Greener Pastures: The Renner and Kopp Family Histories is Charlotte Renner Locklear’s story of her paternal and maternal origins. Her relatives, the Renners and Kopps, claim membership in the subset of European immigrants known as Germans from Russia. These pioneers, first from Germany to Russia, then from Russia to North America, helped to settle the western United States and Canadian provinces towards the end of the nineteenth century.
The historical narrative of this book follows the Renner and Kopp families on their journeys from Germany to southwestern Russia and then across the Atlantic Ocean to a “better life.”
The author shares, “Both my parents, Leo Renner and Rosemary Kopp, were German Russian; their grandparents were early pioneers to the Richardton, North Dakota area. I published Greener Pastures: the Renner and Kopp Family Histories in September 2018 to gather into one place the research work of several of my relatives on both sides so that future generations of Renners and Kopps could learn about their special heritage.”
“In addition, I included a memoir of my early years on the Renner farm north of Richardton with my parents and siblings to honor and memorialize them and pay tribute to a most wonderful place on this earth – western North Dakota.”
Get acquainted with Friedrich Kopp and his wife Catherina, who were the first of the Kopp clan to emigrate from Germany to Russia. Get to know their grandson John Kopp the wagon maker and his wife Caroline, my mother Rosemary’s grandparents, who were early pioneers to North Dakota.
Meet Johann Martin Renner, the first of my father Leo’s family to leave Germany for Russia, Johann Martin’s great grandson Pius Renner, who brought my direct Renner ancestry to Dunn County, North Dakota.
Discover my mysterious grandmother Monica Renner and my legendary pioneer grandfather and state legislator Pius Kopp.
Have the pleasure of meeting my brother and sisters, our many aunts, uncles and cousins. Visit my hometown, Richardton, North Dakota. Come on out to the Renner farm.
You’ll be happy you spent some time with Rosemary and Leo Renner, my wonderful parents. They invite you to visit their farm in the 1950’s. Come on out. You’ll be glad you did.
About the Author
I was raised on a farm in southwestern North Dakota. My parents were both German Russian; their grandparents were early pioneers to the Richardton area.
After one year of college, I escaped to the big city of Denver. There I worked, had fun, and eventually met and married my husband Lynn. Soon after the arrival of our son Cary, we moved to Baltimore. What a culture shock for this western girl!
It probably took me 20 years to put down Maryland roots. But Maryland has been good to me. I finished my BS in Education, received a Masters and then a Masters Equivalency, taught High School English for 31 years, wrote or edited a weekly newspaper column for a Maryland State delegate for 20 years, sang in our church choir and in a community chorale, and formed many good friendships.
Now with our working life behind us, Lynn and I are free to do what we want. We have traveled all over the United States and parts of Europe. Cary and his wife Lisa, their sons Daniel and Benjamin live close by. Life is good.
But, I’m still that farm girl at heart. I love Maryland’s beautiful beaches, mountains, Baltimore’s city life, but the big sky and rolling prairie of North Dakota, the song of the meadowlark call me back again and again.
