Welcome Night: Wyoming Western Style!

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.

And while the Welcome Night Western Buffet in the Parkway Ballroom this Wednesday (July 30) will have a decided cowboy motif, most of the week will be focused on "Celebrating Our Common Heritage" -- 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.

Convention co-chairs Al Feist of Hebron, North Dakota and Patti Sellenrick of Sheridan, Wyoming, will corral everyone together about 5:30 p.m. to begin the festivities, which include a greeting from Dr. Maggi Murdock, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Wyoming.

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Entertainment will include a bit of music from cowboy singer Kent Neubert, along with the Crimson Dames Red Hat Band, directed by Bev Miller. A bit of humor and drama will be combined to help tell the "Painted Past" of Casper. Angel Capone will deliver the facts, with Carol Chapin protraying Ettie Hurt and Marvin Nolte as Dr. Benson.

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Nick and Barb Bretz of Arvada, Colorado will be in charge of the Wester Theme Prizes.

Celebrating our Common Heritage

I recently suggested to a fellow G-R that the challenge of organizing and implementing a joint international convention of the Germans from Russia Heritage Society (GRHS) and the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR) might be a bit more difficult than one would suspect. Nearly a thousand of us will be under one roof at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Casper from July 28 – August 3.

“But we’re all Germans from Russia….we’re not that different,” she noted.

I agree. And the differences that do exist probably have more to do with a whole range of factors other than our German-Russian heritage. Even so, there's a wonderful mosaic of diversity within our own German-Russian heritage.

AHSGR and GRHS are two different organizations. While they may have somewhat similar purposes, they were created differently and have evolved differently. Simply put, they often do things differently!

Enter Al Feist of Hebron, North Dakota, and Patti Sellenrick of Sheridan, Wyoming – the Co-Chairs for the 2008 International Convention of Germans from Russia.

Patti is the AHSGR representative; Al is from GRHS. For the past 18 months or so, these two people have altered their lives, voluntarily, to help plan and execute the Casper convention. Of course they’ve been assisted by several dozens of other volunteers – but the real responsibility and burden has been shouldered by these two able individuals. If the collegiality of the Planning Committee is a precursor to the fun attendees will find at the convention in Casper, it’ll be a grand time. Not that all will be perfect – the logistics for a gathering of this size is not without its hazards!

As a member of the Planning Committee, I believe our group has admired and appreciated the way Patti and Al have worked together – providing an encouraging example for the rest of us. They’ve brought to the planning table the cultures and nuances of their respective organizations, while underscoring the importance of compromise and an appreciation of new approaches.

Through numerous face-to-face meetings in places like Bismarck, Rapid City, Gillette, Casper, these two folks have enlisted the services and facilitated the work of the entire Planning Committee. Beyond that, of course, have been the countless hours on the telephone and communicating through e-mail in preparation for the event that is about to occur.

Will things be a little different in Casper? Undoubtedly. But there’ll be lots of familiar activities and events, too. I would encourage you to enjoy the familiar things you find, rejoice in the “new things” you encounter, and help us all count our blessings for the many wonderful attributes of the people who comprise AHSGR and GRHS. It really is a time for us to be Celebrating our Common Heritage!

And when you see Al Feist or Patti Sellenrick, give them a pat on the back for a job well done!

Casper, Here We Come!

Twenty-two people showed up in Casper last weekend (April 4-5) for another planning meeting to finalize details for the 2008 International Convention of Germans from Russia. The convention is scheduled for July 28-August 3 at the Parkway Plaza Hotel & Convention Center in Casper.

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This will be a special meeting, since it is expected to bring together nearly 1,000 members of both the Germans from Russia Heritage Society and the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia. In most years, the groups -- headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota and Lincoln, Nebraska, respectively -- meet separately.

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Under the leadership of convention co-chairs Patti Sellenrick (AHSGR) and Al Feist (GRHS), the planning committee hammered out final details on the convention agenda. We are posting here a copy of the tentative Convention Program and registration form. You'll also find a few photographs from the April planning meeting, as well as snapshots from earlier planning sessions.

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In coming days, posts to this site and the convention web site will provide additional information on programs and events at the convention.

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Among the many activities at convention time are several tour opportunities. Here is a summary of tour information that will allow you to learn more about these exciting tours. These forms will also be included with registration materials being mailed to members of both societies.

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Rooms are going fast, so if you're planning to attend the 2008 convention, we'd urge you to make your reservations now! Many lodging opportunities are listed on this site. See you in Casper!

Planners to gather April 4-5

In less than four months, German-Russians from across the country -- even from across the sea -- will converge on Casper, Wyoming for the International Convention of Germans from Russia. As many as 1,000 attendees may attend the July 28-August 3 gathering.

This year, members of both the Germans from Russia Heritage Society and the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia will meet in a joint convention.

Understandably, the event requires considerable planning, and that's just what a large group of representatives from both societies will be doing this weekend (April 4-5) at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Casper. That'll also be the site for the grand event this summer. Chaired by AHSGR's Patti Sellenrick and GRHS's Al Feist, the convention planning committee is set to put the finishing touches on plans that have been underway for more than a year. The committee will have a full agenda.

We expect a blitz of activities in the next few weeks, following many decisions that will be finalized at this planning session.

Coming to Casper: Iron Crosses Quilt

One of the splendid raffle items for the 2008 International Convention of Germans from Russia in Casper next summer is a beautiful quilt donated by Muriel Kraus of Riverton, Wyoming.

The quilt measures approximately 78” square; Muriel has done a lovely job making it; there's little doubt that it'll be a hot item in Casper! Read more about the making of the quilt, which she has named Faith of our Fathers – Iron Crosses.

Muriel says she was inspired to make the quilt after seeing the many photographs of iron crosses taken by Laurin Leonhardt in Kansas cemeteries.

Above right is a recent photo of Muriel and her husband Bob. While Muriel is not a G-R descendant, both of Bob's family lines are German-Russian.

Nifty Items Donated

Leah Rennell of Gillette, Wyoming (left) and Patti Sellenrick of Sheridan, Wyoming, hold up some of the many tea towels that have been beautifully embroidered by Jeanne Rupp of Hays, Kansas. Jeanne has donated these items in support of the 2008 International Convention of Germans from Russia next summer. Jeanne is the mother of Kevin Rupp, who was an integral part of the 2007 AHSGR meeting in Hays and serves on the planning committee for the joint convention in Casper from July 28-August 3.

Coming to Casper!

Celebrating our Common Heritage

This is the place to get late-breaking information about the 2008 International Germans from Russia Convention scheduled for July 28 - August 3, 2008. The event is sponsored jointly by the Germans from Russia Heritage Society (GRHS) based in Bismarck, North Dakota, and the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR) which is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Casper, Wyoming will provide the backdrop for this gathering, the first-ever joint convention of the two societies. Events will take place at the Parkway Plaza Hotel & Convention Center in Casper and program plans are already well underway for this historic gathering.

The Convention Planning Committee, co-chaired by Patti Sellenrick for AHSGR and Al Feist for GRHS, has already met three times - twice in Casper and once in Bismarck, North Dakota, which is headquarters for GRHS. Convention committees are comprised and co-chaired by members from both organizations, and this blending is already creating considerable excitement and anticipation.

"Celebrating Our Common Heritage" will serve as a theme for the convention, and further details will be posted on both the AHSGR and GRHS web sites and in future newsletters. Announcements about the 2008 convention in Casper were unveiled during the 2007 AHSGR convention in Hays and the GRHS convention in Bismarck.

We welcome comments and input from society members and others!

Mark your calendars now and plan to attend the joint AHSGR / GRHS 2008 Convention July 28th - August 3rd in Casper, Wyoming, where we'll be "Celebrating our Common Heritage"!