Matters not that it has been more than a century since my great-grandparents left South Russia. The Germans remaining there speak the same dialect, and share the same food and folk traditions of my North Dakota relatives. As I observed them, I was struck by other shared behaviors. I believe my North Dakota father and my Moldovan host, Theodor, would have been immediate friends, so similar is their communication style. It was a sobering journey to walk the streets and visit the homes and churches of my ancestors.
Many buildings still stand but are in ruins or disrepair.
The Germans who built the once beautiful villages were forcibly moved from their homes, and those unable to emigrate to freedom have spent most of the last 50 years performing hard labor in the outer regions of the former Soviet Union. It is only in recent years that ethnic Germans have found their way back to the old German villages. Their stories of survival and testimonies of great courage gave new insight to my heritage. I now have a better understanding of the amazing fortitude and inner strength my ancestors possessed during the early pioneer years in South Russia and later Dakota Territory. No wonder our ancestors adjusted so well in the new land.