AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF GERMANS FROM RUSSIA
40TH INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
Speaker and Entertainer's Bios
Anna Dalhaimer Bartkowski is a second generation German from Russia whose passion is family history. Her maternal grandparents were born in Reinwald while her paternal grandparents came from Marienthal. Anna is the editor of the quarterly American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Journal publication. She currently serves as President of the Arizona Sun Chapter and is a member of The Arizona Author's Association and a life member of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia. Anna is the author of VALUE MEALS ON THE VOLGA and MAGGIE VISITS GRANDPA. Her new book entitled MAGGIE VISITS ARGENTINA will be published this summer.
WAYNE BONNER
Wayne Bonner has been interested in his German-Russian ancestry since childhood. He would always ask his mother questions about her father Henry L. Miller, whom he never met. Wayne could never understand how a German could be born in Russia. As Wayne grew older and got into genealogy, this question continued to intrigue him, Finally, one day through a serendipitous event, his family discovered the AHSGR. At the first meeting, his age old question was finally solved, but it only lead to more questions. Through his quest for more information, Wayne has pushed his research beyond Russia into the German origins of his Volga German ancestors. Wayne has been a member of the Southern California Chapter of AHSGR since 1983. he has been the village coordinator for Balzer for 12 years and co-village coordinator for Moor for 11 years.
His other cultural heritage includes English, Irish, and French Canadian. In addition to his life membership in AHSGR, Wayne is a member of the Mayflower Society through his father's lineage, the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGD) and the Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS).
Wayne is married to Diane F. Sailer of New York. He was educated at California State University Long Beach, UCLA, and Reading University, England. Wayne has been a professional certified research archaeologist for the past 35 years. He currently works as a cultural resource advisor for T-Mobile, AT&T, and other telecommunication companies.
LES BROST
Les Brost is a third generation owner/operator of a large successful family ranch in southeastern Alberta. His practical approach to problem solving grew out of his early years as a rancher in the family business.
Les spent 15 years as an elected public school trustee and has been granted an honorary life membership of the Alberta School Boards Association. His experience as an elected politician gives him great insight into the demands and challenges of an elected official.
In 2002, Les was selected by Alberta's Minister of Agriculture and the Alberta Agriculture and Food Council to lead the Agrivantage Team and facilitate the agricultural industry to a new level of success.
Over the past three decades, Les has volunteered with numerous local, provincial and national organizations, giving him first hand insight into organizational dynamics and demands.
Les has won national awards for his outstanding columns. He is currently a columnist for the Calgary Herald, and his book, "The Rural Roots Reader", has made him many new fans. This skill and media experience brings great value to his clients.
Les Brost is a conflict management specialist, facilitator and personal coach with clients in the private sector, government, municipalities, associations and organizations. Les' leadership role in corporate and non-profit boardrooms gives him a unique perspective on conflict management, problem solving , and building organizational effectiveness.
Les is a member of Edmontonians Magazine's "Transformers", a quartette of personal and organizational change coaches specializing in members of the business community. Their work has been showcased in the magazine and on CITY-TV Edmonton.
JERRY FRANK
Jerry Frank is a genealogist specializing in the research of Germans who migrated to or through Russian (Congress) Poland and Volhynia. He is also well connected to other regions of Russia by way of his Volga German wife and numerous cousins whose migrations took them through the Black Sea region. In his 19+ years of activity in this hobby, he has written three family books, FRANK MIGRATIONS (about his paternal family), FROM NAGOLD TO THALBERG (his maternal line), and ASK THE FORMER GENERATIONS (a compilation of the previous two).
One of Jerry's primary accomplishments is the creation of two new maps showing German settlements in Russian Poland and in Volhynia. Both represent the most current and comprehensive resources available. They bring together the independent works of several historical map makers into a single source and include the most up-to-date listings of villages from such resources as the St. Petersburg Consistory records as well as the Polish records extraction of the Society for German Genealogy in Eastern Europe. These are the first such regional maps ever available to be fully indexed by the cartographer. The Russian Poland map shows over 3000 German villages while that for Volhynia shows over 1400.
Jerry has spoken at a variety of conferences and conventions covering such topics as the translation of 19th century Polish civil registration documents, and how to use maps in genealogy for finding your ancestral homes and enhancing your ancestral stories. He is actively involved with the Society for German Genealogy in Europe, currently acting as webmaster, and list administrator for its email discussion mailing list.
PAUL HOFER
Paul Hofer teaches in the Elkwater Hutterite Colony School and specializes in the history of their heritage. He has been teaching for 18 years and was chosen, out of 45 other Hutterite Colonies to go to Austria to do research and study their roots.
JüRGEN JANKE
Jürgen Janke was born in 1943. He lives in Ingelbach, Germany where he is the Mayor. His father was Wilhelm Janke born in Neu Dubisch District of Luck and his grandparents were Eduard and Hulda Janke.
HARRY LOEWEN , Ph.D., Professor Emeritus
--Born in Ukraine, Soviet Union, in 1930
--Fled with family West in 1943
--Immigration to Canada (Alberta) in 1948
--B.R.E. 1955 Mennonite Brethren Bible College (MBBC)
--B.A. 1959 University of Western Ontario (Waterloo College)
--M.A. 1961 University of Manitoba, History
--Ph.D. 1970 University of Waterloo, German
--Teaching German, History and Mennonite Studies: MBBC, Wilfrid Laurier University (head of the German department), and University of Winnipeg.
--First holder of Chair in Mennonite Studies, University of Winnipeg, 1978-1995
--Publications: numerous articles and several books, including, GOETHE'S RESPONSE TO PROTESTANTISM (1972), LUTHER AND THE RADICALS (1974), MENNONITE IMAGES (1980), CRISIS AND COMMITMENT (festschrift in honour of J.W. Dyck, 1983), VISIONS AND REALITIES (2000), SHEPHERDS, SERVANTS AND PROPHETS (2003), BETWEEN WORLDS: REFLECTIONS OF A SOVIET-BORN CANADIAN MENNONITE (2006). Subtitles not included.
--I am also the founding editor of the JOURNAL OF MENNONITE STUDIES (1983ff.) Two of my books have been translated into German.
--In my "retirement" I continue to present papers and publish articles and books.
DR. PETER PENNER
Dr. Peter Penner's life journeys have taken him to many countries around the word both in Christian service and in teaching. Peter's Mennonite Brethren background, His studies at the Mennonite Brethren Bible College in Winnipeg, his B.A. from the University of Western Ontario as well as his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in History at McMaster University led him to a teaching career of over twenty-seven years at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick including Professor of History as well as Head of the Department of History.
Putting ink to paper, Dr. Penner has written various papers and journals, four books in the area of his British India specialty; published three books on the Mennonite Brethren, in addition to a book on the History of the Sackville Methodist/United Church and a book on the history of the Rotary Club of South Calgary.
ALEXANDER PFAFFENROT
Andreas Pfaffenrot (the name was changed after the various families came to North America).
On September 16, 1767 he and his family settled as emigrants in the Russian Empire from the then Principality of Hesse-Cassel in the German-speaking lands of Europe. Andreas was 31 at the time of settlement. That would have him born in about 1736. He came from the town of Nidda, near Budingen in Hesse-Kassel. Today this town is north of Frankfurt in the Federal Republic of Germany. His wife, Anna Lisa (34) born about 1733. His children, Johann Konrad age 8, Katharina age 13, and Anna Marie age 12, were from his 1st marriage. The village in which the Pfaffenrots settled was called Yagodnaya Polyana near the city of Saratov, close to the Volga River. There is also a town called Pfaffenroth in the German state of Baden/Wüerttemberg.
Alexander Pfaffenrot belongs to one of the families that stayed behind when so many of the people emigrated to North America from 1890 to 1914. He is one of the leading Russian German Evangelical Lutheran Laymen in Germany. He worked with the German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russian and other States, which has connections with the Lutheran State Churches in Germany and has also transported material for the "Good News" mission organization (supported mainly by members of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod). He is well known for having transported 63 truckloads of bibles, hymnals, organs, bells, medical supplies, etc. into the former republics of the USSR. This was under a rather constant threat of danger. During one of his return visits his vehicle and trailer were stolen right in the middle of Warsaw, Poland together with all moneys and personal documents. Various articles have appeared on his ministry in the publication of the Martin Luther Bund (Society) in Erlangen, Germany which serves Lutherans in diaspora situations in different parts of the world. Mr. Pfaffenrot received the German Order of Merit for his work.
Alexander Pfaffenrot's wife, Anna, comes from a Mennonite background; her maiden name is Fast. her family lived in the region of Omsk in Siberia.
Alexander grew up in Kazakhstan, where he was also the head of a large "kolkhoz" co-operative farm during communist times. He and his wife and family resettled to Germany in the late 1980's. Alexander is here as guest of Mr. Alf Poffenroth of Calgary.
BARRY LUFT
Barry Luft's singing has woven rich, colourful threads into the fabric of folk-style music in Alberta for more than thirty years.
Barry presents Canadian, British and American songs and ballads with instrumental accompaniment or a cappella arrangements. He engages his audiences in these musical performances and gives a healthy lift to minds, hearts and voices. Good times leave good memories!
Much of Barry's material is unusual and refreshing. It comes from sources across North America and the British Isles and is seldom known in the everyday music scene. For example, in his repertoire are songs learned first hand at guitar and music camps.
A variety of instruments perks up Barry's performances and his intricate style on the five-string banjo is his trademark. He was taught at age five to play the harmonica by his dad. Other instruments now include guitar, autoharp, English concertina, and Appalachian dulcimer. However, to this day, Barry claims he's not able to read music well enough to hurt his playing.
Professional recordings to date are:
1. House Concert (recorded live)
2. Flower in the Snow
3. Songs of the Iron Trail
4. Lean a Little (first solo recording)
5. Home Brew (with the folk group Ceard)
6. Folksinger's Fire (latest solo Cd)
CBC National Radio has featured this material frequently and listeners continue to make inquiries and requests for CDs or cassettes <leancd01.html>.
Although Barry makes thematic presentations of topical material to convention delegates, he also participates at festivals, churches, and seniors' programs. Apart from performing and recording, Barry Luft is involved with music as an educator, song leader and instrument instructor.
Going the extra mile is part of Barry's philosophy and he values the time and organization that makes events successful. Prompt, well-rehearsed and gracious with all kinds of people, Barry always gives excellence. Audiences respond to him with enthusiasm and enjoy being part of the gentle magic he creates with a song. They remember his wry humour and take with them new ways of looking at life.
FAYE REINEBERG HOLT
In addition to books, Faye has published numerous short stories, poems, interviews and articles. She has provided readings and facilitated workshops from BC to Saskatchewan.
At an earlier stage in her career, she was a high school English teacher, and currently, she teaches non-credit writing workshops at Mount Royal College, Calgary. As well, she has taught in the Women's Words program, U of A, Edmonton, and for numerous writing groups. She has worked with all ages, from Grade One to seniors.
Formerly, an educational officer for Glenbow Museum, she has researched at museums and archives from Ottawa to Victoria. She is a member of historical societies and provincial and national writing organizations such as The Writers' Union of Canada, Writers Guild of Alberta and Young Alberta Book Society.
Her Other Life
Faye is certain she has never been bored. Despite her passionate interest in words and history, she enjoys gardening, hiking and skiing. Also, she loves anything and everything to do with family, friends, old and new photos, nature and travel.
Authored Books
Alberta: 100 Journeys (co-author)
Prairie Twins: Alberta & Saskatchewan Photographic Memories 1905-2005
Awed, Amused & Alarmed: Fairs, Rodeos & Regattas in Western Canada
Sharing the Good Times: A History of Prairie Women's Joys and Pleasures
Homemade Fun: Games and Pastimes of the Early Prairies
Settling In: First Homes on the Prairies
Monarchs of the Fields: The Story of the Combine Harvester
Threshing: The Early Years of Harvesting
Out of the Flames: Fires & Fire Fighting on the Canadian Prairies
Alberta: A History in Photographs
Help: Rescues & Disasters in Western Canada
Ice Fog: A Poetry Chapbook
Writer-in-Residence Calgary Public Library, 2003
Alexandra Writers' Centre Society, Calgary, 2000
Freelance Editing
Managing Editor for Self-Publishing Client (Three Rivers Beckoned) Guest Editor, FreeFall magazine, Anniversary Issue, Alexandra Writers' Centre Society Book Editor, Alberta: the Canadian West by Douglas Leighton Book Editor, Calgary by Patrick Tivy Editor, FreeFall magazine, Alexandra Writers' Centre Society Editor, Alberta Playwright Network Catalogue
MERV WEISS
Merv Weiss grew up at Fox Valley, Saskatchewan about an hour from Medicine Hat. He has been researching family history since 2000 and is related to all of the Schafers from Schuler, Alberta. Merv Weiss has made four trips to the Ukraine, and three trips to Germany to visit family members. He has given presentations at Germans from Russia Cultural Festival in Leader, Saskatchewan and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Germans from Russian Heritage Society, Bismarck, North Dakota.
SIGRID WEIDENWEBER
Born in Germany in 1941, Sigrid Weidenweber remembers firsthand the horrific aftermath of fascism. At the end of the war, she found herself living under communism. Both of these totalitarian regimes left indelible marks on her psyche. After the Berlin Wall was built, she finally escaped this repressive environment with the help of friends and a French passport. Sigrid holds degrees in medical technology and psychology. Her first book, Escaping the Twilight, deals with aspects of medical anthropology in an Islamic culture. Her wide range of interests led to the writing of the trilogy, The Volga Flows Forever. In this first volume, Catherine, she brings to life a fascinating historical character. She has been married 44 years, has two children and two adorable grandsons. They live on a mountaintop outside Portland, Oregon, with a panoramic view of the Cascades.
CORPUS CHRISTI MALE CHORALE
The Corpus Christi Male Chorale was formed in 1996. The choir had its first rehearsal on September 11, 1996, and gave its first performance in December of that year.
Since then, the choir has performed regularly, in and around Calgary as well as in various other locations, both in Canada and the U.S. Under the direction of Daniel Bensler, the choir has grown steadily, both musically and in size, although many of the current members have been with the choir since its formation. Participation in the choir provides members with the opportunity to socialize with others and to have the enjoyment of making music through the medium of choral singing. The choir's focus has been to participate in celebrations and fundraising efforts for the benefit of local churches, communities and relief agencies, as well as international aid projects.
The choir has built a large repertoire, sacred as well as secular, in a wide range of musical styles, and continues to add new music each season. The chorus has two recordings which are very well received.
The first CD of "Let the Nations Sing" was recorded in the spring of 2003 at First Mennonite Church, Calgary. All proceeds raised through the sale of this CD and cassette go towards the relief, service, and peace agency work of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).
The second CD of "A Christmas Collection of Music and Miracles" was recorded in the fall of 2004 at Christ Church, Calgary. All proceeds raised through the sale of this CD goes towards the humanitarian inner-city work of The Mustard Seed, Calgary