The Mighty Mississippi River has been an important part of the German immigration to East Perry County from the very beginning.  Throughout the years, it has been a major form of transportation for these surrounding communities.  Commerce still takes place on the river and there are people from this area who still consider it a place for their employment.

One such person is Dale “The Preacher” Roth.  His entire professional career has been spent on the Mississippi River, where he now is the captain of the Michael Luhr.

Dale is often gone for weeks at a time pushing products up and down the river.

Dale’s wife, Lindy, runs the Old Bank Coffee Shop in Altenburg, and she tells me that Dale has carried the nickname “The Preacher” since his teenage years when he was a member of the youth group at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg.

With his many years…