My father, Gideon Grenz, was born in 1920 in Bismarck, North Dakota. He married Gloria Bauer in 1945, and they had four children. He died in 1966 and is buried in Napoleon, North Dakota. My father never graduated from grade school, the times dictating that it was more important to work. Who needed to go to school to learn how to farm anyway? My dad was the youngest and had to stay home and help farm when his brothers went off to war. I think it always bothered him that he did not get to support his country. The farm life was hard work for the children. My dad milked up to 15 cows by hand. Man, I used to milk one cow twice a day and that was hard on the wrists. How do you milk 15 cows, two times a day? I guess it was because my dad loved the land, farming, and that way of life as have Germans for centuries. My mom on the other hand was tired of the farm and all the work, and she “encouraged” Dad to leave the farm behind and they moved to Missoula, Montana in 1955. My dad told to me that all he really wanted to do in life was farm, and for years that was my desire also. By now our German culture was becoming more and more Americanized. We still attended a North American German Baptist church but it held services in English and we appeared just like any other immigrant from other areas of Europe – we had melted. My parents never talked about our background, politics, or religion. We simply lived and absorbed these basic ideas, that we voted Republican, and were very religious to the point of being legalistic in our beliefs. No one could be saved if they didn’t go to our church etc. I have lived my life as a conservative Republican for most of my life. I agreed with my parents in that we should work hard and take care of ourselves. We were not to take charity and we would help ourselves to get ahead in this American society. We didn’t want the government to tax us for our hard work and tell us how to do anything. This probably comes from our experiences in Russia and the fact that Alexander III wanted to cram Russia down our throats. I didn’t understand why others did not believe like us in all respects. I now question this belief of only us having the right answers. Often when growing up I did not stand up on my own beliefs but simply said that my church didn’t allow dancing, etc so therefore that’s why I didn’t go dancing. I wasn’t able to formulate my own thinking or belief system. I have finally started to make my own decisions and have changed my politics and my religious thinking. I haven’t abandoned my upbringing but have softened it as I have moved from the rural areas to the city seeing problems through their eyes. Also becoming more exposed to cultural diversity, I am becoming aware of their problems. This awareness requires that I give different answers than those I’ve given in the past.

I was born in 1948 in Bismarck, North Dakota and am the third of four children. We lived on the farm until I was one year old and then we moved to town in Napoleon North Dakota. My dad needed to find work and set out alone and traveled “West” looking for work. He traveled over 800 miles and finally stopped in Missoula, Montana where he had fund a laborers job. He was finally able to send for us and I lived there and graduated from high school in Missoula in 1966. Growing up here where there was no cultural diversity to speak of did affect my beliefs. I was isolated from the larger world. In fact my religious upbringing reinforced my introverted view of life. I didn’t question anything and accepted all that was told me as being the truth and the correct view of life. My schooling didn’t affect my world-view to any great extent, as my beliefs and views were dictated by my religious schooling. I knew that there was strife in the world but as I was having trouble just surviving my own internal struggle for life I could not see the world having anything to do with me. We had the Hippie Generation, drugs, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Vietnam War going on but I hardly noticed. The only extra-curricular activities I took part in were those that centered on the church. Nothing much else was acceptable for us Baptist children. There were no teachers that stand out in my mind that had an influence over my beliefs or inspired me. I think I always wanted to please my mother and father so my dad was my only hero. My dad always wanted to farm and just to be left alone to do his work and worship as he saw fit. I think that was my only desire for years as I tried to fulfill his dream. Outside of church I didn’t have any role models. There was no one that really inspired me to pursue a goal. I always felt that when I grew up I would finally find out who and what I wanted to be. I did go into the army in 1967 and for the first time I saw a larger part of the world. Even though I didn’t recognize it this probably was something that influenced my more than I realized. I found African American friends and went to church with one. It scared me at the time because we were taught to sit still in church and say nothing. This church was rocking with spiritual community. I liked it deep down and it was something I think I was searching for. Over the years it has grown and been reinforced by the communities I have come in contact with in my travels in my army career.

No one in my family has ever been an office holder or worked on any campaigns that I know of. My older brother may have done some work in this area though. He became a liberal Democrat. Needless to say we never discussed this diversion from a good Republican family. We were a pretty closed family and didn’t discuss things such as this. That old admonishment held true in our family, “Don’t discuss politics and religion.”