Manfred Nils Burchard

Biography

Manfred Nils Burchard was born on May 5, 1936 in Rīga, Kreis Riga / Рижский уезд, Лифляндская губерния, Российская империя, Riga, Rīgas pilsēta, Rīgas pilsēta, Latvia. His parents were Harold Burchard and Ellis Burchard. He was a Geo-physicist.

He died on April 6, 2010, in Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA, buried at 101 Live Oak Blvd, Sr., Lafayette, LA, United States. [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/210685219/manfred-nils-burchard]

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Manfred Nils Burchard was born in Riga, Latvia, on May 5, 1936. His family had an idyllic life in Riga, Latvia, his family lived in the county for Centuries until the beginning of World War II.

On the way to Germany, while they were in Gotenhafen, Pomerania, Poland his father was trying to protect his mother, he and his brother, his father shot in the streets by Polish Partisans. The next morning they continued to Bremen, Germany, and lived with relatives.

He immigrated to America from Germany with his mother when he was 17yrs old to finish high school and then attend LSU. Fred became a geo-physicist and, over the years, worked for various oil companies, including Shell and Tenneco. After retirement, he worked as an insurance sales associate for several years until he retired to devote time to traveling and volunteer work.

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Fred was a high-spirited, and a sincere man who remained faithful in Christ throughout his life. During his retirement years, he enjoyed preparing and teaching Sunday School lessons. He also enjoyed spending time with his wife, Ruthie, and friends during holidays to share meals and discuss current events or religious topics in as much depth as possible.

Fred was not one to skim the surface of life. As one of his best friends said, "When Fred said something, you knew, he had put a great deal of thought into it. Everything he said, he believed with all of his heart. I have never met someone who had as much enthusiasm for life. The things others see as commonplace, he didn't take lightly. For Fred, relationships and family bonds were of utmost importance. He was uniquely interested in persons and details. There was no way I could hold my own in an intellectual conversation with him, but he never made it about himself; therefore, all people around him felt comfortable. He was very skilled at engaging in conversations with people of all ages and backgrounds because of this skill."

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Manfred married Heather McDougal in July 1961 in New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, USA, and they divorced in Los Angeles, CA June 1, 1968.

Manfred married Ruth Gene Burchard (Stephens) in June of 1980 in Lafayette, LA, they met in Houston, Texas at a church Bible Study for single adults. With Ruth being a widow like his mother they had many interests in common, after a few years dating, after he was transferred from Houston to Lafayette for work, they were married.

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Living in Europe for several years I learned the Austrian German language which came useful when my sweet PaPa Fred was slipping away from us. We would converse in his 2nd language and he was delighted. I found his Christian music in German and many sermons and his favorite bible scriptures in his language, although he was fluent in seven languages and fluent in English at the end of his life he was comforted by his 2nd language. During this time I began to write his Aunt Grace who lived in Munich Germany. I've just discovered perhaps, Baltic would've been even a bit better as well.

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Letters From first cousin's Read at his funeral

Lieber Manti, ich erinnere mich und sehe einen suessen blonden Jungen,

der schon immer Geologe werden wollte, in Gotenhafen, in Posen, in Bremen, wo unser Opapa Deine Mutter einem neuen Mann uebergab. Dann Dein Besuch mit Ruthie bei uns in Muenchen.Unsere Korrespondenz die jetzt fehlen wird.Ich werde Dich in lieber Erinnerung behalten, lieber Manti. Herzlichst Deine Grace>

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English Translation-

Dear Manti,

I remember and see a cute blond boy, in Goth's Harbour

who always wanted to become a geologist, in Bremen,

where our grandfather gave your mother to a new man.  Then your Visits with Ruthie in Munich Our correspondence now I will remember you, my dear Manti. Sincerely your Grace April 6, 2010,> Grace remembered Manti running along the waterways in Bremen as they were children, always happy, they would play together every day while his mother worked. After his father passed away times were difficult during wartime in Germany, but the children did find time for play. The family that lived through WWII remained very close, I don't think anyone ever moved back to their Homeland of Riga, Latvia. Manfred Nils Burchard spent his lifetime trying to locate his father's lost grave in Warsaw, Poland. 

(Note: When his mother remarried, they moved to New Orleans, LA, USA. His mother met Mr. Ruhl while he was in Bremen, Germany on business. Thus, started his American Citizenship )

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Email from his first cousin, Günter Kruse Dear Suzan, Tef betroffen und traurig lese ich die Nachricht, dass Manfred von uns gegangen ist. Ich hoffe, er hatte einen leichten Tod und brauchte nicht sehr leiden.

Euch, besonders auch Ruthie, und uns wird er sehr fehlen. Ich haette mich sehr gefreut, wenn er noch einmal Deutschland besucht haette. Durch unsere gemeinsame Zeit (nach seiner Flucht 1945/46) in meinem Elternhaus, spaeter durch seine Besuche und eine lange dauernde Korrespondenz ist er mir sehr nahe gewesen. Er ist der letzte nahe Verwandte von meiner Mutters Seite (unsere Muetter waren Schwestern).

Ich wuensche, dass Ihr Trost findet im Erlebnis langer harmonischer Gemeinsamkeit und in der Erinnerung an die Freude, die er Euch all die Jahre so reich bereitet hat.

In Gedanken bei ihm und bei Euch und mit Dankbarkeit fuer das, was Ihr ihm Gutes getan habt, wuensche ich Euch und Ruthie Trost und Gottes Segen

Deeply concerned and sad, I read the news that Manfred has left us. I hope he had a slight death and did not need much suffering.

You, especially Ruthie, and we will miss him very much. I would have been very happy if he had visited Germany again. Through our time together (after his escape 1945/46) in my parents' house, later through his visits and a long-lasting correspondence, he has been very close to me. He is the last close relative of my mother's side (our mothers were sisters).

I wish you to find comfort in the experience of long harmonious communion and in the memory of the joy he has given you so richly over the years.

In thoughts with him and with you and with gratitude for what you have done him good, I wish you and Ruthie consolation and God's blessing Günter Kruse

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Not to get lost in translation, it's important to place both.

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Dear Suzan,

We are so sad that Fred has gone, but he is in a better place and not suffering anymore. He was surrounded by loving people, so he could leave peacefully.

I will try to give you some information. The Burchard family lived for centuries in Riga or the surroundings of Riga. It is a very pretty old town, the capital of Latvia, one of the three small states in the Baltic Sea next to Russia.

Our grandparents were Alfred Burchard and Selina Hopkin (she came from England)

Fred's parents were Harold Burchard and Ellis von Groschhopf, both born in Riga (Harold in Duenamuende next to Riga). When the second world war began, all Germans had to leave and found another home in Poland, Freds family in Gdynia, a port at the Baltic Sea In the last months of the war we had to leave again running away from the Russian army. Fred's family had booked passages on a ship to go to northern Germany (Bremen). The day they wanted to leave Harold was killed in the street by Polish partisans. Ellis and the two boys could not leave with that ship, which later on turned out to be their luck because that ship was bombed and thousands of passengers drowned. They managed to get to Bremen, where Fred finished high school. Ellis had lost everything and had to work as a housemaid in a Hotel. There she met Mr. Ruhl and married him. As far as I know, they went to live in New Orleans. Fred hat to join the military service and then went to the University to have a Master's Degree in Geology. He then had an important employer in the oil industry in Texas.

I forgot to tell you that Fred had a brother Harald six years older than him. He studied in Berlin and did not go with Ellis and Fred to the States. He was killed by a car crash. This family has suffered a lot.

The book of Alexander Burchard has the title "Der letzte deutsche Propst in Riga erinnert sich (1872-1955), ..alle Deine Wunder". On top is a painting of the Cathedral. The book is light blue with white. I  hope you will find it, there are some photos of ancestors.

References

Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Aug 10 2019, 21:20:00 UTC

• Reference: [object Object]] - [http://www.geni.com/projects/SmartCopy/18783 SmartCopy: Aug 10 2019, 21:59:54 UTC
  • Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Nov 4 2019, 5:24:58 UTC