I realize that right now most people are more concerned about their health, and not with identifying old pictures, but we can't concentrate on the coronavirus 24/7 or we'll all go nuts!


Here is another picture from the Ohde collection. I'm fairly sure Ruth is in this picture which I think is a Sunday School class or maybe Vacation Bible school class.
Hopefully someone from Ruth's class or around her age will be able to ID some/all of the students.

Thanks to Jon Groteluschen, Jay Musfeldt, and Bill Ohde for help with the names so far.


Back: Mary Frahm?, Stan Spies?, Gary Neubaum?, ??, ??, ??
Front: Carol Vollstedt?, Ruth Ohde, ??, Barbara Vollmer, ??

April 11, 1954 Zion Lutheran Confirmation

Back Vincent Ress, Kenneth Frahm, Dale Jansen, Pastor Ansorge, Larry Lohrmann, Gary Schroeder, Wesley Cooper
Row 2 Marilyn Sonksen, Ruth Ohde, Marilyn Bogatzke, Darlene Kruse, Catherine Nulle, Janice Ford, Berneil Antone
Front Royce Genzen, Barbara Vollmer, Gary Neubaum, Susan Jansen, Judith Wegner, Stanley Spies, Carol Vollstedt


I'm trying to determine for sure if this is Doug Opperman's signature and writing below.
If anyone is in contact by e-mail with one of the Oppermans - please give them a "heads-up" about my request.
I asked Bill Ohde and he is fairly sure this isn't any of his family members writing...

Why would I care? some of you may wonder - I'm always watching for people's signatures and hand writing in letters and such to scan.
I've actually had people e-mail me and ask me if I have a signature of a relative - they want to make a bracelet and have the signature on it, for instance.
Writing is a widely ignored aspect for preserving our history. It gives us another insight into the person, beyond the pictures and even if you have some audio/video of them.

I also think this is such an amazing image from Manning's history. I don't want Bill to feel old and also realizing I was also around at this event so I've gotten just as much older, but I just love these types of more professional images that capture a moment in time.


Back side of the photo below

1981 Manning Centennial - Lyle Gross & William G. Ohde


Valentines Day card from Ruth Ohde to her grandmother Ida (Roggendorf) Dethlefs

This is another type of family history that tends to get thrown away or not properly cared for. For some people they don't care about this kind of history but even though Ruth or Ida are not my relatives, I am so excited and grateful to find it and scan it into the Manning historical database.


Documents/certificates are other aspects of our history that are not properly cared for, but more importantly are not properly digitally scanned for long-term preservation.
While I really don't have the extra time to restore/repair these documents, from time to time I will take the time - especially for families who cooperate and work with me so generously like the Ohde family does/has.
Here is Ruth's mother's Sunday School certificate.
The cracking, tears, and markings are almost universal (unfortunately) with most of the documents/certificates I find in collections.

Some people will frame them but that is not a good idea unless you use UV resistant glass.
MOST importantly they should be digitally scanned FIRST, before they are framed, because that is the only way to truly preserve a document, long after it deteriorates into paper dust.

I know I've shown this picture before but thought I would show it again to see if I can get more confirmations with the IDs below - that they are all correct and determine for sure that is Patty Sextro.

Back: Delores Ahrendsen, Darlene Eckholdt, Ruth Ohde, Carol Vollstedt, Patty Sextro?, Susan Paulsen, Shirley Venteicher, Priscilla Hiatt, Susan Jansen, Barbara Vollmer
Front: Judy Wegner, Linda Fisher, Janice Jensen, Marcia Martens, Marilyn Bogatzke, Berneil Antone, Marilyn Sonksen
Teacher: Rita (Theobald) Zerwas - Fourth Grade


Ruth Ohde in the Jeep on Main Street July 1942

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