Marienberg, Odessa, Kherson

See Glückstal Colonies Research Association

Mariental, Samara, Volga

Mariental Web Site

Thelma Mills M357

See Louis village for combined report.

Messer, Saratov, Volga

Robert L. Weigand W342

Greetings to all other Village Coordinators from Messer (Ust-Zolikha). I have been the Village Coordinator for Messer since the Seattle Convention in 1992. This has been a slow year. The database has 1,735 names and 637 marriages. This village was established on July 7, 1766 with 397 residents, and by 1926, the town population consisted of 3,575 residents. The farmland allocated to this village was not good for farming, so this village was known for its industry. At one time, there were more than 600 Sarpinna (a type of cloth similar to gingham) weavers.

I have a mailing list of forty-eight names for Messer; eight of these do not belong to AHSGR but have submitted data for the database. I have updated a comparison of the Messer 1775 and 1798 census records in alphabetical order.

I was not able to attend the 2004 convention in Modesto.

This year I have had one query about Messer, and it was by e-mail. This was down from two last year. The family being researched was Diehl. I answered this query to people who are not members of AHSGR. I sent a surname list of my database and the Messer village history, and told them about AHSGR. If they join, I will send them the details of my database. I never hear from most of them again.

Neu-Danzig, Nikolaev, Kherson

Curt Renz R002

See Alt-Danzig for combined report

Neudorf, Glückstal, Odessa, South Russia

Gregory Dockter D112

See Glückstal Colonies Research Association

Neu-Glückstal, Glückstal, Odessa, Kherson

See Glückstal Colonies Research Association

Neu-OberMonjou, Samara, Volga, Russia

Kevin Rupp R311 / L

See Graf for combined reports.

Neu-Straub, Saratov, Volga

Neu-Straub Web Site

Lillian Larwig L188

After all these years of searching, this year has been the greatest. I have found at least four other researchers who are looking for the same surnames that I am searching for (Keil and Heintz).

The jackpot was finding a woman now living in Germany, whose grandparents had lived in Neu-Straub and who had visited the village in her youth. She has described the village as she remembered it, and gave a history, as she understood it to be. She is now 83 years old and very alert. I still correspond with her in Germany. If anyone is interested in her story of Neu-Straub, please contact me and I will send you a copy.

Nieder-Monjou, Samara, Volga

Nieder-Monjou Web Site

Michael Grau

Steven Grau

During this past year, Mike posted the following items to the Nieder-Monjou web page:

• Brief biographies of all the pastors who served Nieder-Monjou as well as other Wiesenseite colonies.
  
  
• Images of four pages from the Nieder-Monjou church books. These pages were received from a researcher in Russia with Nieder-Monjou roots.

Throughout the past year, we received requests for information concerning the following Nieder-Monjou surnames: Biesterfeld, Funk, Merkel/Morkel, Muller/Miller, Niedecker, Rauschenbach, Rieffer/Ruffer, and Walk.

I continued to research families from Nieder-Monjou who immigrated to central Kansas.

Oberdorf, Saratov, Volga

Oberdorf Web Site

Teri Helzer H491

The year 2004 has been another slow year compared to previous years. Even though I have had a small number of inquiries, we have added two new researchers to our group.

I have continued to add content to the public Oberdorf web site, such as additional ship list names and data from various sources such as submissions by Oberdorf researchers or information found on the Internet.

I have published all village email correspondence to the private Oberdorf web site to enable all who are researching Oberdorf ancestry access to the correspondence.

Ted Gerk has kindly donated a copy of a map illustrating the Red Army and White Army battles in the area around Kamyshin in July 1919, including the front near Oberdorf. I have made the map available to Oberdorf researchers on the private Oberdorf web site.

Walter Lorenz has published his Lorenz Family History book. He sent me a copy of the book on CD, and it is very impressive. He has given AHSGR headquarters two copies of his book.

Ober-Monjou, Samara, Volga

Obermonjou Web Site

Kevin Rupp

Ober-Monjou Mailing List

I don't have much to report for Ober-Monjou. I still receive a few inquires on this colony.

I have The First Settlers List and the 1850 Census list for  Ober-Monjou. I do have a few of the marriages listed from about 1893. Russian reseaarchers still tell me that there are no census lists for Ober-Monjou after 1850. I continue to maintain my web site.

Orlovskoye, Samara, Volga

Carol Nesewich N087

This year I received one inquiry for information from a woman now living in Canada with her Russian husband. As we corresponded via e-mail, she admitted that she did not know for sure if any members of her family had left Russia before 1941. She then realized that I would not be able to make any connections for her in the United States. She has since decided to try contacting the Engels Archives on her own.

There is nothing else to report except to mention again that I have the Surname Charts for my maternal grandparents: ERFURTH and BONACKER. People may contact me if they are interested in either one.

For the Orlovskoye village history and maps see the Village Coordinator Report of 1994, and for a comprehensive review of the work done through 1999, please see the Village Coordinator Report of that year. 

Paulskoye, Samara, Volga

Paulskoye Web Site

Timothy C. Weeder W372

This past year has been a quiet year. No new inquiries were received, but I did have a few previously established contacts asking whether any new information had been obtained about our village. Unfortunately, no new information had been received.

We eagerly await the publication of the Dr. Pleve’s volume, Einwanderung in das Wolgagebiet, 1764-1767 (Immigration to the Volga Region, 1764-1767) that will cover our village.

As for outstanding research activities, one very patient gentleman continues to wait for his family chart to be completed.

Note: This summer I moved and had my new address updated on the AHSGR Village Coordinator List. My e-mail remained the same.

Pfeifer, Saratov, Volga

Pfeifer Web Site

Rosemary Larson L033 / L

There have been numerous requests from researchers during the past year. Many requests came from Volga Germans in Argentina, Brazil, and a few from Canada.

The Pfeifer First Settler List and Pfeifer 1850 census are available from Kevin Rupp krupp@ruraltel.net.

I published Holy Cross Family Register of Pfeifer, Ellis County, Kansas, which I have available for purchase. This publication has all of the families that lived in Pfeifer, Kansas since it was founded in 1877 to the 1970's.

There were no new additions or changes to the Pfeifer website.

Pobochnoye, Saratov, Volga

Pobochnoye Web Site

Laurin Wilhelm W022 / L

Pobochnoye was founded in 1772 about 40 miles NW of Saratov. It grew rapidly until 1855-57 when about 1,150 villagers, nearly 50% of its population, left to help found Schoendorf, Schoenfeld, Schoental, and Neu Jagodnaya, which are located about 60 miles SE of Saratov. By 1890, folks were emigrating from Pobochnoye to Russell, Hoisington, and Otis, KS and to Longmont, CO.

I have received fewer inquires this year. I no longer publish the Pobochnoye-Schoenfeld Newsletter.

One item of considerable interest for the past year is that two cousins, Dan Wagner of Brighton, CO and Fred Werner of Longmont, CO and I have located a lost branch of the Philip Wagner (1858-1940) family, my grandfather. In his 1940 obituary, it was mentioned, "a nephew attended the funeral". After many years of research, we have learned that this nephew, also named Philip Wagner, had lived for many years and died in 1968 in Brighton, CO. He had seven children with two different wives. One son, Fred Wagner of Brighton, now 84, and his wife received us for a nice family visit in late June 2004. He remembered traveling with his parents to Longmont, CO to visit "Uncle Philip Wagner" in the 1930s.

After serving in the Army in WWII and going through the D-day landings on Normandy Beach, Fred Wagner returned to Brighton, married, began farming, and buying land. Now his three sons have taken over the farming operations. Fred was very interested in our family history, although none of his six siblings seems to be interested.

Recently Ken Stuckert of Seal Beach, CA located the original birth and baptismal records of the oldest four of Philip Wagner's twelve children who were born in Pobochnoye in 1886, 1888, 1890, and 1892. These were my mother's older siblings. He has acquired part of the Pobochnoye church record.

Reinhard(t), Samara, Volga

Margo James

There has not been much activity this year with the Village of Reinhardt. I have answered about 4-5 inquiries from people wondering if I have any information on family members they believe to be from Reinhardt. Reinhardt was a small village and this is typical of the requests I get every year.

From the minutes of the convention, I learned that someone has requested a surname chart for the name Reinhardt. I am hoping to find out who commissioned this chart and if the surname is for the village of Reinhardt.

Rosenberg / Umet, Saratov, Volga

Rosenberg Web Site

Dr. Richard McGregor M236

This has been another quiet year as far as Rosenberg village is concerned. There have been a small number of additions to the collection of family data, which now extends to 213 pages. I have received some interesting images, which will eventually make their way onto the Rosenberg web page. Among these were photographs, obits, and a Declaration of Intent for Henry Manweiler; a 1930 census image for Balser Seifert as well as other recent Seifert photos; a Fritzler passport scan; a photo of Maria Morkel at school and her confirmation certificate. Other families about which I have received information or general queries for are: Siefert, Buchammer, Martin, Rahmig, Kuhlmann, Kuxhaus(en), Schiebelhut, Felde, and Erdmann.

I also received from Patti Sellenrick a truly monumental two-volume family history based around the Stricker family. Patti has drawn on a very large number of sources to create an historical record liberally illustrated with family photographs, documents, and scenes. There are now a number of family histories from Rosenberg, which are held by AHSGR, and they are all very detailed and interesting. Those I know of are for the Martin, Weitzel-Ziegler, and Stricker-Ziegler families.

I no longer produce a snail-mail newsletter as the expenditure for postage and copying became expensive. However, the Rosenberg web site is full of information, photographs and memories. It also contains the text of all newsletters sent out over the years. I hope that Rosenbergers will find plenty there!

Rosenheim, Samara, Volga

Randi Bolyard

This year, I commissioned someone to go to Rosenheim and check for Volga Germans who still lived in the village. I requested that she ask them genealogy questions about themselves and anyone about whom they had knowledge. I also asked her to look at the cemetery and record the names and dates of any Volga Germans there.

The families that are still in the village have the surnames: GITLER, WAGNER, and DECKERT. Gitler ancestors are Schiller from Katharinenstadt and Gitler from Enders. Wagner ancestors are Oelberg, Enders, and Deckert. Deckert ancestors are Schneider.

There is a cemetery near Rosenheim. It has the following surnames: WEINGARDT, WALTER, HARTMAN, SCHEIDT, FUND, KENT, DIEHL, GUNTER, GEIB, RIMMER, MOOR, WAGNER, LIBERT, HENNEBERG, ZEITS, HORST, KROMM, MILLER, HARDT, and LIDER. I cannot claim to be 100% sure of the spellings. If someone has ideas about alternative spellings, please let me know.

I have additional data on the cemetery and on some of the people still living in Rosenheim. I also have pictures of some of the headstones. If anyone has an interest, I can scan check to see if I have a picture of the headstone and scan it to them.

I have received a number of inquiries this year about Rosenheim and have corresponded rather extensively with some of these folks. One of my disappointments was that I have all the census except for the 1874 and revisions. Therefore, I will not be able to help anyone with census data unless they know of ancestors that would have been on the 1850 census.

I have moved since my last report. My new street address and e-mail address are listed at the top of this report.

Rothammel, Saratov, Volga

Nicholas & Barbara Bretz B296

Joseph Gertge

Rothammel Mail List ~ email Kathy Frank Jones to join

Submitted by Nicholas and Barbara Bretz.

We have census data for 22 surnames and have arranged to purchase the complete census of Rothammel for the years 1834 and 1858. Once the records have been received, they will require translation, and then we will make them available. We have census data for three Seewald surnames and will order census data for the entire village if it is available. As we receive more donations, we will try to purchase church and other village records.

At least nine Genealogical Charts have been received for Rothammel and about four more are on order. Charts on three Seewald surnames are also available. Nick is in the process of merging the charts into one large database.

Joe Gertge continues to be our database coordinator. He reports that that he has received about 35 requests for information. The database contains over 17,000 names, excluding those on the charts, which will be added later. He has somewhere between 5,000 to 10,000 waiting input. Please send Joe your family information to be added to our village database. Joe has also collected 37 new obits this year. Remember to send copies to him.

We have notice of several Rothammel family reunions being planned for 2005. Please send notices to our mail list, which Kathy Jones maintains. To be added to the free list, please contact Kathy by clicking on the Rothammel Mail List link above. At present, we have about 110 members on the list so it is a good resource.

A new Logan County, Colorado, history book, which contains many German-Russian names, will be available in December 2004.