From “Wascht” (aka German Wurst) to pig spleens to Soviet prison camps and mass murder, Ron Vossler’s writings make us feel emotions ranging from humor to horror in describing our German-Russian heritage and history.
Many of his books (Lost Shawls and Pig Spleens or Dakota Kraut) and articles take a humorous look at such topics as our fascination with sausage (“The Fellowship of the (Sausage) Ring” in the Heritage Review).
Officially he’s an “auto-ethnographer.” That means this native of Wishek, North Dakota, looks at German-Russians from the inside, poking fun at our quirks as only “one of us” possibly could.
Ron will be the featured speaker at the convention’s Saturday night banquet. His talk, titled “Voices from the Valley of Hope,” is a set of readings illustrating the inner landscape—both humor and tragedy—of the lives of our German-Russian forefathers. It should be a topic that will capture the interest of everyone attending
During the convention, he will also be presenting a workshop called “Context of Mass Murder,” which will delve into the darker and more complex topic of persecution, heroism, and victimization. Ron’s exhaustive research into the history of our German-Russians allows him to weave a tapestry of events where German-Russians were themselves oppressed and subjected to great suffering, where they became heroes in saving some Jews from extermination, but where some were also involved in executing Jews.
This topic will be a hard one for many to hear. No one wants to think of our people involved in such crimes. But Ron makes the point that there is no need for “collective guilt.” We can be proud of heritage, at the same time being honest about our history.
Ron sees the discussion as a way to open dialogue and resist the dishonesty of keeping silent about this piece of history. “…an honest discussion of events from our ethnic history, including the darkest portions…will allow a better understanding of the incredible suffering of the ethnic Germans in the past century.”
A new genealogy research tool that will be featured at the GRHS Rapid City convention is the Genealogy Database. This is one of the fastest ways to find those dead ancestors and connect with 
live researchers! You simply search on the surname…or location….or cemetery you’re interested in. Your search results can show other researchers working on that surname, specific data with source notations about your ancestor that someone else may have submitted, photos, and headstones related to your family.
If you find another researcher’s data is in error, you can submit a correction. If you find another researcher you want to connect with, you can e-mail them directly.
This new database has so many capabilities that a display workstation will be featured at the convention for demos of the database features and for you to get help with your questions about how to use it.
Of course, the value of this compilation of German-Russian family information grows with each new person willing to share their data and photos.
“GRHS members have a history of freely sharing data with each other,” explains Rich Aspenleiter. He and his wife Gayla, with technical assistance from Murray Gauer, implemented the database. “We just wanted to find a way to make it easier for all researchers.”
From just a few thousand individuals, the database has grown to several hundred thousand names. It is growing each day as more researchers send in GEDCOMs of their personal family or village files to be shared. Recently the ability to include photos of people and headstones was also added. We are just starting to add photos of headstones from small Dakota and Canadian country cemeteries and cemeteries in Ukraine – a way to visit them virtually if you can’t make it there yourself!
Some of the comments from GRHS members:
“The Genealogy Data Base project is wonderful!”
“It is great to see all the family information being made available to other genealogists.”
“It is really nice to see it growing!”
Can’t make it to the convention for the demo? The handy online guide will help walk you through how to use to the database and how to submit your GEDCOM to be included. And you can also see examples of some of the search windows.
But if you’re coming to Rapid City, be sure to B.Y.O.G. Bring Your Own GEDCOM!
Never been to a convention? Wondering whether to come or what to expect?
This year’s convention promises a jam-packed set of events to interest both first-timers and veterans!
My experience with conventions in my professional life (technology & writing) is that most yield only one or two new ideas out of several days of workshops. So I was absolutely overwhelmed by the first GRHS convention I went to nine years ago. Every single workshop I went to gave me some new information that helped my family research. I got so many new research clues that my genealogy to-do list kept me busy for several years!
So – what can you expect at a GRHS convention?**********
"....you're bound to fill up your schedule whether your interest is piqued by Dampfnudle, Dakota immigrants, mass murder - or all three!"
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If research is your passion, don’t miss the workshop for your Regional Interest Group (RIG) to get tips on the resources available for the region of your ancestral village. Other workshops offer the inside scoop on the latest records available, with speakers coming from the Mykolaiv archive in Ukraine and from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Heritage Hall will contain displays on the regions and villages where our ancestors came from.
And while the workshops can keep you busy, be sure to leave enough time to explore the GRHS library, much of which will be transported from the office in Bismarck. The books, maps, obituaries, and pedigree charts in the collection put loads of family data at your fingertips. Village Coordinators are often available in the library to help you with your research. Get a peek at GRHS’ newest research tool, the Genealogy Database, which will also be featured. The library is open 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. It closes at 4 p.m. on Saturday to get ready for the trip home.
If a full day of research and history wears you out, there are also lots of social opportunities. One of the best things about a GRHS convention is the chance to connect with those you’ve e-mailed with all year but have never met! There are also daily kuchen breaks, a couple of sing-a-longs, entertainment during the meals, and pre-dinner social hours.
And of course, the convention is also the time to take care of some of the important business of the Society. You can expect (short!) speeches from those running for the board, a business meeting and election, and the installation of new officers. This year we will be voting on several important issues, including a major revision to the bylaws and a dues increase.
The convention will close on Sunday with our traditional worship and memorial service.
At my first convention, I got more research tips than I had time to work with and learned a lot of new things about the history and culture of my ancestors. Others use the convention to connect with distant cousins. One person I know even met his wife at his first GRHS convention!
Come to Rapid City – you never know what may happen!
Carolyn Schott is on the GRHS Board of Directors, Bessarabia RIG spokesperson & webmaster, and co-editor of the Heritage Review.
So what do you do when your husband is an avid German-Russian researcher and you’re not? You take up crocheting to pass the time while he’s prowling through cemeteries!
Debbie Kilwien’s interest in crocheting is actually part of her own family history. Twenty years ago, an 80-year-old aunt got her started, teaching her the basic stitches and how to read the crochet patterns her mom hadn’t been able to help her with.
And now she’s using her expertise to help the GRHS Youth Program by donating an afghan to be raffled off during the Rapid City convention. “I believe in the youth program,” Debbie says. “That’s where your new members will come from.”
She also saw this as a way to get involved and participate in GRHS activities, alongside husband David’s in-depth involvement. But this is only one of the projects she participates in. She’s become a regular volunteer at the convention registration desk. And she’s a tremendous support to the Dale Wahl Collection Project as she cheerfully hosts a full team of weekend guests every couple months, keeping them fed while they work to organize Dale’s big collection.
One year she even became the impromptu tour director on a bus tour to Strasburg and Hague, North Dakota (the day before a Bismarck convention) – making sure the churches to be toured were opened and the food got served promptly. That role was a bit of a challenge, though. “Have you ever tried to herd a bus of Germans around? They don’t listen!”
Now Debbie’s an active participant at conventions; her favorite part being greeting people during registration and reconnecting with the friends she’s made over the years. But her first convention wasn’t such a positive experience.
At that first convention, she couldn’t get a hello or even a smile out of the GRHS people in the hallways and elevators. “Even the nuns [from another convention] were friendlier!”
But once she put on her “Debbie Kilwien” name tag, people recognized her as “one of us” and began to smile and speak to her. Perhaps that shows just how clannish we German-Russians can be!
The afghan that will be raffled off is a rich burgundy color, created using a two-strand crocheting technique in an exotic shell pattern. Raffle tickets will be available from the Youth booth at the convention for $2 (or 3 tickets for $5). The winning ticket will be drawn during the dinner on Saturday night of the convention.
The more tickets you buy, the better chance you have to win! And the more support you provide for the GRHS Youth Program. This year we had 38 entries in our essay contest (from 16 states and from Chile), the most we have ever had!
Many of his books (Lost Shawls and Pig Spleens or Dakota Kraut) and articles take a humorous look at such topics as our fascination with sausage (“The Fellowship of the (Sausage) Ring” in the Heritage Review).
