Grebel & Gemutlichkeit - Food and Family the German Russian Way

Just wanted to share a quick note about the Volga German Conference that was held in Sheboygan on September 24.  The local Sheboygan television station filmed the event and it is now available online to stream and watch. Click on this link
to connect.  If you don't see the presentations immediately, search for Volga German or Volga German cooking.

I was honored to be part of a panel with Emma Theume and Peter Kaland.  Emma was historian at Trinity Lutheran Church and has a wealth of knowledge of how the Germans from Russia came to Sheboygan.

My Grebel & Gemutlichkeit presentation is also available for streaming.  Many of the attendees recalled their families making this food.  It was such a fun event.  It was very smart of the committee that planned the conference to have it taped so we could share it beyond those who were able to attend.  I hope you enjoy!

Alice Grayson Bartkowski 1922-2016

We think of you every time we see beautiful geraniums

the ones that graced your porch

We think of you every time we see a giraffe

In the blouses you wore, the creatures that adorned your house

We think of you every time there is baseball

the game that defined your life

We think of you every time we see the Mad Hatter        

you are our “little Alice”

We think of you every time someone is kind and laughs with us

we saw it in the twinkle in your eye

Rest Assured, we think of you and miss you…always.

Happy 249th Anniversary Reinwald!

Today, July 14, 2016 marks the 249th anniversary of the establishment of my material ancestral village, Reinwald.

As many of you know, "Reinwald was founded on 14 July 1767 by the Government as a Lutheran Colony. By decree dated 26 February 1768, Reinwald received the official Russian name of Staritsa which means Oxbow Lakes." (Retrieved from cvgs.cu-portland.edu/settlements/mother_colonies/colony_reinwald.cfm on July 14, 2016).

Reinwald was settled by 231 individuals. This place would be home to the Herzogs, Reimers, Kerbers and many other of my ancestors.

Today I as I write this update, I sit in the ASHGR Convention Research Room in Concord, California. It may not sound as celebratory as it could be, yet the timing is good.  Many of the AHSGR members will gather here in village meetings later this morning and this afternoon.  So, I will meet with some of the descendants of Reinwald who will re-connect once again.

Below is also a picture of a few.descendants of Reinwald. It was taken in 2008 in Protestante, Entre Rios, Argentina. I know the travelers from the United States and Canada, but would greatly appreciate help from everyone in Argentina to identify everyone in the picture.  Please email me amb0457@cox.net if you can help me in this endeavor.

All in all, the Thursday, July 14, 2016 stacks up to be a great anniversary day for everyone!