Bessarabian and Dobrudscha research

When the 2008 International Convention of Germans from Russia gathers later this month in Casper, Wyoming, there'll be something for everyone when it comes to genealogical and heritage research.

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The Bessarabian and Dobrudscha Area Research Workshop will focus on the history of German-Russians in Bessarabia, the villages included in the region, and how to research in this area. It’ll also touch briefly about researching in the Dobrudscha area. The session is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., Friday, August 1, 2008, in Ballroom C of the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Casper.

It's one of more than 40 workshops that’ll be offered during the five-day convention which opens July 28th and is expected to draw some 1,000 attendees from across the country and around the world. The Bessarabian and Dobrudscha session will be in Ballroom C.

This convention is a joint gathering of members of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, based in Lincoln, Nebraska, and the Germans from Russia Heritage Society, which is headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota.

The late Dale Wahl was originally slated to make the workshop presentation on Bessarabian research; instead, Carolyn Schott of Seattle, Washington has graciously volunteered to present the session.

Hungary to Russia....and more!

The co-editors of the GRHS Heritage Review, both from Washington state, are teaming up again to tell the story of when and why our German ancestors left Germany for Hungary, sharing insight into where they settled and why they left Hungary for Russia.

Carolyn Schott of Seattle and Gayla Gray of Spokane will also share photographs from a German village in Hungary and provide tips for persons doing research in Hungary. It’s all part of their Hungary to Russia workshop slated for 3:30 p.m., Saturday, August 2nd during the 2008 joint AHSGR/GRHS international convention in Casper. The Parkway Plaza Hotel is the convention headquarters. Hungary to Russia will be in Adrian's Room at the Parkway.

Carolyn Schott was about 11 years old when she began serious research in genealogy. As an adult, she’s had the good fortune to visit her ancestral German-Hungarian village, as well as most of her ancestral villages in Ukraine. She is Village Coordinator for Gnadenfeld, Bessarabia; Area Coordinator for Logan & LaMoure counties in North Dakota; member of the VRP/Clearinghouse Committee; and member of the GRHS Publications Committee. Carolyn also serves on the GRHS Board of Directors and has written a book based on her research, The Schott Family of Hoffnungstal, Bessarabia.

Gayla Ohlhauser Gray is also an active member of the GRHS Board of Directors and serves on the Web/Server and Village Research Project/Clearinghouse committees. She is Village Coordinator for Alexanderhilf, Freudental, Josefstal, Mariental, and Neu Freudental in the Odessa area, as well as Hutterdorf, Huttertal, Neu Huttertal, and Johannesruh in the Taurien area. Gayla is also GRHS Village Coordinator Team Leader. She is Area Coordinator for Emmons County, North Dakota and Campbell County, South Dakota. She is also the spokesperson and webmaster for the Grossliebental District Odessa Regional Interest Group and creates and manages many of the GRHS research webpages.

Gayla will also be leading two other workshops in Casper.

The first one will be Using the GRHS Website, set for 2:00 p.m., Friday, August 1st in Ballroom A, and it will focus on what is available on the GRHS website and how to research your ancestors using the site.

Then on Saturday, August 2nd at 8:30 a.m., it’s the Grossliebental (GDO) Research Workshop, which will focus on the history of the area, the village that make up the GDO, and how to research these villages. It'll take place in Ballroom C.