These two books contain essays that record the histories of individual families. They are a treasure trove for genealogists whose families settled in western North Dakota in the St. Joseph parish at Dickinson. Monsignor George Aberle is a conscientious workman. Beginning with individual men, he notes occupation, place of origin in Russia, a bit about their lives there, and their families coming to America. He continues, in each entry, with lots of family names, each man's parents, spouse(s), and children, and the name of the officiating clergyman and witnesses at each wedding. He notes the men's business and achievements and identifies some individual quality about each of them. He endeavors to set each family into its historical context. Finally, in each sketch, he records their politics, religion, and the size of their families.
Volume II is updated, to the users considerable frustration, but is intended as a next-generation follow-up to Volume I. It begins with bio sketches of the priests who served St. Joseph parish, and the most recent date of their service is 1965. 1968 is mentioned in some entries. One is bemused by some of the entries - again written before politically correctness. Female childrens husbands names are given, but not the names of the wives of male children. He recalls events in his book of history as he tells their individual stories, and feels free to make subjective judgments. To their children they gave a good parochial elementary and public high school education and fine Christian training. He clearly respects and admires the persons of which he writes. A strength of these bio sketches, as of his book of history and the first volume of biographies, is that Msgr. Aberle carefully puts his families into their historical context. There is a name index in each volume.
Family names included in Volume I are the following:
Nick M. Anton, Anton Armbrust, Florian D. Armbrust, George Armbrust, Kasper Armbrust, John Badinger, Nick Bartel, Peter Baruk, Joseph Berger, Raphael Berger, Roy Berger, Giorge Berzel, Jacob Billman, Frank Binek, John W. Binstock , Joseph J. Binstock, Philip Bogner, George P. Braun, Peter Braun, Peter P. Braun, Thomas Braun, Raphael Brinster, Louis Brodmon, Christ D. Decker, John Decker, Jr., John J. Decker, Mike Decker, John J. Dolechek, Jr., Joseph R. Dolechek, Max Dolechek, Valentine Dolechek, Emmanuel Dukart, Frank J. Dukart, Joseph Dukart, Rudolph Dukart, Xavier Dukart, Paul Eberts, Mike Ehresmann, Jack Ehrmantraut, Anton Faller, Joseph Faller, Thomas Fetch, Alexander Fischer, Joseph F. Fischer, Paul Fischer, Michael Frank, Sebastian Frank, Amos Freed, Joseph Freer, John Frenzel, Joseph Frenzel, Anton Friesz, Ben Friesz, Frank F. Froehlich, John J. Froehlich, Peter Geiger, Nick Gerber, Frank Grimm, Bernard Grosser, Frank P. Heck, Andrew Hecker, Carl Hecker, Liber Hecker, Frank Hegel, Roy Heidt, Lawrence Heilman, Joseph Heiser, Peter S. Heiser, Ralph Heiser, Jacob Hendricks, John Herauf, Hilary Hopfauf, Sr., Frank F. Huschka, Peter J. Jaeger, John J. Jaeger, Joseph J. Jaeger, Mike P. Jahner, Vincent Jahner, Joseph Jesch, John F. Kaip, John Keller, Joseph Kessel, Martin Kilwein, Mathias Kilwein, Frank Klein, Paul Klein, Valentine Koffler, Mathias Koppinger, Peter Koppinger, Philip Kramer, Christ Krank, John F. Krank, John M. Krank, Henry Kubischta, Louie E. Kubischta, Gregor Kuntz, Leo J. Kuntz, Martin Kuntz, Roman R. Kuntz, Raphael Lantz, Anton K. Lefor, Adolph Lengowski, Anton Lochert, Henry P. Loran, Mack Jacob, Leonard Mack, Michael Mack, Gregor Magelki, Mike Martin, John J. Meyer, Vincent T. Miklautsch, Frank Miller, Joseph M. Miller, Peter P. Miller, Nick J. Muth, Andrew Nadvornick, Frank Nuss, Ignatz Obrigewitsch, Michael Obritschgewitsch, Mike Ott, Frank Pachl, Sr., Frank F. Pachl, Mike Raab, Mrs. Barbara (John) Reiss, Joseph M. Reiter, Thomas Resch, Louie F. Rice, Tony Rice, Philip Roller, John L. Sabo, Mike Scherger, Sebastion Schloss, George M. Schmaltz, Carl Schmidt, Florian Schmidt, Frank C. Schmidt, George C. Schmidt, John Schmidt, Jr., John Schmidt, John C. Schmidt, Joseph C. Schmidt, Peter Schmidt, John M. Schwidt, Conrad Segmiller, Vincent Semerad, John Simon, Clement C. Steier, Ignatz Sticka, Nick Sticka, George Stockert, George Stoltz, Sebastian Stoltz, Jack K. Stroh, Joseph Stroh, Ralph P. Stroh, William Urlacher, John Vranna, Dominic Wandler, Joseph F. Wandler, Frank J. Wanner, Jack M. Wanner, Mike Wanner, Anton Weber, Henry Weber, Adam Wilhelm, Paul J. Wilhelm, Frank J. Wilz, Mike Wock, Joseph P. Ziegler, William Zwick.
