Since returning from Germany, Laurin has received several letters and an interesting 2 pagecolor map of the village of Schoendorf from Otto Felker. The map does not list names offamilies, but does locate the main buildings and give the mileage to other nearby upper JeruslanRiver villages. This is of interest to us, because there were people from Dreispitz who lived insome of these villages. There are 4 colonies along the river--Schoendorf, Schoenfeld,Schoental, and Jagodnaya. Otto calls the river "Ernslan Creek". Laurin says in a letter of 13 Aug1998: "Otto has often talked about his 'Halb-Bruder' Johan Rudy. I had thought that they had thesame father. From this new letter, I see that they are first cousins. How confusing. Also, hecalls his uncle 'Vetter'. Vetter in German means male cousin. Kusine is female cousin--butHalb-schwester in Wolgadeutsch."Excerpts from Otto's letter of 8 July 1998 follow. He is telling about Schoendorf.
"There were some 160 residences; they were mostly made of clay (Lehmgebaeude.) Thehouse of my grandfather, on my mother's side, George Rudy, born 1874-75, was built of wood,and belonged to him from 1930 until the establishment of the kolkhoz. Grandfather was thepastor of our church. Often on Sundays, he drove with his own two horses, to Schoenfeld andSchoental. He was a wonderfully good human being, with his church service. And at thecemetery, he joyfully gave every possible assistance to the people.
"But a 'gray' world reached toward us, since grandfather was very religious. He was takenaway in the summer of 1930, without any wrongdoing, and disappeared, as if ripped apart withdynamite...shot. The same thing happened in the other villages, all over Russia.
"In 1937 a similar thing happened to my father; Heinrich Felker, (1891-1944), son of Konrad. Also, because of his beliefs he fled from the kolkhoz as a refugee to the Caspian Sea. After hisreturn to Schoendorf in November 1937, our father was taken away; he died in Siberia 14 March1944. Our mother (we were still kids) died in 1933, 2 or 3 months before the departure. Ourgood-hearted generous grandmama stood alone for us; she died in 1945 in Kazakstan.
"My father's younger sister, Elisabeth Felker, later became Elizabeth Popp, and traveled withher husband and two daughters--Olinda and Leah, to America in 1911. This bit of information weheard from our Aunt Maria Rudy, born in Schoendorf; she still lives in north Kazakstan. She is88 years old. She explained to us too, that she received letters and packages from America. This aunt was also the sister of my father. Also, Johann's father, Peter Rudy, knew a lot aboutthe emigration to America. He died in Kazakstan in 1961. I came from the Urals to the funeral.
"When I visited Schoendorf on 25 Jul 1986, after 45 years, it was astounding and sad. Of the160 houses and yards, I could recongnize only about twenty of them. Instead of my --our house,I saw a hole in the ground, with grass growing there. My grandfather's house had beendismantled, after our deportation into the 'gray' world, and transported to who knows where. Thechurch was also dismantled and rebuilt into a 'club' in the 30 years. On the foundation nowstood a house, because in the years 1947-48 the 'club' had burned down. Our mechanical millhad also been dismantled and transported away. This mill was built by Czech specialists(artisans) and lasted for 20 years. It served the farmers from Schoenfeld, Karpijonka, andRosenthal (now Rosowka). The village soviet--built with two stories of brick--was still standingand was now used as a store. Our always blue school, with seven classes, was still standing andresembled a bride. The hospital and the store had been taken down and moved away. Thekolkhoz farm was enlarged. The Jersulan River received additional water from the dam and dikedevelopments in the Krasny Kut area.
"My father was a carpenter by profession and was commandeered to help with the dam worksin Krasny Kut in September 1937. Sometimes he would come home to us on Saturdayevenings. At the end of November 1937 he was arrested from there, and we never saw himagain. I wrote all of this in my Recollections.
"In Schoendorf I met a man, a Russian, he spoke perfect German. Before the war he lived inRosental; he became a guide for me. From him I heard that of the people of Schoendorf: Halfwere Russian; and half were Kazak. German?---not one soul. With this man we visited theschool, the village soviet, went around and around the one time church, to the open place of mygrandfather's house; we made a stop. I cried again and prayed quietly. I kept thinking backabout the house. We went along until we were 100 meters from the church. It was straight onout where grandfather often went in a hurry and later came back. I lingered for a long time inthought--step by step. Like in a dream, I saw my grandfather and father; we greeted one anotherin a warm embrace. Both together asked, 'Otto, where were you so long?'
"The man drove me further to a new-style house. Two stories and noticeable there. 'Somewinters there was no wood, no oil, no coal, so all doors and window frames were all ripped out;Believe me, friend...'
"For lunch he invited me to his house with two rooms and a kitchen. His wife wore a linen suit;her hair shined silver gray as she greeted me. I recognized the wooden house well. It waslocated not far from my own. Wagner had been his first landlord. He too, was taken away in1937, not to be returned again. As he began to show me around, he pointed out the familyname; 'Wagner September 1941' masterfully engraved already on the limb covered wall withcracks and crevices. 'His son probably made that just before the last days before their leaving,'the man said with some feeling.
"In the afternoon my trip continued with the small bus across the Jersulan River throughKarpjonka, Rosental, Hussenbach, and Hoffental to Krasny Kut. It had been fantastic, but alsosad and spiritless.
"Well, so that was a small but true story, which has no end. Writing such a story requires oneto have two hearts: One with enough heart leftover to cover life and one that is stable enoughwith energy and determination to search for one's 'ancestors.'
"I wrote my Recollections in the years 1980-86 in Russia with 545 printed pages, in Russian. Isent them to Moscow to Neues Leben (New Life); I went there for the opening. Unfortunatelythey are still 'lying' there. 'dead' at the place. Secondly, I brought the manuscript with me toGermany. Some parts were published. I myself translated all 545 pges into German withcourage, energy, and patience. ---
"I have been living in Nurenberg since January 1992. I didn't have anything--like poorLazarus.Thank God. Here I have an apartment, two rooms; I receive a pension, Thank You. Ilive happily with enough of everything. "
From another letter written 4 Aug 1998 from Nurenberg. Germany:
---"In 1940 I finished my education in Schoendorf with the sixth grade. After ten years, in 1950 inthe Urals, I enrolled in the seventh grade evening school. It was a technical school from 1951 to1956. My day work at that time was eight hours in the mine shafts. During the war 1941-1945,we worked 12 hour days. It is very worthwhile to remember this. We miners and also the wives,received great help in the years 1943, 44, & 45 from America--i.e. much food--daily rations: 100grams of butter, 100 gr. preserved meats, bacon, 50 gr. sugar. That helped many miners to getback on their feet, and many great thanks to the American people. Also clothes came as giftsfrom America and Germany.
"Later, in 1956 I received the diploma as an electrician. In the years 1958 & 1959 in the Urals,we dug a hole 155 m. (c. 450 feet) deep. In 1965, already in Kazakstan, we dug a hole in theground 222 m. (700 feet) deep, iron and concrete. There, one had to be very careful, veryattentive and very alert with each meter. Later, during the construction, I learned drafting,painting and writing. --- In my Recollections, was the high point of my life. that is my own littlestory.
"You, Laurin, remember very well about your ancestors in Schoenfeld. Of the blind sister ofyour grandmother, Mariles Herdt. --- And the portrait of your great uncle Heinrich Herdt, anofficer in the Russian Army, is also valuable and should be preserved. And your Uncle AlexLitzenberger has lived a rich life, also very interesting 1898-1991, 93 years.
"Our mill in Schoendorf was not a water mill. It was a pretty large mechanical diesel mill withstraps and wheels operating at a fast speed. It produced very fine white flour, as white as awhite swan. I know for certain that people came from Schoenfeld and Karpenka to have theirwheat and corn ground. I cannot say if there were wind mills around or not.
"The father of cousin Johann Rudy, worked in our mill for 30 years. After some years,1933-34, he moved with his family to Unter Walden (lower woods) on the shores of the Volga. His family was deported from here in Sep 1941. In 1937 five or six strong men, all mill workers,were taken away and shot. Why? For what reason? Nobody knew. Johann, himself, and hisfather, my uncle, repeated often: 'If we had not moved from Schoendorf then, we would havebeen shot like the other millers.' The poor old widows, with their kids and mothers, had to travelto Kazakstan without their men. So it was; and those gray times will never come again."
by Otto Felker
The most recent letter by Otto was translated by Laurin Wilhelm and sent by e mail on 21 Oct1998. Laurin has been helping Otto find his dad's sister's family. He thinks they may havelocated the family.Otto writes:
"I received your last letter of 1 Oct 1998 on 6 Oct. The letter is a golden treasure. I alreadyknew a lot about my father's sister Elisabeth. I want to thank you. That was a dream of mine,already from my youth, that I would some day find out some news about my aunt and relatives inAmerica. Very good; I understand from your letter about your visit to your son and grandchildrenin Colorado, and that your grandfather Wagner moved there in 1917. Also, many people fromPobochnoye and Schoenfeld ended up there in Longmont, Colorado. A month ago I re-read twoold letters that I saved from 17 years ago which talked about my father and his sister Elisabeth. My good friend George Wagner wrote me in 1981: 'Dear Otto, your father Heinrich was born inKatherinenthal (24 km. south of Schoenfeld) He was married in Schoendorf. He had a sisterElisabeth who married George Popp in Schoenfeld. They emigrated to America in 1912-1913.' "
Otto continues: "My father's sister's name was Felker, not Rudi. In all of her emigrationdocuments she was already a Popp. My father's mother had married a second time--a Rudi. Together they had--besides Heinrich and Elisabeth--three more kids, who were already Rudi. Johann Rudi's father was Peter Rudi, my uncle Peter. Aunt Maria Rudi still lives in Kazakstan.
"In Russian, the passport of farmer George John Popp age 32 son of Johann; with wifeElisabeth age 25, and daughter Olinda age 8 months; tells that he emigrated 13 Mar 1913, forthe USA., through the city of Libau, (Latvia)."
Laurin apparently located the tombstone in Hoisington, Barton County, Kansas of Georgeand Elisabeth Popp 1880-1958 & 1887-1969. They lived in Hoisington from 1913. Olinda Poppwas born 4 Feb 1903 and died 3 Nov 1988, so this would make her 10 years old, not 8 months in1913. There is also a Leah. Glenda (Popp) Emrie sent Laurin an article about the 50th weddinganniversary and deaths of George and Elisabeth Popp. Otto is grateful to have located thisfamily