[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Life in Volhynia-Traditional Folk Songs

[GVLESS at aol.com]

Dear SGGEE readers - It would be nice if some of you who have memories of 
hearing or knowing about some of the traditional folk songs that were sung by our 
ancestors in Volhynia  would share what you know on this listserv.  These 
kinds of "stories" would be interesting to add to our collection of stories from 
over there.  Surely your parents/grandparents may have continued to sing them 
when they immigrated to North America.  

For one thing I wish my husband and I would have known some of these songs as 
we know that his parents, Fred and Julia (Bergstraesser) Less were a part of 
a German choir in the early 1930's in Nebraska.  We have a picture of this 
group that met in the homes of the Volhynian immigrants.  But Gary was just a wee 
one at the time and he had said he really never paid much attention to what 
his parents did at that age!
Now that many in the Less family are gone it is a shame that there is no 
knowledge in the family of the music the immigrant parents may have enjoyed in 
those years.  

Sharing what others know though would be helpful to all of us that may be 
interested who have this particular ethnic history.  Write out the German (with 
English translation if possible) and share it here.  If you have a story of how 
and when it was sung add that too!   

Sincerely,
Virginia Less (Who tries to collect stories of our heritage for SGGEE 
publication.  Bill Fife, our SGGEE Journal editor, would love these, I know)