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Dubois County: German Americans, 1993-1994

A Guide to the Collection of Oral History Interviews at Indiana University Bloomington

Finding aid prepared by the staff of the Center for the Study of History and Memory with a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities Division of Preservation and Access, 2000-2002

Overview of the Collection

Repository
Indiana University Center for Documentary Research and Practice
Indiana University
Franklin Hall 0030B
601 E. Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: 812/855-2856
Fax: 812/855-0002
E-mail: ohrc@indiana.edu
https://cdrp.mediaschool.indiana.edu

Creator
Indiana University Center for the Study of History and Memory

Title
Dubois County: German Americans, 1993-1994

Project No.
ohrc035

Interviews
10 interviews. Audiotapes, transcripts, and collateral materials.

Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Franklin Hall, Room 0030B. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University Archives. Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.

Language
Materials are in English

Abstract
The project, Dubois County: German Americans, deals with an area in Indiana rich with German Heritage. The interviewees discuss the history of the area, their lives and lifestyles, and the importance of religion, usually German Catholicism. They also discuss German dialects still spoken in and around the county, as well as how the language has influenced their English speaking.

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains ten interviews over the course of one year. Interviews range from 51 to 230 minutes. All of the intervies consist of audio tapes and a few have typed transcripts. See interview descriptions for more information.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information
Oral history interviews conducted by the Indiana University Center for the Study of History and Memory from 1968 to the present, with particular focus on the history of twentieth-century America and the Midwest.
Usage Restrictions
The archive of the Center for Documentary Research and Practice at Indiana University is open to the use of researchers. Copies of transcript pages are available only when such copies are permitted by the deed of gift. Scholars must honor any restrictions the interviewee placed on the use of the interview. Since some of our earlier (pre-computer) transcripts do not exist in final form, any editing marks in a transcript (deletions, additions, corrections) are to be quoted as marked. Audio files may not be copied for patrons unless the deed of gift permits it, and a transcript is unavailable for that interview. The same rules of use that apply to a transcript apply to the audio interview. Interviews may not be reproduced in full for any public use, but excerpted quotes may be used as long as researchers fully cite the data in their research, including accession number, interview date, interviewee's and interviewer's name, and page(s).
Preferred Citation
[interviewee first name last name] interview, by [interviewer first name last name], [interview date(s)], [call number], [project name], Center for Documentary Research and Practice, Indiana University, Bloomington, [page number(s) or tape number and side if no transcript; if digital audio and no transcript, cite time when quote occurs].

Interview List


Interviewee
Boeglin, John July 20, 1994 

Call Number
93-076

Physical Description

Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 51 minutes

Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko

Access Status

Open

Scope and Content Note

Father John Boeglin grew up in a German community northeast of Evansville, but had ancestral ties to the Dubois County area. He speaks about the importance of religious faith not only to himself, but also in the community. He also speaks about German traditions, especially those with a religious connection such as Ligation Days.

  • Keywords
    • Corporation Names
    • St. Celestine Parish
    • Occupation Names
    • priest
    • Personal Names
    • Kundek, Joseph
    • Place Names
    • Celestine, Indiana
    • St. James, Indiana
    • Subjects
    • Catholocism
    • German language
    • Ligation Days
    • local history
    • religious faith
    • Vatican II

Interviewee
Dilger, Robert F. July 21, 1994 

Call Number
93-077

Physical Description

Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 125 minutes

Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko

Access Status

Open

Scope and Content Note

Robert F. Dilger discusses his early life and education in a small German Catholic farming community in Indiana. He discusses his genealogy and interest in his German roots. He talks about his experiences in the German Club and while traveling. He discusses the German language, once very prevalent in the area. He speaks of the changes the community has undergone, and the changes in religion since Vatican II. Dilger discusses the importance of religion in his life and what he would like to instill in his children.

  • Keywords
    • Corporation Names
    • Jasper German Club
    • Occupation Names
    • engineering manager
    • Place Names
    • Jasper, Indiana
    • Pfaffenweiler, Germany
    • Subjects
    • community changes
    • farming
    • genealogy
    • German language
    • religious beliefs
    • Vatican II

Interviewee
Dilger, Sharon August 16, 1994 

Call Number
93-079

Physical Description

Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 93 minutes

Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko

Access Status

Open

Scope and Content Note

Sharon Dilger discusses growing up in Ferdinand, Indiana. She describes her family life, her fathers newspaper business, the Ferdinand Newsand her family background. Dilger also discusses Dubois County history and changes. She discusses her church activities and her families involvement with Ferdinand's sister city Pfafenweiler, Germany. Dilger finally discusses her theories and practices in raising her children.

  • Keywords
    • Corporation Names
    • Ferdinand News
    • Crane Naval Base
    • Holy Family Church
    • Procter and Gamble
    • Purdue University
    • Occupation Names
    • newspaperman
    • Place Names
    • Cincinnati, Ohio
    • Dubois County, Indiana
    • Ferdinand, Indiana
    • Jasper, Indiana
    • Lima, Ohio
    • Pfafenwheiler, Germany
    • Subjects
    • Alzheimers disease
    • child rearing
    • church activities
    • family background
    • German club
    • hospitality
    • newspaper business
    • sister cities
    • small town atmosphere

Interviewee
Doane, Lillian October 23, 1993 

Call Number
93-074

Physical Description

95 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 110 minutes; index

Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko

Access Status

Open

Scope and Content Note

Lillian Doane, born in 1913, discusses her early life in the small German Catholic farming community of Jasper, Indiana. She recalls the hard work, family life and traditions, and education of the times as well as the community's joint work such as threshing, butchering, and sometimes moonshine- producing. She also recalls other community interactions such as dances and quilting bees. She discusses different German dialects and the dialect that seemed to form specifically in the area. She talks about transient groups including gypsies, tramps, and 'Jesse James'- type groups that raised havoc. Doane discusses her interest in the rich history of the area and what it has to offer tourists. She talks about those who basically set the cornerstones for the community, especially Fr. Joseph Kundek and Clem Doane, and about the importance of and growing interest in genealogy. She talks about the reemergence of German pride after and era of anti- German sentiment following both World War I and World War II. She discusses the central role St. Joseph's Catholic church has historically held in the community and recalls the special services it has held. She talks about the coming of the union and the effect it had on the community. Doane also talks about the rivalries between surrounding towns and the controversy over saloons.

  • Keywords
    • Corporation Names
    • Jasper Courier
    • St. Joseph's Church
    • Family Names
    • Fehrenbach
    • Fehribach
    • Occupation Names
    • librarian
    • town historian
    • Personal Names
    • Buecher, Ruth
    • Doane, Clem
    • Fierst, John
    • Kundek, Joseph
    • Place Names
    • Celestine, Indiana
    • Ferdinand, Indiana
    • Huntingburg, Indiana
    • Ireland, Indiana
    • Jasper, Indiana
    • Subjects
    • butchering
    • Catholicism
    • community rivalries
    • farming
    • genealogy
    • German dialects
    • German heritage
    • moonshine
    • religious celebrations
    • saloons
    • school
    • traditional celebrations
    • transient population
    • unions
    • wheat threshing
    • World War I
    • World War II

Interviewee
Johanneman, Phyllis July 12, 1993 

Call Number
93-072

Physical Description

Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 96 minutes

Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko

Access Status

Open

Scope and Content Note

Phyllis Johanneman discusses fitting into Ferdinand, Indiana as a newcomer and getting involved in the community. She discusses her involvement in the Ferdinand Historical Society, and how the organization works to preserve the history of the area. She talks about the Ferdinand Sesquicentenial and the work she put into various aspects of it. Johanneman discusses the changes she has witnessed in the community both as a teacher and a community member. She also speaks of tourism in Ferdinand.

  • Keywords
    • Corporation Names
    • Dubois County Historical Society
    • Ferdinand Historical Society
    • Ferdinand News
    • St. Ferdinand Catholic Church
    • Occupation Names
    • choir director
    • music teacher
    • Personal Names
    • Kundek, Joseph
    • Place Names
    • Ferdinand, Indiana
    • Subjects
    • alcohol
    • community changes
    • community organizations
    • Ferdinand Sesquicentennial
    • Kundek's corner
    • tourism

Interviewee
Krapf, Norbert August 5, 1993 

Call Number
93-073

Physical Description

50 pages; 3 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 132 minutes; index

Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko

Access Status

Open

Scope and Content Note

Norbert Krapf, born in 1943, discusses growing up in the German Catholic community of Jasper, Indiana. He discusses his ancestor's immigration from Germany and the lives of his parents in this German Catholic farming community. He talks about his education and what led to his career as a writer. He discusses the great impact his German roots have had on him, on his work, and on the research he's done on his family, the area, and on German heritage. He discusses his works, especially Finding the Grain and other poetry as well as their inspirations. Krapf talks about both the support and the resistance he's received from and for his writings, particularly in the subject of the Holocaust. He mentions many people's seeming desire to hide their German descent due to post- World War I and World War II antagonism. He discusses the part Catholicism has played in his own and in many others' German heritage. He also discusses his experiences teaching in Germany

  • Keywords
    • Family Names
    • Krapf
    • Place Names
    • Germany
    • Indiana
    • Long Island, New York
    • Occupation Names
    • author
    • professor
    • Personal Names
    • Dreiser, Theodore
    • Fierst, John
    • Kundek, Joseph
    • Subjects
    • Catholicism
    • English language
    • farming
    • Finding the Grain
    • German heritage
    • German language
    • Holocaust
    • poetry
    • Strassenfest
    • World War I
    • World War II

Interviewee
Nathan, Marilyn J. January 24, 1994 

Call Number
93-075

Physical Description

Not Transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 102 minutes

Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko

Access Status

Open

Scope and Content Note

Marilyn Nathan grew up in Gary, Indiana, but spent a year living with relatives in Germany during high school. She speaks about her experiences learning the language and customs. She also speaks about the influence her grandmother had interesting her in German heritage. She eventually studied German at Indiana University and moved to Dubois County to teach. She discusses teaching, the difficulty in being accepted into the community, and other vestiges of German traits persistent in the community.

  • Keywords
    • Corporation Names
    • Holy Family School
    • Indiana University
    • Occupation Names
    • German teacher
    • Personal Names
    • Jordan, Sabine
    • Subjects
    • exchange student
    • family history
    • gambling
    • German language
    • German traditions
    • German work ethic
    • holiday events
    • Little Jasper Germans
    • teaching

Interviewee
Sasse, Angela June 4, 1993 

Call Number
93-070

Physical Description

Not transcribed; 4 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 230 minutes

Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko

Access Status

Open

Scope and Content Note

Sister Angela Sasse discusses her education, her work in the Monastery Immaculate Conception library, and her work in the academy. She shares a detailed local history. She discusses her role in the Ferdinand Historical Society and what has been done through this organization to preserve the history of the area. Sr. Angela speaks about her genealogy and discusses the lives of her parents and grandparents in Indiana. She talks about her early life and entering the religious life.

  • Keywords
    • Corporation Names
    • Ferdinand Historical Society
    • Jasper Center College
    • Monastery Immaculate Conception
    • Occupation Names
    • librarian
    • nun
    • teacher
    • Place Names
    • Ferdinand, Indiana
    • Subjects
    • family traditions
    • Ferdinand Centennial
    • Ferdinand Sesquicentenial
    • genealogy
    • local history
    • Monastery Immaculate Conception library
    • Welcome World

Interviewee
Scheessele, Mary K. June 7, 1993 

Call Number
93-071

Physical Description

Not transcribed; 3 tapes, 17/8 ips, 160 minutes

Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko

Access Status

Open

Scope and Content Note

Sister Mary K. Scheessele, born 1922, discusses her life in the Ferdinand community and growing up in Spencer County. She also discusses her dedication and education at the Benedictine Sisters of Ferdinand Monastery and St. Benedict College. She then describes her teaching career and library science education. She also discusses her responsibilities as the monastery archivist.

  • Keywords
    • Corporation Names
    • Benedictine Sisters of Ferdinand Monastery
    • Catholic University
    • Indiana Religious History Association
    • St. Benedict College
    • St. Rupert's Church
    • Occupation Names
    • archivist
    • librarian
    • nun
    • teacher
    • Personal Names
    • Hartman, Grover
    • Kundek, Joseph
    • Place Names
    • Baden, Germany
    • Ferdinand, Indiana
    • Redbrush, Indiana
    • Spencer County, Indiana
    • Warrick County, Indiana
    • Subjects
    • 1937 flood
    • alcohol consumption
    • Benedictine life
    • bicentennial
    • college education
    • college library
    • community values
    • family history
    • farming
    • German heritage
    • German language
    • library collection development
    • library science
    • monastery archives
    • protestant catholic division
    • religious clothing
    • religious life
    • school libraries
    • Vatican II
    • World War II

Interviewee
Schipp, John H. August 2, 1994 

Call Number
93-078

Physical Description

Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 120 minutes

Interviewer
Muehr, Heiko

Access Status

Open

Scope and Content Note

Fr. John H. Schipp discusses growing up in Ferdinand, Indiana. He describes his activities as a child such as church, school and sports. He also describes his high school and seminary education at St. Meinrad. Schipp explains his research into his family history and the histories of many of the families in Dubois County. He also discusses the migration and settlement patterns of German Americans.

  • Keywords
    • Corporation Names
    • St. Meinrad Seminary
    • Occupation Names
    • priest
    • Place Names
    • Dubois County, Indiana
    • Evansville, Indiana
    • Ferdinand, Indiana
    • Huntingburg, Indiana
    • Jasper, Indiana
    • Louisville, Kentucky
    • Siberia, Indiana
    • St. Meinrad, Indiana
    • Subjects
    • church
    • church picnics
    • community changes
    • farming
    • German language
    • genealogy
    • human geography
    • migration
    • recreation
    • religion
    • religious processions
    • schools
    • seminary

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