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Part II This was possible because the merchants in town (for example, in the grocery stores, garages, and eating establishments) also spoke German. Services were regularly held in the German language in Immanuel Lutheran Church in La Vernia until the early 1950’s. Many German- Americans in La Vernia who are of my mother’s generation entered public school without speaking any English. English became a second language only after learning it in the public school. German was maintained as the primary language for use at home and with the extended family. Within my generation, i.e. the age group 25-37, the ability to speak. German varies widely,depending primarily upon whether or not both parents spoke German. If, as in my own case, only one parent spoke German, then German was obviously not used within the nuclear family and the only exposure to it was within the extended family. This resulted in the children learning only isolated words and phrases such as ‘‘How are you?’’, ‘‘What is wrong?’’, and ‘‘Until we meet again.’’ Interestingly enough, the German vocabulary of most school children also invariably included excalmatory phrases such as ‘‘Ach du liber, Augustine’ (Oh, dear August) or “Du bist zericht!’’ (You are crazy!) In contrast to my own limited German vocabulary, interviews with my contemporaries revealed that, if both parents spoke German, and if they held a value orientation _ that speaking German was good, then those members of my peer group spoke German as their primary language until they too entered public school. It was pointed out that when, and if, parents began to believe _ that speaking German was ‘*had’’, it was because they believed that their child’s progress at school was being hindered by not speaking English fluently. When this occurred, the parents stopped speaking German in the presence of their children and began addressing them only in English, even within the home. Thus, the numbers of my peer group who have maintained real fluency in the German language are few, and those who have managed to retain their ability to speak and understand. German have done so, by making a conscious and concerted effort to do so. When asked if they themselves are attempting to teach any German to their children (ages six months to 15) their answers vary. If the answer is no, the reason given is that it is too difficult because there are too few occasions for their children to practice their German _ language skills. If the answer is yes, the stated reason is that the parent values his-her own language link to a German heritage and wishes to instill this value orientation in the children. Among older German- Americans in La Vernia who still think of German as their primary language, the practice of code-switching is very common, and occurs in almost all conversations. Words that are seldom used are dropped from _ the vocabulary and _ English equivalents are substituted. Among German-Americans in my own peer group, and certainly in those younger. By Jeannie L. Seale German is no longer an operating language. For German-Americans in the La Vernia area code-switching definitely signaled a language shift, and meant moving exclusively from German to English as the dominant language. Religion While a small number of German-Americans in the La Vernia area belong to the Roman Catholic church, the large majority are Lutheran and belong to either the Elm Creek Lutheran Church or Immanuel Lutheran Church. Both of these churches are of the Missouri Synod, and are conservative with a rigidly defined doctrine and religious discipline -- ie. the belief that there is only one correct interpretation of each doctrine taken from the Scriptures. The worship services are highly liturgical. German-Americans in the La Vernia area place emphasis upon the ritual celebration of important religious holidays, especially Christmas and Easter. Traditional German spects of the Christmas season, such as special baking, wreaths, Christmas trees, and caroling are emphasized. In fact, when asking persons whether or not they knew any German poems or songs, the answer most frequently given was ‘*O Tannenbaum.”’ An Easter custom which seems to be widely known and enjoyed by children of German-American descent is that of constructing an Easter nest. On the Saturday before Easter, young children gather fresh green grass and carefully form it into a nest in which the ‘‘Easter bunny’’ will leave (Continued on page 4)
Newspaper Details
Wilson County News
Floresville, Texas, US
Wed, Jun 07, 1978
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Renee S.
USA 06 May 2026
Other Publications Near Floresville, Texas
Floresville Chronicle Journal
Wilson County News
