Hugo Oberste, born on January 11, 1855 in Weringhausen, reached the east coast of America with his wife Maria Sprenger and their family on June 8, 1880 in Baltimore. Like many from the parish of Schönholthausen, they settle in Hartmann, Arkansas. Hugo and Maria adopt two children during the time of the "Orphan Train". Hugo was one of the leading wine growers and timber merchants in Arkansas and a very respected citizen. Together with his brother Friedrich Wilhelm, who emigrated a year later on March 5, 1881, he founded the German-American Society of Arkansas. His brother was president of the "D.A. State Association of Arkansas" for many years and Hugo Oberste was its secretary. Like many other similar societies in America, the Staatsverband had set itself the task of preserving and, if possible, strengthening German culture. A newspaper article from September 12, 1909 in the American Sun stated that the German language should be cultivated in families and that young priests should take an example from their elders, who were true masters of the German language. Attempts were also made to influence the school system. So it says in this newspaper article, on the occasion of a general meeting of the association. "Hoffentlich wird man an rechter Stelle die gewiß gerechten Wünsche der Eltern berücksichtigen und Schulplan und Bücher darnach ändern." Translated with DeepL.com (free version)