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Teachers and students pose below and on a climbing apparatus in Halbstadt. On back of photograph: "High School (Fortbildingschule) in Halbstadt. Grandfather David Friesen on ladder to right - third from bottom, about 1898." The photograph was probably taken at the teacher training school in Halbstadt, the Halbstadt Zentralschule. The equipment may have been used for exercise or physical training.

The photo of this group of women taken in Halbstadt in October 1942 includes Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck’s grandmother, Anna (Wiens) Rempel who is sitting in the middle. The family milked this goat because they couldn’t afford a cow. The photo was given to Anna by a person named H. Schirmacher. The other women on the photo are not identified. Perhaps they were kindergarten teachers with Anna. (See photo #12)

Anna (Wiens) Rempel, grandmother of Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck, was a teacher and principal of a large kindergarten in Halbstadt. Anna’s husband Dietrich was taken away in 1941 with all the other men of the area. They were sent to Siberia where they died of hard labour and starvation. In 1941 to 1943 when the German army occupied the Ukraine, Anna continued her work as principal in the kindergarten. She was a very creative teacher and known for the plays she produced with young children, as illustrated here, where a number of the children are in costume. The children in the front row are in rabbit costumes. Another time she performed a play about the seven dwarfs with the kindergarten children (shown on another photo which Elfrieda also has). Anna also assisted the older students. Elfrieda remembers her grandmother helping her grade 8 class to perform shadow plays.

This photo is related to #12 and shows some of the kindergarten children taught by Anna (Wiens) Rempel, grandmother of Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck, during 1939 and 1940 in Halbstadt. Anna, with white hair, is standing in the back row near the middle.

Herta, at left, born in 1905 and her sister Rita (Margarete), at right, born in 1905, sit beneath the decorated Christmas tree in their home with their dolls and other Christmas presents around them. The Christmas tree had real candles. The other decorations on the tree were homemade and consisted of nuts and homemade cookies. These girls were the daughters of Dietrich and Anna (Wiens) Rempel, Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck’s grandparents and Rita was the mother of Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck. Anna (Wiens) Rempel was born in Bachmut and likely both of her daughters were born there as well. It is not known when the family moved to Halbstadt.

Three young women pose standing, outdoors. Left to right they are: Katja Rempel, Anna (Wiens) Rempel, grandmother of Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck, Agatha (Rempel) Regehr. Katja and Agatha were step-sisters.

Anna (Wiens) Rempel, grandmother of Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck, poses, a book on her lap, surrounded by palm-leaf and myrtle plants. An exact date for this picture is not available. We do know that Anna was married at 18 years of age in 1901.

Three young women pose sitting on a bench outdoors. Left to right they are: Agatha (Rempel) Regehr, Mariechen (Hamm) Kliewer, Anna (Wiens) Rempel, grandmother of Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck.

Mr. Hänsel, at left, Anna (Wiens) Rempel in the middle and her husband Dietrich Rempel, share a toast at an outdoor picnic. Anna and Dietrich are Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck’s maternal grandparents. The two daughters of Anna and Dietrich: Rita (Margarete) at the left, mother of Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck and Herta on the right, sit with their parents.

Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck’s grandmother, Anna (Wiens) Rempel poses on the verandah with her two daughters, Herta at left, and Rita (Margarete), sitting on the step.

Formal family photo taken on the occasion of the engagement of Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck’s grandparents, Anna Wiens and Dietrich Rempel, standing. Anna’s younger brother Peter stands at the right. Anna’s parents (and Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck’s great-grandparents) Margareta (Dück) Wiens and Peter Wiens sit in the middle with their younger daughter, Gretchen (Margaret) seated on a low stool at the right. Peter and Margareta Wiens owned the store in Halbstadt, located across the street from the pharmacy.

Description: Formal photo of four young girls. They are, left to right clockwise: Anna Gossen, aged 6, Lena Kliewer, aged 3, Wanda Kliewer, aged 5 and Elfrieda Gossen (later Dyck) aged 4. Elfrieda’s mother had made the dresses, which Anna and Elfrieda are wearing as well as the shoes. Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck remembers her mother making these shoes.

Nicholas J. Fehderau’s second oldest sister, Tina. As a young woman, Tina spent a year in Plauen, Vogtland, Germany at Housekeeping School (ca 1915). While there she learned about photography. On her return to the Ukraine, Tina took great pleasure in taking and developing her own pictures. Some of the following casual family poses were likely taken by her. See From the Heights into the Depths, p.69

From the left: Manja Fehderau, sister of Nicholas J. Fehderau, with her friends, Suse and Lena Dick.

Manja Fehderau, sister of Nicholas J. Fehderau, standing to the right of the photo, with her friends, Suse and Lena Dick.