Honoring our Immigrant Herritage Survey

Full Name
Kassman,  Connie (Scherr)  (Daughter of B.J. & Ruth Scherr)

What are your ties to Collyer?
grew up in Collyer

Where did you live?
Several houses (in Collyer), (but we lived in the) brick house on Main St (Ainslie Ave) from 10 years old to 20.

Which School did you attend?
St Michael's, Banner Country School, Collyer Grade School, TCHS (in WaKeeney).

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?
n/a

Were your friends and neighbors all of the same religious affiliation?
yes, mostly.

Your ethnic background/which country did your ancesters call home?
Germans from Russia, Czechoslavakians, Irish

What language was spoken in the home?
English

Did you experience any problems or barriers caused by speaking a different language?
No

What ethnic and/or religiuos traditions do you specifically remember growing up with? Does your family still practice the same traditions?
Catholic Mass, (and) yes.  (Also remember) Grandma Connally's galushkis and kolachis.

When did you and/or your family move to 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?
Farmed on homesteaded property.

Did you/and or your family operate a business in Collyer?
Grandpa Scherr ran an airport on the farm. (Approx 2-miles from Collyer).

Did you or your parents serve in the military?
(I, Connie) serrved in the United States Navy, 1979-83, as a Cryptographer in Keflavik, Iceland.

Were there problems caused by your ethnic background?
No

Was your family name changed after you arrived in the United States?
(My greatgrandmother's maiden name was changed from Muller to Miller.)

What year were you born?
1957

Where was you place of birth?
St Anthony's Hospital, Hays, Kansas

Why did your family leave their homeland?

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

The German Ship "The Patricia."

 


What hardships did they encounter on their journey?
(They) Contracted small pox in N.Y.C.

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

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?
(We still have their Steamer Trunk.)

How long did their journey take them from their homeland?

What was the occupation of your ancestors?
Peter was a wagon maker in Germany, but became a Farmer in Russia.

Did they change occupations once they settled?
Farmed in America.

Did they face discrimination once they settled in Collyer?

How did they acquire their homestead land or business?
Bought the first quarter as a homestead.

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

How did the war affect you or your family?
Increased our patriotism and appreciation for men in the military.

Do you have ties or are you in communication with anyone in your ancestor's country?
No

Have you ever been back to your ancestor's country?
No

How did your ancestors integrate into a community? In other words, what was the common thread that brought them together?
Catholic Church - Grocery Store.

Additional Notes:
Connie Kassman sent us a copy of The Patricia's Manifest, which was a German flag ship built in 1899 for the Hamburg - New York Line.  It shows that Peter Scherr arrived at Ellis Island on January 19, 1901.  Treveling with Peter was his wife Magdalena (whose mainden name was Muller originally before that family name was changed to Miller upon arriving in the Americas).  Aslo listed on the Ship manifest were several "Lipps" including Eva Lipp who later became her Great Grandmother Eva Connally, several Mullers (who all had their names changed to Miller).  They all were listed as originating from Saratow, Russia and they all moved to the Collyer area.

Additional Notes:

These are the members of the Scherr Familiy that traveled with Grandpa Peter Scherr (including Grandpa):

Peter Scherr                M    age 28Y

Magdalena Scherr        F     age 22Y         (Magdalena's maiden name was Muller/changed to Miller)

Peter Scherr                M    age  1Y


Additional Notes:

These are the members of the Lipp family that traveled with her Great Grandpa Peter Scherr from Saratow, Russia to Collyer Kansas:

Wilhem Lipp                M  age   34Y                      Philip  Lipp         M     age 36Y

Elizabeth  Lipp             F   age   31Y                      Maria Lipp          F      age 36Y

Andre Lipp                  M   age   10Y                      Lorence Lipp      M      age 15Y

Jwan Lipp                    M  age    8Y                       Eva Lipp            F       age 11Y

Philip Lipp                   M  age    4Y                       Ekatarina Lipp    F       age 4Y  

Emeran Lipp                M  age    3Y                       Theresia Lipp     F       age 2Y

Joseph Lipp                 M  age    2Y                       George Lipp       M      age 1Y

Regina Lipp                 F   age     9mn


Additional Notes:

These are the members of the Muller (name changed to Miller) that traveled with Grandpa Peter Scherr):

Josef Muller                M   age   27Y 

Regina Muller              F   age   27Y

Jacob Muller                M  age    4Y

Franz Muller                M  age    3Y 

Nicolaus Muller             M  age    1Y 




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