Honoring our Immigrant Herritage Survey

Full Name

Dinkel, Odellia Marie (Schamberger)

What are your ties to Collyer?

(Odellia (Tillie) grew up in the Collyer region, although both her and her husband had family members who did reside in Collyer, they also attended St. Michael Catholic Church in Collyer while residing in Quinter, Kansas.)

Where did you live?

(St Peter, small town North of Collyer.)

Which School did you attend?

St Anthony's Catholic School in St Peter.

What was your religious affiliation?

Catholic

Do you have any stories to tell about family hardships resulting from building and oranizing a Collyer Church or Church Structure?

No, just worked hard to do their part.

Were your friends and neighbors all of the same religious affiliation?

Yes.

Your ethnic background/which country did your ancesters call home?

German

What language was spoken in the home?

German

Did you experience any problems or barriers caused by speaking a different language?

What ethnic and/or religiuos traditions do you specifically remember growing up with? Does your family still practice the same traditions?

Anything connected with the church. Picnics and socials.

(Does your family still practice the same trraditions? ) St Peter picnics and ball games on Sunday.

When did you and/or your family move to Collyer?

(I) moved to Quinter in 1960. (Moved with husbands job).

(Editors notes: Both Tillie and her husband had family members living in Collyer, also, St Peter is 7 miles North of Collyer, and Quinter is 7 miles West of Collyer.)

Do you know how "Collyer" was chosen as a home designation? (Why did your family move here?) Did they operate a farm on homesteaded property?

Did you/and or your family operate a business in Collyer?

Did you or your parents serve in the military?

Were there problems caused by your ethnic background?

Was your family name changed after you arrived in the United States?

Yes, from Schoenberger to Schamberger.

What year were you born?

1926

Where was you place of birth?

St Peter, Kansas in Graham County (St. Peter (Graham County) is just about 7 miles north of Collyer (Trego County) Kansas).

Why did your family leave their homeland?

Queen Victoria had sent them to Russia and there was great turmoil there.

What form of travel did your ancestors use to get to their destination?

Ship

What hardships did they encounter on their journey?

Bad weather, rough seas, and much sea sickness on the ship.

What Ports of Call did they travel through to get to America?

Which Port of Entry did they come through when they arrived in America?

Ellis Island.

What possessions did they bring along with them on their journey? Did they have to sell most of their possessions to be able to obtain money for the journey?

Nothing but their clothing. (Did they sell their possession to make the journey: No, they did not have anything to sell.)

How long did their journey take them from their homeland?

about a month

What was the occupation of your ancestors?

Farmers

Did they change occupations once they settled?

Did they face discrimination once they settled in Collyer?

(Or the Collyer region), No.

How did they acquire their homestead land or business?

By purchases, and after working for other people, farmers.

Did there seem to be different social classes among the settlers?

How did the war affect you or your family?

It drove them to come to America.

Do you have ties or are you in communication with anyone in your ancestor's country?

Still trying to catact families in Germany.

Have you ever been back to your ancestor's country?

No, but one brother has.

How did your ancestors integrate into a community? In other words, what was the common thread that brought them together?

By hard work and getting along.

Additional Notes:

(her father: Raymond Schamberger)

Additional Notes:

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