strong>Northern Volga Catholic Villages
SOAR – What is It and What Data is Available On-line?
Kanton Frank and Northern protestant Villages of Kanton Kamenka
An introduction to Mennonite Genealogy
Shatter Belt: Western Russia and the Easter Austro-Hungarian Empire
Looking at the Land of Your Ancestors
Beresan (BDO ) Area
</strong></span>
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Another round of workshops begins at 3:45p.m., including:</span>
<strong>Crimea – A Black Sea Jewel
Kutschurgan Roundup
Village Coordinators – Strategies and Information
Photo Journey to Russian Archives, Universities, and Villages
Hoffnungstal Odessa Parish
Reading Cyrillic Script
To the Kingdom of Death: A Research Trip to the Former German Villages in the Ukraine </strong></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-55503405566298522062008-07-30T17:15:00.017-06:002022-04-20T10:12:30.222-06:00<div align="center"><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJFxb4vdmHI/AAAAAAAABrM/K7ZMnfUxsGQ/s1600-h/Masthead.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="60" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229085366255720562" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJFxb4vdmHI/AAAAAAAABrM/K7ZMnfUxsGQ/w328-h60/Masthead.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="328" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #3333ff; font-family: arial; font-size: 130%;">Guten Morgen! Today is Wednesday, July 30, 2008</span> </span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"></span>
<div align="justify"><span style="font-family: arial;">CASPER, WYOMING -- At mid-day Wednesday (7/31), what was said to be a small electrical fire at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center caused a bit of an uproar.
<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJD2vCSA20I/AAAAAAAABps/1LKNNmp7wC4/s1600-h/Wed-Fire-1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="81" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228950455303854914" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJD2vCSA20I/AAAAAAAABps/1LKNNmp7wC4/s320/Wed-Fire-1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" width="244" /></a>Shortly after noon, hotel workers evacuated guests from the hotel after a small fire was detected, triggering alarms throughout the complex. The fire department arrived on the scene and spent a good deal of time securing the area, which was confined to a small part of the “Towers” building.
<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJD25_oNM6I/AAAAAAAABp0/6vU60N1JDlQ/s1600-h/Wed-Fire-2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228950643570193314" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJD25_oNM6I/AAAAAAAABp0/6vU60N1JDlQ/s200/Wed-Fire-2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></a>The furor delayed check-ins for persons trying to check in for the International Convention of Germans from Russia – some weren’t able to get to their rooms until about 4:00 p.m.
In the end, despite a hint of remaining smoke, hotel workers re-did most of the rooms and opened windows. By 5:00 p.m., it was hard to tell there had been any disturbance.
<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJD3JZThLKI/AAAAAAAABp8/fz3PUt7sL-I/s1600-h/Wed-VC-Meeting-1.jpg"></a>Down the corridor, just off Heritage Hall, German-Russian Village Coordinators were meeting in the Wyoming Room at mid-afternoon.
<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJD3hJBU8rI/AAAAAAAABqE/9lIHpLx7nIU/s1600-h/Wed-VC-Meeting-1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="210" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228951316106375858" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJD3hJBU8rI/AAAAAAAABqE/9lIHpLx7nIU/s320/Wed-VC-Meeting-1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 180px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 264px;" width="298" /></a>Rich Aspenleiter of Spokane, Dennis Zitterkopf of Wichita, and Gayla Gray of Spokane, welcomed V-Cs to the convention. All had a chance to introduce themselves and say a few words about their village or area.
Things will pick up tomorrow when Governor Dave Freudenthal of Wyoming welcomes conventioneers to his state. That’ll occur during Opening Ceremonies at 8:30 a.m. After that, it’s a full schedule of activities, including the first day of more than 40 workshops.
No official count yet, but the last figure mentioned for attendance was approaching 700 persons.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-13215881737044846782008-07-29T09:58:00.010-06:002008-08-05T20:35:15.001-06:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJkEM3vO8ZI/AAAAAAAABuE/CyPXKs5-i8w/s1600-h/Masthead.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231217061334544786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJkEM3vO8ZI/AAAAAAAABuE/CyPXKs5-i8w/s400/Masthead.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">Guten Morgen! Today is Tuesday, July 29, 2008</span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SH2GPKVpYHI/AAAAAAAABh4/a-EBBEZ0oQw/s1600-h/Vaschkau-Nina.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223478737850949746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SH2GPKVpYHI/AAAAAAAABh4/a-EBBEZ0oQw/s320/Vaschkau-Nina.jpg" border="0" /></a>CASPER, WYOMING --</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Dr. Nina Vaschkau, who chairs Russian History at Volgograd State University in Russia, is a major presenter at the International Convention of Germans from Russia this week in Casper, Wyoming.<br /><br />The convention opened yesterday (Monday, 7/28) at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center. The week-long gathering is a rare joint session of the <em>Germans from Russia Heritage Society</em> (Bismarck, ND) and the <em>American Historical Society of Germans from Russia</em> (Lincoln, NE). The convention concludes Sunday, August 3rd. About 680 persons have registered so far.<br /><br />Dr. Vaschkau, a graduate of Chelyabinsk State University, has been a professor at Volgograd State University since 1985. Her message to the Casper group is entitled <strong><em>Deportation of Russian Germans in 1941 and Its Consequences.</em></strong> Her remarks are scheduled for 11:45 a.m., this Thursday (7/31) during the Foundation Luncheon in the Ballroom of the Parkway Plaza.<br /><br /><strong>Nina Vaschkau</strong> earned her Ph. D. in 1984. In 1998, she defended her dissertation – <em>Spiritual Culture of the Volga Germans: Problems of Schools and Education</em> -- for a History doctorate at Saratov State University. In addition to chairing the Russian History program at Volgograd University, she is a member of the Russian-German Board on Modern History and serves as Head of the Center of Studies in German History at Volgograd University. She has authored more than 80 publications, including four monographs, based on materials from archives in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Saratov, Volgograd, Bonn, Freiburg and Stuttgart. Dr. Vaschkau has been doing research in the area of the history of Russian Germans for more than 20 years. She has a daughter, a senior at the Law School of the Russian State Humanities University in Moscow.<br /><br />In addition to her Thursday luncheon address, Dr. Vaschkau will also present a workshop on <em>how to restore a family history</em> – <strong><em>History of a Colony</em></strong>. It will be offered at 2:00 p.m., Friday (8/1) in the Tiffany Room of the Parkway Plaza Hotel. It will be repeated Saturday (8/2) at 2:00 p.m. in the American Room.</span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-89775413705265132822008-07-28T23:01:00.007-06:002008-08-05T20:01:07.223-06:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJkFkW7H9ZI/AAAAAAAABuM/O42Vpu_b_1M/s1600-h/Masthead.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231218564354536850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SJkFkW7H9ZI/AAAAAAAABuM/O42Vpu_b_1M/s400/Masthead.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><div align="center"><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SI6kebZ_2QI/AAAAAAAABpE/SVPfZj8LK-Y/s1600-h/Masthead.jpg"></a><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">Good Morning! Today is Monday, July 28, 2008</span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">CASPER, WYOMING -- The Registration Booth opened today (7/28) at the International Convention of Germans from Russia, and early reports indicate that people have been steadily picking up their packets and seem very excited about the convention getting underway.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SI8hR2SDQlI/AAAAAAAABpM/0ffHiqU3BG0/s1600-h/Mon-Feist.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228434282913153618" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SI8hR2SDQlI/AAAAAAAABpM/0ffHiqU3BG0/s200/Mon-Feist.jpg" border="0" /></a>Convention Co-Chair <strong>Al Feist</strong> says approximately 680 folks are now registered for the week-long gathering, which will move in to high gear over the next couple of days.<br /><br />“AHSGR was very busy throughout the day in various meetings; the AHSGR Library is open with a large variety of books and materials available,” says Feist, who represents the <em>Germans from Russia Heritage Society</em> as convention Co-Chair. His counterpart from the <em>American Historical Society of Germans from Russia </em>is <strong>Patti Sellenrick</strong> of Sheridan, Wyoming.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SI8hbqlwJEI/AAAAAAAABpU/dRFcGtU8qX0/s1600-h/Mon-Parkway-Plaza.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228434451573253186" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SI8hbqlwJEI/AAAAAAAABpU/dRFcGtU8qX0/s200/Mon-Parkway-Plaza.jpg" border="0" /></a>While the convention headquarters is the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center at 123 West E Street in Casper, conventioneers are populating hotels all over the city. Wyoming <a href="http://germansfromrussia-casper.blogspot.com/search/label/Freudenthal%20(David)">Governor Dave Freudenthal</a> will be at the Opening Ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Thursday (7/31) to officially welcome the German-Russians to Wyoming.<br /><br />AHSGR will continue its Directors and Trustees meetings Tuesday and Wednesday (7/29-30). There’ll also be a group of folks headed for the <a href="http://germansfromrussia-casper.blogspot.com/search/label/-FAMILY%20HISTORY%20CENTER">Casper Family History </a>Center to do some genealogical research both days. It’s a convention activity for which separate registration is required.<br /><br />Tuesday afternoon (7/29) at 1:30, a bus will depart the Parkway destined for the <a href="http://germansfromrussia-casper.blogspot.com/search/label/-TOURS">Historic Becker Farm and Old Tyme Entertainment.</a><br /><br />Thanks to Al Feist for providing a bit of an update from Casper!</span> </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-59251366120799053842008-07-28T07:31:00.005-06:002008-07-28T07:51:21.118-06:00Schlager belts out Gershwin<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SI3NtmFarqI/AAAAAAAABo0/g19w0mytLAI/s1600-h/Schlager-Harry.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228060925648088738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SI3NtmFarqI/AAAAAAAABo0/g19w0mytLAI/s320/Schlager-Harry.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div align="justify"><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SI3LrF8SOVI/AAAAAAAABos/m0_aa5Nj4EE/s1600-h/Schlager-Harry.jpg"></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Harry Schlager is a third-generation German from Russia who is pursuing his American musical dream <strong><em>From L.A. to Broadway</em></strong>. Along the way, during a stopover in Casper for the International Convention of Germans from Russia, the Californian will belt out some great Gershwin tunes and other songs from the American songbook around the Friday (8/1) Dinner Buffet at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center. It’s scheduled for 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.<br /><br />Born in Torrington, Wyoming, to Harry and Lorraine Schlager, <strong>Harry Schlager Jr</strong>.’s grandparents were from Merkel and Neu Donhof, Russia. His mother’s parents – the Lebsacks -- came from the villages of Hussenbach and Laub, Russia.<br /><br />After his school years in Torrington, where he was selected for Swing Choir and later the renowned Casper Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps, Harry enrolled at Casper Community College and studied in the studio of Pat Patton, a native of Lingle, Wyoming.<br /><br />Harry earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Theatre Performance at Arizona State University in Tempe and then headed for southern California. He picked up additional musical training with the American Center for Musical Theatre Workshop and the Carol Weiss Musical Theatre Workshop, among others. He performs extensively in regional theatres and other venues across southern California, where he still lives.<br /><br />The Ballroom at Parkway Plaza will be filled with the music from George Gershwin, Rodgers & Hammerstein, and other American greats. Schlager’s vocal repertoire will be accompanied keyboard stylings of <strong>Paula Flynn</strong> of Glenrock,Wyoming.<br /><br />The International Convention of Germans from Russia is a joint affair between the <em>American Historical Society of Germans from Russia</em> in Lincoln, Nebraska, and the <em>Germans from Russia Heritage Society</em> in Bismarck, North Dakota. The event features more than 40 workshops for the nearly one thousand attendees. The convention opens runs through noon Sunday, August 3rd.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-33121732388969877662008-07-26T22:06:00.018-06:002008-07-28T08:04:34.162-06:00Welcome Night: Wyoming Western Style!<div align="justify"><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIv48YS8vcI/AAAAAAAABoc/_9RSu5fQN-o/s1600-h/Cowboy-boot.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227545508691361218" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="186" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIv48YS8vcI/AAAAAAAABoc/_9RSu5fQN-o/s320/Cowboy-boot.jpg" width="178" border="0" /></a></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Wyoming is the Cowboy State, so it's appropriate that Welcome Night for the 2008 International Convention of Germans from Russia be a "Western" gathering. Nearly one thousand would-be cowboys and cowgirls are gathering this week at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Casper for workshops, music, business meetings, storytelling, and a wide range of other activities. The historic convention runs through Sunday, August 3.<br /><br />And while the <strong>Welcome Night Western Buffet</strong> in the Parkway Ballroom this Wednesday (July 30) will have a decided cowboy motif, most of the week will be focused on "<em>Celebrating Our Common Heritage</em>" -- a German-Russian heritage -- that pre-dates the Old West and that transcends the two societies sponsoring the convention -- the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia and the Germans from Russia Heritage Society.<br /><br />Convention co-chairs <strong>Al Feist</strong> of Hebron, North Dakota and <strong>Patti Sellenrick</strong> of Sheridan, Wyoming, will corral everyone together about 5:30 p.m. to begin the festivities, which include a greeting from <strong>Dr. Maggi Murdock</strong>, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Wyoming.<br /> </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">-</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Entertainment will include a bit of music from cowboy singer <strong>Kent Neubert</strong>, along with the <strong>Crimson Dames Red Hat Band</strong>, directed by Bev Miller. A bit of humor and drama will be combined to help tell the "Painted Past" of Casper. <strong>Angel Capone</strong> will deliver the facts, with <strong>Carol Chapin</strong> protraying <strong>Ettie Hurt</strong> and <strong>Marvin Nolte</strong> as Dr. Benson.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>-</strong></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Nick and Barb Bretz</strong> of Arvada, Colorado will be in charge of the Wester Theme Prizes.</span></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-29203187320848597822008-07-26T21:22:00.002-06:002008-07-26T21:25:10.112-06:00Celebrating our Common Heritage<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">The theme of the 2008 International Convention of Germans from Russia this week in Casper, Wyoming (July 28-August 3) is <em>Celebrating our Common Heritage</em>. And to underscore that theme, society officials have tapped two uniquely qualified persons as keynote speakers for the convention banquet on Saturday night (August 2).<br /><br /></span><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIugnz5IUAI/AAAAAAAABnk/Uzd2lhdWpZw/s1600-h/Marquardts-a.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227448398298763266" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 224px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 326px" height="406" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIugnz5IUAI/AAAAAAAABnk/Uzd2lhdWpZw/s320/Marquardts-a.jpg" width="286" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><em>Our German-Russian Communities: A Common Heritage, An Uncommon History</em></strong> will be the message delivered by <strong>Dona Reeves-Marquardt</strong> and <strong>Lewis Marquardt</strong> of Austin, Texas, when they address the joint convention of the <em>American Historical Society of Germans from Russia</em> and the <em>Germans from Russia Heritage Society</em> at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center. Members from both societies – perhaps a thousand in all – will be wrapping up a full week of workshops, business meetings, and festive celebrations.<br /><br />The convention opens Monday, July 28th and runs through Sunday morning, August 3rd. Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal will greet attendees during the official Opening Ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, July 31st.<br /><br /><strong>Dona Reeves-Marquardt</strong> holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and is Professor Emerita at Texas State University, San Marcos, where she taught German language and literature for many years. Primarily of Volga-German ancestry, she has published articles on the language, history and culture of Germans from Russia and has translated major works in that area, including Peter Sinner’s <em>Germans in the Land of the Volga</em> and Gottlieb Beratz’ <em>The German Colonies on the Lower Volga</em> with LaVern Rippley and Leona Pfeifer. Dona’s parents immigrated in 1876 from Volga villages to Russell county, Kansas. She was a Fulbright scholar at Johannes Gutenberg Universität in Mainz, Germany and has studied and traveled extensively in Germany, most recently with her husband, Lew Marquardt, to her ancestral villages in the Palatinate.<br /><br /><strong>Lewis R. Marquardt</strong> was born and raised in North Dakota, the eldest son of a German-Russian father and an Irish mother. He grew up among Black Sea Germans and spent his early years teaching instrumental music in South Dakota, and Interdisciplinary Arts and Humanities at Arizona State University, Tempe. His grandparents immigrated in 1888 from Black-Sea-Kutschurgan villages to Emmons county North Dakota. After the death of his first wife, he married Dona Reeves-Marquardt, a Volga-German, with whom he has traveled extensively in Germany, France, and other European countries, exploring ancestral villages, art museums, <em>Fachwerk</em>, and the phenomenon of foreign culture. He is a charter member of AHSGR.<br /><br />Dona and Lew are Life Members of both GRHS and AHSGR and have spoken frequently in a dual-lecture format using digital presentations.</span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">As a part of the evening, the directors and officers of the organizations will be introduced, and the new GRHS directors and officers will be installed. AHSGR will also announce its Distinguished Service Award.<br /><br />Several beautiful items have been contributed to the societies, and drawings for those prizes will also take place.<br /><br />The evening will conclude with the <strong>Passing of the Lantern</strong>. Next year, AHSGR will convene in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. GRHS will meet in Rapid City, South Dakota.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-5474729471996572032008-07-26T20:51:00.007-06:002008-07-26T21:02:14.480-06:00Tours for early arrivers<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Many “early arrivers” at the International Convention of Germans from Russia will take time to see the sights of central Wyoming, a state of many beautiful contrasts.<br /><br /><u>On Tuesday afternoon</u> at 1:30, Your Ride tours of Casper will take a group of fun-seekers to <strong>The Historic Becker Farm</strong> at Emigrant Gap. It’s a beautiful 160-acre working grass/alfalfa hay farm that was established in 1922 and that operates today much as it did 80 years ago. Visitors will bask in the shade of this old homestead, enjoying western hospitality and entertainment – including nearby abundant wildlife (antelope, deer, foxes, eagles and more)! Leisurely meandering through the little country store – perhaps playing a game of horseshows – visitors will be treated to some great Old Tyme country entertainers along with Oregon Trail History.<br /><br /><u><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIvj51CUJSI/AAAAAAAABoE/4z8C8cBdlvU/s1600-h/Buffalo+Ranch.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227522375122429218" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 237px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 184px" height="195" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIvj51CUJSI/AAAAAAAABoE/4z8C8cBdlvU/s400/Buffalo+Ranch.jpg" width="237" border="0" /></a>At 7:00 a.m. Wednesday</u>, another tour heads out from the Parkway Hotel for <strong>Black Thunder Mine</strong> and the<strong> Durham Buffalo Ranch</strong>. Black Thunder Mine is the largest open pit coal mine in the United States. It extracted 30.6 million short tons from its open pit in 1994 and nearly 60 million tons in 2000. Visitors will see large dragline equipment and the huge trucks that are used for hauling the coal. The mine tour will last approximately 2 hours. From there, it’s off to the famous 55,000-acre Durham Buffalo Ranch, which has been owned and operated by the Flocchini family since the mid-1960’s and has been the home to American Buffalo since the late 1950’s. A guide will give a history tour and take visitors to see and experience the 2,500 head of buffalo. Afterwards, there’ll be a great Buffalo lunch!<br /><br />We understand there may still be room available on these tours. If you’re interested, contact Melinda at Your Ride tours for availability and prices, 307 577-1226, or leave a message or email: </span><a href="mailto:yourridein@aol.com"><span style="font-family:arial;">yourridein@aol.com</span></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-89791882666637382052008-07-26T19:45:00.004-06:002008-07-26T21:02:54.616-06:00Hospitality Suite for volunteers<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Volunteers are important to both the <em>American Historical Society of Germans from Russia</em> and the <em>Germans from Russia Heritage Society</em>.<br /><br />During the week-long International Convention of Germans from Russia (July 28-August 3) at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Casper, volunteers will be involved in a wide range of activities from working in the libraries and bookstores to assisting with transportation and the workshops.<br /><br />Hospitality Committee Co-Chair <strong>Cora Raugutt</strong> says The Casper Germans from Russia club will staff a Hospitality Suite for working volunteers. It will be open throughout much of the convention. Volunteers should check bulletin board postings for specific hours, since it will be closed during certain events.<br /><br />There’ll be snacks and drinks for working volunteers. The Hospitality Suite will be located in rooms #1146 and #1150 near the hotel Front Desk.</span> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-81335710772775163692008-07-26T19:07:00.008-06:002008-07-26T21:03:14.935-06:00Lights! Cameras! Action!<div align="justify"><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIvK44eU6TI/AAAAAAAABn0/xAOJwDsx7G8/s1600-h/cpi264.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227494871074662706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 408px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 62px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="62" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIvK44eU6TI/AAAAAAAABn0/xAOJwDsx7G8/s400/cpi264.png" width="437" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The Cheyenne Room of the Parkway Plaza will become something of a German-Russian theater this week. Convention Co-Chair Patti Sellenrick notes that the theater will be open Monday through Wednesday with a variety of videos, such as <em>A Soulful Sound</em> and Marvin Ziegler’s 1993-94 Trips to Rosenberg, Russia.<br /><br />There’ll be a daily posting of for DVD showings, videos, and other presentations.<br /><br />Sellenrick also says there are a variety of options for <strong>Youth Activities</strong> during the convention. She’ll host an orientation meeting Wednesday afternoon (7/30) at 3 o’clock in Adrian’s room, which is located near the front of the hotel. There’ll be information about things that kids can see and do while they’re in Casper, including some options for activities they can enjoy right at the Parkway Hotel.<br /><br />The Skylight Room (just above the registration area) will serve as a youth gathering place. Volunteers who’d like to help with the youth activities are encouraged to contact Sellenrick at the convention – or see her Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. in Adrian’s Room.</span><br /></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">-</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">The International Convention of Germans from Russia open Monday, July 28 and runs through Sunday morning, August 3. It’s a joint session involving the <em>American Historical Society of Germans from Russia</em> and the <em>Germans from Russia Heritage Society</em>.<br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-10903948292422622882008-07-26T13:39:00.008-06:002008-07-26T18:22:27.914-06:00Koretnikov to address Friday luncheon<div align="justify"><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SGlQKjnq_wI/AAAAAAAABZw/oJq_DuNBGUA/s1600-h/Koretnikov.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217789785575980802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SGlQKjnq_wI/AAAAAAAABZw/oJq_DuNBGUA/s200/Koretnikov.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Having spent academic year 2002-2003 in the American Studies Program at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, <strong>Dr. Mila Koretnikov</strong> of Rastatt, Germany, is back in Wyoming this week as a key speaker at the 2008 International Convention of Germans from Russia in Casper.<br /><br />Dr. Koretnikov has worked with many AHSGR and GRHS members in their family research. She’ll speak at the Friday luncheon (August 1st), which will recognize GRHS Youth Essay Contest Award recipients and GRHS Board candidates. The luncheon begins at 11:45 a.m. Her topic will be <strong><em>One-Way Ticket from Russia to Germany: Aussiedlers in the Beginning of the 21st Century.</em></strong><br /><br />Up to 1,000 people are expected to attend the convention at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center. Dr. Koretnikov's presentation will be in the Ballroom of the Parkway.<br /><br />Raised in Saratov in a Volga-German family, Dr. Koretnikov received her PhD degree in Linguistics from Saratov State University. She taught EFL and American Studies for 12 years before emigrating from Russia to Rastatt, Germany in 2006.<br /><br />When she was at the University of Wyoming as an Exchange Scholar five years ago, she worked on developing new courses for Russian universities. After her stint in Laramie, Dr. Koretnikov taught briefly at Otero Junior College in La Junta, Colorado.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SGlPHGRD4rI/AAAAAAAABZY/UggiLbqoNgk/s1600-h/Mila-%26-Family.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217788626645279410" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 249px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px" height="293" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SGlPHGRD4rI/AAAAAAAABZY/UggiLbqoNgk/s320/Mila-%26-Family.jpg" width="240" border="0" /></a>Over the years, Dr. Koretnikov has contributed translations and articles to the AHSGR Journal and was a speaker at the 2004 convention. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">In addition to her presentation at the GRHS Youth Essay Awards luncheon, Dr. Koretnikov will also conduct workshops on doing <strong><em>Archive Research in the Lower Volga Region</em></strong>. The first hour-long session will be at 3:30 p.m., on Friday August 1st in the American Room at the Parkway; the other will be at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 2nd in the Tiffany Room.<br /><br />While in the United States, Dr. Koretnikov and her husband, Sergei, and daughter, Lizzy, plan to also visit Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Canyon, and will include stops at Laramie, Denver, La Junta, Las Vegas, and San Diego.</span> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-7364606845768859152008-07-26T13:13:00.003-06:002008-07-26T13:15:46.527-06:00Syryukova keynotes Awards Luncheon<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Inna Stryukova, a university professor from Nikolaev, Ukraine, will present <strong><em>A Ukrainian's Perspective of the USA</em></strong> at the Society Awards Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. next Saturday, August 2nd during the 2008 combined GRHS-AHSGR Convention in Casper, Wyoming. The luncheon buffet will take place in Ballrooms A, B, and C of the Parway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center. Since this will be Inna’s third appearance at GRHS conventions, and her second appearance at AHSGR conventions, she is becoming a familiar personality to members of both societies.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SGuBqMzY4BI/AAAAAAAABaQ/93HPk-Sh4y0/s1600-h/Stryukova-Inna.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218407155230105618" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SGuBqMzY4BI/AAAAAAAABaQ/93HPk-Sh4y0/s320/Stryukova-Inna.jpg" border="0" /></a>As an accomplished linguist, <strong>Inna Stryukova</strong> speaks several languages, including Russian, Ukrainian, French, and English. Inna has worked as a teacher of English at the Civil Engineering Institute and has served as head of the Foreign Language Department at the Agrarian University in Nikolaev. Besides teaching English, Inna has done translation work for American and Canadian professors who have lectured at the Agrarian University, and for Christian missionaries in Ukraine and Moldova.<br /><br />Missionaries had a great impact on Inna’s life. She became a Christian and is a member of the Presbyterian Church in Nikolaev. She has worked as a translator and evangelist for the Global Mission Fellowship and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Ukrainian Christian Students Fellowship, whose headquarters is in Kiev. Inna has close ties with the Moldova Bible Seminary, which was started by an American pastor fifteen years ago in Kishinev, and she has worked at the Seminary as a guest teacher of English.</span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Inna has traveled widely in the former Soviet Union, the countries of Western Europe, Canada, and many states in the USA. It will be a pleasure for members GRHS and AHSGR to renew friendships and welcome Inna to our 2008 convention. In addition to the Saturday luncheon, Inna will be presenter for the <strong>Looking at the Land of Your Ancestors</strong> workshop at 2:30 p.m., Thursday, July 31st in the Tiffany Room and again at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 2nd in the American Room.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-84073950043346010682008-07-25T06:29:00.005-06:002008-07-25T06:51:18.461-06:00Our South American Cousins<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">The Germans from Russia scattered across South America are a rich part of our ancestral history, and their story will be shared during the 2008 International Convention of Germans from Russia next week in Casper, Wyoming.<br /><br /><strong><em>Our German Russian Relatives in South America</em></strong> is another of the many exciting sessions planned for the week-long gathering at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Casper. Jerry Siebert of Moraga, California will lead the session, which is slated for 3:30 p.m., Saturday, August 2nd in the American Room.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SHN73OyinxI/AAAAAAAABeU/-b25i3LgwWk/s1600-h/Siebert-Jerry.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220652581845638930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SHN73OyinxI/AAAAAAAABeU/-b25i3LgwWk/s320/Siebert-Jerry.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Dr. Jerome “Jerry” Siebert</strong> is the President of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia International (AHSGR) and has served in that position since 2005. He’s been on the AHSGR Board of Directors for the past nine years, serving as chair of several committees.<br /><br />To help tell the story of Germans from Russia in South America, Jerry will be joined by <strong>Isabel Kessler</strong>, President of the Argentina Association of Germans from Russia.<br /><br />Both of Jerry Siebert’s parents were born in Russia and immigrated to the United States, settling in “Roosha” Town in Fresno, California. Jerry later lived on the family farm in Madera, California, where his brother still farms grapes.<br /><br />Jerry Siebert received his B.S. in Agricultural Economics and Marketing from UC Berkeley. His major area of research was the evaluation of regulations and policies on agricultural markets and sectors. He serves as the Executive Vice President of the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IAMA) and is an emeritus faculty member in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Policy at UC-Berkeley.<br /></span><br /></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Among his many activities and involvements, Dr. Siebert serves as chairman of the California Walnut Board. He has also served as Special Assistant to four U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture.</span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Jerry Siebert will be joining <strong>Vi Schielke</strong> for one of the off-site Cultural Cooking Class presentations during the convention. Their's is set for Thursday, July 31st from 2:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., when they'll whet your appetite for <strong><em>Fleischkuchle and Bierocks</em></strong>!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-38794859684804143642008-07-24T17:01:00.005-06:002008-07-24T17:07:08.641-06:00Dance & Music Workshop<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Clarence and Bonita Ley</strong> of Rapid City, South Dakota, will be leading a <strong><em>Dance and Music Workshop</em></strong> on Wednsday afternoon (7/30) from 1:00-2:30 during the International Convention of Germans from Russia in Casper, Wyoming, next week. The week-long gathering opens Monday, July 28th at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center and will run through August 3rd.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226719770155153010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIkJ8Eib9nI/AAAAAAAABms/8_UYQme4vro/s400/Leys-Dancing-1.jpg" border="0" />Music and dancing is an important part of any culture, and that's certainly true for <em>Unser Leute</em>! This session will be an opportunity to absorb another fascinating aspect of German-Russian heritage. The workshop will take place in the Tiffany Room of the Parkway. Please note that this room is not fully ADA-compatible for those who may need assistance.<br /><br />Nearly a thousand attendees are expected for this joint convention of the <em>Germans from Russia Heritage Society</em> (GRHS) and the <em>American Historical Society of Germans from Russia</em> (AHSGR). Lincoln, Nebraska is headquarters for the AHSGR; Bismarck, North Dakota is home base for the GRHS.<br /><br />Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal is to welcome attendees at 8:30 Thursday morning (7/31) in the Parkway Ballroom. More than 40 workshops and related activities are scheduled during this gathering.</span> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-3992295884668706292008-07-24T16:07:00.007-06:002008-07-25T07:05:56.862-06:00Kuchen, anyone?<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIeDztgalvI/AAAAAAAABls/3UKw3NYtG98/s1600-h/Kuchen-Schneider.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226290816998872818" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="363" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIeDztgalvI/AAAAAAAABls/3UKw3NYtG98/s400/Kuchen-Schneider.jpg" width="235" border="0" /></a>No self-respecting gathering of Germans from Russia would be complete without the smell and taste of delicious Kuchen!<br /><br /><em>What is Kuchen?</em> Ask any of the several hundred persons attending the International Convention of Germans from Russia next week (July 28-August 3) in Casper, Wyoming, and you’re liable to get lots of different answers.<br /><br />The week-long joint convention of the <em>American Historical Society of Germans from Russia</em> and the <em>Germans from Russia Heritage Society</em> will take place at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center.<br /><br />“Kuchen,” of course, is the German word for cake, but beyond that, you may get lots of variations:</span><br /></div><br /><ul><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong>A pie-like pastry with a thick, "cakey" crust and an apple-pie/fruit-pie like filling, often with a bit of sweet white icing on top</strong></span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">A pie-like pastry with a thick, "cakey" crust and a sweet custard-based filling</span></strong></span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">A rolled pastry with a long spiral of dough, filled, rolled, baked and sliced to serve</span></strong></span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">A coffee cake-like pastry with veins and pockets of cinnamon and sugar baked throughout</span></strong></span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;">A cheese cake-like pastry with a yeast-raised crust, filled with fruit (cherry/apple/etc.) and a creamy custard </span></strong></span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">Something else?</span></strong></span></div></li></ul><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Not your idea of Kuchen? We suggest that the best answer is to come to the G-R convention and try some of these delicious pastries!<br /><br /><strong>Dorothy Feist</strong> of Hebron, North Dakota, and <strong>Barb Jones</strong> of Torrington, Wyoming are co-chairs of the Kuchen Committee. Early reconnaissance of the pastry landscape indicates that First Street Bakery in Casper will be making cherry, apple, and burnt-sugar Kuchen under the watchful eye of Elsie Zitterkopf. We understand there'll be a convoy of Kuchen coming from Bismarck, too, incorporating tried and true North Dakota recipes preserved from the old country! Expect delicious peach, cheese, prune, rhubarb, cherry, strawberry, blueberry, sugar crumb and caramel apple Kuchen. Appetite whetted yet? Learn about <a href="http://www.lappskuchen.com/">Lapp's Kuchen</a> or take a look at this <a href="http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2008/03/23/news/local/doc47e5dfd39837a374806089.txt">Kuchen story</a>!<br /><br />Kuchen breaks are scheduled for <strong>3:00 – 3:30 p.m. </strong>on both <strong>Friday and Saturday</strong> afternoons, August 1st and 2nd. There’ll be a free-will offering to help defray Kuchen expenses – so we hope you’ll <span style="color:#009900;">open your wallet as you savor the Kuchen</span>!<br /><br />Many would-be Kuchen makers will likely be participating in the <a href="http://germansfromrussia-casper.blogspot.com/search/label/-CULTURAL%20COOKING%20CLASS">Kuchen workshop</a> on Saturday. Nothing says lovin’, like something’ from the oven…….like Kuchen!<br /></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-56094324857372421762008-07-24T11:51:00.009-06:002008-07-24T15:26:03.914-06:00Research at the Family History Center<div align="justify"> <span style="font-family:arial;">Most genealogists are keenly aware of the enormous resources available at LDS Family History Centers operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.<br /><br />Many registrants for the International Convention of Germans from Russia coming to Casper next week (July 28-August 3) will be making their way from the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center – the convention headquarters – to the Casper Family History Center to do a bit of research.<br /><strong><br /></div><p align="justify"></strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226694604990836338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIjzDQ_t7nI/AAAAAAAABmc/e4L5nroNlFE/s400/Casper-FHC.jpg" border="0" />Thanks to <strong>Mary McQuade</strong> and <strong>Pam Martin</strong>, both of Casper, for the photos. The are facilitators for the sessions of <strong><em>Genealogical Research at the Family History Center</em></strong> slated for Tuesday and Wednesday (July 29-30). Since participation is limited, persons interested in going to the FHC should check at the convention registration desk to sign up.</span><br /></p><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Sessions will be from 9:30-11:00 a.m. and 1:30-4:00 p.m. both days.<br /><br />The FHC has available microfilms that were ordered by individuals ahead of time; the have five film readers, two microfiche readers and five computers with on-line capability. Photocopies from the many research books at the center are 5¢ for each page -- 25¢ for copies from films; of course, they have a range of research materials on hand.<br /><br />The Family History Center is located at 3931 West 45th Street in the Wolf Creek subdivision. Here are </span><a href="http://www.mapquest.com/mq/1-G57*N7D1dEWU7nKFDa4w"><span style="font-family:arial;">Mapquest directions and a map</span></a> <span style="font-family:arial;">from the Parkway Plaza to the FHC.</span> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-37666792518487483712008-07-24T01:58:00.002-06:002008-07-24T02:02:35.612-06:00North Platte Valley Agriculture<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">“The Valley” of western Nebraska refers to the relatively lush, irrigated region that lies along the North Platte River in the southern Panhandle. And it was a favorite region for German-Russians seeking their livelihoods, first from sugar beets – and later from a variety of other agricultural pursuits.<br /><br /><strong>Jack R. Preston</strong> of Lyman, Nebraska is among the presenters at the 2008 International Convention of Germans from Russia opening next week at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Casper, Wyoming. Opening ceremonies will be at 8:30 Thursday morning, July 31st. The event is expected to lure as many as a thousand attendees and will run through Sunday morning, August 3rd.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIg1x0BW5lI/AAAAAAAABl0/1uncqYAwykw/s1600-h/Preston-Jack.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226486497457661522" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIg1x0BW5lI/AAAAAAAABl0/1uncqYAwykw/s320/Preston-Jack.jpg" border="0" /></a>Preston lives on the ranch where his family has resided for the past 120 years. It is located on the south side of Wildcat Hills near Scottsbluff, Nebraska. His great -grandparents homesteaded ranches located two miles apart, arriving in 1888 and 1889, respectively.<br /><br />Jack’s vocation is ranching, but his avocation is history. The United States Bicentennial spurred his interest in history. First, he began by researching his family, and that evolved into researching land and agricultural history. His published articles include “<em>Heyward G. Leavitt’s Influence on Sugar Beets and Irrigation in Nebraska</em>,” in <strong>Agricultural History</strong>, and “<em>The History of Electricity in Rural Goshen County: The Wyrulec Company</em>,” in the <strong>Annals of Wyoming</strong>.<br /><br />Currently he is working toward publishing a book based on his thesis entitled “<em>From Ploughman to Cowman: The Transference of British/Welsh Agriculture and Social Values to the High Plains, 1840-1940.”</em> The book will show his family’s relationship with agriculture. Jack has ties to the <a href="http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/RobertsHistory/teachingassistants.htm">University of Wyoming,</a> where he earned a Master of Arts degree in History. As one of the founders of the Farm and Ranch Museum in Gering, Nebraska, he spends much of his time on the history of High Plains agriculture.<br /><br />Preston’s workshop, <strong><em>Germans from Russia and North Platte Valley Agriculture</em></strong>, will be presented at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, August 2nd, in Ballroom B at the Parkway.<br /><br />The Casper convention is a joint affair of two organizations: <em>American Historical Society of Germans from Russia</em>, headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska; and the <em>Germans from Russia Heritage Society</em>, which is based in Bismarck, North Dakota.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-20509198409791486422008-07-23T13:22:00.003-06:002008-07-23T13:29:12.516-06:00Vaschkau to address G-R convention<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SH2GPKVpYHI/AAAAAAAABh4/a-EBBEZ0oQw/s1600-h/Vaschkau-Nina.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223478737850949746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SH2GPKVpYHI/AAAAAAAABh4/a-EBBEZ0oQw/s320/Vaschkau-Nina.jpg" border="0" /></a>Dr. Nina Vaschkau, who chairs Russian History at Volgograd State University in Russia, will be a keynote speaker at the International Convention of Germans from Russia later this month in Casper, Wyoming.<br /><br />Nearly one thousand persons are anticipated at the convention, which opens next Monday, July 28th at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center. The week-long gathering is a rare joint session of the <em>Germans from Russia Heritage Society</em> (Bismarck, ND) and the <em>American Historical Society of Germans from Russia</em> (Lincoln, NE). The convention concludes Sunday, August 3rd.<br /><br />Dr. Vaschkau, a graduate of Chelyabinsk State University, has been a professor at Volgograd State University since 1985. Her message to the Casper group is entitled <strong><em>Deportation of Russian Germans in 1941 and Its Consequences.</em></strong> Her remarks are scheduled for 11:45 a.m., Thursday, July 31st, during the Foundation Luncheon in the Ballroom of the Parkway Plaza.<br /><br /><strong>Nina Vaschkau</strong> earned her Ph. D. in 1984. In 1998, she defended her dissertation – <em>Spiritual Culture of the Volga Germans: Problems of Schools and Education</em> -- for a History doctorate at Saratov State University. In addition to chairing the Russian History program at Volgograd University, she is a member of the Russian-German Board on Modern History and serves as Head of the Center of Studies in German History at Volgograd University. She has authored more than 80 publications, including four monographs, based on materials from archives in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Saratov, Volgograd, Bonn, Freiburg and Stuttgart. Dr. Vaschkau has been doing research in the area of the history of Russian Germans for more than 20 years. She has a daughter, a senior at the Law School of the Russian State Humanities University in Moscow.<br /><br />In addition to her Thursday luncheon address, Dr. Vaschkau will also present a workshop on <em>how to restore a family history</em> – <strong><em>History of a Colony</em></strong>. It will be offered at 2:00 p.m., Friday, August 1st in the Tiffany Room of the Parkway Plaza Hotel. It will be repeated Saturday, August 2nd at 2:00 p.m. in the American Room.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-67031407813459204032008-07-21T14:16:00.003-06:002008-07-21T14:22:31.971-06:00Convention libraries and bookstores<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SITu-Z-NhNI/AAAAAAAABkc/bwYpyBOoQeE/s1600-h/Library.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225564223547737298" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 268px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 222px" height="222" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SITu-Z-NhNI/AAAAAAAABkc/bwYpyBOoQeE/s320/Library.jpg" width="236" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Persons wanting to do a bit of research while they’re attending the International Convention of Germans from Russia in Casper this summer will have an opportunity to do just that.<br /><br />When the convention opens at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center next week (Monday, July 28th), the AHSGR will open its library and bookstore in the Mardi Gras Room at the hotel. They’ll be open every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except a few times when there are conflicts with key business meetings and similar assemblies for all attendees. The GRHS library and bookstore will open at noon on Wednesday, July 30th, in the Natrona Room and will also be open most hours during the convention day. Both shops will be closing up at 3:30 p.m., Saturday, as the convention begins to wind down.<br /><br />A Computer Room/On-Line Research Center is planned for the Shoshoni Room.<br /><br />Convention-goers will find resources for research, references in books, microfilm, and surname charts. There’ll be family histories, local histories, cemetery records, village books, passenger list extractions, pedigree charts, and a variety of reference materials. Of course, you’ll find some things in one bookstore/library and not the other – so explore both!<br /><br />Note that the GRHS will have only one computer in the library/bookshop area, and it will not have a printer attached, so there will be no hard copies available.<br /><br />Both societies will have a variety of items for sale, ranging from research aids to CDs, cassettes, DVDs and VHS tapes. Want to learn more about what your societies sell? Go on-line to </span><a href="http://www.ahsgr.org/"><span style="font-family:arial;">www.ahsgr.org</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> and </span><a href="http://www.grhs.org/"><span style="font-family:arial;">www.grhs.org</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-54673547932256790262008-07-21T09:07:00.013-06:002008-07-21T10:38:05.497-06:00Youth Booth coming to Casper<span style="font-family:arial;">Reaching out to future generations to help preserve German-Russian heritage has been an important part of the Germans from Russia Heritage Society gatherings for many years. And their <strong><em>GRHS Youth Booth</em></strong> will be open for business during the 2008 International Convention of Germans from Russia in Casper, Wyoming.<br /><br />The joint convention of the <em>American Historical Society of Germans from Russia</em> (AHSGR) and the <em>Germans from Russia Heritage Society</em> (GRHS) runs July 28 – August 3 at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center.<br /><br /><p align="justify"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225490745886059490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SISsJcWhK-I/AAAAAAAABj0/NRdlyHl36VQ/s400/Youth-Booth-Bismarck.jpg" border="0" />The Youth Booth will be set up near the coat check area of the Parkway Plaza’s “Mallway.” It’ll be staffed at all times except during meals, opening ceremony, the symposium and any occasion when people are expected to be present at other functions. There’ll be plenty of literature available to those interested in sharing the good news about the Youth Essay Contest, according to Vera Hoff of Rapid City, South Dakota, who co-chairs the event with Leah Rennell of Gillette, Wyoming.<br /><br />The Youth Booth has become a special place for people to gather during conventions. There’ll be items for sale from Ukraine, Germany, and elsewhere. All sale proceeds go toward the Youth Scholarship Fund. GRHS has been awarding $1000 in scholarships each year -- $750 to the highest scoring university undergraduate and $250 to the highest scoring high school senior. They’ll also be selling raffle tickets for the beautiful American Flag afghan made by Debbie Kilwien.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225500818950745202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIS1TxcSbHI/AAAAAAAABkU/ZCFcRLkBl7w/s400/Kilwien-Afghan.jpg" border="0" />Youth activities not only contribute to a continued appreciation of our German-Russian heritage – they can help strengthen our organizations for years to come. Persons volunteering at the Youth Booth will be able to answer questions and encourage participation in the Youth Essay Contest. Please note that the essay contest is open to all…..so the story of the Germans from Russia is becoming known far and wide. Most of our 2008 entries told us that they were encouraged by parents and grandparents to enter the contest...and that some special family bonding took place as the essay was written!</p><p align="justify"></span></p><span style="font-family:arial;">Winners of the GRHS Youth Essay Contest and the AHSGR Storytelling Contest will be recognized during the <a href="http://germansfromrussia-casper.blogspot.com/search/label/Youth%20Essay%20Contest">Folklore Symposium</a> scheduled for Friday morning (8:30-11:15), August 1st, in the Parkway Plaza Hotel Ballroom.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3228839042844372786.post-49501143893820544242008-07-20T11:30:00.008-06:002008-07-24T01:57:59.050-06:00North Platte Valley Agriculture<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">“The Valley” of western Nebraska refers to the relatively lush, irrigated region that lies along the North Platte River in the southern Panhandle. And it was a favorite region for German-Russians seeking their livelihoods, first from sugar beets – and later from a variety of other agricultural pursuits.<br /><br /><strong>Jack R. Preston</strong> of Lyman, Nebraska is among the presenters at the 2008 International Convention of Germans from Russia opening next week at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Casper, Wyoming. Opening ceremonies will be at 8:30 Thursday morning, July 31st. The event is expected to lure as many as a thousand attendees and will run through Sunday morning, August 3rd.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIg1x0BW5lI/AAAAAAAABl0/1uncqYAwykw/s1600-h/Preston-Jack.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226486497457661522" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GNTLvyE6j7U/SIg1x0BW5lI/AAAAAAAABl0/1uncqYAwykw/s320/Preston-Jack.jpg" border="0" /></a>Preston lives on the ranch where his family has resided for the past 120 years. It is located on the south side of Wildcat Hills near Scottsbluff, Nebraska. His great -grandparents homesteaded ranches located two miles apart, arriving in 1888 and 1889, respectively.<br /><br />Jack’s vocation is ranching, but his avocation is history. The United States Bicentennial spurred his interest in history. First, he began by researching his family, and that evolved into researching land and agricultural history. His published articles include “<em>Heyward G. Leavitt’s Influence on Sugar Beets and Irrigation in Nebraska</em>,” in <strong>Agricultural History</strong>, and “<em>The History of Electricity in Rural Goshen County: The Wyrulec Company</em>,” in the <strong>Annals of Wyoming</strong>.<br /><br />Currently he is working toward publishing a book based on his thesis entitled “<em>From Ploughman to Cowman: The Transference of British/Welsh Agriculture and Social Values to the High Plains, 1840-1940.”</em> The book will show his family’s relationship with agriculture. Jack has ties to the <a href="http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/RobertsHistory/teachingassistants.htm">University of Wyoming,</a> where he earned a Master of Arts degree in History. As one of the founders of the Farm and Ranch Museum in Gering, Nebraska, he spends much of his time on the history of High Plains agriculture.<br /><br />Preston’s workshop, <strong><em>Germans from Russia and North Platte Valley Agriculture</em></strong>, will be presented at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, August 2nd, in Ballroom B at the Parkway.<br /><br />The Casper convention is a joint affair of two organizations: <em>American Historical Society of Germans from Russia</em>, headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska; and the <em>Germans from Russia Heritage Society</em>, which is based in Bismarck, North Dakota.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0