Norka a German colony in Russia Dick Family
Heinrich and Dorothea Dick were descendants of the German families who emigrated to the Volga River area of Russia during the reign of Catherine the Great in the 1700's and settled in Norka.
In 1892, the Dick family came to the United States making Omaha, Nebraska their first home. From there, they moved to Norfolk, Nebraska in 1896, where they resided until moving to Elliott, North Dakota in 1904.
Below is an excerpt from Heinrich's obituary from The Ransom County Gazette, Lisbon, North Dakota in 1914:
"He was born in one of the German provinces of Russia, Oct. 2, 1852, and came to this section of North Dakota nearly 20 years ago. He was a careful, frugal and energetic farmer and accumulated a fair competence, as most of our German citizens do. He was an enterprising citizen, a good husband, having married Dora Weber in Russia 42 years ago on Feb. 1, 1872."
See the Dick Family Ancestry Website for more information about this family from Norka.
The photographs below are used with the permission of Janna Diggs.
Heinrich
and Dora (Weber) Dick Family. Back Row: Henry, Anna, Philip, Conrad Peter, John,
Katherine
Front Row: Heinrich, Dorothea.
Catherina (Dick) & Heinrich Urbach Family. Catherina is Heinrich Dick's sister.
John Dick at his farm, located at what is now the Jim Dick farm in North Dakota.
Philip & Mary (Stroh) Dick wedding picture in 1903. The are dressed in traditional Volga German wedding attire.
Lawrence Dick, North Dakota State Representative.
Brooke'S BULLETIN
1993 School Report by Great-Granddaughter Brooke Sibley
God’s Grace
By Heinrich Dick
I am Heinrich Dick, born in 1852 in Norka, Russia, to ethnic Germans who settled in Russia in the late 18th century. I can imagine that my great-grandfather left his home in Germany around 1780 and came to Russia for free land and opportunity. He was no doubt a hardworking man and wanted to begin a family in a country full of promise. The idea that Catherine the Great, herself a German, was recruiting men like him must have filled his heart with pride.
My life in Norka, Russia, a small farming village close to Saratov on the Volga River, was one of close-knit families working hard to start new lives and to hold on to the old culture, too. After my marriage in 1872 to Dorothea Weber, also an ethnic German, I immediately began a large family of six children. That was important because all of our work was done by hand. My first four children were male, but we always knew we were Germans in a land of Russians.
I was eating a special jam for my 39th birthday celebration when more news came about what new taxes the Czar of Russia, Nicholas II, had in store for us. New taxes and more restrictions on my family’s opportunities made me begin to think of this new land people talked about, America. That night Dorothea and I counted our savings and began to plan a new life for ourselves and our six children. There was a ship called the Scandia leaving Hamburg, Germany. We knew my sister, Dorothea, was in Norfolk, Nebraska and decided that would be our new home.
Now I am nearly 62 years old. I moved my sons and daughters for the last time to North Dakota where the land is rich and our life is good. I am happy to say that my older sister, Catherina, married one of my friends from back home, Heinrich Urbach. They say that together we own most of Elliott Township, and we are careful, frugal and competent farmers. We are more than that, we are good husbands and family men, too.
I see myself in my son Philip, a young energetic farmer, only 32 years old. This freedom I sought for him; this soil God gave to him. I am sure he will flourish and his sons and his son’s sons. I will rest well.
North Dakota Farmstead
By Maria Dick
My husband Philip and I are the offspring of Volga German farmers. The earth has been a part of our lives for a long time, and when we immigrated to America, we moved to the prairies of North Dakota. The land was rich but had never been plowed, and we had to struggle to first break the land and to build a shelter. We had an Indian family and a black family as our neighbors. We built a large home and a beautiful red barn for our animals and for storing our harvests. I planted a large garden, fruit trees and shrubs, raised chickens, ducks, geese, guinea hens, pigs and sheep, cooked for my husband and his work crew, canned fruit and vegetables, and smoked meat for the long winters. I also found time to raise eight children. Now I am 97 years old. I still like to speak my native German; I love the earth; I’m proud of my 26 grandchildren, nearly 80 great-grandchildren, and 15 great-great-grandchildren. We have prospered in this rich land.
THE FARM GIRL
By Marian Sibley
My name is Marian Elizabeth Sibley (nee Dick), a farm girl born to Philip and Maria Dick in Englevale, North Dakota in 1917. When I was growing up, we tried very hard to be American, not German-Russian, especially not Russian. My hardworking forebears had originated in Germany before immigrating to Russia in the late 1700’s and then to America in the late 1800’s.
My parents settled on a sod farm near one of my uncles, making my childhood full of family occasions. My cousins and I went to a little country school with grades 1 through 8. We played ball and various running games. We could see movies for a dime. On our farm, I had a lot of chores, such as pulling weeds, cleaning the house, gardening and milking the cows. My family rarely went on vacations, but when we did, we visited my aunt, uncle and cousins in Wisconsin.
As I grew older, I followed in my older sister’s footsteps to a teachers’ college in Valley City, North Dakota. Most of my friends became teachers or nurses or housewives. I’m very grateful that my immigrant parents sent me to college.
I taught first grade for 27 years. I hope that my work encouraged my students, as well as my own children, to go to college and to reach for high goals. That was always the message in my own family when I was growing up on the farm.
GENERATION GAP
By Brooke M. H. Sibley
I am Brooke Sibley, the granddaughter of Marian (nee Dick) Sibley. When I compare our lives, I see that during a span of two generations lifestyles have changed a lot.
I was born in a hospital, rather than in a farmhouse, and grew up in an urban area and went to a large school in Minneapolis, Minnesota and later in Palo Alto, California, rather than a tiny country one-room school on the prairie as my grandmother did. My grandmother walked about 2 miles to school even when it was snowing and very cold, while I ride a bike a few blocks in balmy weather. When I visit my cousins, I must travel by airplane and when I watch a movie it costs $5.00, not a dime.
Grandma was a farm girl and I am a city girl. My Grandma grew up with limited options of what to choose for her career, but now there are no limitations for what I can choose for my career.
My Grandmother didn’t mention what sports she played, but I doubt she played sports in school. Right now, I love sports! I play soccer, tennis, basketball, track and badminton.
My Grandmother went to church every Sunday. I, on the other hand, don’t go to church on every Sunday, but I believe in God.
ETHNIC GERMANS AND THE VALUE OF HARD WORK
By Brooke M. H. Sibley
As a group, the German-Russians were known for their industriousness. They seemed to possess a lot of stamina and actually have survived in sparsely populated wildernesses such as the Volga River area, Siberia and Central Asia. When they immigrated to the United States, they lived in areas with open prairies and harsh climates such as Kansas and North Dakota. Although they always have had hardships, they had made a good live. Even the vocabulary of the Volga Germans shows their good attitude. Their word for “to work” was not the German Word “arteiten” but rather “schaffen” which means “to produce, to create”. My great-great-grandfather and mother did create a homestead for a large family. My great-grandfather and mother created an even larger homestead for another large family. My grandfather and mother created educated people who create in different ways than on the farm.
ETHNIC GERMANS AND THE VALUE OF EDUCATION
By Brooke M. H. Sibley
The Volga Germans began to build small huts for schools immediately after they built their houses. The school term began when the crops were done, probably in October, and it ended when planting began in the spring. The schoolmaster was greatly respected, and children were punished by him for bad behavior in school. It was not uncommon that a spanking at school would be followed by another one at home.
Education in religion was important, too. Children were accepted into the church at the age of 14 or 15, which was a passage from childhood to adulthood. A big celebration was held in the home. In the Lutheran faith this is called Confirmation.
ETHNIC GERMANS IN RUSSIA TODAY
By Brooke M. H. Sibley
Many ethnic Germans who settled near the Volga River more than 200 years ago were deported to Siberia and Central Asia when the German Nazis invaded the former Soviet Union in 1941. If my great-great-grandfather and mother, Heinrich and Dorothea Dick, had not immigrated to America, they, too, would have been displaced to Siberia and Central Asia.
Today, ethnic Germans whose families have been in the former Soviet Union for over 200 years are hoping to return to the reunified Germany. Officially, there are over 2 million people designated “German” on their passports throughout the former Soviet Union. The German constitution recognized nationality by blood and birth and has a “law of return”. In 1992, nearly 196,000 immigrated to Germany. This may be a problem for Germany as these Russian-Germans need help to resettle and find jobs. To encourage these ethnic Germans to remain in Russia, the German government has tried to build housing, factories and bakeries in predominantly German areas of the former Soviet Union. Some of the ethnic Germans are moving to these “magnet" areas, but many more want to leave.
Philip and Mary (Stroh) Dick Biography
High School Report by Great-Granddaughter Marcie McDaniel
The Germans lived in Russia because the Russians told them they could work the land and in 100 years it would be theirs. They would not have to serve in the military or pay any taxes. The Russians wanted the Germans to work the land because it was such good land and they didn’t have enough people to work it themselves. So they let the Germans come. These families came to Frank, Russia. John Stroh’s grandfather owned an orchard and John’s uncle traveled a lot because he was a very good doctor. Jacob and Anna Catherina (Zeiler) Stroh had three children, Jacob Stroh was the oldest, then John Stroh and Conrad Stroh.
George and Dorothea (Hoffeber) Schafer were Mrs. John Stroh’s parents and they had seven children. Anna had a twin brother and a sister 10 years younger then her and 4 other brothers.
John Stroh and Anna Maria Schafer were married on January 20, 1869 in Russia. They had 10 children. John was the oldest, then Margaret, Conrad, Anna, Katherina, Mary, Elizabeth, Mabel, Ella and Lottie (Charlotte). Conrad died when he was five probably of appendicitis, but no one knows for sure. All were born in Frank, Russia.
They lived in a house in Frank, Russia. John was a carpenter and Mother Anna kept house.
All the people they associated with were Germans. They operated the stores, markets, etc. The German people wanted their children to have a good education, but the Russians didn’t really care. Mary can remember her father talking about “those dumb Russians”. But her father and the other Germans always got along with them.
There was a community well by their house and people who were passing through could stop there and get water, and anyone else could use it, too. One day some Russian soldiers were going through town and stopped at the well. All of the children peeked through the cracks of the house because they were scared of the Russians.
They made their own material for clothes. They would spin the cloth but never weave it. They made their own wool dresses and when they came to America the people wanted to know where they got those nice wool dresses.
The hundred years were almost up and John, Jr. had come to America to avoid the draft. One of Mary’s aunt’s twin boys was drafted, but instead of making an issue of the matter they let him go. He found out what bad things the Russians were going to do to the people when the hundred years were up. So, he came back and told the people about it.
They had a good life there and Father Stroh didn’t want to go, but Mother told him he and his girls could stay here, but she wanted to be with her son in America.
So they left from Antwerp, Belgium on the steamship Victoria. Mary’s Grandma and Grandpa Schafer came also. Margaret was 18 and Mary was 10. They didn’t bring any furniture or dishes. They left everything for her grandfather and uncle. But they all got new outfits to travel in.
They got their meals on the ship, but they didn’t like the food very well. The boat was fumigated every day so there were no diseases. It really smelled. It could have been why the food tasted so bad.
There were lots of Jews on the ship. They sat on the table and ate. The boat was like a cattle boat, no beds, everyone had to find a place to sleep anywhere.
Mary and
her grandfather never got seasick, so they took care of the rest of the
family. Her Grandmother Zeiler’s sister died on the ship and was cast in the
water because they had not other way of disposing of the body.
There was no punishment on the ship, no fights, no trouble. It wasn’t as clean
as they would have liked, but it wasn’t filthy either. They could go on deck
anytime and get fresh air.
Arriving in Baltimore, Maryland, they then spent a few days in Chicago and arrived in Hastings, Nebraska on July 10, 1893.
When Mary arrived in Hastings, her Mom’s twin brother took her uptown and bought her a new hat. The next day he got her some new outfits. She stayed at his house the rest of the summer.
Mary’s parents didn’t want the children to talk English and the schools never taught it. She learned to talk English on her own. Her dad had a hard time finding work here because he couldn’t speak English.
When they came to Nebraska, fabric was 1 cent a yard, meat was 1½ cents per pound, 3 pounds of coffee was 2½ cents, sugar was 2½ cents a pound and rent was $3 a month.
They moved to Omaha for awhile, then to Norfolk. Then they moved to Michigan for two years and back to Hastings.
Philip Dick was born in Norka, Russia. His parents were Dorothea Weber and Heinrich Dick. He was third in a family of seven children. Henry was the oldest, then John, Phil, Peter, George, Anna and Katherine. George died when he was young.
Phil came to America about 1½ years before Mary did. He came right before Christmas and she came the next July.
Mary met Phil at Norfolk. They were confirmed together and were friends for a long time. Phil went to Michigan and the Stroh's went the same year. Phil wanted to marry Mary then, but she said she’d let him know when she wanted to get married.
Their parents wanted their children to marry relatives, but they weren’t related to each other. Mary was 20 and Phil was 21 when they married on January 28, 1903. He was 1 year and 1 day older than her. His birthday was January 12 and hers was January 13.
They came to North Dakota because Phil’s parents wanted them to. His parents and some of his brothers were already there. Dora was 2 and Lawrence was a baby when they came to North Dakota.
John & Anna Stroh Biography (Mary Stroh Dick’s parents)
By Donald Moore, Mary Dick’s Nephew
Jacob Stroh and his wife, Anna Katherine Zeiler Stroh, of Frank, Russia had three sons: George, John and Conrad. George and Conrad both died in the “old country”, although George had made several trips to America. He died of a heart attack while preparing to leave on his third trip to America.
Conrad, the youngest brother, and his wife had a daughter, Margaret in the old country. She became pregnant and they wouldn’t let her marry the young man. Conrad thought if he pushed her off a small balcony she would lose the baby. This didn’t work, so Margaret had a child she called Lydia. Margaret eventually married another man with whom she had a second daughter, Amelia. They came to America and settled in the McCook, Nebraska area. Margaret died with another pregnancy and her husband took the two small girls to Hastings, Nebraska. Aunt Catherine Stroh Keiser kept Amelia for a short time, but when her father remarried, she went back to live with him. Amelia married a Kahler and lived in the Papillon, Nebraska area. Lydia made her home with Jacob and Mabel Wagner in Hastings, Nebraska. Mabel Wagner was George Stroh’s daughter. She had come to this country in 1892. Lydia married a Leonard Shuman. She has a son, probably also named Leonard (called Sonny), who lived in Lincoln, Nebraska. She also had two daughters, Doris Schuman Watson of Hastings, Nebraska and Mrs. Gil (Maxine) Cutler of Greeley, Colorado.
John Stroh took his wife, Anna Maria Schafer, and his eight daughters, Margaret, Anna, Catherina, Mary, Elizabeth, Mabel, Ella and Lottie to America in 1893. An older son, John, and his wife and family had come to America a year earlier and settled in the Hastings, Nebraska area. Their oldest son, Jacob, died on the ship and was buried at sea. John & Anna Stroh had tried to make the trip the year before (1892), but only got as far as Turkey. An outbreak of an eye infection cancelled the trip and they were quarantined. They left Russia again on April 26, 1893 and landed at Ellis Island. They arrived in Hastings, Nebraska on July 10, 1893. The reason they came to Hastings was because their son John was already there. Immigrants went to a location where people from their area had already migrated. In Hastings they lived south of the tracks in a German settlement.
Anna Stroh was the one who really wanted to come. She didn’t get along with her sister-in-law, Conrad’s wife. It seems the sister-in-law resented Anna’s large family and the money it took to raise them. Anna Stroh’s parents, George and Maria Schafer were leaving for America and urged them to go and paid their way. John Stroh was very homesick the first few years and cried himself to sleep many nights. He would have gone back to Russia, but Anna insisted she and her girls would stay here. Conditions in this country were bad in the 1890’s and work was scarce. They traveled to Michigan, Illinois and around Ft. Morgan, Colorado working in the beet fields. They lived in tents and shacks provided by their employer. All family members helped in this work. Since John Stroh was a farmer in the fruit orchards in Russia, he wanted to farm. They rented some land and bought some horses in Norfolk, Nebraska. With a houseful of girls, the work was too hard for him, so they returned to Hastings. John did carpenter work as long as he was able and then worked for the City of Hastings until he was nearly 75. The Stroh’s were a well thought of family in the area. I’m sure their upbringing made the family a very thrifty group and has something to go with their longevity.