About Us
We are a culture-building organization which enjoys celebrating with our community and carrying on the rich, 50+ year history of the club.
The PGAC is open to people from all backgrounds. You don’t have to be from Pueblo, you don’t have to be German, and you don’t have to be American! All you need is an interest in becoming part of a club, where you can experience authentic German activities and foster ongoing positive communication among cultures.
Old Tradition in the New World!
PGAC is a nonprofit club that is completely open to the public. We are funded through supporting membership dues and business sponsorships. We welcome new supporting members and patrons! Join us for a variety of events, sign up to volunteer, or show up at an event — we’re sure you’ll find something new and enriching.
Throughout the year, the PGAC hosts a variety of events. From the family-friendly Oktoberfest at the Union Depot in the early fall to the raucous Fasching ball in the late winter/early spring, you’re sure to find Gemütlichkeit at our gatherings. Each month we meet for dinner at Stammtisch, which means “the regular’s table” and also offer Volkstanzen (German folk dancing). These are just a few of the many great opportunities to engage with our club and continue carrying on the tradition of alte tradition in der neuen welt — Old tradition in the new world!
History
Back in 1876, Colorado’s founding document noted that “Germans made up the largest foreign-born group in the state in the 1870s.” The Colorado Constitution was published in German, English, and Spanish, and until 1901, all laws were required to be published in those three languages.
Before the official formation of the Pueblo German-American Club (PGAC), informal gatherings called Kaffeeklatsch (pronounced calf-AY-clutch) were the norm.
On December 1969, a more formal group took shape in the Columbine Room of Pueblo Railway Savings and Loan Association in downtown Pueblo. That meeting, attended by 23 pioneers, marked the beginning of something special.
On January 22, 1970, the club held its first official meeting, organized by the dynamic Fanny Baum, with 33 eager members. At that gathering, the group was named the "Pueblo German Club," and Barbara Cox was voted the first president.
In the years that followed, the club quickly grew, organizing its first Oktoberfest, hosting picnics, and even acquiring German songbooks to celebrate our heritage. It's a story of community, tradition, and shared history—and it's just getting started.
Would you like to be part of the next chapter? Join us today!
From Tradition to Celebration
Between then and now, Mayfest dances, Sommerfests, Oktoberfests, and Faschings were all added to our events calendar. The Club’s activities ranged from Christmas dinners, a yearly picnic, and family friendly holiday parties. To this day, some of the original members are still active. To encourage and promote German learning in Pueblo schools, yearly poetry competitions and scholarships for high school and CSU German students were established and have continued to be awarded. The funding for this philanthropy came from profits of bake sales, dances and sponsor contributions. The club also received its nonprofit status during that time.
2011 saw the publication of 1970-2011: 4 Decades of Pueblo’s German Club by Philipp M. Mayer, depicting members’ histories with untold stories and surprising events about our members. It’s a page-turner—ask about it when you visit!
Further years marked participation in the Colorado State Fair Parade and our fleet of German cars and a 13-foot German-engineered Bierstein Float. The raucous Fasching event in February (just before the start of Lent) has become “the party of the year” among local Puebloans. Membership throughout the years has been made up of people from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds and everyone is welcome.
Meet Our Board
-
Christina Haney
PRESIDENT
Born to a German emigrant mother and an all-American father, Christina has lived in San Francisco, Santa Fe, and New York City, as well as Pueblo. In addition to her deep passion for progressing the PGAC, she is a Realtor – helping people “home”.
-
Elayne Cotton
SECRETARY
Hailing from Texas, Elayne is reconnecting with her German side (she studied it in college, grew up with an aunt from Heidelberg, and her brother married a German gal). She works part-time as a licensed agent for Medicare. Elayne loves serving the Pueblo community.
-
Dawn Thompson
TREASURER
A Pueblo native with a strong German heritage, Dawn founded Karmic Konnection and has served the community for over a decade. She is also an active volunteer with local theater and community organizations.
-
Brigitte Juarez
MEMBERSHIP
Brigette was born in Berlin to German parents, who gained sponsorship from her aunt and her American husband in 1955 to move to Dallas, Texas. After retiring from the courts from The City and County of Denver, Brigite moved to Pueblo in 2007. A friend introduced her to the PGAC, and she has been involved ever since.
-
Dagmar Haney
PAST PRESIDENT
Born in Silesia (now Poland), Dagmar emigrated to the U.S. at age ten. A former influential German and English teacher in Pueblo School District 60, she has been involved with the PGAC for over 50 years, holding leadership roles and working to expand its community events and activities.