Calendar Notes:
Die Zeitung A.H.S.G.R.is an international organization dedicated to the discovery, collection, preservation, and dissemination of information related to the history, cultural heritage and genealogy of Germanic Settlers in the Russian Empire and their descendants.
February 2017
Volume 41, Issue 1 Feb. 18 Chapter Meeting 12:30 pm at Our Lord’s Lutheran Church Watch this space for More upcoming events!
Message from the President... ITS 2017!! It seems the older we get the faster time goes by. Someone has suggested time seems to go faster because we tend to move slower. This is going to be an exciting year for the Central Oklahoma Chapter Germans from Russia. Our Program Chair, Anna Thompson is planning meetings that will inspire us to tell our “story” and help us remember how important our families are to our heritage. I believe it is very important we share our “story” as often as we can, especially with our children. Our “story” is unique and wonderful at the same time. Speaking of telling our “story” brings me to a request. As we are all aware we have moved into the digital age and for some of us we have done this “kicking and screaming”. Whatever we think of computers, etc. that is now our way of life. Saying this, if you are receiving this Newsletter by mail, “snail mail” as it is often referred to, and if you have an email, it would be very helpful if we could send this newsletter to you via email. The newsletter can be printed if you prefer to enjoy a “hard” copy. You can send your email address to
[email protected]. Also, in this Newsletter is a membership form, should you choose to join or renew your membership. We welcome all renewals and new members. I hope you will mark your calendars and join us for as many meetings as possible. You will enjoy the time together with fellow “Germans from Russia”. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
WIN THIS BEAUTIFUL QUILT AND HELP OUR STUDENT SCHOLARS!
Central Oklahoma Chapter Join or renew today! Please help us by renewing your membership by returning the enclosed renewal form with your check or bring it to the next meeting.
For every dollar donation to the scholarship fund, your name will be entered in a drawing for this quilt. Quilt donated by Chapter Member Karlene Grosz
The quilt will be given away at the chapter Founder’s Day Dinner, April 2017.
You need not be present to win.. To purchase tickets, contact Harold Penner
[email protected]
Photos by Mary Horn
Die Zeitung
February 2017
February Chapter Meeting by Anna Thompson, V.P./Program Chairperson
The Central Oklahoma Chapter of Germans from Russia will hold their first meeting of 2017 on Saturday, February 18 at 12:30 pm. The social began at 12:30 and program at 1:00 pm. The meeting will be at Our Lord’s Lutheran Church, 2900 W. Hefner Rd., Oklahoma City. Bring a favorite family snack, drinks and table service will be provided. For more information contact: Anna Thompson (405) 306-4434. Our guest presenter will be Dr. Eric J. Schmaltz, Professor of History, Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva. The title of his presentation is “Letters to Pauline (Schlegel) Lehl: Volga German Family Correspondences from Russia to Oklahoma, 1913-1937 “. The presentation will showcase the remarkable story of immigrant Pauline (Schlegel) Lehl (1893-1982), one of about 10,000 ethnic Germans from the Russian Empire who came to Oklahoma between 1890 and 1920. In 1913, she settled in Ingersoll and later Alva, Oklahoma. From January 1913 to April 1937, she received 180 letters, nearly all in Russian, from relatives and friends, most of who remained in tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union. In particular, this presentation considers how local events during this period fit into a larger global framework and how memory has continued to touch subsequent generations across space and time. A brief examination of the letters’ content can also reveal both the everyday concerns and more dramatic episodes of those who had stayed behind. This letter exchange preceded the First World War and ended with Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin’s Great Terror. Sometimes through subversive techniques and coded language to avoid censors, the letters related to outsiders what was happening inside the old country. The letters still bear historical witness to one of the most transformative and turbulent eras in modern world history. Moreover, the family correspondences can help us compare the divergent fates of family members now separated by geographical expanses, political barriers, and ideological divides. Such an analysis can lead to highly intriguing comparisons between an emergent State of Oklahoma and the young Soviet Union during the tumultuous changes, challenges, and opportunities that arose during this time. Many such correspondences were kept safe until after the Cold War, when scholars and relatives began to recover this heritage and restore transnational family networks. Between 1988 and 1992, the Lehl family in Wichita, Kansas, enlisted the services of Russian linguist Dr. Eugenia Felton (1907-2005) at the University of Kansas in Lawrence and reproduced her handwritten translation on typewriter for a 1994 self-publication. In the mid-1990s, Russian pen pal Elena Bazarkina also was able to reconnect the Lehls with their surviving relatives in the former USSR, with most of the original letters subsequently returned as a gift to family in Russia. In October 2013, Pauline’s granddaughter, Ella Marie (Lehl) Frederick of Wichita, donated to Dr. Eric J. Schmaltz one of two original typed sets of translated letters to develop an edited compilation and related publications.
Dr. Eric J. Schmaltz is Professor of History at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, where he has taught Early American History, Modern European History, and World History since 2005. He specializes in Modern Germany and Modern Russia with an emphasis on ethnic and nationality studies, particularly German minorities in Russia and the former USSR, though he has also taken a recent greater interest in comparative German immigration, diaspora, and transnational topics. Die Zeitung
February 2017
Tuition Assistance for Descendants of Germans from Russia. The Glow Austin and Brian Harms Scholarships are awarded each year. They are each $750 per year for one year, checks are sent for $375 for first and second semesters. The awards may be used for any post High School tuition, such as college, university, vocational school, trade school and so on. The applications are due July 01, 2017 using our application form. Applicants are judged on having TWO recommendation letters from adults, such as teachers , guidance councilors, and pastors that know the applicant . It is the responsibility of the applicant to make absolutely sure that the recommendation letters are received by the Central Oklahoma chapter of AHSGR by the due date. Applicants that do not have 2 recommendations received by the due date may, or may not be considered. Also activities after and outside of school are considered. Additionally, financial need is considered. The German from Russia ancestor(s) need to be listed. Their village (in Russia) names, if known, should be provided also. This is the only known affirming financial reward for being a German from Russia descendant. We benefit from the values passed down by our parents, grandparents and great grandparents . This tuition assistance is not based on scholastic achievement, as there are many, many scholarships that encourage that area of life. This assistance rewards people displaying the values of our ancestors such as stewardship of the land, helping others and making our communities stronger. The history of the assistance awards named for Glow Austin and Brian Harms: Glow Austin and Brian Harms were among those instrumental in forming the chapter. Glow Austin was a charter member of the chapter and worked tirelessly for the chapter. She was the third President of the chapter. She battled cancer for over a year before it took its toll. Brian Harms was a young man who was an active hard working member of our chapter and was the second President of the chapter. He died young in a car accident. The awards memorialize two outstanding hard working representative members of our chapter.
(LOCAL MEMBERS
Local Membership
ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO JOIN NATIONAL TO HELP PRESERVE OUR HISTORY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS)
Dues for Chapter membership are based on the calendar year. Dues are $10 for Chapter members who are also members of the National Organization. Dues are $15 for Chapter members who are not members of the National Organization. Name ___________________________________________________________________________ Address _________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone (_____) _______________________________________________________________ E-mail __________________________________________________________________________
Renewal Send to :
Die Zeitung
New Member
Dues for yrs __________ Amount $_______
Delbert Amen, 2400 Ashley Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73120 or bring to the next meeting.
February 2017
Christmas Ornament Cookies Beat 1/4 cup shortening, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1/4 cup molasses and 8 T. cream together Add 3 cups flour, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, a pinch of cloves, allspice and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Form a ball and chill 30 minutes. Roll 1/4" thick and press with cookie cutter. After removing cookie from cutter and punch hole at top (for metal hanger to hang on tree). Use a straw to make a hole or similar circle. As it bakes, the hole shrinks. Bake 8 to 10 minutes @ 375 degree. Cool and coat both sides with shellac. DO NOT EAT!! This old cookie recipe was used by the Central Oklahoma Chapter to decorate our tree for many years at the annual Treefest in Oklahoma City and at Chapter Christmas events. The use of candles, apples, cookies and gilded walnuts was adopted from old German Christmas customs.
Isabella and Emma Grandchildren of Marianna Long and Kylee, Brooke and Kylee Grandchildren of LaDonna Hunt.
Chapter’s Happening by Lil Ludwig The Chapter Christmas meeting, I will briefly tell you what I remember. First of all, you know the food brought for the pot luck was super as always. A men's quartet from Corn Bible Academy, OK. sang Christmas songs for our entertainment. They were so good. The children met on a previous Saturday and made Christmas ornaments that were placed on the Christmas tree. After the dinner and entertainment, the children took the ornaments from the tree and gave them to the persons attending this meeting. Mine was even dated. Thank you children and thanks to the adults who supervised this project. And as usual, lots of conversations as we visited with one another. So sorry some of you missed it.
Die Zeitung
February 2017
Chapter’s Happening by Lil Ludwig ALL GERMAN CHRISTMAS SERVICE: We want to think all of those who attended the all
German Christmas service at the Messiah Lutheran Church in December. Our chapter furnished the refreshments. We want to give a special thank you to Donna and Patsy Wahl for their donation which allowed us to purchase cookies, fixings for the punch, napkins and some wonderful plastic platters on which to place the cookies. This was a great relief after having our heavy glass platters in prior years. The ladies from the chapter were very busy during the event filling platters while the men carried them to the tables and helped with cleanup.
Pastor Henschel who plans and leads the German service as well as the organist, Jeaneen, were very pleased and thankful for all of our help. Now we are ready for another great year! You won't want to miss any of the fabulous programs our chapter will develop. If you have any news you would like to share, please let any of the board members know. We are a family and want to share our lives with each other. Have a blessed year.
Ladonna Hunt, Freddie Baker & Die Zeitung
February 2017
Page 6
Volume 41, Issue 1 PICTURES OF OKLAHOMA CHURCHES BEING COLLECTED Did your church have members that immigrated to the U.S. that were Germans from Russia? If so, the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia is looking for a picture of your church! The Central Oklahoma chapter is helping to gather pictures of German-Russian churches that will then be sent to the International Headquarters of AHSGR in Lincoln, NE. There they have created a display of German-Russian churches from all over the U.S. It is entitled “Faith of our Fathers”. It is our goal to have Oklahoma well represented in the display. Please send a picture of your church, either current or historical, to Harriett Wahler , 297 Prairie Run, Edmond, Ok 73034 or email it to
[email protected]. Please indicate if you want the picture returned to you. If you want to include some history about the church and surnames of some of the original members, that would be wonderful.
AHSGR Central Oklahoma Chapter meets 8-
10 times per year featuring programs related to the mission of AHSGR. New members and guests always are welcome. Be sure to check meeting dates and further information on the chapter page at AHSGR’s website: www.ahsgr.org
Bessie Peace Lutheran Curch
President
LaDonna Hunt
(405)245-0175
[email protected]
Anna Thompson
(405)321-1179
[email protected]
Second VP Rick Huebert
(405) 692-8067
[email protected]
Membership Delbert Amen
(405)812-7443
[email protected]
First VP
Treasurer
Dr. Phil Bryan
The Cook Book is finally under way but we are still accepting photos and recipes until the final edit. Hurry and get yours in.
[email protected]
Scholarship Harold Penner
(405) 752-0390
[email protected]
Special Events: Freddie Baker Sandy Osmus Karlene Grosz
(405) 433-2778 (405) 942-2391 (405) 341-1098
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
Recording Sec. Harriett Wahler
(405) 716-8855
[email protected]
Corresp. Sec. Mary Mushrush
(918) 521-8308
[email protected]
Policy & Pocedures: Lil Larwig Sandy Osmus Freddie Baker
(405) 525-3218 (405) 942-2391 (405) 433-2778
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
Historian Sharon Cargill
(405) 421-2342
[email protected]
Genealogy Anna Thompson
(405) 321-1179
[email protected]
(405) 942-2391
[email protected]
(405)392-2196
[email protected]
Webmaster Terri Moorman
(405)392-2196
[email protected]
Cookbook Freddie Baker
405) 433-2778
[email protected]
National Liaison Greg Aman
(580) 303-4861
[email protected]
Please mail or email your photos to Freddie Baker and she will be sure you get them back.
At-Large Member Hospitality
Sandy Osmus
Newsletter Terri Moorman
Die Zeitung
February 2017
In Memory of Dr. Robert Zane Bergen was born July 16, 1928 in Weatherford, Oklahoma to John and Goldie (Wonder) Bergen and passed away on October 15, 2016 at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at the age of 88 years, 2 months, and 29 days. Zane was raised southwest of Weatherford and was a graduate of Weatherford High School in 1946. After high school, he attended Southwestern State College, graduating with his Bachelor’s degree in education in 1950. Zane married VerNell Kissler on October 14, 1950, southwest of Weatherford, Oklahoma, at Zion Congregational Church. They made their home in Alfalfa, eventually returning to Weatherford where they raised their family. Zane received both his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in education from Oklahoma State University in 1957 and 1970, respectively. He worked for Weatherford Public Schools from 1953 to 1990 serving as a teacher, principal, and as the Assistant Superintendent. After retirement, Zane served on the Weatherford City Council for several terms and was on the Board of Directors for Midfirst Bank. He enjoyed family time, farming, wheat harvest, and Zion church where he served in many capacities. Zane was a lifelong member of Phi Delta Kappa, an educational fraternity, as well as lifetime alumni of SWOSU and OSU. Zane is survived by three sons, Mark Bergen and wife Jan of Arlington, TX, Brent Bergen and wife Sarah of Arlington, TX, Myron Bergen and wife Kimberly of Arlington, TX; one sister-in-law, Mary Bergen of Port Isabel, TX; six grandchildren, Dr. Martha Bergen and husband Theo Chao, Jonathan Bergen and fiancé Veronica Redden, Zachary Bergen, Julianne Bergen, Madeline Bergen, and Zane Ross Bergen; and one greatgrandchild, Reuben Bergen-Chao. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; an infant daughter, Julie Ann Bergen; brother, John Bergen; and a sister, Bonita Martin.
On November 26, 2016 several member gathered at Dr. Laurie Kukas’ home to visit with her father, Al Kukas, from Nebraska, as an active member of AHSGR in Nebraska, he was willing to share how their chapter keeps members involved. Not only did they gain good Information, but enjoyed German desserts as well.
Dr. Laurie Kukas & Al Kukas
Lil Ludwig & Ladonna Hunt Sandy Osmus Die Zeitung
February 2017
American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Central Oklahoma Chapter
Die Zeitung Submission deadline for next issue: To be announced
Please send items of interest to the Chapter to: Terri Moorman (405) 392-2196
[email protected]
Renew your Membership today! The expiration date is on your label
American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Editor: Terri Moorman 2178 Garden Lane Tuttle, OK 73089
Die Zeitung
February 2017
