He along with the other Germans prospered in Russia. Johann Samuel appears to have made enough to own two farms. The Germans spread across the Russian plains in ever increasing numbers and as the Russians left them alone they prospered. As they prospered they helped the Russian economy. At the same time they made the native Russian people angry, and a climate of change started to happen during this time. From 1825 through 1881 the Russian Tzars started to change the Manifesto of Catherine the Great. In 1871 Alexander III issued an order that started his program of Russification. This meant “one land, one language, one people.” Russians were starting to look upon the Germans with distrust because of their wealth. They were expanding and maintaining their culture until it threatened the Russians’ sense of security. They were forced to Russianize their names, give up their farms to Russians and worst of all they were subject to military service. This last item was what drove many to pack up again and leave in the hope of finding a land where they would be left in peace. They did find a new home to go to – America. America would take them in and offer them land to settle if they would homestead and improve on what they found. This time they would go to America, which held out its hand and promised them the golden land of opportunity.

My great grandfather left Russia in 1885 with most of his 12 children. He also financed many other families so they too could leave Russia. They found America to much like Russia, great vast plains just waiting for them to build a new life. All they needed was their imaginations and hard work, which they had plenty of when they settled near Eureka, South Dakota. This area was much like the Odessa Russia area they were used to. His wife, Rosina, tells of living in their first house, which was a hole in the ground with a turned over wagon covering it, quite a change from the prosperous living they had enjoyed in Russia.

In 1888, the third winter they were there, many died as it was a horrible winter and you had to be tough and hardy to survive. They one thing they did bring to America was their culture, which included a sense of thrift, and hard work. “Just give us the opportunity and we can make it” seems to have been the attitude. They settled in communities much the same as they had in Russia, meaning Germans stuck with Germans and maintained their cultural identity for many years.

My grandfather, Fredrick Grenz was born in 1882 in Russia. He moved with his family to America in 1885 at the age of three. He married my grandmother Christian Schnaidt in 1903, and they had 9 children. He died in 1973 and was buried in Napoleon, North Dakota.

My grandfather moved to several different farms in the Napoleon area before finally settling three miles east of Napoleon, ND. In Russia he was probably raised in the Lutheran faith. Sometime though, around 1905, Fredrick became a Baptist. The fact that he became Baptist probably influenced my life the most. Strong and strict Baptist beliefs were enforced in his household. I understand that my grandmother really liked to dance and have fun in life. With the advent of becoming “Baptist” this would have been forbidden, as it was a sin to dance. Hard work ruled their lives and those of their children. These times in America saw the roaring twenties and the depression of the thirties. These were times of war in Europe, World Wars I and II, started by of course the Germans.” Farmers in those days had everything they needed to survive. They had milk cows, beef cows, pigs, sheep, chickens and they also farmed, anything to make a little money. They also had lots of children (8 were boys) so they could help with the farm.

My grandparents tried hard to maintain their German identity. Napoleon was German. Everything was done in German, especially church services, which were held in German until the 1960s. My parents both learned English when they went to school. The teaching of English in school brought about change to the German community in Napoleon, ND. In Russia they were allowed to educate their children in German, and didn’t assimilate. Here they started to assimilate and become Americans when their children learned English in school. One thing I remember about my grandparents the most is the fact that they refused to speak English when their children were around. Their children were my parents, who had not taught us German so we never got to know them very well. I now know that my grandfather could speak English and even ran for a political office, (what Party I don’t know, but I imagine that it was Republican in nature). He went to grade school where he learned English sometime after he was married, but he didn’t want to acknowledge it to his family.

During the two world wars I do remember some dark secret that was never talked about much. We were investigated for being German; just think we could be subversives and be helping the Germans in their war effort in the middle of nowhere North Dakota. Most of my uncles ended up serving and fighting in these wars supporting their country, America. Why they were willing to fight here and not in Germany or Russia is unclear to me. It was probably the American thing to do and they were Americans by this time. They thing I liked most about that era of time was the sense of community I felt in Napoleon. There were the times like Saturday night when all the farm families would come to town and buy their groceries and socialize out on Main Street. I don’t feel that sense of community in America any more.