German speakers in the US

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

My parents said they actually did run into people (olds of course) in the late 80s/early 90s in south central North Dakota (where they lived at the time though a completely different part of it) who only spoke in broken or very formal English and were obviously native German speakers. Of course today almost all of these people are dead.

The German speakers today would be olds who were only middle aged at the time who probably grew up with their parents speaking German and know the language well but use English in almost all their conversations except with each other, which basically means with their spouse if they also understand German or at one of those German heritage clubs. You'd have a tough time going to a bar or restaurant anywhere in North Dakota and run into people speaking German, unless it was one hosting some specific event for one of those heritage clubs.

My grandmother was also raised in an essentially bilingual family (in western Minnesota but similar situation) though I doubt she's spoken any German for decades.