Joseph Merk Family Trip From Argentina

Joseph Merk did write a letter to der Staats Anzeiger newspaper within a few days of arrival in Balfour, North Dakota, after their journey from Argentina in 1912. That letter has recently been translated from its original German language and is now online with the other letters he wrote to that newspaper. The letter, dated 15 June 1912 is available at the GRHS website. In it, he tells of taking one ship from Buenos Aires to Las Palmas, Canary Islands, and then another ship from the port of Tenerife to Vera Cruz, Mexico. They then took a train overland. It was a lengthy trip because of the route they took, partially necessary because of alleged eye disease found in several of the children.

Kutschurgan Villages 200th Anniversary

Michael Miller, Director and Bibliographer of the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection, North Dakota State University Library, is now leading the 14th annual journey to the homeland. While on the current tour, he today sent an email from Odessa. He said, in part: "Other tour members and myself visited Elsass, Kandel and Selz of the Kutschurgan District villages. We went to the Elsass school to see the room for their museum. Elsass will celebrate their 200th Anniversary as a community and former German colony on 20 September 2008. Selz will celebrate its 200th anniversary for all of the six Kutschurgan District mother colonies with programs on 21 September 2008. Both of these September days will be important to the community of Germans from Russia with Kutschurgan ancestry in Germany, Canada and USA."

He offered to carry to Elsass and Selz for us a copy of a Merck Family History book for their museums. I included in the book a section of pictures taken while our family group visited the Kutschurgan villages in 2007. Additionally, I included several enlarged color photos taken while we were in Elsass and a similar package for Selz. So, our family will be part of the 200th Anniversary, at least in book form.