Degrees of Allegiance

Acknowledgments

ix acknowledgments p Completing a project on the scale of this book, from the initial idea to the revised manuscript, would have been impossible without the assistance and support of many individuals along the way whom I wish to thank. At the University of Missouri in Columbia, I had the pleasure of working with outstanding scholars who freely shared their knowledge and gave advice. Susan Flader, Mary Neth, John Bullion, Linda Reeder, Kirby Miller, and Walter Schroeder lent their support, expertise, and guidance and offered invaluable advice as this book took shape. Walter Kamphoefner, a leading scholar in the field of German immigration, added invaluable insight during several conferences. At the Missouri University of Science & Technology I also benefited from the advice of Larry Gragg. As a former mentor and now colleague, he willingly read and criticized my work as it grew. During my lengthy research I had the help of many. The assistance of David Moore, John Konzal, and William Stolz at the Western Historical Manuscript Collection, University of Missouri–Columbia, has been very important over the years. The newspaper library at the State Historical Society of Missouri in Columbia houses the largest collection of newspapers of any state and is invaluable to anyone conducting research in regional history. Thank you also to Kimberlee Reid and the staff as well as to the volunteers at the National Archives, Central Plains Region, in Kansas City for their assistance during my search for Selective Service records and cases prosecuted under the Espionage Act in the Eastern District Court of Missouri. Members of the staff at the Missouri State Archives in Jefferson City were kind and efficient in responding to my requests for documents and microfilms. John Viessman, the curator of the State Museum at the Capitol in Jefferson City, provided access to his research, helped me find a survivor from the World War I era, and assisted during the resulting interview. I thank all the dedicated staff, volunteers, and taxpayers who support numerous local libraries and county historical societies. Thank you, Claudia Baker and Mary Lou Schulte, for allowing me free access to the documents and family histories located at the Osage County Historical Society. My most heartfelt appreciation goes to Art Draper, Missy Frank, and Lois Puchta at x p Acknowledgments the Gasconade County Historical Society. You graciously offered assistance, advice, and firsthand knowledge of the German culture in Hermann and Gasconade County. You have made me feel at home in Hermann, and your interest in my work, your contacts, and your personal knowledge of the area’s history have helped tremendously. I am grateful to several other individuals for their advice and inspiration. Father Joe Welschmeyer supplied me with his personal knowledge of Osage County and gave me a tour of Rich Fountain, Missouri. Phyllis Garstang, Marylin Shaw Smith, and Ralph Sellenschutter through their correspondence offered additional personal insight into the events during the war and the preservation of German culture. The editors at Ohio University Press, including Gillian Berchowitz and Nancy Basmajian, were very patient through the lengthy revision process, and their editorial suggestions made this a better book. Not last, I wish to thank the women in my life who have served as shining examples of success despite the continued limits placed upon the female gender . Many thanks to my mother, Marlene Wagner, who still lives in Germany, for teaching me perseverance, patience, and organization. She, as I, was a migrant; only she took a greater and more difficult step when she, as a single person, packed a suitcase in 1957 and left her family in East Germany for a better future in West Germany. Her courage and determination have been an inspiration to me throughout my life. Ibby, you allowed me to come into your life as a transcriber of family letters and convinced me to continue the struggle when I was ready to throw in the towel. Your friendship and wisdom are precious to me. Finally, I thank my husband of nearly thirty years, Melvin Clay DeWitt, for his support and acceptance of a weekend marriage for several years so that I could fulfill a dream. He patiently and proudly accompanied me to many conferences, lent an ear to new ideas and interpretations, and countless times thought of the right word or phrase. Not once did his faith in my ability to balance marriage, two homes, and full-time work falter or waver, not even after his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease, debilitating automobile accident...