Successful Research: "Like Finding a Needle in a Haystack"
by Rachel Holmes (née Krieger)
This true story begins in 1927 when Heinrich Wacker (Walker), a California resident, made a visit to his birthplace, Norka, Russia. He had taken a home movie camera and he filmed many of the people who still lived there, and who had survived the famines and hardships of the early 1920's.
After Heinrich Wacker died, this film was in the possession of his friend Jacob Aschenbrenner of Portland, Oregon. Jacob would invite many friends to his home on Saturday evenings, and with the help of a teenager, my brother Walter Krieger, and a rented projector, they would show this film. At that time, all those pictured in the film were recognized by the viewers, even their nicknames. Unfortunately, the names were never recorded. However, on this film were my father's father, his older brother and family who did not leave Russia.
After some years passed the film was forgotten until my daughter, Judith Myers, heard of it and wanted to take it to her high school history class, so it was borrowed from Uncle Jacob Aschenbrenner. Fortunately, the history teacher discovered the film had been produced on old celluloid film, and it would be destroyed by projecting it. Since Jacob Aschenbrenner died suddenly during this time, it was returned to his son, cousin George Aschenbrenner. In 1968, George died, and the film was again forgotten until the 1972 AHSGR Convention in Portland, Oregon which my brother and I attended. I told my brother that I believed this film would be of interest to the people attending the convention, if we could find it.
Kathy Riddle, Jacob's grand daughter and George's daughter, came to the rescue. She knew exactly where it was - in her mother's storage closet in a retirement home! Then Walter Krieger and Jack Deines took the film to a professional film company that duplicated it on modern film. It was presented and narrated by Walter Krieger at the convention. The original and duplicate are now in the AHSGR archives.
In 1989 when it appeared that an American tour led by Esther Trekell would be permitted to visit the Volga region, my husband Oliver Holmes, and I signed up. Then I thought of this film again and wondered if any of those cousins shown in that old film were still living. With Arthur Flegel's assistance and pictures taken from that old film, an article was submitted to Landsmannschaft der Deutschen aus Russland's publication Volk Auf Dem Weg. It appeared in the November 1989 issue.
Approximately one month later, a letter arrived from Anna Weber in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. She put names on the four cousins in the picture. She wrote that she had been living in Germany for 15 years, but she was born in Norka and remembered that as a teenager she stole cherries from my grandfather's orchard. She also stated that she believed two of the sisters were still living, and she would write to her elderly brother in Siberia who had been married to the oldest Krieger daughter who had died many years ago. Anna's brother was 83 and not well. However, he managed to travel somewhere and obtained the address of my cousin Katarina who lived in Ufa, Russia. He sent this information to his sister in Germany who sent it to me. What excitement this brought to my brother and me.
Immediately I wrote to cousin Katarina and from her first reply it was apparent that she was overwhelmed to hear from a relative in the United States. I made copies of the Volk Auf Dem Weg article and the correspondence with Anna Weber in Germany and sent them to her. She then replied she understood how I found her.
Katarina was the youngest child of Heinrich Krieger. She lived in Norka until 1931 when at age 17 she was deported with her parents in a cattle car to Kazakhstan. Her parents died shortly thereafter but she survived many more hardships. She married and had two children. Then her husband was sent off somewhere to a labor camp.
Finally in 1992, our tour group was granted permission to go to Saratov and our ancestral villages. I made arrangements for Katarina and some family members to meet us in Saratov. When we arrived in Saratov they were waiting for us and presented me with a huge bouquet. What an occasion! We all traveled to Norka which was Katarina's first visit since she was sent away at age 17. In 1992 her family had already submitted their application to emigrate to Germany. Our correspondence continued, and finally a letter from Germany informing me of their arrival in Landau am Isar, Germany in July 1995. Twenty family members came together, Katarina being the oldest and a great grandchild, age 2, the youngest.
When we first met in Russia, Katarina's eyesight was very bad, and the Russian doctors could not do anything for her, not even provide corrective eye glasses. Since her arrival in Germany, she has had lens implants in both eyes and now can read. Needless to say how happy we are that they made it to Germany.
And now what is next? Plans are underway for a reunion of our families in 1996 in Germany.
Gott sie Dank!
Postscript. Our host family in Norka in 1992, Anna and Anatoly Manz and their children Dimitre and Elena are also living in Germany. A visit with them will be included in our itinerary.
Anna's maiden name is Bieber. Her parents lived in Frank and were among those who hosted Timothy and Rosalinda Kloberdanz on their 1991 visit to collect folklore.
After Heinrich Wacker died, this film was in the possession of his friend Jacob Aschenbrenner of Portland, Oregon. Jacob would invite many friends to his home on Saturday evenings, and with the help of a teenager, my brother Walter Krieger, and a rented projector, they would show this film. At that time, all those pictured in the film were recognized by the viewers, even their nicknames. Unfortunately, the names were never recorded. However, on this film were my father's father, his older brother and family who did not leave Russia.
After some years passed the film was forgotten until my daughter, Judith Myers, heard of it and wanted to take it to her high school history class, so it was borrowed from Uncle Jacob Aschenbrenner. Fortunately, the history teacher discovered the film had been produced on old celluloid film, and it would be destroyed by projecting it. Since Jacob Aschenbrenner died suddenly during this time, it was returned to his son, cousin George Aschenbrenner. In 1968, George died, and the film was again forgotten until the 1972 AHSGR Convention in Portland, Oregon which my brother and I attended. I told my brother that I believed this film would be of interest to the people attending the convention, if we could find it.
Kathy Riddle, Jacob's grand daughter and George's daughter, came to the rescue. She knew exactly where it was - in her mother's storage closet in a retirement home! Then Walter Krieger and Jack Deines took the film to a professional film company that duplicated it on modern film. It was presented and narrated by Walter Krieger at the convention. The original and duplicate are now in the AHSGR archives.
In 1989 when it appeared that an American tour led by Esther Trekell would be permitted to visit the Volga region, my husband Oliver Holmes, and I signed up. Then I thought of this film again and wondered if any of those cousins shown in that old film were still living. With Arthur Flegel's assistance and pictures taken from that old film, an article was submitted to Landsmannschaft der Deutschen aus Russland's publication Volk Auf Dem Weg. It appeared in the November 1989 issue.
Approximately one month later, a letter arrived from Anna Weber in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. She put names on the four cousins in the picture. She wrote that she had been living in Germany for 15 years, but she was born in Norka and remembered that as a teenager she stole cherries from my grandfather's orchard. She also stated that she believed two of the sisters were still living, and she would write to her elderly brother in Siberia who had been married to the oldest Krieger daughter who had died many years ago. Anna's brother was 83 and not well. However, he managed to travel somewhere and obtained the address of my cousin Katarina who lived in Ufa, Russia. He sent this information to his sister in Germany who sent it to me. What excitement this brought to my brother and me.
Immediately I wrote to cousin Katarina and from her first reply it was apparent that she was overwhelmed to hear from a relative in the United States. I made copies of the Volk Auf Dem Weg article and the correspondence with Anna Weber in Germany and sent them to her. She then replied she understood how I found her.
Katarina was the youngest child of Heinrich Krieger. She lived in Norka until 1931 when at age 17 she was deported with her parents in a cattle car to Kazakhstan. Her parents died shortly thereafter but she survived many more hardships. She married and had two children. Then her husband was sent off somewhere to a labor camp.
Finally in 1992, our tour group was granted permission to go to Saratov and our ancestral villages. I made arrangements for Katarina and some family members to meet us in Saratov. When we arrived in Saratov they were waiting for us and presented me with a huge bouquet. What an occasion! We all traveled to Norka which was Katarina's first visit since she was sent away at age 17. In 1992 her family had already submitted their application to emigrate to Germany. Our correspondence continued, and finally a letter from Germany informing me of their arrival in Landau am Isar, Germany in July 1995. Twenty family members came together, Katarina being the oldest and a great grandchild, age 2, the youngest.
When we first met in Russia, Katarina's eyesight was very bad, and the Russian doctors could not do anything for her, not even provide corrective eye glasses. Since her arrival in Germany, she has had lens implants in both eyes and now can read. Needless to say how happy we are that they made it to Germany.
And now what is next? Plans are underway for a reunion of our families in 1996 in Germany.
Gott sie Dank!
Postscript. Our host family in Norka in 1992, Anna and Anatoly Manz and their children Dimitre and Elena are also living in Germany. A visit with them will be included in our itinerary.
Anna's maiden name is Bieber. Her parents lived in Frank and were among those who hosted Timothy and Rosalinda Kloberdanz on their 1991 visit to collect folklore.
Source
Written by Rachel Holmes (née Krieger) and used with her permission. According to Judy Myers, Rachel’s daughter, Rachel passed away last on Saturday, August 29, 2009. She was 93 years old.
Last updated March 9, 2016.