Recollections of the Germania Club 1955-2005

by Martha Kodrzynski

Recollections of the Germania Club 1955-2005

by Martha Kodrzynski

My husband, Rudi, and I met at Zion Lutheran Church after a German church service in August 1951, two weeks after he arrived in Canada as a landed immigrant from Germany. Following its founding, the Germania Club held dances at Sunset Hall on Highway 17 west of Pembroke. They always had live music, and that is where Rudi and I learned to dance together. The general public sort of disrespected this hall and called it the “Monkey Ranch.” It was, however, large enough to accommodate the German immigrants and their Canadian friends of German descent. As attendance grew, it became necessary to rent the Pembroke Legion Hall and Thee Place. When we married in 1956, the club presented us with a beautiful table lamp. The base was several shades of violet, and the shade had silver stars all over. After many years, we founded the Germania Singers. Founding members were Manfred and Eva Kirschling, Rose Schaefer, Inge Beck, Gerda Gangl, Christa Reitlingshoefer, Margaret Kiendl, and Rudi and I. Members came and went, but we stayed together for about 25 years, expressing our joy in song at the club’s annual Christmas party. In later years we sang on TV for the Kiwanis Easter Seal telethon, and at the waterfront in summertime, where we were accompanied by Marie Zettler on the accordion. We also sang at senior citizens’ homes under the direction of, and accompanied by Horst Thuemen and later by Joe Calverly. Because of lack of members, for the last two years we sing only at the German “Weihnachtsfeier” (Christmas celebration.) In recent years the high points for us are the Oktoberfest and Christkindlmarkt. We enjoy working and celebrating with all the folks who are members and with their friends. With them we have spent many hours of hard work made lighter by many hands, and hours of Gemuetlichkeit. Rudi has never been bored since his retirement 10 years ago, because there is always lots of volunteer work to do at the hall. Our first event in the new hall was our “Weihnachtsfeier” in 1996. The walls had only drywall on them, but the large pillars were ready enough, so Gerda Gangl, Rudi, and I decorated a Christmas tree and wrapped tinsel around the pillars. It was a very humble setting, sort of like the first Christmas. Immediately after the Feier was over, we had to remove all the decorations, so that on Monday morning Albert Dermann could get on with the construction. This was an opportunity for the impatient club members to see how the work was evolving. Chris Thuemen was the architect, and Albert Dermann was the chief carpenter, to whom we are all indebted. He had some paid and some volunteer help, and we were all disappointed that Hans Hagenah, who died unexpectedly while construction was underway, was not there to see the new hall when it was completed. Fritz Hoffman hand-crafted and installed the railing on the balcony. The new Germania Hall is fantastic! The Germania Club, over these 50 years, has greatly enriched and expanded the German culture in our community to the point where many folks who are not of German descent wish they were! From time to time, classes to teach the German language have been held, with good attendance. The most flamboyant president we ever had was Freddie Krause, now deceased. He was also the Santa Claus at the Weihnachtsfeier, and the joyful? moans and groans which he exuded when he entered always reminded me of pregnant women in labour (I was an obstetrical nurse), but he never delivered anything but bags of candy. In our wildest dreams, we never thought that we would be given an opportunity to celebrate an occasion of our own in the Germania Hall. In 2001, our beloved children and their spouses gave the most wonderful surprise 45th wedding anniversary party in our honour, which made us very happy! God willing, we hope to celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2006 in this hall as well. The hall is in great demand for weddings, charitable organizational fundraising, blood donor clinics, etc. Congratulations on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Germania Club! May it remain a part of our future for many years to come!