At the GRHS Convention.

 

Here at the Germans from Russia Historical Society’s 50th Annual International Convention there is always plenty to learn. For instance, there are two young LDS lady missionaries with a booth showing us the capabilities of their church’s family history search equipment. But can you believe this, they’d never heard of Lawrence Welk. The son of a teacher I once worked with now hails from Texas where his parents now live, too. He said his dad taught math in Texas for 15 years and his pension from there exceeds his 30+ year retirement from North Dakota. I sat beside a 90 year old man from Grand Junction, CO told me he still skis on the slopes. For our ancestors in Russia and Siberia it was common to be attacked by wolves. Oh how they love their kuchen that we’ve been served twice.

Mostly the stories are serious stories relating how through research the difficult lives our ancestors lived as a German in Russia are being told. As one presenter made

reference to a verse in Ecclesiastes, without some kind of memorial, some kind of recognition, it would be as if they never lived. These GRHS people set out to remember them. People from all over the country have come to share.

Tomorrow will be a big day for Mary when she accepts a big award. More about that to come.