In Remembrance

A Personal Manifesto

The Germans had been initially attracted to Bessarabia by Czar Alexander I's manifesto with its attractive privileges. But later, word of mouth was also a good salesman. The letter writer makes his strongest sales pitch next: anyone with a desire to follow the Arzis settlers, he says, should sell all they had, except a wooden wagon, a steel plow and a good horse team and move to Bessarabia. His promise is that anyone who does so, "will soon have bread" in their new-found home. Of course, he couldn't predict the future cattle epidemics, grasshoppers, hailstorms, caterpillars and beetles that the 1848 chronicle shows severely hurt the farmers' livelihood.

Admitting Problems

If the writer comes close to admitting the difficulties he and his fellow colonists faced in Arzis, it only occurs in the next paragraph. Unlike their previous forested homeland in Poland, the steppes of Bessarabia were empty of trees. He notes that the nearest stands were 6-7 miles away, perhaps in an earlier-established settlement.

Brushing Over Difficulties

By simply saying that "we have successfully completed our journey" since leaving Poland, the Arzis letter writer brushes over some of the early difficulties the settlers faced on the way. For example, he matter-of-factly mentions that the village's settlers were quartered in Moldavia for two years and supplied with provisions by the Russian crown—a common experience faced by many of the mother colony colonists.

God Talk

And where in Poland were these friends to whom the letter was delivered? We can't be exactly certain, but the documented origins of Arzis colonists can give us some possible clues. Arzis' 1848 chronicle indicates that the colony's two main groups of founding families came from the Kingdom of Poland, specifically the district cities of Kulm in Marienwerder Province, and Kronin in Kalisch Province. Depending on where the letter writer was from, chances are that these friends could have still been living in these areas.

In Remembrance - part 1

Dorothy (Metz) Anton was born 7 February 1926 in South Heart, North Dakota, USA to George and Josephine (Krushensky) Metz. She married Joseph Andrew Anton 16 June 1948 in Dickinson, North Dakota, USA. She died 17 August 2006 in Dickinson, North Dakota, USA.

Mary Conard was born 13 September 1928 to Nicholas and Theresia Kaiser in Collyer, Kansas. She married Bob Conard 6 November 1950. Mary died 25 November 2006 in Danvers.

Lester articles in the Heritage Review

Lester's articles in the Heritage Review show his thoroughness in genealogy research as well as his great depth of knowledge about the history and culture of the areas he was most interested in -the Dobrudscha and North Dakota. "Lester & Vern's Korner" will include his articles from theHeritage Review Issues 21 and 22 (1978) on the Seibold family and the Dobrudscha area.

Our Own Bread

There were obviously no wheat crops prepared by the colonists at the time of first settling Arzis. According to the 1848 chronicle, the Czarist government had initially supplied flour to them. But by the time this letter is written, the first crops seem to be yielding enough flour so the residents could make their "own bread." How good this German staple food must have tasted, made from crops these eager colonists grew by their sweat of their own brow!

Projects in Planning

When anyone considers a project, it is strongly recommended they (1) contact the Clearing House to ensure that they are not duplicating other people's work, and (2) to ' gain insight into project planning to ensure that the lessons learned from other projects are taken into account early on.

New LPS Policy

The evening services

In the first years, the meetings started on Wednesday and went for ten days through to the next Sunday. Many people "came in wagons or buggies...The horses were kept on the south end of the campgrounds - at least 25-30 teams." Youth camp Jaboolga. (John Erbele, as written by Robert Erbele)

By the 1940's the camp meeting had extended to last:

"...two full weeks and three Sundays. Most people came to the Camp daily, but a good many folks stayed overnight at the Camp during those 15 days.

The land for the Tabernacle

Ebenezer Church - Ten miles northwest of Lehr, original pastor was Reverend E.C. Oeder. Founding families were: Koepplin, Scherbenske, Klein, Miller, Kautz, Wagner, Gabel, Weixel, Tarnosky, Finck, Hellmuth, Bauer, Baltzer.

Tabor Church - Twelve miles northeast of Lehr, original pastor was Reverend E.C. Oeder. Founding families were: Ruff, Buchholz, Bender, Krueger, Ehlhardt, Koenig, Grabau, Fercho, Fotte, Kosanke.