Post by dgehris on Jul 3, 2006 13:02:44 GMT -5
Tim,
I would like to congratulate you on your Pennsylvania Dutch Dialect Project on the Web. Gut fer dich! I am 58 years old and a seventh generation Pennsylvania Dutchman (unn Stoltz davun!) originally from Lehigh County. My Gehris ancestors immigrated from the village of Horschbach in the Pfalz (Palatinate) near the city of Kaiserslautern in 1742 to Bucks County and then Berks County. My branch of the family moved to Lehigh County in the 1860s and were all farmers and tradesmen. I have been in Horschbach there several times with my wife, who is also Pennsylvania Dutch, but she neither speaks nor understands the dialect. My grandparents on both sides of the family were very fluent in the dialect, but my father only understood it. My mother is more fluent and was able to speak to her father in the dialect. Of course, I was always interested in it and have learned to speak some sentences and phrases from my mother. I also took two dialect courses at two different times and locations. While in the Pfalz region of Germany, we were able to met several Gehris (Gehres) family members and I was able to speak with them in our dialect and they understood me very well. Whenever we go to visit the families, they always insist on preparing a meal for us as their guests.
I would be interested in hearing your experiences with the dialect.
By profession, I am a college professor and administrator at Bloomsburg University. Keep up the good work!
Mach's gut!
Dennis Gehris
dgehris1@verizon.net
I would like to congratulate you on your Pennsylvania Dutch Dialect Project on the Web. Gut fer dich! I am 58 years old and a seventh generation Pennsylvania Dutchman (unn Stoltz davun!) originally from Lehigh County. My Gehris ancestors immigrated from the village of Horschbach in the Pfalz (Palatinate) near the city of Kaiserslautern in 1742 to Bucks County and then Berks County. My branch of the family moved to Lehigh County in the 1860s and were all farmers and tradesmen. I have been in Horschbach there several times with my wife, who is also Pennsylvania Dutch, but she neither speaks nor understands the dialect. My grandparents on both sides of the family were very fluent in the dialect, but my father only understood it. My mother is more fluent and was able to speak to her father in the dialect. Of course, I was always interested in it and have learned to speak some sentences and phrases from my mother. I also took two dialect courses at two different times and locations. While in the Pfalz region of Germany, we were able to met several Gehris (Gehres) family members and I was able to speak with them in our dialect and they understood me very well. Whenever we go to visit the families, they always insist on preparing a meal for us as their guests.
I would be interested in hearing your experiences with the dialect.
By profession, I am a college professor and administrator at Bloomsburg University. Keep up the good work!
Mach's gut!
Dennis Gehris
dgehris1@verizon.net
