Betty Muradian

This village doesn't have a large group of interested people. I would appreciate any information on any trips taken through the Anton area and also, any photos that people would be willing to share. I all ready have collected information and pictures on Anton from recent visitors there. I have been following up on the histories of Alexanderdorf in the S. Caucus, Baku, Gnadendorf, and Tashkent, as these areas were either settled or visited by workers from Anton in the past century. A genealogy database on Anton has been started, but it hasn't been completed at this time. Anyone with any questions or information on Anton may contact me.

BALZER

Balzer Web Site

Wayne Bonner

The Balzer group is alive and well. We maintain a subscription of 30+ to the Balzer Newsletter. At this time, the future of the newsletter seems secure. Just have to get people to submit articles and other tidbits.

In the past year we have obtained more pieces of the 1850 and 1857 census for Balzer. We now have about half of 1857. Have also been requesting abstracts of baptismal and marriage records.

Next May the California District Council will be having their annual summer meeting at the LDS Family History Center in Los Angeles. In conjunction with this meeting, I am proposing that ALL Balzer and Moor researchers and anyone else interested have a meeting where we can discuss the newsletter, future goals, and get a chance to meet. As May approaches, the details will be finalized.

Herb Femling is still doing a great job with the Balzer web Page. Dr. Darrell Weber continues to maintain the Balzer data base. He filled in for me at the Convention, then in August went to Budingen for research. The following is his report:

During the past year we have obtained from AHSGR the family history records of people becoming members of AHSGR from Balzer. I have been entering them into PAF to organize them into family groups. We are trying to tie groups together where a daughter marries a son from another family. At the convention, We had a number of people stop by and we used a portable computer to look up information on their families. In August I traveled to Budingen, Germany and visited the records department. They suggested visiting a man named Heuston in Budingen. When I visited him, I learned that 20 years ago he went to the churches in the different villages near Budingen and copied the church records. He is a great resource for checking ancestors that left the villages near Budingen to go to Russia. He is older but the records are in good handwriting. I also visited the village of Rohrbach where several of my ancestors left to go to Russia. They have a new young minister that was cooperative but was not interested in the old records. He did let us look and photograph from the 1700 church records. The ink is faded by we could still read the names of our ancestors. The records have not been microfilmed.

We learned something else about cemeteries in Germany. About 15 years ago I photographed some of the headstones in the cemetery near the church. This time I could not even find the old headstones. Apparently one rents a grave plot for about 25 years and then they sell the same spot to another family and bury their dead in the same grave. So one will not have much luck looking for old headstones of your ancestors in cemeteries in Germany.

BRUNNENTAL  (Kriwojar)

Brunnental Web Site

Sherrie (Gettman) Stahl

This year we did not have a newsletter, but I have continued to collect data from descendants of the village for our database. Currently we have over 25,000 names and are adding information daily. We are still in contact with descendants living in Germany thanks to the work of Arlene Rolfs, from Kansas. She is planning another trip to Germany in 2000.

We have received the 1850 & 1857 census information (17 pages) for those people going to Brunnental (Settlement Lists) from the villages of Norka, Kolb, & Walter. We are still looking for information on those families from Frank. Those lists are $10 each.

DOBRINKA

Web site has Ebenezer Lutheran of Sheboygan, WI deaths primarily and is in reformatted version and a little strange to read; but it works for a researcher to find an unknown GR family and they were here as I have helped others find MORE unknown family.

Web site above: also has Citizenship Data for Sheboygan, Wisconsin done by Ertel. My grandparents did not get naturalized and you will find their two sons on Ertel's work and the girls are married and appear later.

Will try to get more Ebenezer Lutheran names translated and may take me until next year the way things are going. Over 50 villages are represented in Sheboygan and since the older ones did not get naturalized there may be more families discovered in the church records. The film has some of the families penciled in which initially made it easy for me to figure out my family but then some of the names you cannot decipher the s, m, n's and will get help with that and hope to do a German location film also.

Family group charts and contacts find more families. Continued exchange and research.
Family Names: 1600's in Switzerland name was Glauser, Clauser of DOBRINKA, Graf, Metzler, Siegward/t, Schlotthauer of KRAFT, Schreiner, Wolf.

DONHOF

Karen Kaiser

I have done research for those who have written about individual families. I would like to do a web page for Donhof and hope to do so by the first of the year 2000. I have not tried to order much from Russia, as the attempts that I have made were not successful and I was told they did not have records for the 1870's for Donhof, however, I have seen large charts with dates during that time period. I appreciate those that have shared charts, records, and family information (names and dates) this past year. My files are constantly growing. Thank you.

ERLENBACH

Hilda Gillig Weber

This past year, I did not make progress in the research for Erlenbach. We had researched and submitted a map and list of inhabitants of Erlenbach to AHSGR and last year in Wichita, I received the official map of Erlenbach from Jo Ann Kuhr. There were several minor corrections needed and the map was to be made available for sale after correcting. The map will be available later this year, per Rick Rye.

In Wichita, an agreement was made with Vladislaw Soshnikov for researching the villages in the Kamyschin area. Vlad had a contact at the Volgograd University and had heard that records would be made available. We requested information for : Erlenbach, Oberdorf, Unterdorf and Rosenberg. Due to the financial problems in Russia, I am uncertain if Mr. Soshnikov was able to obtain any records; I have not had any messages from him since Dec. 1998. At the present time, I am working with a graduate student in Volgograd, but it has not been determined what records are available in the Volgograd archives.

This past year many requests for information were answered. I compiled a brief history of Erlenbach from the following sources: "A Brief Description of Settlement in Ilavlin County, Kamyschin District" published in the Summer 1983 AHSGR Journal; "Die Evangelish-Lutherischen Gemeinden in Russland" 1909; "The Volga Germans" by Fred C. Koch; and "Genealogy of Henry Feit Senior". Copies of this history and list of residents were mailed to those interested. Also copies were given at Village Night at the AHSGR Convention in Casper, Wyoming.

Articles were sent to Kathy O’Malley to be used in "The Dreispitz, Muehlberg/Shcherbakovka Sheet". I have been working with Family Tree Maker to input all of the information available for the Gillig, Loose, Fass, Becker, Weber and Rusch families. I need to edit this information in order to be accepted by headquarters. FTM generated descendant charts were mailed where applicable to persons requesting interest in these names and the village.

Recently I received some correspondence that my cousin had with relatives from Erlenbach to Entre Rios, Argentina. The last letter was in the late 1980’s. My cousin is now deceased and I am trying to re-establish contact with Argentina. I have finished translating these letters as they are written in German.

In September, Raymond and I will spend several weeks in Michigan with hope that we will be able to obtain much more information about the families from Erlenbach and Oberdorf. Many of the families from Erlenbach and Oberdorf settled in the ‘Thumb’ area farming communities and in the cities of Bay City, Saginaw and Flint. Erlenbach and Oberdorf were Protestant villages and in the US many from there were part of the Brotherhood movement with large groups in Port Huron, Bay City, Saginaw and Flint and Benton Harbor area. Many of the deaths were published in the "Kirchenbote", but I have not been able to find any copies.

Much of my time has been spent writing to relatives in Germany and Russia. I am in contact with many of the Gillig families that are now in Germany. But very few of these were able to supply much information; there are very few of the older members still living. Just in the last few months, two of my cousins and families from Unterdorf have resettled. They were content to remain in Russia until the last few years. There has been a severe drought in the Berseit area and they could no longer be sustained by their gardens, and had not received their pensions from the government for many months. There are still cousins in Siberia and Kazachstan.

FISCHER
HERZOG

Fisher Web Site

Roger A. Toepfer

The majority of interchange/exchange of data and general assistance for Fischer/Herzog has been handle through the Fischer and Herzog web sites. (Jerry Braun is Webmeister for the Herzog Web Site).

There has been approximately 25 queries posted and answered through my E-Mail services and approximately five communiqués by "snail mail". These queries and coordination effort ranged from finding a single surname connection within the Fischer/Herzog census reports of one individual - to establishing an entire ancestral lineage and connection of a "first Volga settlers" to a present day living relative for an individual.

The Web Site at present consists of twenty one pages of; History, Personal Stories, Maps, Surname Lists, Ship Lists, etc. The web site contains links to the AHSGR Home Page, the Herzog Home Page, and a link to most all of the other VC Web Sites. As Webmeister, I have posted the Fischer Home Page in conjunction with the Village of Katharinenstadt, [Fischer/Katharinenstadt] With this bond, I have also coordinated information of queries regarding Katharinenstadt members. (My Mothers side are descendants of Katharinenstadt).

GRIMM

Grimm Web Site

Ken Leffler

No new data has been received from Russian researchers in 1999. The contract made by the Grimm village group in Wichita in 1998 with Vlad Soshnikov to obtain census data for 22 Grimm surnames has not been fulfilled. It is hoped that Vlad will be able to fulfill his commitment sometime in the future. I, personally, have contracted with a Russian researcher to provide data for the surnames of Leffler, Schaefer and Zulauf from Grimm. These are my personal surnames and latest report from Russia is that they will be in the archives in September, 1999.

Picked up two new members at the convention in Casper with the surname Leonhardt. I did not have any data on their family in the Grimm data base and am awaiting their FGRs.

I have been in communication with two Ausseidlers over the past year. One is Alexander Muth whose ancestors were from Grimm and Arthur Lebsack from Neu Frank. Arthur is only 22 years old and keenly interested in the Lebsack family history. Since he and his parents were born in Siberia and his grandparents who were born in Neu Frank are all still alive we can hopefully tie this family in with my Lebsack relatives from Frank. Am working with Doris Evans on this.

I volunteered and was elected to the AHSGR Board of Directors. I just received my committee assignments and it appears this activity may interfere with my research over the next year. Time will tell. I will be at the AHSGR business meetings in October in Lincoln, NE.

HOLSTEIN

Holstein Web Site

There has been a lot of activity for the village of Holstein since the last report. I sent informational letters in December, 1998 to a list of names that I had and names listed in Clues as interested in Holstein. I received letters back from about half with their family information. I received a surname chart for the Grenz/Krentz family of Holstein and Franzosen. Attached was a partial chart of the Meier family from Franzosen, which I had seen previously. I also received a surname chart of the Hildermans who left Holstein and went to Dietel. I was told a chart for the Hildermans in Holstein has been ordered, and we are impatiently awaiting its arrival. The earlier surname charts had little information for Holstein other than the 1798 census materials, but the surname charts that Brent Mai ordered and the Borger chart that Irene Klenke recently received contained much Holstein information, so I assume more Holstein records have been found.

I am discovering that there probably are more Holstein descendents living in Canada than the United States. In recent months I've heard from several Canadians and am now making contacts and trying to find more information about them. There was a lot of contact between the US and Canadian families during 1910-1920 but I think after that, as the immigrants died, contact was lost. One person heard through family tradition that they came from Holstein but she wasn't sure there was such a town and had no idea where is was.

I did get some Holstein web pages going this year, and I thank Patrice Miller for hosting them. Now that Patrice is providing web space for the village coordinators, I hope more take advantage of this opportunity.

My goal for this next year is to find a "helper-volunteer" for my village.

HUSSENBACH (Linevo Osero)

Hussenbach Web Site

Louise Potter

See Hussenbach (Gaschon) below for combined report.

HUSSENBACH (Gaschon)

Hussenbach Web Site

Paul Lais

This has been a very busy year for us. We have received many good articles for the Hussenbach Review and also family group sheets. The FGS are being added to the data bank to be made available to interested parties. We were sorry that Eleanor Bossuot was unable to continue as Village Coordinator for Linevo Osero. Louise Potter is now the coordinator of the two villages. The Hussenbach Review has been in publication five years during which time we have made many good friends and have received many compliments. This past year membership has declined to the extent that it was felt it could no longer be continued. Thus it was with a good deal of sadness that the last issue is dated March 1999. Perhaps there is someone who would like to take it over, in which case we will be glad to help them get started. Back issues are available from Louise for $2.50 each including p/h. Paul has completed a Table of Contents for the five years of the newsletter and is also available from Louise. Louise is continuing as Village Coordinator and has the database. The census from the various villages have been very helpful in that they give information about those leaving their village and going to Hussenbach. This is also true of the surnme charts. It is hoped as charts are received that information will be shared regarding families going to the Hussenbach villages. Our latest acquisition has been the 1857-58 revision list of New Hussenbach (Gaschon) which Vlad Soshnikov, Historian/Archivist of RAGAS/Moscow, has provided. It contains approximately I 10 family names. We are grateful to Joanne Krieger for indexing the list. Louise Potter, Village Coordinator

Addendum: Paul Lais was asked to be the Village Coordinator for Hussenbach, Gaschon, at the 1999 Convention in Casper, Wy., which he accepted. Louise Potter is the Village Coordinator for Hussenbach, Linevo, Osero and maintains the Data Bank for both villages. We have received copies of a few more Hussenbach charts: Schatzel, Riel, Suppes. These are available from AHSGR, $15.00 members, $37.50 nonmembers.

JOHANNESTAL, Beresan, Odessa, Russia

Johannestal Web Site

Ray Heinle

The past year I added to my normal activities of helping people with their family history setting up a web page for my village, Johannestal, Beresan, Odessa.

I have written a woman who now lives in Johannestal for more information to put on the web page. Also I am attempting to get more information from Mr. Gary Shortzman who is in the process of writing a book on Johannestal.

I am also currently working on translating an article from the 17 June 1992 "Neues Leben" which contains the names of many German Russians who were executed in Odessa in1838 by Russian firing squads. I also have an article from the Eureka Rundshcau which I intend to translate and put on the Web page.

JOSEFSTAL

Edward Gerk

I am currently working on a web page for the village. As well, Dr. Pleve provided the names of the original settlers and these were published in the AHSGR Journal.

I am working at contacting former Josefstal residents in both Germany and Argentina. I am also wading through Church records from Josefstal from the Gerk family...so far these are marriage and birth records as Josefstal was part of the parish of Marienfeld.

Some contact has also been made to the archives in Volgograd, where the village records for Josefstal and many other daughter colonies exist. I have had some success in getting some individual family records out, including documents from when the first church was built in Josefstal. More records are a possibility.

KATHARINENSTADT

Katharinenstadt Web Site

Marvin & Raynona Bohrer

As VC for Katharinenstadt we have been busy this year, we have done a lot of research for the village. We pay dues for four chapters and get their newsletters. We had Rick Rye translate a booklet that Kris Ball brought back from Russia, we wanted the book that we sent to Rick to go into the archives but he sent it back to us, so we are going to send it back to headquarters. We read about 150 E-mails a day and had about 4 or 5 people contact us about AHSGR, and Katharinenstadt. We are in the process of helping the Lutheran church in Katharinenstadt by sending some altar items to them. Plus we had a 13 year old German boy visit us for the month of August, and he wore us out. Also we help set up every year the German-Russian Christmas tree in Oklahoma City.

KAUTZ - (Werschinka)

Kautz Web Site

D. Michael Frank

We now have 18 surname charts for the Volga Village of Kautz, Saratov, Russia. Frank, Schreiner, Reiter, Knaub, Gradwohl (received 4 January 1995); Frickel, Hardt, Riel, Ostwald, Fuchs (received 6 Jun 1997); Popp (received 1997 from Barbara Balzer Drake in exchange for other charts); Neibauer, Schumann, Weber, Klein, Stahlie, Hermony, Michel (received 12 Mar 1999).

In addition, we have received Marriage records on Frank, Schreiner, Reiter, Knaub and Gradwohl from 1859 to 1910. This information was received 12 Mar 1999.

I have been busy connecting these families into the Kautz Database, which now contains almost 22,000 names of descendants from Kautz, Russia.

It has been very interesting this past year to find the "younger generation" accessing our Kautz Web Page and contacting us, and very gratifying to be able to complete their genealogy lines back to Germany! In many cases, I had interviewed their grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles in the past 20 years, and they had no knowledge of my ongoing research.

Charts and documentation on order from Russia (not yet completed): Glockenhammer (Kautz); Michel (Dietel); Fuchs (Hussenbach); Frank (Hussenbach); Knaub (Balzer); Knaub (Merkel). Death records on Frank, Schreiner, Reiter, Knaub and Gradwohl from 1859 to 1910.

I have been relying on donations to fund the surname charts and documentation since 1995, but this has not proven to be sufficient to cover all costs involved. As of December 1998, I am allowing purchase of copies of our surname charts for $35. If copies of the documentation are requested, this is an additional $15 for each surname (documentation includes photocopies from the actual church records in Kautz, as well as copies of the correspondence regarding the genealogy sent). The money received goes into a special fund to pay for the Surname Research.

Books --Copies of my previously published books on "Unsere Leute von Kautz" from 1979 through 1989 are still available, as are videos of our trip to Russia in 1991.

KOLB

Thelma J. Sprenger

I wanted to get so much more accomplished than I did but time sure flies when you are having fun. I did research on several families that were not from Kolb-looking up information for them like homestead deeds, marriage records, death records etc.

One of the big things I did do was make a list of all the people who did Declaration of Intention and Naturalization papers in Adams County, WA. I would be happy to check the list for names and if found they would have to write the state archives as they have been moved from the county.

I am working on gathering obits and hope to get them off soon to headquarters.

Sarah Hammerstrom has agreed to be a Kolb VC again. At convention she helped at village night and also gave some lessons in starting genealogy. Good to have her help.

KRASNOJAR and REINWALD

Susie Weber Hess

There are not many people from Krasnojar and Reinwald. A newsletter is not warranted. Some new contacts have been made but for the most part they are relatives of an older person that I have had contact with in the past. The database that I have has helped in putting George Valko (my cousin) together with people that are sending letters from Germany and Russia. These people are looking for their American families.

I have been doing genealogy for about 20 years and from the beginning started to use my computer to store data. Now I read reports given from people who less that 5 years ago I communicated with that never had a computer or access to the internet. Everyone has WEB PAGES and there is a multitude if information available. People are getting together and sharing the costs of getting information from Russia.

My major project this year has been the purchase of a scanner. I have been going thru