Wilhelm: Early pioneers worked to overcome language barriers
When I think about the difficulties facing the pioneers to this area, I often dwell on the incredibly difficult terrain, including the Black Swamp and the thick forests. But I tend to overlook the issue of language for people coming from many countries to a strange land.
Communication was sometimes difficult.
The Rev. Georg Cronenwett came to the Woodville area in 1841 and served the community and especially the Lutherans for nearly half a century. Such a community leader was he that the Georg Cronenwett House in Woodville is listed on the National Register of Historic Places not only because of its architecture but also because he was such an important member of the community.
But here is what he had to say when speaking at the Pioneer and Historical Association in 1887:
“About 45 years ago I was requested to preach a sermon in English and in doing so made a failure and after that felt no more courage to speak in English. Ten years later I was again induced, by an Englishman, to preach a sermon in English, but after the sermon I saw no more of the Englishman. He had enough of my English. … Between my wish to speak English and the performance there is a great difference. … I cannot say what I wish to in English as I do in German.”
Probably the most well known of the struggles with language and customs in this area is the creation of St. Joseph Catholic Church by the Germans who were attending the Irish-led St. Ann’s Church.
I have read that a priest convinced the Germans in the congregation that they should learn their lessons in their own language and with their own customs, so parents in Fremont loaded their children in wagons and traveled to Detroit for their religious education.
St. Ann's was growing rapidly, but the large influx of both Irish and German immigrants created problems. It was compounded by the fact that the Bishop of the Diocese (Cleveland at the time) lacked priests for a new German church.
Years later, the Rev. Joseph Waechter of St. Joseph’s explained the problem very well: “Most of the newcomers hailing from Germany had many difficulties, those of language and custom being not the least. They had heard the story of Bethlehem at the mothers’ knee in her tongue; they had sung those beautiful German Christmas carols in words which bear no translation …. They yearned for the expressions of the Fatherland.”
Then there was this from Rev. Jacob Dunbeare:
“I came to this country from Switzerland … and upon arrival at this place could not speak a word of English. My destination was Rollersville where friends resided and I inquired the way to that place of the ticket agent. He could not understand me, and I then wrote Rollersville on paper and he showed me the direction to take. … I became very hungry and finally stopped at a house where I asked for breakfast. The lady did not understand me, but I succeeded in making my wants known and obtained a good meal.”
Pioneer life was not easy.
Roy Wilhelm started a 40-year career at The News-Messenger in 1965 as a reporter. Now retired, he writes a column for both The News-Messenger and News Herald.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Wilhelm: Early pioneers worked to overcome language barriers
