{"id":1059,"date":"2023-07-19T11:49:25","date_gmt":"2023-07-19T16:49:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/?page_id=1059"},"modified":"2024-10-04T01:07:21","modified_gmt":"2024-10-04T06:07:21","slug":"exile","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/exile\/","title":{"rendered":"Exile"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#FFFFF0&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;||-75px||false|false&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_font=&#8221;Prata||||||||&#8221; header_font_size=&#8221;81px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;50px||||false|false&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1>Exiled from Home<\/h1>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font=&#8221;Prata||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;20px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>Stories of multiple Latvian displaced persons who lived in post WWII displaced persons camps, including Insula (near Berchtesgaden, Germany) and immigrated to the Midwestern regions of the United States<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1702\/2023\/07\/Screen-Shot-2023-07-24-at-12.33.46-PM.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Sign for Insula Displaced Persons&#8217; Assembly Center&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Sign for Insula Displaced Persons&#8217; Assembly Center&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Services&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#FFFFF0&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;||||false|false&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{%22gcid-abdd1dfe-115d-40b5-9c1d-c1c9635de504%22:%91%93}&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; width=&#8221;88.3%&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;|||0px||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1702\/2023\/07\/Screen-Shot-2023-07-27-at-1.54.14-PM.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;%22Mikelis Valters and Ventis Plume January 1949%22 (Insula-Island of Hope)&#8221; title_text=&#8221;%22Mikelis Valters and Ventis Plume January 1949%22 (Insula-Island of Hope)&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1702\/2023\/08\/Screen-Shot-2023-08-01-at-2.41.25-PM-e1690919137423.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Photo of John Plume in Insula, taken by Ventis Plume&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Photo of John Plume in Insula, taken by Ventis Plume&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;90865f4d-2cce-42a7-b40e-d3fbad25605a&#8221; header_font=&#8221;Prata||||||||&#8221; header_2_font=&#8221;Prata||||||||&#8221; header_2_text_color=&#8221;#141414&#8243; header_2_font_size=&#8221;60px&#8221; header_2_line_height=&#8221;1.2em&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||0px||false|false&#8221; header_2_font_size_tablet=&#8221;32px&#8221; header_2_font_size_phone=&#8221;20px&#8221; header_2_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; header_2_line_height_tablet=&#8221;1.3em&#8221; header_2_line_height_phone=&#8221;1.4em&#8221; header_2_line_height_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{%22gcid-3f47e762-ddb9-4bcc-9a88-eb1cda6175db%22:%91%93}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>Ventis Plume<\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_accordion open_toggle_background_color=&#8221;RGBA(0,0,0,0)&#8221; closed_toggle_background_color=&#8221;RGBA(0,0,0,0)&#8221; icon_color=&#8221;#141414&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Accordion&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; toggle_font=&#8221;Prata||||||||&#8221; toggle_font_size=&#8221;22px&#8221; toggle_line_height=&#8221;1.4em&#8221; body_font=&#8221;Lato||||||||&#8221; body_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; body_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; max_width=&#8221;700px&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; toggle_font_size_tablet=&#8221;18px&#8221; toggle_font_size_phone=&#8221;16px&#8221; toggle_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; toggle_line_height_tablet=&#8221;1.6em&#8221; toggle_line_height_phone=&#8221;&#8221; toggle_line_height_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; body_font_size_tablet=&#8221;15px&#8221; body_font_size_phone=&#8221;14px&#8221; body_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; border_width_all=&#8221;0px&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;rgba(20,20,20,0.3)&#8221; border_width_bottom=&#8221;1px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{%22gcid-9452e02f-d11f-42fc-a9f8-16803f93b5d0%22:%91%93,%22gcid-3f47e762-ddb9-4bcc-9a88-eb1cda6175db%22:%91%93}&#8221;][et_pb_accordion_item open=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; body_font_size=&#8221;18px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span>Ventis Plume was born in Sauka, Latvia in 1932, where he stayed until grade five. His family had never left Latvia before they fled from Soviet troops in 1944 to Berchtesgaden, Germany. Ventis recalled fleeing their farm with everything they could bring on a horse-pulled cart. Their train to Germany was bombed, destroying all of their belongings. His father Janis, mother Anna, and brother John lived in Insula from 1945 to 1949. Ventis\u2019 memory album (pictured below with the title &#8220;Wartime Log&#8221;) shows what life looked like inside Insula. From Hamburg, Germany, Ventis and his family sailed on the SS Ernie Pyle to New York. His family lived on a farmstead in St. Joseph, Michigan for two years with sponsorship from the National Lutheran Council.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0In 1951, Ventis graduated from St. Joseph High School and worked at a metal shop while taking community college engineering classes. Ventis was called to serve in the Korean war by the U.S. Just three days after he was drafted, the war stopped. He served at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Fort Lee, Virginia, and Camp Chaffee, Arkansas. Once discharged from the service in 1955, Ventis moved to East Lansing, Michigan with his wife, Maija Slesers, and began studying forestry and economics at Michigan State University.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1959, after finishing his degree in forestry, Ventis and Maija moved to Grangevilla, Idaho so he could work as a junior forester, fighting forest fires and planting thousands of trees. During this time, Maija drove herself sixty-five miles to the hospital to have their son Janis Juris in 1960 and daughter Mara Anna in 1961, and in 1964, their last daughter, Inta Maija. By 1974, Ventis and his family moved to Alaska to further his career with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where he worked for 25 years, visiting many Native American reservations. In the 1990s, Ventis and Maija visited Latvia over a dozen times where they visited relatives and friends.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Maija Plume passed away in 2007 and Ventis Plume in 2022.<span style=\"font-size: small;\"><a href=\"#fn\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">1<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_accordion_item][\/et_pb_accordion][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_3,1_3,1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1702\/2023\/08\/Screen-Shot-2023-08-01-at-2.22.34-PM.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Gift to Ventils Plume by the YMCA, holding many memories of his time at Insula (JP).&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Memory Album of Ventils Plume (JP)&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1702\/2023\/08\/Screen-Shot-2023-08-01-at-2.40.27-PM-e1690918981666.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Inside of Plume Memory Album&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Inside of Plume Memory Album&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1702\/2023\/08\/Screen-Shot-2023-08-01-at-2.23.16-PM-e1690917880167.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Within the album, Plume added many pictures of life at Insula, including many cultural celebrations or activities (JP).&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Inside of Memory Album of Ventils Plume (JP)&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1702\/2023\/08\/Screen-Shot-2023-08-01-at-1.36.12-PM.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Alida Nussbaums (Insula)&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Alida Nussbaums (Insula)&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;90865f4d-2cce-42a7-b40e-d3fbad25605a&#8221; header_2_font=&#8221;Prata||||||||&#8221; header_2_text_color=&#8221;#141414&#8243; header_2_font_size=&#8221;60px&#8221; header_2_line_height=&#8221;1.2em&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||0px||false|false&#8221; header_2_font_size_tablet=&#8221;32px&#8221; header_2_font_size_phone=&#8221;20px&#8221; header_2_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; header_2_line_height_tablet=&#8221;1.3em&#8221; header_2_line_height_phone=&#8221;1.4em&#8221; header_2_line_height_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{%22gcid-3f47e762-ddb9-4bcc-9a88-eb1cda6175db%22:%91%93}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>Alida Nussbaums<\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_accordion open_toggle_background_color=&#8221;RGBA(0,0,0,0)&#8221; closed_toggle_background_color=&#8221;RGBA(0,0,0,0)&#8221; icon_color=&#8221;#141414&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; toggle_font=&#8221;Prata||||||||&#8221; toggle_font_size=&#8221;22px&#8221; toggle_line_height=&#8221;1.4em&#8221; body_font=&#8221;Lato||||||||&#8221; body_font_size=&#8221;18px&#8221; body_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; max_width=&#8221;700px&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; toggle_font_size_tablet=&#8221;18px&#8221; toggle_font_size_phone=&#8221;16px&#8221; toggle_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; toggle_line_height_tablet=&#8221;1.6em&#8221; toggle_line_height_phone=&#8221;&#8221; toggle_line_height_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; body_font_size_tablet=&#8221;15px&#8221; body_font_size_phone=&#8221;14px&#8221; body_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; border_width_all=&#8221;0px&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;rgba(20,20,20,0.3)&#8221; border_width_bottom=&#8221;1px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{%22gcid-9452e02f-d11f-42fc-a9f8-16803f93b5d0%22:%91%93,%22gcid-3f47e762-ddb9-4bcc-9a88-eb1cda6175db%22:%91%93}&#8221;][et_pb_accordion_item open=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p id=\"isPasted\">Alida was born in Aduliena, Latvia in 1905 and lived with her father, two sisters, and one brother. Her mother passed away when she was young. Alida went on to study chemistry at a university in Riga Alida also joined the well known Dziesmu Vara choir with her talented voice and worked as an accountant.<\/p>\n<p>The conflict of WWII separated Alida from her family, and she was transported by the Germans to work as a telephone operator in Erfurt, Germany. She made her way to Insula where she shared a 240 square foot room with the Plume family of four. She worked as the lead switchboard operator at Insula, joined the Insula choir, and learned to climb and ski the Bavarian Alps.<\/p>\n<p>In 1949, along with the Plume family, Alida boarded the SS Ernie Pyle to immigrate to the U.S. and settled in Wisconsin. Ventis recalls how she would visit his family in Michigan and pick fruits from their trees. By 1951, Alida moved to Rochester, MN to work in the Mayo Clinic laboratory. She dutifully stayed there for 20 years until her retirement, never missing a day. She visited every continent during her retirement years and was a member of the YWCA, Lutheran Church of Minneapolis and St.Paul, Minnesota Orchestra Women\u2019s Club, and the Mayo Clinic\u2019s Women\u2019s Club.<\/p>\n<p>Alida Nussbaums passed away in 1992 and was buried in the Latvian Memorial Park, in Elka Park, New York.<span style=\"font-size: small;\"><a href=\"#fn\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">2<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_accordion_item][\/et_pb_accordion][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; module_id=&#8221;smits&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Text&#8221; module_id=&#8221;edmundsmits&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;90865f4d-2cce-42a7-b40e-d3fbad25605a&#8221; header_2_font=&#8221;Prata||||||||&#8221; header_2_text_color=&#8221;#141414&#8243; header_2_font_size=&#8221;60px&#8221; header_2_line_height=&#8221;1.2em&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||0px||false|false&#8221; header_2_font_size_tablet=&#8221;32px&#8221; header_2_font_size_phone=&#8221;20px&#8221; header_2_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; header_2_line_height_tablet=&#8221;1.3em&#8221; header_2_line_height_phone=&#8221;1.4em&#8221; header_2_line_height_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{%22gcid-3f47e762-ddb9-4bcc-9a88-eb1cda6175db%22:%91%93}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>Professor Edmunds \u0160mits<\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_accordion open_toggle_background_color=&#8221;RGBA(0,0,0,0)&#8221; closed_toggle_background_color=&#8221;RGBA(0,0,0,0)&#8221; icon_color=&#8221;#141414&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Accordion&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; toggle_font=&#8221;Prata||||||||&#8221; toggle_font_size=&#8221;22px&#8221; toggle_line_height=&#8221;1.4em&#8221; body_font=&#8221;Lato||||||||&#8221; body_font_size=&#8221;18px&#8221; body_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; max_width=&#8221;700px&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; toggle_font_size_tablet=&#8221;18px&#8221; toggle_font_size_phone=&#8221;16px&#8221; toggle_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; toggle_line_height_tablet=&#8221;1.6em&#8221; toggle_line_height_phone=&#8221;&#8221; toggle_line_height_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; body_font_size_tablet=&#8221;15px&#8221; body_font_size_phone=&#8221;14px&#8221; body_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; border_width_all=&#8221;0px&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;rgba(20,20,20,0.3)&#8221; border_width_bottom=&#8221;1px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{%22gcid-9452e02f-d11f-42fc-a9f8-16803f93b5d0%22:%91%93,%22gcid-3f47e762-ddb9-4bcc-9a88-eb1cda6175db%22:%91%93}&#8221;][et_pb_accordion_item open=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; toggle_level=&#8221;h4&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>Professor Edmunds \u0160mits was born in Mazsalaca, Latvia in 1902. He was raised in a deeply religious Lutheran and Anti-Marxist family.\u00a0 As a professor of theology and philosophy, Professor \u0160mits strongly opposed the Soviet religious oppression he experienced in his time.<\/p>\n<p>The Lutheran Federation Services to Refugees recruited Professor \u0160mits to organize a special kind of spiritual work by leading courses for pastors and Christian students. Dr. Howard Hong invited Professor \u0160mits to be the pr<span style=\"color: #666666;\">ogram director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/support-programs\/#study-centers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color: #666666;\">Lutheran Study center in Imbshausen<\/a>, an institution with religious courses for DP pastors and members of the \u201cChurches in Exile.\u201d By July 1<\/span>948, Professor \u0160mits was preparing pastors, school teachers, and students for religious work in post WWII camps and cities. Imbshausen, like its counterpart in the American Zone, Berchtesgaden, became a beacon of hope for many religious workers. For instance, Latvian teacher Z. Suna, after his time there, described Imbshausen as a place &#8220;w<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here a uniting spirit reigned and lifted our thoughts out of the bleakness of every day.\u201d<span style=\"font-size: small;\"><a href=\"#fn\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">3<\/span><\/a><\/span> After<\/span> Professor \u0160mits left Imbshausen, he continued his education and later his teaching at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.<a href=\"#fn\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; font-size: small;\">4<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_accordion_item][\/et_pb_accordion][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1702\/2023\/07\/Screen-Shot-2023-07-26-at-5.14.40-PM.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;From left to right; Talivaldis Smits, Professor Edmund Smits, Diana Smits, and Mrs. Smits Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Region 3 Archives Luther Seminary St. Paul, MN&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Edmund Smits&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1702\/2023\/07\/Screen-Shot-2023-07-24-at-5.54.51-PM.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;The Imbshausen and Berchtesgaden Study Centers served as places of learning for the many displaced persons in religious positions or wanting to be in such. Classes for Sunday school teachers or pastors often were held in these centers.&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Classes Offered at Imbshausen Study Center 1948-1949 (LAH)&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Endnotes&#8221; module_id=&#8221;fn&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;gcid-a950cd5a-da4d-4ed7-9be9-78132498d37a&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{%22gcid-a950cd5a-da4d-4ed7-9be9-78132498d37a%22:%91%22background_color%22%93}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#FFFFF0&#8243; header_text_color=&#8221;#FFFFF0&#8243; background_color=&#8221;gcid-a950cd5a-da4d-4ed7-9be9-78132498d37a&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{%22gcid-a950cd5a-da4d-4ed7-9be9-78132498d37a%22:%91%22background_color%22%93}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Endnotes<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">Ventis Plume, John Plume, and Vaira V\u012bke-Freiberga, <\/span><i style=\"font-size: 14px;\">Insula, Island of Hope: A Latvian Memoir<\/i><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">, Revised and enlarged edition. (Morgan Hill, CA: Bookstand Publishing, 2013), <\/span>369-370.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">Ventis Plume, John Plume, and Vaira V\u012bke-Freiberga, <\/span><i style=\"font-size: 14px;\">Insula, Island of Hope: A Latvian Memoir<\/i><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">, Revised and enlarged edition. (Morgan Hill, CA: Bookstand Publishing, 2013), <\/span>361-362.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Z. Suna, &#8220;Lutheran Study Centers,&#8221; in<span>\u00a0<\/span><i><span>Lutheran World Federation Service to Refugees in Germany 1947-1949. Materials for Report<\/span><\/i><span>, vol. 1, ed. Howard Hong (1949), 278.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Edmunds \u0160mits<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Autobiography of Edmunds Smits, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Region 3 Archives, Luther Seminary St. Paul, MN.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span>Click the button below to view the complete bibliography for this digital exhibition.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=&#8221;@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9saW5rX3VybF9wYWdlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsicG9zdF9pZCI6IjM5In19@&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;on&#8221; button_text=&#8221;Bibliography&#8221; button_alignment=&#8221;left&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Bibliography Button&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.2&#8243; _dynamic_attributes=&#8221;button_url&#8221; custom_button=&#8221;on&#8221; button_text_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; button_text_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; button_bg_color=&#8221;#e0d8c8&#8243; button_border_width=&#8221;0px&#8221; button_border_radius=&#8221;0px&#8221; button_letter_spacing=&#8221;1px&#8221; button_font=&#8221;|700||on|||||&#8221; transform_translate=&#8221;-4px|-15px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|-60px|0px||false|false&#8221; custom_margin_tablet=&#8221;|0px|||false|false&#8221; custom_margin_phone=&#8221;&#8221; custom_margin_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;16px|28px|16px|28px|true|true&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Photo Credit&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#FFFFF0&#8243; collapsed=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_3_text_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3><span>Photo Credits <\/span><span>(from top to bottom, left to right)*<\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Photo of child in front of Insula entrance sign, used with permission of and donated by John Plume.\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Mikelis Valters and Ventis Plume January 1949&#8221;, found in Ventis Plume \u201cA WarTime Log\u201d\/ Memory Album, used with permission of and donated by John Plume.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Photo of John Plume sledding at Insula, found in Ventis Plume \u201cA WarTime Log\u201d\/ Memory Album, used with permission of and donated by John Plume.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cover of \u201cA WarTime Log&#8221; by Ventis Plume, photo taken by Anneke Shiller, used with permission of and donated by John Plume.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intro of \u201cA WarTime Log&#8221; by Ventis Plume, photo taken by Natalie Wilson, used with permission of and donated by John Plume.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Photos from inside of Insula, in &#8220;A WarTime Log&#8221; by Ventis Plume, photo taken by Natalie Wilson, used with permission of and donated by John Plume.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">John Plume,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">from: <\/span>Ventis Plume, John Plume, and Vaira V\u012bke-Freiberga, <i style=\"font-size: 14px;\">Insula, Island of Hope: A Latvian Memoir<\/i><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">, Revised and enlarged edition. (Morgan Hill, CA: Bookstand Publishing, 2013), 368.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alida Nussbaums, <\/span>from: <span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">Ventis Plume, John Plume, and Vaira V\u012bke-Freiberga, <\/span><i style=\"font-size: 14px;\">Insula, Island of Hope: A Latvian Memoir<\/i><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">, Revised and enlarged edition. (Morgan Hill, CA: Bookstand Publishing, 2013), 361.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From left to right; Talivaldis \u0160mits<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Professor Edmunds \u0160mits<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Diana \u0160mits<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and Mrs. \u0160mits<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Region 3 Archives, Luther Seminary St. Paul, MN.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lutheran Study Center list of Classes Offered, Landeskirchliches Archiv-Hannover, folder S 09 rep Nr. 394, donated by Jim Anderson in 2007.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span>*Description ordering is based on computer view. If viewing this page on a smartphone or tablet, please check the descriptions provided as the ordering may be distorted.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Exiled from HomeStories of multiple Latvian displaced persons who lived in post WWII displaced persons camps, including Insula (near Berchtesgaden, Germany) and immigrated to the Midwestern regions of the United StatesVentis PlumeVentis Plume was born in Sauka, Latvia in 1932, where he stayed until grade five. His family had never left Latvia before they fled [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4325,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1059","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1059","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4325"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1059"}],"version-history":[{"count":53,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1059\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3678,"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1059\/revisions\/3678"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/lwf-refugee-service\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}