Dubois County: The Interwar Years

Lillian Doane gives a guided tour of the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jasper, Indiana. She also speaks about local history, religious art and symbolism, and the architecture of the church.

Claude Eckert speaks about visiting sister city Pfaffenweiler, Germany and his involvement with the local German club. He discusses life in the small German-American community of Jasper, Indiana. He speaks of the area's German descent and the aspects of that culture which still linger including the language, and some traditions. He discusses the effects both World Wars had on the perceptions people had on German pride. Eckert also discusses the importance of religion and the place it holds in German heritage.

Martina and Claude Eckert speak about their early life growing up during the Great Depression, farming, and using German at home. They also speak about the effects of Vatican II on their church, and the relationship between Jasper and its sister city, Pfaffenweiler, Germany.

Oscar Haake, born 1916, grew up in Ferdinand where his father owned and operated the . He recalls speaking German as a boy, riding the "Ferdy" Flyer to high school, and the hard times of the Great Depression. Prior to World War II, he had received some instruction on operating printing presses. He, along with his brother, bought the paper from his mother after his military service in 1945. Though his previous printing experience was a positive, he still describes being unprepared to take on other newspaper operating duties. Oscar describes getting funding and learning the intricate nuances of the business over the next forty-five years until the paper was sold in 1990. He ends the interview discussing some of his wartime experiences stationed on a small island in the northern Pacific Ocean for over ten months and being listed as missing in action.

Sabine Jordan was born in Germandy and immigrated with her parents to America where she earned a Ph.D. in eighteenth century German literature. She speaks briefly about her early life in Germany, and her academic career before she was hired as humanist in residence by Dubois County. Her job in Dubois County was to create a plan and awareness for preserving German heritage in the County. She describes some of the programs she initiated, specifically her talks, and the various aspects of German heritage.

Roy Meyer, born 1905, was an undertaker and talks about going to school in a one-room schoolhouse, speaking German at home, and going to German school in the winter. He also discusses the split over language in St. Paul's Lutheran Church that led to the establishment of the Christ Lutheran Church. Meyer also talks about Prohibition, moonshine in the county, and coon hunting during the Great Depression.

Eileen Schaber, born 1924, speaks about her life in Dubois County, Indiana. She describes her early life, focusing on farming, German language church, and her education, a one-room schoolhouse and high school in Indianapolis, Indiana. Later she speaks about married life, religion, and her involvement in the local craft shows making turnip kraut.

Ralph J. Reitz, born in 1917, discusses his early life and education, growing up on a farm in Haysville, Indiana. He recalls the great amount of work that that went into farming, the widespread use of German language and traditions, and one room schools. He recalls life during the Great Depression and Prohibition and the prevalence of moonshine and winemaking. Seitz discusses his family, the importance of religion in his life, and his hobby of fishing. He discusses how farming and economics have changed over time, and how Haysville has changed but remained isolated.

Hugo Songer grew up in Dubois County, Indiana and attended the Indiana University School of Law after his military service during the Korean War. He speaks about his family history, childhood, and experiences in attending one-room schoolhouses. He also discusses the history of the county in terms of the various German communities and their differences (primarily religious) and other characteristics associated with the German residents, such as farming, religion and moonshining.

Gilbert Tredway, born 1922, grew up in Cuzco, Indiana, and speaks about local history, community rivalry, and his schooling. He also speaks briefly about his experiences as an aircraft gunner on a B-17 during World War II, where he was wounded. His wounds and partial disability entitled him to federal funding (similar to the GI Bill) to continue his education, eventually earning a Ph.D. in history. He taught High School, and later, at Campbellsville University. His scholarly and teaching interests changes from European military history to American history, specifically the United States Civil War and Reconstruction. He discusses his research for his dissertation, which he eventually published as , and discusses how he got interested in writing a fictional book about the Civil War in Dubois County.