WARNING: POTENTIAL THREAD CREEP...

But maybe not.

Lady Jean, there is a group of folks who identify themselves as German Russians not insomuch as they had a parent from each country, but that they are descended from a group of Germans who went to live in Russia at the invitation of Catherine the Great. After two or three generations, Russia became less hospitable to this group (who never interacted too much with the Russian population) and a large number emigrated to the US, predominantly settling on the plains of southern North Dakota and northern South Dakota. Of course the train went through Pittsburgh.

Perhaps hers is a German custom?

Ed