Laubhan, Ellen: - Ellen Laubhan grew up in Follett, Texas, a small farm community of predominantly Volga Germans, where she learned to appreciate her heritage as a German from Russia. She was in college when her grandparents, Martha (Ehrlich) and Jona Laubhan, presented her with a book called Ehrlich: a Family History, 1763-1970, which reinforced interest in her ancestry. Reading historical fiction throughout her life, she believed an important story was missing. Ellen pursued a nagging desire to tell the exciting, tumultuous story of the first Volga German pioneers, focusing on their unflinching resolve to make a better life for themselves and future generations. Ellen earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and communications from Texas A&M University, Canyon, and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Wyoming. She is a member of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR) and Wyoming Writers, Inc. Visit Ellen online at www.volgafrontier.com or by email at volgafrontier@gmail.com.