HAPPY 15TH ANNIVERSARY ZVA !!
It is hard to believe, but this is the fifteenth year of our association. Time sure flies when you are having fun! I don’t expect congratulations from anyone else, so let us all congratulate ourselves for our accomplishments over this time. From a handful of people gathered around a kitchen table in Regina, we have grown to about 125 registrations on our web site, several dozen more contacts on my email list, and about eighty paid members last year. When we began, it was feared that all the church records were lost and the cemetery bulldozed. We have now acquired all the church records and many members have visited the church and cemetery. We have acquired dozens of items (books, VHS tapes, CDs, and DVDs) for our dedicated section in the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society library. We have organized two group tours to the Banat with another upcoming. Liz Hugel has published her translation of the German village history. We have gathered many family histories and genealogies to preserve for future generations (and eventual publication). And we have recently created our online community at Zichydorfonline.org, where we can continue to grow our community and our resources. We have a lot to be proud of over the last fifteen years!
LOST ZVA MEMBERS
We recently lost two long time members. John Eichhof of Shakopee, Minnesota passed away in May, 2009. John and his wife, Penny, have been members since 1997. Chris Noll of Regina passed away on Febryary 28, 2010. Chris was a member since 1999 and made several additional financial contributions.
2010 DUES
Please pay your 2010 dues of $10 soon. I will begin downgrading unrenewed members on the web site on April 1. To check your dues status, log in at zichydorfonline.org, click on Your Profile and check the last item in the column on the right side of the page. For payment options, click on Membership. If you are not connected to the Internet, just drop me a line at the address below and I will update you. Coming to the web site soon: pictures of cemetery headstones with an index that Miles Dormuth has generously consented to compile. Recently added: pictures of Zichydorf from our 2008 group tour.
MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA AND VANCOUVER, BC
I plan to be in Minneapolis and St. Paul on July 19 and 20, 2010. I hope to gather with a few members if anyone in the area is interested. We had a similar gathering in Vancouver a couple of years ago and people really enjoyed meeting their fellow Zichydorf genealogists and discussing their research. If anyone is interested in getting together and, especially, if anyone can offer a meeting place, please drop me a line at the address below. One item I would like to discuss is erecting a memorial in the old Zichydorfer neighbourhood in St. Paul. If anyone has any ideas about location or how to execute such a plan, I would love to hear from you.
I also plan to be in Vancouver sometime between July 5 and 13. I would enjoy getting together with the gang out there again. Please let me know if you would like to join us and whether you can provide a location.
ZICHYDORF FAMILIENBUCH
As most of you know, Helmut Kaiser has built on Peter Noll’s work to create a Zichydorf Familienbuch. You can view older versions at these web sites: http://www.ortsfamilienbuecher.de/zichydorf/index_en.html (2004) and http://fb-zichydorf-kaiser.heim.at/index.htm (2005). The newest edition (2008), with updates, corrections, and a small amount of new information, is available on CD. I am sold out at the moment, but I will be picking up a new supply from Helmut in June. ZVA sells them for $40, postage included. If you would like to order a copy, please let me know so I am sure to bring enough back.
100th ANNIVERSARY
2011 is the 100th anniversary of St. Elizabeth Church near Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan. This church was founded by a small cluster of pioneers from Zichydorf. Planning is just beginning for a celebration, tentatively scheduled for the July long weekend in 2011. Drop me a line if you would like further information. Don Bolen, a Zichydorfer born and raised in this parish and recently appointed Bishop of Saskatoon, will say a Mass and lead the celebration.
ON THE WEB AND IN THE LIBRARY
Find obituaries in many newspapers in Canada and the USA http://www.legacy.com/jsonline/deathnotices.asp?page=obitfinder
Hungarian county maps http://www.maproom.org/00/32/index.php
Canadian local history books http://www.ourroots.ca/
An eloquent account of the treatment of Germans worldwide after WWII http://www.hrastovac.net/historical/Schemm-War-against-German-Culture.htm
2010 BANAT TOUR
Our tour is full. We leave Frankfurt by bus on May 17 and fly home from there on June 5. I will do a blog again for those who wish to follow our progress at zichydorf10.blogspot.com
ZICHYDORF MEMORIAL IN REGINA
You may remember that we purchased plaques for Zichydorf and Georgshausen on a pioneer memorial to be erected by the City of Regina. The memorial was unveiled in front of City Hall on September 21, 2009. There are some pictures of this memorial on our web site. I have also submitted the application to purchase a plaque for Setschanfeld.
ZVA REGINA BRANCH MEETING
Regina Branch will meet at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 18, at Access Communications, 2250 Park St. (north door by the ball diamonds). Frank Dornstauder will continue his description of the settlement of the Schildgebirge area, west of Budapest, which was a temporary home to many of the people who later settled the Banat. Glenn has copies of a large format map of the Banat that will be available for purchase at the meeting. And it is election time! Please mark your calendar and bring along a Zichydorf friend.
Zichydorf Village Association News
edited by: Glenn Schwartz
2274 Baldwin Bay, Regina, SK, S4V 1H2
Internet: http://zichydorfonline.org
&
http://www.feefhs.org/members/zichydorf/frg-zva.html
email: gschwartz@accesscomm.ca