Dead Reckoning, New Web site, and New Blog

 

Great News!  My latest book is now available. 

Dead Reckoning is my attempt to share our heritage with the next generation. It’s about a German Russian descendent who wants to track her family tree when she discovers a co-worker dead and learns of a long-lost relative connected to a haunting murder.

Find your next mystery Dead Reckoning, A Rosalind Schmidt Genealogical Mystery at Dead Reckoning.

 For more info, and a copy of a free E-book and updates, sign up at www.annabartkowski.com. And check out my new blog, too.

#mystery #genealogy #karma #Arizona #Russia #Germanic #familyhistory

Seven Thoughts for My New Normal

Seven Thoughts for My New Normal

1) Love everything and everyone. Send the energy of love to all on the planet.
2) Find Beauty and Love wherever you look. It's there if you take the time.
3) Judge only yourself. Review your actions daily. Others are on a different path than you and all you need to do is send them love and beauty.
4) Meditate daily to re-connect with universal consciousness.
5) Imagine there is no need for religion because we can choose to live together in peace.
6) Put the iphone away. It is not your guide. It is not you.
7) Know that we are one -- one race, one unit, one planet.

What are your Next Genealogical Goals?

What is your Next Genealogical Goal? Writing that question makes me shiver with anticipation, and I am experiencing record heat here in Arizona.

I often write my goals, sometimes I fiercely track my progress, other times I write it and lose the piece of paper on which it was written. Whichever way it goes, I know if I consciously choose my next genealogical search, it is likely to come to fruition.

Recently I have been fascinated with a quote from Linda Hogan which reads as follows:

"Walking, I am listening to a deeper way. Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. Be still. They say. Watch and listen. You are the result of the love of thousands." 

So the choice is critical, likely to define my life for at least the next few months, if not the next few years.  There are times I try to connect with those who are past, to get an impression of what they would want me to discover.

With this quote in mind, I breathe in and breathe out and ask for guidance. Here are the thoughts that come to me....

• Finish the book...for years I have been developing a book about my ancestry. The details aren't important here, but it requires consistent writing, consistent devotion of time, and consistent yearning to complete.
• Find out what happened to my grandfather Johannes Dalhaimer...this is one of my greatest challenges.  This man left my grandmother and I have been unable to locate him despite years of searching. I am actually afraid to write it as a goal because it is one of my most frustrating genealogical issues.  If you have ever encountered information about this man, born 7 Feb 1887 in Mariental, Russia, please forward it to me. I would be overwhelmed to discover what he did, where he lived after he left the day after my father was born in 1925. I can only dream of having the chance to visit his grave site.
• Systematically, work through all of my maternal lines...the lines I want to honor the most as they were the glue which held my family history together in so many ways. The Spies, Seidlitzens, Giesmans, Stengels, Ruppels, Gaugers, Steinbrechers, Mertes, Bauers, Schoenbergers, Hansens, Berns, Sterzers and Wachters who deserve their due along with the Dalhaimers, Herzogs, Herrmanns, Reimers, and Körbers of whose family trees  have made a small dent.

Perhaps the order of these thoughts is important. I think it is but working simultaneously toward multiple goals can yield miraculous results. I would love to hear about your goals, how to you work through the challenges and how do you determine what you do next.  Share your thoughts as comments here or on the Facebook link. The choices we make now determine our future. 

Tips & Tricks to Tracking Your German Russia Ancestors...Tip # 9 LEAVE A TRAIL

Every journey comes to an end.  And, we have finally reached our last Tip for Tracking our German Russian Ancestors. While is it last, it clearly is not least, as you can follow all of previous tips and tricks, but if you pass on number nine, your accomplishments could be for nought. It's critical to Leave a Trail.

I originally gave the "Tips & Tricks" presentation at the Gilbert Regional Library on January 12, 2019.  Posting each tip and trick on my blog is one of the ways I like to leave a trail.

Yet, there are as many ways of Leaving A Trail as there are of doing genealogical research.  And, that's what makes it so fun because you can choose the way you want to Leave a Trail.  Here are just a few options:

• Write your Memoir or write a a memoir for a family member
• Gather family recipes and publish Cookbooks
• Write a Family History Book
• Use Oral or written Storytelling to share your history
• Write articles for publication in the AHSGR Journal or GRHS Heritage Review
• Create an online family tree or website
• Set periodic goals for yourself to contribute to the history
• What ways would you add to this list?  Let me know, would love to hear your creative thoughts...

One factor to consider when leaving a trail is, how organized is your research?  Will others know what it is?  Or, does it look like something ready for the dumpster?

Remember during Tip # 2 Choose Your Path we discussed using a Research Log. If it doesn't sound familiar, step back to Tip # 2  to determine how you can have on-going, organized success by documenting your progress.  With an up to date log, others will know where your research stopped, what needs to be done next, and which items need citations and documentation.

One of the biggest decisions you need to make is when Leaving a Trail is, who can you trust to carry on your research and family history?

This is quite a personal decision, and your choice should be considered carefully over time.  

Here are some questions to ponder as you make your decisions:

• Is there a family member who will carry on the research? 
• Who would best continue the story?
• Who can you trust to carry on the family history?
• And, if there is not a family member who shares your passion to follow through on your research, are there any others who will?
• Would a donation to an association, to a village coordinator or to a designated family member or friend suit your wishes?
• What if something changes for your designated genealogical heir? What is the back up plan?

It's important to be thoughtful about all options, discuss your intentions with your family and get their input. When you have made your decision, share your plans with family and leave written directions in your estate plan.

Keep in mind the famous words of Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame who wrote, "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story?" While we all enjoy the genealogical journey, it offers great satisfaction to know that the investigation and your story goes on.

So, as I close the tips and tricks blog series, you might wonder, which of the nine tips is the most important? While you may find that one tip or another is more important during different phases of your research, not any one of these tips is more important than another. All are important to keep in mind as you research your family, from:

• Starting with You,
• To Choosing Your Path, 
• To Documenting all of Your Sources, Sources, Sources
• To Keeping Calm and Learning the History,
• To Connecting with Community,
• To Locating Villages and Ancestral Towns on Maps, 
• To Learning a New Language along the way, 
• So when you do Travel you can converse with at least the basics, 
• And Leave a Trail of Your Family’s History for All Time.

Thank you for joining me on my genealogical journey. Hope to see you in Lincoln, Nebraska this summer.  

©2019 Anna Dalhaimer Bartkowski

Tips & Tricks to Tracking Your German Russia Ancestors...Tip # 8 TRAVEL HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE REWARDS..Continued

Travel is so powerful, it requires at least three posts to try to cover the bare basics. Last update I promised details on the second trip to Argentina. My quest to find relatives included connecting with Black Sea Germans from Russia. My second travel group was a small one made up of Tim Geiger, Carmen Gill and Lori Gill. We explored Buenos Aires, La Pampa and Mendoza during the visit.  I connected with Lutheran Germans from Russia in Buenos Aires and attended a lecture by Prof. Dr. René Krüger and learned more about how my Lutheran relatives lives in Argentina. (By the way, if you have not already registered for the 50th International Convention of AHSGR Our Golden Jubilee, you need to do so today.  My Argentine friends, Germán  Sack and Fabian Schlutheis, will be there).

Tim Geiger, Kevin Schultheis, Germán Sack, Fabian Schultheis, Anna Bartkowski, Lori Gill, Carmen Gill

We were welcomed to La Pampa by Elio Krank and Roxana Appelhanz, a couple who met at the Congreso I attended during the first visit!  We also saw the Gareis house in La Pampa, and created more connections along the way.  

Elio Krank, Roxana Appelhanz, Carmen Gill, Tim Geiger, Lori Gill, Anna Bartkowski

My most recent trip was the closest direct connection to my family.  After a 115 year separation, the descendants of Nikolaus Herrmann were re-united in Germany. Herrmann, an original settler of Mariental, was from Stadtbredimus near Remich in present day Luxembourg. 

When my grandmother left Mariental in 1913, she knew she would not see her parents again.  Her siblings?  Well, she wrote letters to her sister, Klara, but a reunion never occurred. I researched the family but did not discover that the Herrmann line survived World War II, Siberia, and all of their moves since 1941.

Not until my cousin Wladimir Herrman contacted me, did I realize the extent of their survival.  And, the Herrmanns welcomed me and my sister and brother-in-law with open arms, their hospitality, warmth and home-cooked meals went well beyond any reunion I could have imagined.

I could go on and go on, but I would like to make two key points which are further evidence that travel has its own unique rewards. 

First, Wladimir was the ultimate host, driving us to our ancestral villages as we looked for more clues about our ancestors. 

There is nothing to compare with the feeling than standing with your cousin at the church tower in Stadtbredimus where your ancestors attended services and were married so many, many years ago. 

Second, in addition to the new family connections, you never know what you will find, including a gold mine of new family information.  In my case, Wladimir compiled everything he researched into a book written in German and Russian, with every bit of historical evidence of our family.  The pictures, the people and the information are irreplaceable.  

While the books and pictures are invaluable, the memories of meeting  my family, safe in Germany, is priceless.  Isn't it time you considered making travel a part of your family research?

Tips & Tricks to Tracking Your German Russia Ancestors...Tip # 8 TRAVEL HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE REWARDS..Continued

Travel and family history go hand in hand. And, it's the connection with others that brings our research to life.  That said, travel may or may be on your bucket list and preconceived notions about countries can cause one to pause.  As I mentioned in Tip # 5 Community Counts...

• If I hadn't attended an Arizona Sun Chapter meeting in 2005...
• I would have never met Judy Gareis
• If I hadn't met Judy, I would not have been sitting next to her at the AHSGR Convention in Hays, Kansas in 2007 listening to Isabel Kessler
• And then Judy wouldn't have turned to me and said, "We need to go to Argentina!"
• To which I replied, "I'm not going to Argentina!"

Well, only a few short months later, there I was, seat beat buckled soaring my way on American Airlines to Argentina. It was not a quick decision, however Judy was passionate about the journey. She knew she had Gareis relatives there because her grandfather corresponded with relatives there.  With her magical ways of persuasion, Judy convinced me we would have an adventure. And it didn't hut when I remembered that Isabel Kessler mentioned that the Argentine village of Valle Maria was settled by families from Mariental, my paternal ancestral village. Adventure and potential relatives? I was hooked. There was no turning back. 

This tour was coordinated by AHSGR and led by Isabel Kessler and Jerry Siebert. From Buenos Aires to Rosario, from Paraná to Misíones, with visits to Gualaguaychu, Olivarrría, Coronel Suarez, we were welcomed with hugs and greetings we didn't always understand, but welcomed we were like long lost family. We sang German hymns, we danced, we ate, we shared Pleve charts,  and we connected. This trip surpassed my expectations, as I built friendships which continue today.

So, obviously, after such a fantastic visit, one trip was not enough. Details to follow in the next post of how I returned with a small group of friends in 2013. Stay tuned...

©2019 Anna Dalhaimer Bartkowski

Tips & Tricks to Tracking Your German Russia Ancestors...Tip # 8 TRAVEL HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE REWARDS

Germans from Russia have moved to every continent on the planet. North America, South America, Germany, and Australia are just a few of the places, and many stayed in Russia. Connecting with our relatives is a big, yet rewarding, step for those of us on the genealogical road to adventure.

If you choose to travel to learn more about your ancestors and your family, you can go it alone or go in groups. And, language skills help immensely, so the value of Tip # 7 goes beyond researching documents.

One of the best books to help you prepare for travel is Carolyn Schott's Visiting Your Ancestral Town.

Whether you are trying to go to your village in Russia, or connect with your German Origins in Europe, this book will help you efficiently plan and prepare yourself for what lies ahead.

Since preparation for travel is critical, and can be a great deal of fun, be sure to consider some of these highlights:

• Remember to KEEP CALM AND LEARN THE HISTORY
• Complete as much genealogical research as possible before the trip
• Pre-plan as much as possible, especially if you have specific genealogical goals.
• Determine what works best for you...group travel, custom plans or individual adventures

When it comes to group travel, there are lots of options, however there are two annual group trips to consider.

Brent Mai and Mila Koretnikov facilitate tours to the Volga colonies. There are options as to length and visits are targeted to the Wiesenseite or Bergseite, or for the truly ambitious, you can cover both tours.

And, the North Dakota State Library and Germans from Russia Heritage collection sponsors the Homeland tour which is an outstanding visit to Germany and Ukraine. Michael Miller is the host, and although the 2019 tour is full, new information on the 2020 tour will be available in July 2019.

Up next...we will continue Tip # 8 as I share some of my travel experiences soon.

©2019 Anna Dalhaimer Bartkowski

Tips & Tricks To Tracking Your German Russian Ancestors...Tip # 7 LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE...ANY LANGUAGE

Learn a new language...sunds a bit daunting, doesn't it? I think I can read your mind…you think you are too old to learn a new language…but hear me out...there are a lot of reasons why this tip is crucial to tracking your German Russian ancestors.

Many of the original records of your ancestors are written in a number of languages. And there will be times when you want to check the original records to verify your history.

Some original records will be in German and Russian, and when you add in South America, it can be a handy took to know Spanish, too.  Descendants of Germans from Russia relocated to countries around the world so any language skills are helpful.

Learning a new language doesn't happen overnight. And there are ways you can begin to learn by using tools to help you recognize key words found in records.  

Learning occurs over time and here are a few tools to help you ease into learning.

–German English Genealogical Dictionary by Ernest Thode

–German English Visual Bilingual Dictionary

–For additional vocabulary list, see: –Family Search

–For an article on German language, including numbers, see: – Wiki German Language

Once you feel comfortable with a few words, you may want to take your language skills to the next level.  There are any number of options including:

• Mesa Community College offers World Language classes in: 
• German
• Spanish
• Russian
• Phoenix German School offers Saturday classes
• Also, many online apps!
• Library Online Resources
• Maricopa County Library

As I mentioned earlier the thought of learning a new language can be overwhelming, however new evidence shows that our brain needs new challenges! We need to stretch our brain to increase its ability to grow and learn for the rest of our lives. Need proof? Check out the information about the plasticity of the brain and how to build your cognitive reserve at any age.

–Plasticity of the brain

–Cognitive Reserve

-You are never too old to learn a language

And, what better way to age well than to learn a language that will assist with tracking your ancestors. You never know, it may just help you when to implement Tip # 8 which is

TRAVEL HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE REWARDS.

©2019 Anna Dalhaimer Bartkowski