While doing research on Frank's side of the family Grandma Rose told me to contact "this lady"whose family had come over to Amercia from Russia on the same boat. Well, "this lady" happened to be G.R.'s 3rd cousin on one side and a 4th cousin on the other side. This lady was really big into the German-Russian American society. So, I ended up joining the local society. G.R. was very pleased by this. All of my listings have Frank's name in parenthesis b/c I couldn't join on my own; it had to be through a proven ancestor. I promised her I would continue my membership to represent her family. I decided it would be better to have a family membership in the hopes my children will become interested and it only seemed right to have members who are carrying on the actual blood lines in the society. Today I received my monthly update (I'm never able to make it to meetings due to family time constraints ,but someday I hope to) the next meeting is about a group of German-Russians who were severaly persecuted by government and others from a region in the Ukraine. The society asks for members to bring letters from their ancestors re: this issue. Well, Grandma Rose told me stories about this and I know she has letter somewhere. Those letters might be in my stash or the stash my in-laws have. For some reason it just struck me- how much G'ma Rose would have loved to attend this and how I can still recall those family stories. As I continue to get organized from our move and sort through things I will keep a special eye open for those letters ( I think they were actually copies that her niece has the originals). anyway.. I hope my children will some day be interested; this group of German-Russians seem to be a very tight knit group. Many of the local chapters members are friends with other members who ancestors came over to Amercia together. what a cool thought.

neat and sad at the same time.

Jennifer