doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com A pre-Flues, Flues-Bay City

Re German, it was the most commonly taught foreign language in the United States prior to WWI. (I would have guessed Latin.) However, anti-German sentiment during the war changed all of that. In some places, it actually became illegal to speak German.

The Russell Boot Company, makers of some the finest boots anywhere, is located in Berlin WI. Before the WWII, it was pronounced berLIN, but once the war started, it became BERlin, which it remains today

Berlin, GA is also pronounced BER' lin.

SRH

Thanks Phil! I would like to contact Emil Flues' nephew again, but not sure if he's alive? I have old contact info I got from the Double Gun Journal back when I first found my 1881 Marlin-Flues rifle. It's no longer valid. His name is Martin Seitz, and present location unknown to me.

My father was born in the USA, but never spoke English until he was 12 yrs. old. The small town in E. Washington state where he was born was all German immigrants, so everyone spoke German, until the outbreak of WWI. At that time the county sheriff came through town, and told everyone they could no longer speak German in public. My grandmother was later arrested, and spent a few days in jail, as she was reported by a neighbor who heard her speaking German. It was a different world back then, especially in rural USA, where a small town sheriff could pretty much do what he wanted. My grandfather had died 2 years previous, so no adult male in the house to protest her arrest.

I believe Martin may have passed away.
http://www.tributes.com/show/Martin-G.-Seitz-82797371

The interactions between the various ethnic groups that settled and developed an area are complicated. My Grandmother could not marry the great love of her life because of religious differences between her family, and her boyfriend's. All German's, but Catholic/Lutheran was a no-no. They met again 70 years later when Earl looked her up after my Grandfather died. They kept company for a few months before he died.
I live right in the middle of the area Flues first started in. I think Reese (Blumfield twshp) is about 15 mins from here.

I wonder if anyone kept track of the info that Martin had gathered for his uncle? He was very helpful in assisting me with information on my Flues 1881, and what info his uncle had for it. I found this for Martin.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=81498748

Interesting about the Germans and still speaking German in America. My Swedish ancestors on my paternal Grandfather's side and my Norwegian ancestors on my maternal Grandmother's side both came to America in 1870, briefly to Illinois then to Minnesota. All my grandparents and great aunts & uncles talked about the fact that while their parents spoke Swedish or Norwegian among themselves, they wouldn't allow my grandparents or parents generation to speak anything but English(American).

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen .........". 2 Samuel 1:25

America today no longer even resembles that. So many immigrants no longer desire to, and are certainly not required to, learn and speak proper English, and we are expected to cater to whatever they choose to speak.

SRH

Used to know a rancher in the Texas Hill country who still spoke German, so did his family and he is not alone. Even when he spoke English he used German grammar. He was the 5th generation, born in the US. The older ranchers & family today speak German among themselves. Amazing how such customs continue.