When I glanced at the article “Family Aid Society of North
Milwaukee of the Volga Deutsche Bund,” in the Spring 2013 AHSGR Journal, little
did I realize how many memories would be resurrected.
The article was written by Wilhelm G. Doos and Marie L. Korth,
members of the Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter of AHSGR. These two have made it their mission to
document and research the Family Aid Society which they have so far traced to
Milwaukee, Sheboygan and Chicago, and perhaps one in Michigan.
I was intrigued with their research. When I heard Brent Mai’s presentation on the
Volga Relief, I knew the association in which my grandmother was involved had
to be something different. The Volga Aid
Relief Group provided food and clothing to Germans starving in Russia. On the
other hand, the Family Aid Society was a means for providing support for women
and children in communities in the United States “who found themselves suddenly
widowed and without any financial assistance” (pg. 10). The society collected dues and distributed to
those who needed it most.
Doos and Korth share the history of the Germans from Russia
who settled in North Milwaukee. They
have unearthed society records, and determined that it was more than a
financial group. It became part of the
social center with picnics, dances, and dinners. I was most intrigued with the establishment
of a Women’s Auxiliary. On page 13, they
explain that a “similar society was formed in Sheboygan and was called the
Volga Ladies Aid society.”
As I read the article, I realized that my grandmother,
Clementine Herrmann Dalhaimer Bauer, had ties to the organization. First, I checked my grandmother’s obituary
which was printed in The Sheboygan Press.
It states:
She was a member of Holy Name Church, the Christian Mothers
Society, the Third Order of St. Francis; St. Luke the Evangelist Unit of the
Good Samaritan Guild, Gold Star Mothers, Volga Ladies Aid Society and an
honorary member of the Snafu Club.
To be honest, I have not read my grandmother’s death notice thoroughly
in years. I vaguely recall hearing the term Guild or Ladies Guild. I have no idea what the Third Order and Gold
Star Mothers represent, but I certainly recognize the Volga Ladies Aid Society.
Could these other groups be sub-groups or specific designations members earned?
More questions mean more research.
I looked for additional clues to get a better
understanding of the group. I quickly remembered two items that tied to the group and raised more
questions for me to solve.
First, I always remember our family displaying a small
trophy award which my father brought home, presumably in 1960. I was only three
years old so I simply remember it as a decoration in house for years. I knew it
was tied to an organization my grandmother strongly supported. Above is a picture of the trophy. Written
across the front of it is “Volga Aid Reunion May 1960.” As I child I thought it
was tied to one of the many softball tournaments I attended. I associated trophies with softball because
that is where I saw the winning team receive them. I know the trophy was important to my dad.
I searched the archives of The Sheboygan Press and googled the term to no avail. Next, I emailed my sister and a few relatives
to try to capture their memories. Sonny
Krause remembered that the Volga Aids were a baseball team. He googled “Volga Aids baseball” and came up
with better answers than I did. Two sites offered insight into the event.
·
This site shows an article in the Milwaukee Sentinel
on May 8, 1960. It describes that the Volga Aids were having at reunion and
were sponsors of many athletic teams. Retrieved June 2, 2013 from http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19600508&id=yCkxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7A8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=1832,4405311
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19600508&id=yCkxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7A8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=1832,4405311
·
The other site displays a great photo of 8th
Street in downtown Sheboygan and explains that the Volga Aids were a “baseball
team sponsored by the Volga Aid Society and was formed as a way to give the
young German-Russian men something to do to stay out of trouble.” Retrieved
June 2, 2013 from http://www.sheboyganspirit.com/history/pics/image016.html.
Both of these sites add explanation and significance to the reunion
event.
Second, when I see the words Volga Aid Society, I see my
grandmother and “her lady friends” in the living room of her house on St. Clair
Avenue. Every Wednesday the group met and sewed a quilt for the cause. A huge table filled the entire living room and
approximately twenty women sat around it, needle in hand, sewing together the
material and batting amidst constant conversation. Perhaps society members in need received
these quilts, or perhaps they are treasured memories of the ladies’ children
and grandchildren...much like the ones my sisters and I received after months
and months of waiting. My quilt is
purple and is certainly one of a kind.
While the article has provided answers about the society to
which my grandmother was so committed, it has also encouraged me to continue to
ask questions of the few people I know who could remember this society. A genealogist’s work is never done.
