From Russia to Dakota: The Amish, Hutterite and Mennonite Journey
Schedule
Thu May 07 2026 at 06:30 pm to 08:15 pm
UTC-05:00Location
Old Courthouse Museum, Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls, SD
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6:30 p.m. - Social Time 7:00 p.m. - Program begins*Courtroom on 2nd Floor due to joint meeting with Minnehaha County Historical Society
About 150 years ago, a wave of immigrants began streaming from southern Russia to North America. By 1914, a quarter of a million had settled in southern Canada and the Great Plains of the United States.
Although many had lived in Russia for nearly a century, they didn't consider themselves Russian; regardless of their ancestral roots, they identified as Germans from Russia. Among them were families who settled in southeastern Dakota Territory and traced their roots to the Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites.
Who were these people? What brought them here? And...how did they end up in Russia in the first place?
That's the theme of this presentation by Marnette D. (Ortman) Hofer and Tim L. Waltner; both are on staff at Heritage Hall Museum and Archives in Freeman. Both grew up in the Freeman community and trace their roots to this immigration story.
Hofer is the archivist and executive director of HHM&A. She joined the staff in 2015. Waltner joined the staff as education/communication coordinator in 2020 after retiring as publisher/editor of the Freeman Courier. Both are authors; Hofer wrote a history of Freeman Junior College and Freeman Academy, and Waltner wrote a book about the history of Schmeckfest, the popular ethnic festival that began in Freeman in 1959.
Heritage Hall Museum and Archives traces its roots to a collection that began on the campus of Freeman College more than a century ago. Today, HHM&A is an independent nonprofit organization that is open year-round. Located in the southwest corner of Freeman, SD, the complex includes two large display halls, an extensive archives/library and four historical buildings.
https://heritagehallmuseum.com/
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Old Courthouse Museum, Sioux Falls, SD, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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