A whole new world: Family from Munich takes root in region

Like his ancestors, Daniel Herzog was born in Germany and grew up in a German-speaking household amid a countryside of wooded, rolling hills.

However, unlike his predecessors, he graduated from Jackson High School in Cape Girardeau County.

His initial break from tradition happened when he was 12 years old, when his mom and stepfather came to the United States to open a sausage factory and settled just north of Fruitland.

This past week, Henning and Brigitte Bollerslev, along with Herzog, were presented a plaque by Cape Girardeau mayor Harry Rediger in recognition of Immigrant Heritage Month in a small ceremony at City Hall that counted Ward 3 Councilman Victor Gunn and state Sen. Wayne Wallingford among attendees. The plaque was inscribed with a proclamation that recognized the contributions and importance of legal immigrants in the formation of America.

Immigrant Heritage Month month is every June, but the timing of the presentation fit well with the nation's fast-approaching birthday.

Brigitte and Henning Bollerslev accept an Immigrant Heritage Month proclamation from mayor Harry Rediger on Monday at Cape Girardeau City Hall.Laura Simon

"If you look around our community and area, we are a nation of immigrants who legally came to our country and settled here and started businesses and families," Gunn said. "I'm a product of one of them."

Gunn said his mother's side arrived from Germany six generations ago, while Rediger noted both his great-grandfathers arrived to the United States from Germany around 1800.

"I couldn't think of a better representation of all the legal immigrants that have been here than the Bollerslevs," Gunn told the gathering.

Although still not U.S. citizens, a status they hope will change soon, the family has established deep roots in the area 21 years after transplanting them from Munich, Germany.

Brigitte, who made the move to the U.S. at the age of 41 in 1996, has been heavily involved in Rotary International as well as family businesses, while Henning is CEO of HRB Consulting LLC, which imports equipment for the meat and agriculture industries. Herzog is the production planning/scheduling supervisor for Mondi Jackson Inc.

They've traveled the path of many immigrants of German heritage who settled in this area, except a century or two after many made the trek. While the trail may be different these days, it's not paved. Family and familiarity still must be left behind and cultural and language barriers remain problematic.

"Coming from a big city, it was a real challenge, and my parents were already in their 80s, so it was very difficult the first three years, to be kind of torn," Brigitte said. "Usually that is a time where your parents need you the most."

Brigitte said volunteer work was already in her blood while in Germany, and she knew it would be crucial to adjusting in the U.S.

"I think if you immigrate or go to a new place that's the only way, is if you get involved with the community and get to know the people, their heritage, their way, how to live," Brigitte said.

She encountered homesickness, but endured to create a new home in Southeast Missouri. She first spoke at a Jackson Rotary Club meeting on Sept. 11, 2001, with her planned presentation altered by the tragic events of that day. She was later extended an invitation to join the organization of business leaders and was named the club's volunteer of the year in 2004. She became president of the Jackson club in 2008 and 2009, and later served as district governor for 54 clubs in 2015-16.

She was a Corporate Achievers award recipient for raising money for The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and she has been the chairperson for Camp Enterprise on numerous occasions, overseeing one-day events presented by area Rotary clubs that look to build business skills in local students through simulation projects.

It's all allowed her to get to know a wide array of community members. "I love the people here," Brigitte said.

She's taken particular interest in Rotary International's Group Study Exchange, a program where young professionals observe how their careers are practiced abroad. The Bollerslevs have hosted team leaders, who are Rotarians, but were hesitant to host team members, who are prospective Rotary members looking to get a taste of the U.S. over an extended period of time. After all, German was spoken in their household.

"We speak German at home because when we had Daniel, we didn't want that he is losing German," Brigitte said. "We still speak German at home. If you don't practice language, and Henning is actually speaking three languages every day, if you don't do that, you really lose words and practice."

Brigitte praised Jackson school district teachers, mentioning the likes of Dan Stover, in helping Daniel, a 2013 Jackson High School graduate, make the transition from Germany.

While changing schools is a tough proposition for many adolescents, adding a change of countries in the equation can be downright overwhelming. However, he ran track, played football and did band like many of his classmates. He emerged bilingual, speaking seamless English, slang and all, with no hint of an accent.

In hindsight, he said making the move at age 12 was ideal in terms of perspective, as well as learning.

"It's the best age to know my background and how I grew up, and to still remember that and learn that, but still young enough to learn the American culture and to fully grow up with it as well," Daniel said. "So I got a view of both sides."

The English came readily, and he even has had to take some language classes to help him in spelling and grammar in his native tongue.

"You do lose it, if you don't use it," he said about his German.

He hopes to put his bilingual skills to use for Mondi, which conveniently is German-based.

He understands why many Germans found the area between Cape Girardeau and Perryville to their liking, noting the similar terrain of Germany. Towns like Frohna and Altenberg are nestled in those hills.

"And the other nice thing here is just the opportunities that you're given and provided here in the United States," Daniel said. "Anybody can do something as long as they're putting their mind to it and willing to put the work forth. It's not necessarily as it is in a lot of countries dictated by social status of how you're born. Here, anybody can be anybody. That's the nice thing about the United States."

There still are rough times. While Daniel said he has made about eight trips back to Germany over the years, he was in the U.S. when his father died in January.

"For many years I didn't have a green card, so we had some issues getting our permission papers up front so we weren't able to go back and visit for a long time," Daniel said. "My mom actually lost both her parents being over there and not being able to travel back to see them. Those things are difficult."

Henning is still quite thick in accent, a distinguishing characteristic he doesn't seem to mind. He proudly told the gathering his Danish roots can be traced to the 1430s on both his mother's and father's side. He comically shrugged, "We could have gone farther, but we just gave up."

In 1974, he did his first migration -- to Germany, where he met Brigitte and Daniel.

Brigitte first traveled to the U.S. in 1982, visiting friends from Germany whom had married in the U.S. and lived in Cape Girardeau, providing the answer to how Southeast Missouri found their map.

Over time, Henning also became acquainted with the area and with Dutch Meyer, then-owner of Fruitland Dressed Meat.

"Actually, Dutch Meyer is who got us over here to make sausage for the U.S. military," Henning said. "That was our beginning in this country."

That company, Old Bavarian Sausage, closed in 2007. The other business endeavor, HRB Consulting, started in 2000 and still is active.

Henning said Denmark has opened the doors for Danish foreigners to have dual citizenship in recent years, which he plans to pursue in the U.S. Brigitte and Daniel both are planning German-U.S. citizenship.

It was noted during the presentation, the naturalization ceremony held annually by Judge Stephen Limbaugh on Fourth of July will not be held this year and become a biennial event. It will not be held this year, but the family members indicate there is a good chance their status will change next year.

All three have been able to make a life in the U.S. Henning travels extensively, having been to all 50 states. They are free to pursue their dreams and all else, except one right that belongs to Americans, which provides further incentive for citizenship.

"Everything else we can do, and we'd like to vote also," Henning said.

jbreer@semissourian.com

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