Copyright © 2001. 2013
® Canada Copyright Registration  No. 490341
to William J. Milner, March 8, 2001.

 

Karl Altwasser

The Fifth Child of August Altwasser and Anna Hiller

Information about August Altwasser and Anna Hiller


Karl Altwasser and Emilie Muth

Karl Altwasser, son of August Altwasser and Anna Hiller, was born on June 9, 1870 in Chwalborzyce, Poland and married Emilie Muth in Tuczyn, Volhynia on September 3, 1896. Emilie was born August 14, 1877, in Antonowka, the daughter of Gottlieb Muth and Wilhelmine "Mina" Schultz.

 

Kostopol District of Volhynia


Map by ©Jerry Frank 2000

 

Where Did They Live?

  • The Rowno (Rivne) Archives contains an inhabitant reporting register for Kurhany, district Kostopol, produced by the Polish government between 1925 and 1939. The register shows the household of Karol Altwasser, Emilja Altwasser geb Muth, wife; Ernestyna Renwrantz geb Altwasser, daughter; Juljius Renwrantz, son-in-law; and Ida Altwasser, daughter. This document also includes the names of their parents, birth data, occupation, religion and marriage data.

  • The names of Karl Altwasser and Emilie Muth appear on a list of inhabitants for Kurgany, Volhynia, in the Kostopol region of Wolost Beresne. This document, prepared by German authorities, was dated at Riesa in Sachsen, Germany, April 1940.

  • Karl Lenz spoke with Gustav Altwasser, son of Karl Altwasser and Emilie Muth, when Gustav came to Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan for a funeral during the 1970's. Gustav told Karl that his grandfather, Johann August Altwasser, moved from Poland to Kurgany, Rowno, Volhynia, Russia.

    Oczeretianka

    E-mail from Karl Lenz,  March 2005.

    "In a 1985 tape interview that Aunt Elsie Lenz Posehn had with Gustav Altwasser of Regina, SK (son of Karl Altwasser and Emilie Muth), Gustav indicated that he was born in Oczeretianka, Berezno (Beresenskaja Wolost) on April 5, 1899.  This is 10 kilometers north of Wielkopole.  I have to say, that I listened carefully to the birthplace that Gustav gave on the tape and then I looked in the area of Wielkopole to see if I could find a place that sounded similar.  The only place that matched the pronunciation that he gave was Oczeretianka (Oczerecianka).  Gustav did not identify the region, but did mention it was in Volhynia. "


    Oczeretianka Connections

    • An Alexander Labrentz, was born on March 31, 1901 in Oczerecianka, Volhynia. His parents were Gottlieb Labrentz, a farmer, and Ernestine Muth.

    • Ernestine Muth and Emilie Muth are probably cousins, but a birth record for Emilie has not been found to prove this relationship. The Altwasser, Muth and Labrentz families probably knew each other since they all farmed in the same region of Volhynia.

    Oczeretianka Glimpses
    From Regina Steffensen nee Labrenz
    Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

  • Persons with the Labrenz and Muth family name lived in Wielkopole and Sieniakowka until 1915. Our family has travel documents from 1915 -1918 in the Russian language, but no one could read them until last week when they were translated.   (November 2005)

  • The first document, dated July 8, 1915, is a travel permit for the family of my great grandfather Gottlieb Labrentz, his wife Ernestine geb. Muth and five children, travelling from Volhynia to Tscheljabinsk, Ural, Siberia. Their arrival in Tscheljabinsk on June 27, 1916 was confirmed on the same document

  • The permit for travelling from Siberia shows the following text:   Gottlieb Labrentz, 56 years old and coming from Gouv. Wolhynien, Ujesd Rowenski, Wolost Beresinsk, village Tscherotschanka with his family (3 persons), goes back to his home. Date: March 3, 1918. Ernestine and two of her daughters are missing and presumed to have perished between June 1916 and March 1918. The family did not settle in Volhynia after the war ended, but continued their journey into Germany.
  •  

    Time Line Commentary

    We know that Germany declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914 and the Russians became more openly hostile to the German colonists within Russia. The first government confiscations of German owned land in Volhynia started on February 2, 1915. Of 200,000 Volhynian Germans, 100,000 lost their land and were banished to Siberia.

    1915 saw disaster strike the Russian army, which from June to September was forced to retreat up to three hundred miles back into Russia, abandoning Russian occupied Poland. Ethnic Germans living in these border areas were Russian Citizens, but for years had been subjected to political, bureaucratic and military thinking against them. In June 1915 all the German families were ordered out of the area and deported to Siberia, presumably because they were considered as enemy aliens in a war zone and perceived to be a threat to the future security of Russia. They were not allowed to return to their homes until after the Czarist government collapsed in 1917.

    When the Czarist government collapsed in 1917, the Bolsheviks became the strongest political force in Russia, but felt they could not gain control of the whole country at the same time that Russia was battling with Germany. Germany was ceded large tracts of Russian land, including the Ukraine, under the terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, signed on March 3, 1918. Occupation by German troops was short lived however, and in November 1918, the armistice Treaty of Versailles forced German troop withdrawal.

     

    The Culture

    At one point in the story "Where Old Waters Meet", statements about the location of the farm Karl and Emilie returned to in 1917-18 get a little confusing because of the various references to Poland, Russia and the Ukraine. For example, before the war and their displacement, they lived in a country once called Russia. When they returned, it was to their farm in Poland, but the area didn't officially become part of Poland until the Peace Treaty of Riga was signed on March 18, 1921. To survive, they traded milk from their cow with Russian people for eggs and hay. This part of their story reflects the dynamics of a culture within the periphery of ever volatile national borders. A little Volhynian history is in order to understand the relevence of these statements.

    • About 98 per cent of the old Volhynia gubernia is in present-day Ukraine.

    • In the 19th century, Poland and Ukraine came under the Russian Empire, and were not independent countries as they are today.

    • Between the First World War and WW I I, Western Volhynia came under Poland, Eastern Volhynia came under the Soviet Union.
    1918

    The Peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

    On the 3rd December 1917 a conference between a Russian delegation, headed by Leon Trotsky and German and Austrian representatives began at Brest-Litovsk. Trotsky had the difficult task of trying to end Russian participation in the First World War without having to grant territory to the Central Powers. By employing delaying tactics Trotsky hoped that socialist revolutions would spread from Russia to Germany and Austria-Hungary before he had to sign the treaty.

    After nine weeks of discussions without agreement, the German Army was ordered to resume its advance into Russia. On 3rd March 1918, with German troops moving towards Petrograd, Lenin ordered Trotsky to accept the German terms. The Brest-Litovsk Treaty resulted in the Russians surrendering the Ukraine, Finland, the Baltic provinces, the Caucasus and Poland. Occupation by German troops was short lived however, and in November 1918, the armistice Treaty of Versailles forced German troop withdrawal.

     

    1919

    Throughout 1919, Ukraine experienced chaos as the armies of the Ukrainian Republic, the Bolsheviks, the Whites, Poland, the foreign powers of the Entente(France, Britain, Russia), as well as other anarchist forces tried to prevail.

     

    Polish-Soviet War 1919-1920.

    The frontiers between Poland and Soviet Russia had not been clearly defined after WW I and the Poles held control of most of the disputed territories in 1919. The war had been precipitated largely by the demand of Poland that its eastern border of 1772 be restored. Following a Polish attempt to take advantage of Russia's weakness with a major incursion into Ukraine in early 1920, border skirmishes then escalated into open hostilities between Poland and Soviet Russia. The Bolsheviks mounted an April counter-offensive which was very successful. By mid-August, the Polish forces had retreated westward to the Polish capital of Warsaw. The Polish forces then achieved an unexpected and decisive victory during the Battle of Warsaw and began their advance eastward. The war ended with ceasefire in October 1920 and a formal peace treaty between Poland and Russia, the Peace Treaty of Riga, was signed on March 18, 1921. The treaty terms, which fixed the Russo-Polish border, did not satisfy the claims of the victorious Poles, but they awarded to Poland large parts of Belorussia and of Ukraine. The Peace Treaty of Riga lasted until WW I I began in 1939.

    It was just one of a series of conflagrations raging almost simultaneously. Since the borders in the area were tenuous, and in some cases non-existent, several countries came into territorial conflict. There were six concurrent wars on the borders of Poland from 1918 to 1922, between Poland and: Ukraine; Germany (over Poznan); Germany (over Silesia); Lithuania; Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. Add to this the end of the First World War, the Russian Civil War, Allied Intervention in that war, and the Paris Peace Conference. With these events to consider, the reader can see just how confusing and unstable the European political situation was.

    More Polish–Soviet War Details

     

    1939 - 1945

    In 1939 secret protocols in the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact defined the territorial spheres of influence Germany and Russia would have after a successful invasion of Poland. Poland would be partitioned into three major areas. The Warthland area, bordering Germany would be annexed outright to the German Reich, and all non-German inhabitants expelled to the east. More than 77,000 square miles of eastern Polish lands, with a population of over thirteen million would become Russian territory. The central area would become a German protectorate, named the General Gouvernement, governed by a German civil authority. It called for the resettlement of ethnic Germans from the part of Poland that came under Soviet control at this time.

    As these ethnic Germans arrived in Germany, they were first registered and photographed, with all individuals over the age of 15 registered individually. Everyone was subject to a health and racial examination before qualifying for naturalization, resettlement and [military service in the German Army]. Many were resettled in the Wartheland area.

    The Ribbentrop-Molotov non-agression pact ended on June 22, 1941 when Germany invaded Russia. However, during the period 1939 - 1945 more than 2.9 million individuals were processed by the German Einwanderungszentralstelle (EWZ) - (Immigration Central Office) to facilitate the resettlement of ethnic Germans from other parts of Europe


    Inhabitants List (Einwohnerlist) - Kolonie Kurgany 1939
    Source: Wolhynische Hefte, Buchholz Ludwig,
    Kolonie Kurhany bei Kostopol, Einwohnerliste S. 164-166, P 6]

    The collection is created in the order in which the residents had lived in the colony. The village belonged to the Berezne district parish office and the Kostopol Protestant parish. Others were reportedly living in the colony of 36 German families with 25 school children. The Protestant cantor was vacant and there was a Polish public school.
    The names of of Karl Altwasser and Emilie Muth appear on this list.

     


    Map and Population List (Ortsplan and Einwohnerlist) - Kolonie Kurgany 1939
    Source: Karl Holtz, Australia, 2009
    Gustav Lutzer, Germany, 1990

    Hans Altwasser listed on property #3 below, in all probability, is Karl Altwasser married to Emelie Muth; Ludwig Lutzer, married to Olga Altwasser, is listed on property #11; Adolf Krüger, married to Julianna Altwasser, is listed on property #15;  Property #6 could be the home of Julius Renwrantz and his wife Ernestine Altwasser. The list below was created in 1990 from the memories of Gustav Lutzer. The Ortsplan shows the village layout with the names of the families as he remembered them.




    Karl Altwasser and Emilie Muth

    Where Old Waters Meet

    Extracted by Jack Milner from the 1989, 1997 and 2000 Altwasser Reunion Pamphlets written by the descendants of Karl Altwasser and Emilie Muth with additional historical and documentary enhancements. An attempt has been made not to name anyone living and under the age of 70 years or to change the way the story was originally written.


    Karl Altwasser, the fifth child and second son of Johann August Altwasser and Anna Hiller, was born June 9, 1870 in Chwalborzyce, Poland. Karl married Emilie Muth in Tuczyn, Volhynia on September 3, 1896. Emilie was born August 14, 1877, in Antonowka, the daughter of Gottlieb Muth and Wilhelmine 'Mina' Schultz.


    Urkunden Register, gmina Berezno, entry 5192, indicates the birth registry of Karl Altwasser
    Parents given names, Jan-Augusta (Johann-August) and Anny (Anna) on June 10, 1870.
    Courtesy: W Köllner, 2008.

    Karl's descendants mentioned that he was the oldest son. However a brother Adolf was born on September 1, 1868 and died in 1871, making Karl the eldest son to reach adulthood. Many of the eight children in Karl's family remained in Russia and some spent time in the Russian Army. Karl and Emilie's daughter, Gustina Jaik (Auntie Jaik), recalls how her Grandpa Muth would sit his grandchildren down and tell them stories about his experiences in Russia. Auntie Jaik recalled this as being one of the most memorable times in her life as her own parents rarely talked about their past. Grandpa Muth had spent 25 years in the Russian army.

    A 1905 Wedding

    Karl's brother, Gustav Altwasser , was a miller and married Pauline Langner in the nearby village of Wielkepole during the summer of 1905. Karl and his wife Emilie probably joined the festivities. All friends and relatives were invited, as well as all the neighbors from both the villages. The celebration lasted for three days with a lot of good food, cooking , baking and of course no shortage of schnapps.

    After the wedding Gustav and Pauline built a  windmill  in Wielkepole. The windmill was used for grinding grain into flour and building it could have been a fairly complex project, depending upon the design, availability of wood, stone, metal parts and the skill of the builders. Gustav died in 1920, a victim of war-time hostilities between Poland and Russia.


    Children of Karl Altwasser and Emilie Muth

    There were twelve children in the Altwasser family. Eight children reached adulthood.

    • Adolf Altwasser was born on August 23, 1897. He was conscripted into the Russian Army and was sent to the Turkish front where he was taken prisoner of war and eventually sent to Germany. He married Helene Schulz on September 11, 1921, probably in Kuty Salesie, where they had seven children. He was one of many German colonists of military age who served in the Russian Army on the Turkish Front during WW I and died about 1937 in Kuty Salesie. The pencil drawing, reproduced on the right, came from his granddaughter Angelika Seifert.

    • Adolf Altwasser
      A. Seifert
      2010

    • Edward Altwasser was born between 1899 and 1901 and died shortly before the start of WW I.

       

    • Gustav (Gus) Altwasser was born in Oczeretianka (Oczerecianka), Berezno (Beresenskaja Wolost) April 5, 1899. He married Olga Priebe and they had eight children, five boys and three girls. Gus headed to Cuba in approximately 1925. He had wanted to immigrate to the United States, but could not get in because of restrictive U. S. quota laws limiting the number of visas issued to immigrants born in Poland. Gus wrote to Fred Altwasser, a cousin living in Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan. Fred sponsored Gus and in no time Gus and his wife Olga arrived in Canada. Their first son Paul was born one year later.

    • Olga Altwasser was the eldest daughter of Karl and Emilie, born on February 24, 1901 in Kurgany, Volhynia, Russia. She married Ludwig Lutzer on 30 Jan 1923 in Kurgany. The family was displaced several times during WW II, subsequently settling in East Germany (DDR). They had four children, two boys and two girls. Olga passed away on October 1, 1971, in the Goerlitz District.

    • Ludwig Lutzer and Olga Altwasser
      Photos courtesy of W. Köllner, 2010

    • Alwine Altwasser was born on November 21, 1901;   Baptized on November 23, 1901;   Died November 25, 1901. God Parents: August Muth and Julianne Schmidt
    • Julianne Altwasser was born May 15, 1903 in Tuczyn, Volhynia. She married Adolf Krüger on October 20, 1925 in Tuczyn and they had eight children, five boys and three girls. Adolf died in Poland in August 1943, the result of a farm accident. She arrived in Canada with her seven children in 1949 through the sponsorship of Erdman and Gustina Jaik. Julianne's eldest son Erwin remains in West Germany.

    • Gustine Altwasser born on May 6, 1906; arrived in Weyburn, Saskatchewan in 1927 with her brother August to be with her brother Gus; sponsored by Fred Altwasser Sr.. She married Erdman Jaik on January 5, 1930 in Weyburn, Saskatchewan and they had four children, two boys and two girls.

    • August Altwasser August was born about 1910; arrived in Weyburn, Saskatchewan in 1927 with his sister Gustina to be with his brother Gus; sponsored by Fred Altwasser. Once again the Yellow Grass cousin came through! He married Irene Kennett in 1937 in Vernom, BC. August and Irene had five children, four boys and one girl.

    • Ida Altwasser

      Ida Altwasser
      Photo courtesy of W. Köllner, 2010
      The Rowno (Rivne) Archives contains an inhabitant reporting register [1925 - 1939] Kurhany, district Kostopol, which shows she was born in Antonowka, Kostopol district, Volhynia on November 18, 1914. EWZ file card #39273, dated May 24, 1940, provides the date and place of birth as September 15, 1920, Kurgany, Kreis Kostopal.

      From the end of the World War II until 1965, Ida was detained in Poland as a maid by a Polish farmer who refused her the right to leave. Presumably he could do this because she was alone without documents and could not read or write. She lived in a room next to the barn and he only provided her food and shelter. The only possible way to get her out of Poland was by a relative. The relative was her brother-in-law, Ludwig Lutzer, husband of her sister Olga.

      A death certificate obtained by W. Köllner says Ida died on September 16, 1991, in Zittau, DDR (East Germany) and her date of birth September 20, 1921.   Zittau is a city in Saxony close to the border tripoint of Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic.   Ida was not married.

    • Ernestine (Tina) Altwasser

      The Rowno (Rivne) Archives contains an inhabitant reporting register [1925 - 1939] Kurhany, district Kostopol,which shows her birth December 15, 1916 in Nowospaska, Rosja, (believed to be Novospasskoye, Russia, about 25 miles west of Syzran), and her marriage to Julius Renwrantz in Tuczyn on October 25, 1934. 

      Birth and marriage data for Ernestina Altwasser
      Courtesy W. Köllner, 2008.

      The EWZ files [1940] show her birth in 'Russland' (Russia) with a different date, married to Julius Renwrantz, with one daughter born in June 1939. Tina lives in West Germany and she has four children.

    The Early years

    Karl and Emelie worked very hard throughout their lifetime. During their early years of marriage, they worked on rented land and homesteaded, building a home, a few outbuildings and raising animals. But it was never theirs to own. A landlord could come along at any time and have them evicted with very little notice. Because they were quite poor and already had five children, Gustina, when just a few months old, was given to Emelia's sister to be raised as her own. Gustina, for the longest time, thought her Auntie Muth was her mother.

    "At this point, Karl and Emelia Altwasser lived in a country that was at one time called Russia. Gus stated that they had a 'good life' under Russian rule. Just before the First World War in 1914, [sic] Karl and Emelia packed up their belongings, which consisted of a horse, a wagon, a cow, some bedding and their clothes. They were going to set out to find a new place to live. They took a team of horses and loaded down their wagon with whatever they could take. For two weeks they traveled like gypsies, with a team of wagons. But as fate would have it, they were too slow in getting away. The Russian police came along and made them sell everything. The Czar in Russia didn't want to lose the German people because the Germans proved to be the best workers. So he had the police load them in boxcars and ship them to Russia. [sic]"

    Transcribed from a 1985 taped interview by Elsie Lenz Posehn with Gus Altwasser:

    Elsie:     "We'll make a tape of you, for your children, in the future."

    "Ja!"

    Elsie:     "Yes. Now tell us your name, where you were born, and so on and so forth."

    "OK. I was born in the Ukraine, Russia, 1899. My birthday was on the 5th April  ..... and  .....  (pause) ..... "

    Elsie:    "The name of the colony?"

    "The colony was Oczeretianka, the state was Wolhyn."

    Elsie:    "Now we know where you are from."

    "And then  .....  I want to tell you about the war. First World War:"

    Elsie:    "Tell us about your young life, when you were young."

    "Well, we had a good life under the Russian rule under the Tsar till the first War broke out  .....  and then in 1914 the First War broke out  .....  and then in 1915 when Russia, .....  Russia was fighting Germany at that time, and they held us more, like  .....  (pause)  .....  and the Tsar's Uncle, Nickolai Nikolaiovitch, he was Marshall of the Army and he was hated the Germans very much."   (The Commander in Chief of the Russian army in 1915 was Grand Duke Nicholas, a 2nd cousin of Tsar Nicholas II.)   "There was no war yet." (where we lived) "But we were all chased out because there was no Germans there left. There was .....  they just chased us out, just a short  .....  before the harvest  .....  and then, we couldn't sell nothing. We just took a team of horses and loaded on the wagon what we could, and we went  .....  and the people were crying, the cattle was running, chickens and everything. Nobody paid  .....  bought anything. So we left everything and we went and we were for two weeks on the road. And we went so far with the team and wagon and there was more people, a bunch like, just like the gypsies we will say, we were."

    Elsie:    "OK. You were about 18 years old at that time, hmm?"

    "I was  .....  No, I was sixteen."

    (1915)


    1915

    1915 saw disaster strike the Russian army, which from June to September was forced to retreat up to three hundred miles back into Russia, abandoning Russian occupied Poland. Ethnic Germans living in these border areas were Russian Citizens, but for years had been subjected to political, bureaucratic and military thinking against them. In June 1915 all the German families were ordered out of the area and deported to Siberia, presumably because they were considered as enemy aliens in a war zone and perceived to be a threat to the future security of Russia. They were not allowed to return to their homes until after the Czarist government collapsed in 1917.

    Karl Altwasser and Emelia Muth were probably given travel documents for their family and, as described below, loaded in boxcars and shipped east. The family was arbitrarily moved to an area near the city of Syzran on the Volga River, believed to be Novospasskoye, Russia, about 25 miles west of Syzran.


    Five or six families were crammed into a boxcar as they tried to keep all families together. Gus, who was about 16 years old at the time, remembers how the people on the train were 'lousy'. Often they had lots of fun catching a louse and killing it with a hammer. He also remembers his smoking on the boxcar. Adolf also smoked with Gus, but they would hide it from their dad by holding it behind their backs. Karl obviously noticed smoke coming from behind them and told them they could smoke in front of him because there was a terrible disease spreading through the boxcars.

    Gustina's adopted mother, Aunt Muth, took sick on the boxcar and eventually died. Karl, Emilie and their children arrived in a big village in Russia. The Russian Government made families in this village take in the new families arriving on the boxcars. The idea was for the German families to teach the Russian families how to farm. Everyone on boxcars, where sickness occurred was taken off and driven to an enormous house. Here they were stripped of their clothing and of anything else they had that might be carrying disease. The police didn't want to take any chances and thought this disease was fatal, so they felt that by cleaning everyone, they would be rid of it. Everyone had to take a steam bath. A Russian lady came along and washed the children. She was naked along with the children. Gus related how the children felt embarrassed and ashamed at being nude. But the old Russian lady consoled them by telling them there was nothing to be ashamed of. Once everyone had bathed, the Russian lady set some water aside, boiled it and made tea. Some happiness did come from this terrible journey, as Gustina was reunited with her natural parents, Karl and Emilia.

    The entire family stayed with a kind Russian family in a one-room house over the winter. Once settled, Karl, his sons and his daughters that were old enough, went to work for a Greek Orthodox priest in the village. Karl's eldest son, Adolf was conscripted into the Russian Army and sent to the Turkish front as an interpreter because he could speak German. (Editorial note: The Turks were allies of the Germans, fighting against the Russians.)

    The years from 1915 to 1918 were unsettling times for the Altwasser family. They lived in a one-room shack for a year and a half. Then they were transferred to a different village and moved into a sod house, something like a root cellar, as the house was underground. They remained in this house until the families were told they were allowed to return to their homes if they could pay their way. Karl hired a boxcar in October 1917, bunched his family in it and they returned to their farm in Poland [sic], only to find everything but the orchard destroyed.

    During this time, August could vaguely remember his dad rebuilding the farm. Yet, the first thing Karl did was buy a milk cow. The Russian people traded eggs and hay for the milk this cow produced. The family made it through another winter! The next thing Karl did was put up a shed for grain. He then built a small house to live in. No sooner had he completed the house, when the landlord came along and sold the farm. Once again, the Altwasser family had to move and start fresh. So, they moved to another farm! Karl built a large building with a barn connected at one end and living quarters at the other. The family raised cattle, chickens and pigs. Karl also worked as a miller, grinding grain. If Emelia wanted to bake bread for her family, Karl would take a bag of grain to the miller. The miller would grind the grain and take as many scoops needed from the bag to pay for the grinding.

    Emelia grew flax, cultivated it and from the fibre, would make clothing for the family. The fabric would be gray to start with, but with stretching it out in a pool of water and drying it over and over again, the fabric would eventually bleach out white. Emelia had her own loom and would make all of the children's clothing. August recalls how itchy and stiff his shirts and pants were - to the point of driving him crazy, as it was so rough on his skin.


    At this point Karl and Emilia fade out of the story and are not mentioned again. A conversation with Art Altwasser indicated the reason being that the Canadian relatives had lost track of and didn't know what happened to them. However, both Karl and Emelia were alive in 1940 and showed up in the EWZ records along with their children Olga, Julianne, Ernestine and Ida.   Olga, Julianne and Ernestine were married at this time and Ida was single and still with her parents. Karl indicated ownership of a six hectare estate (6 ha Eigentum) and all had said they farmed in the Kurgany area of the Kostopol district.

    Now, let's return to this incredible story.

    Karl and Emelia's children certainly were not afraid of hard work. They learned this at a very early age, with some of them working on the railroad. Augustina went to work on farms herding cattle in exchange for board and clothing. She spent three years herding cattle. August stayed at home and herded the cattle for his dad.

    Now herding cattle in Poland is a little different to herding cattle here in Canada today. Cattle were placed on a very small strip of land, no larger than some of our yards. All around this piece of land would be grain. A herder's job was to see that the cattle stayed on this one little piece of land. They weren't allowed to stray into the grain or whatever else was growing alongside these designated strips. There were no fences, so the herders had to be on their toes. The cattle were usually allowed to feed in the morning, at noon at suppertime and before they were put in the barn at night.

    Gustav (Gus) Altwasser

    Gus also went to work cutting lumber. The process of cutting lumber would be what we consider an old fashioned way of sawmilling. A tree would be cut down and trimmed. With a piece of charcoal and a piece of string tightly held from end to end, the log would be marked into one inch sections. Now with a very tall sawhorse and a long handled saw, one man stood on top of the sawhorse and one man stood below. The men would cut the log into lumber, following their one inch markings. What a great deal of work!

    It was during his sawing career that Gus, at the age of eighteen, [1919] was conscripted into the Polish Army and, just like his older brother Adolph, was used as an interpreter. Gus had many experiences to share regarding his stint in the army. One fond memory included the Czar and Czarina's involvement with Rasputin. The Czar's wife was a great believer in Rasputin, who was apparently part of a religious sect, and she welcomed him into her home. She felt that Rasputin's predictions were valid and he had the power to cure their son who suffered from hemophilia. Many stories travelled through the village! Another experience included looking after and taming the horses for the communists. One horse, when he heard a gun shot, would go absolutely wild. Gus thought this would be a good time to have some fun and also free the poor horse. But it backfired! He was told if he didn't catch the horse, the Bolshevik would shoot him down like a dog! Gus immediately caught the horse! A third incident included running away from the communists on horseback and hiding in the bushes for two or three weeks in fear of his life. He said there were times in his young life he wondered why he was born.


    History and Circumstance

     
    1919

    Throughout 1919, Ukraine experienced chaos as the armies of the Ukrainian Republic, the Bolsheviks, the Whites, Poland, the foreign powers of the Entente(France, Britain, Russia), as well as other anarchist forces tried to prevail.

    • About 98 per cent of the old Volhynia gubernia is in present-day Ukraine.

    • In the 19th century, Poland and Ukraine came under the Russian Empire, and were not independent countries as they are today.

    This corresponds with the time sequence of the war between Poland and Russia when Volhynia once again was returned to Polish control in 1920. The frontiers between Poland and Soviet Russia had not been clearly defined after WW I and the Poles held control of most of the disputed territories in 1919. The war had been precipitated largely by the demand of Poland that its eastern border of 1772 be restored. Following a Polish attempt to take advantage of Russia's weakness with a major incursion into Ukraine in early 1920, border skirmishes then escalated into open hostilities between Poland and Soviet Russia. The Bolsheviks mounted an April counter-offensive which was very successful. By mid-August, the Polish forces had retreated westward to the Polish capital of Warsaw. The Polish forces then achieved an unexpected and decisive victory during the Battle of Warsaw and began their advance eastward. The war ended with ceasefire in October 1920 and a formal peace treaty between Poland and Russia, the Peace Treaty of Riga, was signed on March 18, 1921. The treaty terms, which fixed the Russo-Polish border, did not satisfy the claims of the victorious Poles, but they awarded to Poland large parts of Belorussia and of Ukraine. The Peace Treaty of Riga lasted until WW I I began in 1939.

    Between the wars Western Volhynia came under Poland, Eastern Volhynia came under the Soviet Union.

     

    While serving in the Polish Army, Gus had to go to military school, which was not a very pleasant experience. In school the boys learned to sing Russian Folk Songs. They were allowd to sing Polish Songs as well which were well received by the teachers. Gus served 18 months in the Polish Army. Once his term was up, he was allowed to go home. When he arrived home, his cousin was about to be married and he teased Gus, stating that he had a bride for him. She turned out to be his future wife, Olga Priebe.

    U.S. Immigration Quotas Influence Their Future

    • The first quota law was passed in 1921, limiting the annual number of immigrants to a total of 357,803, permitting about 200,000 from northwestern Europe (including Germany), and about 155,000 from eastern and southern Europe.

    • A second quota law was passed in 1924, limiting the annual number of immigrants to 164,667. The criterion for issuing a visa was the country of birth. The number of visas allocated for each European nation corresponded to two percent of that nation's immigrants already living in the United States as of 1890.

    • A third quota law was passed in 1929, limiting the annual total to 153,714. Examples for the maximum distribution of visas were as follows: Great Britain and Northern Ireland: 65,721; Germany: 25,957; Poland: 6,524; Italy: 5,802; the Soviet Union: 2,784; and Turkey: 226.
    Gus had a dream of moving to North America because Olga had a sister and two brothers living in Michigan and another sister living in Cuba. He wanted to bring his family to a country filled with land and plenty and applied to the United States, but was refused. Ironically, history had changed their birthplace from Russia to Poland and U. S. quota laws restricted the number of visas issued to immigrants born in Poland. Finally in 1925, Gus and Olga left for Cuba to begin a new life. They lived in Havana for one year and it was during this time that he wrote a cousin in Canada who was living in Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan. Fred Altwasser sponsored Gus and before he knew it, Gus and Olga arrived in Yellow Grass and began to fulfill their dream. A year later Paul was born followed by Art, Vernon, Randy and Evelyn who were born in Weyburn. Gordon, Della and Joyce were born in Griffin.

    Once Gus settled in Saskatchewan, he worked for the Canadian Pacific Railroad, as did a few of his sons. He and Olga celebrated their 60th Wedding anniversary in 1985. Both lived to a fine age and have since passed on.


    Julianne Altwasser

    Julianne married Adolf Krüger in Volhynia in the Ukraine in 1925, where six of their eight children were born. By the beginning of World War II they had established a successful farm (1939). A treaty between Hitler and Stalin repatriated all people with German parentage and gave them full German citizenship. After leaving the Ukraine, Julianne, Adolf and their family landed in Riesa, Germany, where they were givien complete medical examinations.

    April 9, 1940

    Extracts from the Sippenkundlicher for Adolf Krüger.

    Sippenkundlicher can be loosely translated as an announcement or statement of relationship of a group of persons having a common kinship, character, occupation or interest.

    • Adolf Krüger, born January 28, 1898 in Kurgany;   wife Juliane Altwasser, born December 18, 1903 in Tschirschantke (Osczericianka), Kreis Kostopol;   marriage date October 21, 1925 in Tuczyn.

    • Their six children are listed in this document, complete with birth dates, all born in Kurgany.

    • Parents of Adolf Krüger:  Gottlieb Krüger, born - unknown, died 1937 in Petschanufke and Wilhelmine Muth, died 1918 in Petschanufke

    • Parents of Julianna Altwasser:  Karl Altwasser, born July 10, 1878 in Chwalborzysach and Emilie Muth born August 14, 1877 in Antonuwka.

    • The family owned 10.5 hectares of land.   Adolf Krüger served as a Russian soldier from 1914-18.   His parents were deported to Siberia in this time.


    This document was dated April 9, 1940 by the German authorities in Riesa, Germany and signed by Adolf Krüger. Shortly thereafter, the family was resettled in Poland near the Warta River.

    In Poland the family was entrusted with a very nice farm in Poland. The Polish owners were simply removed by German decree. This is where Helmut and Alfred were born. Julianne and her family were just nicely settled when Erwin, their son, at the age of 15 (1942) was conscripted to serve his country. Alfred, the youngest, was born in 1943, and in August of that year, Julianne's husband Adolf was killed by his own prize Ayershire Bull. Julianne and the children continued to farm, with hired help until 1945. In early January 1945, at the beginning of the total collapse of the German Eastern Front, Julianne and her children once again had to leave their home. Paul could remember the evening before they left their house. It was full of young bewildered German soldiers in full retreat, sleeping throughout the house with machine guns set up ready for action if needed. Two soldiers were left outside to guard trucks and halftracks.

    Julianne and her children fled Poland just ahead of the retreating Eastern Front, with two wagons, which were soon reduced to one. All the civilian refugees were on one side of the road heading west, and the army was on the other side of the road travelling both east and west. There was a line of fleeing wagons a far as they could see. They encountered many dead horses and broken down wagons along the road. Also corpses of adults and children. Julianne and her family spent many nights in abandoned houses or farms, where cows needed to be milked or fed.

    At the end of the war, Julianne and the children were in the area of Leipzig and Dresden. They saw as many as 200 bombers, on their way to bomb Dresden. At night they could see flashes of fire, and feel the tremor of the bombs in the area. Their town was taken by the American forces in April of 1945, with soldiers handing candies and goodies to the children, while the adults watched on, cautiously not knowing what to expect next.

    Julianne resettled on about 20 acres of land in the Russian zone near the Oder River. The land was part of a large farm which included a house, and was divided between 14 families. Two or three of the families were from the same village in Poland, including Julianne's sister Tina and her daughter Hertha.


    Historical Note

    After World War II, the Oder and the Neisse rivers formed the Oder-Neisse line, which was designated as the new border between Germany and Poland.


    About 1947 Julianne managed to contact Gus, August and Gustina in Canada. It was time she joined her brothers and sister in a country they believed to be so beautiful. So Erdman and Gustina Jaik arranged for Julianne's passage to Canada. And, on February 14, 1949, Julianne with her seven children arrived in Halifax. They crossed Canada by train, stopping in Regina and meeting Gus and his family. They experienced a Canadian winter in Saskatchewan, before continuing on to Vernon, where they met the rest of the family. Julianne, upon arriving in B.C. with all her children, remained in the Lumby-Vernon until she passed away. Six children remain in B.C., one son lives in Saskatchewan and one son lives in Germany


    Gustine Altwasser

    As Gustina grew older, she continued to work as a farm girl. She milked cows, did farm chores and did houswork for a teacher. She spent one year at home before coming to Canada.


    Gustina Altwasser and Erdman Jaik circa 1926

    In May of 1927, Gustina and August came to Canada to be with their brother Gus. They too were sponsored by their cousin Fred Altwasser. Augustine knew Erdman Jaik in Poland. Erdman came to Canada one month after Auntie Jaik. On January 5th, 1930 Gustina and Erdman were married in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. They lived for a while on rented farms in Weyburn. It was during the Hungry 30's, when there was no rain, and of course having no rain, there were no crops to speak of. But some good news came from this - a son was born, followed a few years later by a daughter. ( The names have been omitted until the individuals are deceased or 70 years of age.)


    Gustina, Erdman and baby Archie in 1931, Weyburn, SK.

    Fed up with the unsettling conditions, Gustina and Erdman packed their belongings, which included a few cows, a pig and some chicks. They packed their personal items and carried them on three wagons, two were open wagons and one was a covered wagon. Erdman drove the lead wagon. another wagon followed and Gustina, with the two small children, drove the covered wagon at the end. She fittingly called this wagon the caboose. Not only did she drive the covered wagon, but she baked bread, separated the milk and looked after her two children. Not bad for a days work! Oh yes, she was pregnant to boot.

    August stayed with Gustina and Erdman and drove the cattle on horseback, which included 12 head - 11 cows and 1 bull. The cattle were so used to the drive, that once the wagons stopped, the cows would stray off to eat, but would always return to bed down by the wagons when they were full.

    An interesting event, along their journey, that both Gustina and August shared, when reminiscing, had to do with calving. A young heifer had a calf. So, after the birth, they put the baby calf gently into one of the wagons. Now before doing so, they tied both the legs as a precaution. But the poor little thing fell out of the buggy and the wagon wheel ran right over its hooves. Quickly they picked the little calf up, put it back in the wagon, fed it, nourished it and loved it, but the poor little calf lost its hooves. As the story goes, this calf grew into a lovely cow, so lovely that August's wife's father bought it. That's another story.

    Finally about three weeks of travelling, the Jaik's little caravan arrived in Parkerview, Saskatchewan. Here they lived in a one room log shack, with a dirt floor. Imagine two kids on a dirt floor! Well Gustina had a piece of linoleum and put it on the floor to keep the kids clean. Their second son was born in this one room shack. The following year they rented another farm that had a a house with two rooms. Their last child, a daughter was born in the larger house.

    In 1937, Gustina, Erdman and the four children, once again, packed up all their belongings, bought a Chev and a trailer and drove straight to Vernon, B.C. Driving over the Crowsnest Pass was quite an experience. Auntie Jaik remembersthe gravel road being so narrow that in some places only one car at a time could drive through.

    Upon arriving in Vernon, a kind Mission Hill family took the tired and weary travellers into their home. They were kind enough to feed, clothe and put them up for the night. The next day everyone was scratching like crazy. Not only did this kind family provide them with a place to sleep, but they also shared their bedbugs! Uncle Jaik immediately went out to the Okanagan Landing and bought his first house in B.C. That very same day Auntie Jaik washed everything belonging to them and moved her family into their new home.

    Once settled in Vernon, Uncle Jaik went to work in the bush. He also worked on a vegetable farm and in an orchard. Four and one half years later, in the spring of 1942, the Jaiks moved to Lumby. They bought the Mackie farm, where they lived for 16 years. In 1958, they bought a home in Vernon on the East Hill, which they lived in for only a year. Uncle Jaik still had the urge to farm, so bought Nichi's Farm on Dure Meadow Road in Lumby. He converted it into a Dairy Farm, cleared all the land, built a silo, built a barn, built a milking parlor and began to milk cows! In 1968, Gustina and Erdman retired and moved back to their home in Vernon, where they live until they both passed on. Uncle Jaik was not well the last few years of his life and passed away in the Spring of 1993. Aunti Jaik's health began to fail and at the age of 88, joined Uncle.

    Cemetery Inscriptions-Vernon B.C.

    JAIK, Erdman  1908 – 1993 (double stone with Gustine Jaik)

    JAIK, Gustine  1906 – 1994 (double stone with Erdman Jaik)

    Personal Glimpses
    From Art Domes, July 2000

    One thing that is not mentioned in their reunion narrative is that August and Augustine worked for my parents Olga (Altwasser) Domes and Adolph ( Archie) Domes in the early 1930's. They were good people and my mother was especially fond of Augustine. We called her Gusta. I remember them very well.


    August Altwasser

    August was the one who convinced Auntie and Uncle Jaik to move to B.C. He and his friend, Steve Golfy were smitten by the call, "Go West Young Men, Go West!" And they did! The first time they attempted their trek to B.C. riding the rails, they got as far as Jasper, where they wer nicely kicked off! But they were givien a room to stay for the night and the next day were sent back to Saskatchewn. In their second attempt, they were a little wiser. August and Steve, again rode the boxcars to as far as Alberta. Just before they got to Jasper, they bought a ticket and headed to Kamloops, then to Kelowna and finally wound up in Lumby. At one point in their momentous journey, both men were picking berries for 15 cents an hour.

    August and Steve rode the rails to what is now known as Bell Pole's Pole Yard, in Lumby. They spent a few days around the tracks, sleeping in a nearby haystack, building a fire, and cooking bannock on the heat of the rocks. Finally one day they noticed a fellow unloading ties from a boxcar. August asked if they could help, but he said "No". The next day this same fellow came to August and Steve and asked them if they would like a job for a day or two, putting up hay. They jumped at the chance. This fellow was Bill Schunter, and the job that was to last for a day or two, turned out to be three years, with August and Steve working in the bush and on Schunter's farm.

    Later, August worked the Shuswap River, logging with a beautiful white horse. He cut shingle bolts for shakes, logged and did any job that was available. In the spring, he lived in a tent and set up a warmer camp in the winter. This lifestyle lasted three years. He even helped to open up a pole camp at Sitcome Creek, this side of Sugar Lake. Actually it was here that he broke his leg. Because he was unable to work with his broken leg, August returned to Saskatchewan and to Auntie Jaik's. Auntie Jaik recalled how August described the beauty of British Columbia. He eventually talked them into selling everything and moving to B.C.

    August met Irene when he first came to Saskatchewan and was working on the Brown's farm. It was a casual meeting out in the Brown's field. Irene was looking for her lost turkeys! What an Excuse! Well, their second meeting proved to be more eventful. They both ended up at the same dance one Saturday evening. With a wink and a nod, August had Irene where he wanted her!

    Once his leg was mended, August returned to Lumby. The romance travelled through the mail. August wrote letters to Irene and Irene of course replied. Within a matter of months Irene hitched a ride to B.C. with the Beibers to be with the man she loved.

    In the fall of 1937, August and Irene were married. They bought a house in Vernon right next to the Lakeside Hotel on Okanagan Landing Road, very close to where we celebrated our First ever Altwasser Reunion. Imagine, the house they purchased cost $800! August and Irene spent a year in this home then moved to Sugar Lake, where August built a cabin. Their two youngest sons spent a few of their early years in this cabin while August helped to build the Shuswap Dam.

    When the dam was completed August and his family moved to Rutland. In Rutland he had a variety of jobs, including logging up Black Mountain, stuccoing houses and working in a packing house. August loved the Vernon-Lumby area and finally, in 1944, he returned to Lumby and bought Jacob Wagner's Dairy Farm where he and his family have lived ever since. In order for August to pay this Dairy Farm off, he worked out. He logged for his brother-in-law, Douglas Kennett and as well, he logged his own back hill. Irene with her two young boys did the farm chores, which include milking and feeding the cattle. Irene gave birth to a set of twins, one a boy, the other a girl while another boy arrived on the scene two years later to complete their family. Once August paid the Wagner Farm off, he decided to purchase the Bengston Farm across the road. When that was paid off, he bought the three acres where he lives today. Irene, his wife of 55 years passed away in the spring of 1993, after a lengthy illness.

    During his lifetime, August has had one special love - Pigeons! As a child Auntie Jaik recalled how August hid pigeons under his coat from his dad. He would keep them, raise them and make them his pets. To this very day, August continues to raise pigeons and the competition for the best garden grower has now ended up in August's lap. He and Auntie Jaik would always compare gardens to see who had the better crops, be it flowers or vegetables. August continues to grow a large fantastic garden and his vegetables feed the family.

    August at the age of 87 years continues to be as independent as ever! He is busy with Bingo each Tuesday and Cards every Friday evening. He often tells us he is slowing up, but it is hard to believe when we see him at the top of a ladder pruning trees, trimming hedges, or fixing his roof! He continues to do his chores which includes tending to his chickens , making certain the water holes aren't plugged, mowing lawns and bringing in the mail. His chickens are a source of income as he often sells his eggs to his freinds at the OAP hall.

    Gus loved family and family get togetherness. His dream was for all the Altwassers to gather together and reunite. He must be ecstatic to see his dream a reality, as we are now celebrating our third reunion in ten years!


    Adolph Altwasser

    Adolph was the eldest son of Karl Altwasser and Emilie Muth.

    The amazing story of Karl and Emilie was received from Karl Lenz in September 1999. Karl, in turn, had received it from Helmut Krüger, a grandson of Karl and Emilie. A family tree compiled by the Canadian branch of the Karl Altwasser and Emilie Muth family shows that Adolph was born about 1897 and married to an Ida Rinehardt. He was conscripted into the Russian Army and was sent to the Turkish front where he was taken prisoner of war and eventually sent to Germany. They know he returned to Poland and died there, date unknown.

    2001
    EWZ File# 123904

    The place name Czercezanka [Oczeretianka] appears in the EWZ records as the birthplace of Adolf Altwasser, the father of both Reinhold and Erwin Altwasser from Kuty - Zalesie. EWZ records also show Helene Altwasser geb. Schulz 24.5.00 is the mother and the head of a family of seven children, with Adolf deceased.

    Their children, all born in Kuty Zalesie, with birth dates are:
    • Reinhold 13.6.1922
    • Erwin 26.9.1923
    • Ida 18.3.1925
    • Marta 28.3.1930
    • Elfriede 18.12.1932
    • Herta 5.2.1935
    • Eduard 10.2.1937

    Email August 18, 2008
    from Angelika Seifert

    Sehr geehrter Herr Milner,

    Wir haben im Internet Ihre Adresse gelesen. Sie suchen offensichtlich Familie Altwasser.
    Ich bin die Enkeltochter von Adolf und Helene Altwasser.
    Adolf und Helene hatten sieben Kinder:
    Reinhold, Erwin, Ida, Marta, Elfriede, Herta und Eduard.
    Adolf Altwasser ist 1937 und Oma Helene 1997 verstorben.
    Alle Töchter leben in Neuhaus an der Elbe (Niedersachsen)
    Reinhold und Erwin sind im 2. Weltkrieg gefallen.
    Wir freuen uns, dass Sie da sind !
    Wir freuen uns auf eine baldige Antwort.
    Ganz viele Grüße

    gez. Angelika Seifert, geb. Altwasser

     Translation

    Dear Mr. Milner,

    We have read your address on the Internet. You are obviously researching the Altwasser family.
    I am the granddaughter of Adolf and Helene Altwasser.
    Adolf and Helene had seven children:
    Rheinhold, Erwin, Ida, Marta, Elfrieda, Herta and Eduard.
    Adolf Altwasser passed away in 1937 and grandma Helene in 1997.
    All daughters live in Neuhaus an der Elbe (Niedersachsen).
    Rheinhold and Erwin have fallen in World War II.
    We are glad that you are there!
    Quite many greetings

    signed Angelika Seifert, born. Altwasser

    January 18, 2011

    The EWZ Questionnaire document below for the Adolph Altwasser family summarizes the situation on April 1, 1940 and definitely establishes their kinship.

    • Adolf Altwasser is the son of Karl Altwasser and Emilie Muth.

    • He is from Kurgany (phonetic spelling Kruhana?), Occupation: farmer, Citizenship: Polish

    • His birth date is not given and his death, (date omitted), occurred in Kuty Salesie.

    • He was married on September 11, 1921 to Helene Schulz, daughter of Michael Schulz and Emelie Elisa(beth) Lieske.

    • There are seven living children, with their names and birth dates.

    • The family had 14 Morgen of land (1 Morgan - a unit of land area slightly more than two acres).

    • Adolf had one sister and two brothers who immigrated to Canada about 1922.

    • From which place? Kurgany What Year? 1922 To go Where? Canada.

    • Information on the next page indicated that:
      1. Ludwig Schulz (a brother or uncle to Helene) had previously immigrated to Wisconsin;
      2. The Michael Schulz family had been exiled to the Saratov region of central Russia between 1914 and 1919.

    • The document was signed in Lager Bienenfarm, Brandenburg, Germany.
      Bienenfarm, d. 1.IV. 1940.
      Lager Bienenfarm, Brdb., 1940
      (Translation: Camp Bee Farm, Brandenburg, 1940)
      Helene Altwasser, born Schulz.

    Images courtesy of W. Köllner, 2011.

    Comments

    • There is another EWZ Fragebogen specifically for Karl Altwasser and Emilie Muth to indicate that both Karl and Emilie were alive in 1940.  In the above document, there is a stroke through the entry beside Karl's name that seems to be a death entry correction.   (T. 17:II.1936)  

    • All entries appear to be written by a different hand when compared with Helene's signature.

    • "Kruhana" or "Krukana"  is probably a phonetic spelling for Kurgany as it sounded to the writer recording the answers on the questionnaire.
    Return to "Where Old Waters Meet"

     

    A Brother and Sister Arrive in Canada

    From the Canadian Archives Immigration Records (1925-1935)

    Surname: Altwasser Altwasser
    Given Name: August Justyna
    Age: 17 21
    Sex: M F
    Nationality: Polish Polish
    Date of Arrival May 23, 1927
    Port of Arrival Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Ship Hellig Olav, Scandinavian American
    Reference RG76 - IMMIGRATION seriesC-1-b
    Volume 1927 volume 9
    Page 177
    Microfilm Reel T-14810

    Additional data source (2008): Canadian Passenger Lists 1865 - 1935, ancestry.com

    • Hellig Olav sailed from Copenhagen, Denmark on May 13, 1927.
    • Hellig Olav arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia on May 23, 1927.
    • Country and Place of Birth: both listed as Kurgany, Poland.
    • Passage for both paid by a cousin.
    • Occupation: August is a farm labourer, she a Domestic.
    • Destination: both listed as going to a friend, August Altwasser, Yellow Grass, Sask.
    • Father of both: Karol Altwasser, Kurganki,[Sic] Poland.
    • Passport Numbers, Date and Place of Issue; #67 and #68, Kostopol, April 7, 1927.
    • Landed Immigrants.


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