The North Dakota State University Press has published this important book for our Germans from Russia community, “Echoes of the Old Country: Growing Up German-Russian on the Northern Plains,” authored by Jessica Clark.
From the back cover of the book: “Unique in its topics and methodology, ‘Echoes of the Old Country,’ reveals purpose and power in childhood memory for the Germans from Russia who survived and prospered on the Northern Plains.
“Historian Jessica Clark’s study draws on nearly two hundred oral interviews collected during the Dakota Memories Oral History Project, conducted from 2005 to 2010. Clark and a team of oral historians and videographers recorded the voices and memories of the participants as they responded to various memory prompts – browsing scrapbooks and diaries or walking through the towns and cemeteries where familiar storefronts and headstones stirred vivid recollections. No history of childhood draws from such a rich history source.”
Some of the persons who were interviewed in central and western North Dakota include the following.
Rugby: Nicholas Axtmann; Valentine Brossart; Leo and Magdalena (Kuntz) Degenstein; Mary Ebach; George Kraft; Elizabeth (Bosch) Miltenberger; Nick Schall; Edward and Elaine (Volk) Selensky. Beulah: Hilda (Lindemann) Blackfish; Emil Frank; Edwin Kittler; Gilbert Ost. Golden Valley: Albert Bauman. Bismarck: Clarence and Marilyn (Sauer) Bauman; Mathias Gross; Jacob and Stanley Helbing; August and Martha (Brosy) Heyne; Carolyn (Marquart) Mock; Armelia (Ibach) Nagel; Peter Nagel; Elda (Schultz) Rasch; Herbert and Mildred (Dockter) Thurn.
Wishek: Arthur Bender; Marvin Fiechtner; Richard Herr; Martha (Brosy) Heyne; Eileen (Burlack) Ketterling; Reinhold Klein; Wilbert and Tillie (Deisz) Rath; Irene (Bender) Schauer; Gust Wanner; Delmar and Deloris (Boschee) Zimmerman. Jamestown: Betty (Krueger) Brosz; Alvin Graf. Streeter: Raymond and Robert Erbele; LeRoy and Alice (Miller) Buck; Esther (Kauk) Schlecht. Knox: Joseph and Elsie (Brick) Black. West Fargo: Adam Boschee. Kulm: Alice (Woehl) Buerkley; Marjorie (Miller) Flegel; Audrey (Lemke) Fregien; Marion (Rall) Klettke; Viola (Eslinger) Konrad; Roy Nill; Norman and Norma (Pahl) Rost; Vernon Presler; Rueben Wolf.
Fargo: Margaret Bitz; Edwin DeWald; Calvin Fercho; Henrietta (Gall) Fiechtner; Marvin Hartmann; Elsie (Just) Johnson; Victor Knell; Larry Kraft; James Vetter. Ashley: Reinhold Bendewald; Stanley Dobler; Esther (Haerter) Drefs; Orion Rudolph; Harold and Alvina (Nitschke) Schlenker. Devils Lake: Balzer Kurtz; Fran Schwan. Strasburg: Fr. Leonard Eckroth; Imogene (Schwahn) Schwab; Felix and Katherine (Glatt) Wald. Napoleon: John and Delores (Kuhn) Becker; Theresa (Meier) Eissinger; John and Margaret (Schaffer) Gross; Erwin Geiszler; Laura (Schulz) Hellmuth; Carolyn (Marquart) Mock; Esther (Mertz) Opp. Gackle: Howard Dockter; ElRoy and Ruth (Dockter) Fischer; Herbert Herman; Adam and Lorraine (Meidinger) Kaseman; Rupert and Lorraine (Mueller) Kleingartner; Leona (Miller) Klundt; Ida (Zimmerman) Koepplin; LeRoy H. Presler; Alma (Janke) Schott; Arthur Schmidt. Richardton: Magdalena (Staudinger); Melfrieda (Doll) and Paul Hauck; Leona (Kuhn) Hoff.
Mandan: Anna (Sturn) Doll. Golden Valley: Malvin Miller. Knox: Magdalena Miller. Hazen: Donald Huber; Elden Zuern. Dickinson: George, Pauline (Wock) and Rosemary (Fisher) Berger; Rose (Boespflug) Miller; Maryann (Doll) Fichter; Magdalena (Staudinger) Hauck; Paul and Melfrieda (Doll) Hauck; Victoria (Schaff) Hecker; Louis Helfrich; Alexander Hutmacher; Julius Miller; Joseph Schneider; Frank, John and Eleanor (Hutmacher) Urlacher; Dorothea (Bergstedt) Ziegler. Penn: Marlene (Kraft) Smith.
Lehr: Alice (Miller) Buck; Robert Erbele; Lydia (Pressler) Johnson; Emil Roesler; Elmer Sperling; Gordon Werth. Zeeland: Joe Klein. Hague: Peter Kocher; Mary (Mitzel) Weber. Linton: Peter Kraft; Valeria (Wagner) Sehn; Eugenia (Vetter) Schumacher; Mary (Vetter) Schell-Smith; August Vetter; Paul Welder. Braddock: Joseph and Barbara (Mitzel) Leier; Harry and Magdalena (Jangula) Wolbaum. Berlin: Christina (Aberle) Long. Edgeley: Joseph Mathern; Clarence Meidinger. Venturia: James and Florence (Mitzel) Engelhardt; William and Millie (Glatt) Wald.
Persons interviewed at Eureka, S.D.: Robert Gab; Ervin and Lillian (Oster) Gebhardt; Wilma (Beck) Haupt; Lydia (Pressler) Johnson; Selma (Job) Lapp; William Merkel; Edmund Opp; Richard Wiederanders.
Interviewees in southern Saskatchewan were the following. Saskatoon: Emmanuel Bertsch; Raymond and Wilfried Boehler; Geraldine (Dukart) Keen. Regina: Ben and Clara (Ell) Ferner; Leo Herauf; Christina (Bast) Krismer; Agatha and Mary Sellinger. Unity: Frank and Anne (Frehlich) Hoffart. Tramping Lake: Michael Jahner; Jacob, Lawrence and Peter Johner; Rosa (Schneider) Laturnus; Joseph Kohlman; Elizabeth (Rissling) Lang. Allan: Agnes (Brickner) Senger; John and Ann (Gray) Riehl; Reynold and Doreen (Brossart) Zeiler. Luseland: Joseph Meier.
Jessica Clark is a historian dedicated to uncovering and sharing the experiences of everyday people. She received her Ph.D. in History from North Dakota State University. Clark received a doctoral assistantship sponsored by the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection, NDSU Libraries, from 2006 to 2010. She currently serves as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Bellevue College, Washington.
The 199 interviews of the Dakota Memories Oral History Project can be viewed at www.digitalhorizonsonline.org.
