- MY MOTHER WAS KATHERINE MARGARET SCHAFFER (SCHMUNK)
Alexandertal, Russia b. August 18, 1886, d. July 16, 1970 in Portland, OR
- My Father and Mother were married in 1906 in Russia. My Mother described her wedding in detail, even to her wedding party, being carried in flower-decked, belled and ribboned horse-drawn Troyka to her Groom in Rosenberg. She expressed a dislike, however, for the extended celebration, and was relieved at its conclusion. My Father could speak Russian, as could my Uncle Fred Schaffer, who worked at Kamyschin as a stevedore on the Volga River loading grain, etc.
My parents left Russia and remained in Buenes Aires, Argentina for 1 ½ years. My Father had a very serious farming accident, which held him near death, at this same time losing their first baby in death. When my Father recovered, after being in the hospital for 3 months, they came up to the US and settled in Herington, KS. My Uncle Alex Schaffer lived in Kansas City. It was while they lived there that both of my parents were converted to the Baptist Faith under Pastor Seifert and baptized by Pastor Pankratz (?).
My Great Uncle Casper Meier, who was blind, on one occasion was collecting for the sale of their Fanning Mills. In this city, he was staying overnight in a house. During the night, he heard someone enter where he slept. He feined sleep. He could feel someone cutting off the pocket where he kept the money. He did not move. In the morning he went on his way home, not mentioning this to anyone, lest he be killed by the robber.
As I pumped my parents for stories of their life in Russia, I relived with Mama going the distance from their home to tend their Garden and Orchard, dipping and pouring the water from the Llavlia River for their garden. My brother Fred was the family jokster, and we would often chuckle as he told the exaggerated heroic stories of the adventures of Volchuk, the Schaffer dog! And, when the Cossacks Dancers came to Portland’s Civic Theatre, I wept as I watched them perform the dramatic Sabre Dance, described by Daddy, and I tightened as I remembered his tales of whipping the horses to run faster when his carriage was heading up a hill, in order to discourage highwaymen from robbing his passengers.
I had saved my money to take my Father back to Russia, but, when I was nearing 21, he said, "No, Honey, I do not want to go back, for it would not be the same!"
So, I sent them back by compartment to Uncle Alex’ Family in KC and Aunt Molly’s to visit in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
My Father died in 1955 at the age of 71. Some years later, My Mother decided to sell her home. All of us children auctioned her belongings to one another, and our Mother spent some of her last years at The Baptist Manor in Portland, OR. She died in 1970 at the age of 84.
Photos of Mom & Dad, Mom in Baptist Manor, Schmunk Family at my Wedding, Photos on Wall 1st/2nd Families [photos not included]
One of these days, I may see my wish come true by a visit to Alexandertal and Rosenberg after all!
SCHAFFER GENEALOGY
My Mother’s name was KATHERINE MARGARET SCHAFFER SCHMUNK
My rough chart shows My Mother’s Grandmother as KATHERINE LICHTENWALT (?) [In 1798 there are only 3 households on the Volga with people of the Lichtenwald surname; all in Doenhof, households #10,24, and 89. In 1775 the only Lictenwald family in Doenhof was #87: Heinrich 33, wife Margareta Barbara (Altergott) 32, son Christian Friedrich 8, son Ludwig Friedrich 6, and daughter Katarina Elizabeta 3. -- rak]
My Mother’s Mother was KATHERINE MEIER SCHAFFER whose Brothers were:
- John Meier
- Casper Meier who was blind. People would read Scripture and he would preach.
- John Jacob Meier
- Andrew Meier
- The Meiers manufactured and sold Fanning Machines to separate Wheat from Chaff to both Russians and Germans.
- My Mother’s Father was FREDRICH SCHAFFER whose Brothers were:
- George Schaffer
- Dick Schaffer
- and Sister, Julia Schaffer
- KATHERINE MEIER AND FREDRICH SCHAFFER’S CHILDREN WERE:
- Fred Schaffer (2nd wife Eva Walter, Oberdorf,Russia) Vancouver, WA. "Uncle Fred" paid $100 for "Aunt Eva"’s passage from Bremen, Germany. Some friends gave Aunt Eva a large bag of St.John’s bread to give to their children, but when she arrived in US, they were in So. America. We loved to visit them on their Farm.
- Curley
- Marie (Henry Glanz), Portland, OR
- Bernice
- Jeannie
- Mildred
- Margie
- Barbara
- Herb (wife
- Henry (wife
- Esther ( )
- " " ( )
- Henry Schaffer) He was killed in Russian War.
- Lydia (Henry Stier brother to Jacob Stier who married Katherine Elizabeth Schmunk, my Father’s Aunt, killed in Russian War, Lydia starved)
- Son, last name Stier ? returned to Alexandertal (?)
Note: My Parents and Siblings
- KATHERINE MARGARET (HENRY SCHMUNK)
- Katherine born and died 1907 Buenes Aires, Argentina
- Henry, Jr.(Marie Langenbach) b. 1908 Herington, KS d. Tacoma, WA
- Charles (Nancy) dec’d. , Tacoma, WA
- Joanne (Jack Dugwyler), Littleton, Colorado
- Jim (Gretchan), Spokane, WA
- Anne (Henry Classen) b.1910 Herington, KS, Salem, OR
- Virginia (Pastor Myrl Thiesies), Spokane, WA
- Howard ( Sharon), Dallas, OR
- David, dec’d.
- Fred (Arpa Pfaff) b.1912 Herington, KS, d.1976 Ptld., OR
- Donald (Sara), Brea, CA
- Janet (Jim Kunkel), Portland, OR
- Jerald (Jaki), Beaverton, OR
- Dick, Hillsboro, OR
- Carl b.1914 Herington, KS d.Lyle, WA
- Mary died as infant1916 Herington, KS
- Walter Eric (Doris Fox) b. 1918 Herington, KS d. Ptld., OR
- Laurie (George Anderson), Oregon
- Mary (Don Lucich) b. 1920 Ptld., OR , Oregon City, OR
- Anita (Yocom), Lebanon, OR
- Donna (Lynn Dunton), Mulino, OR
- Robert (Ella Mueller) b.1923 dec’d. Portland, OR
- Sandra (Ray VanderPol), Haiti
- Martha (Paul Miller) b. 1925 Ptld., OR d. Ptld., OR
- David (Barbara), Oregon City, OR
- Timothy, Alaska
- Florence Elizabeth (Rudy Bauder, Sr.) b.1927 Ptld., St.Helens, OR
- Rita Katherine (Ray Biggs), Columbia City, OR
- Deborah Ann, Portland, OR
- Andrea Marie (Peter Doell), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Pastor Rudy, Jr. (Carolyn Muench), Jerome, ID
- Eric George, St. Helens, OR
- Harold Paul (Beverly Holland) b. 1929 Ptld. d. Ptld., OR
- Annie (Alex Meier, sent to Siberia)
- Son, Alexandertal (?)
- Mollie (Alex Kaufman) Scottsbluff, Nebraska
- Large Family Several Twins
- Alex (wife Fannie) Kansas City, Kansas
- Helen (Fagan), KC, KS
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