VGI Updates

Johann Adam Söther from Schwartzerden in the area of Baden & Maria Barbara Paul, daughter of Peter Paul from Gehlweiler were married on 5 June 1766 in the Lutheran Church of Büdingen.

Johann[es] Schnell, a farmer, his wife Anna, and children (Anna [Margaretha], age 20; Johann [Heinrich], age 18) arrived from Lübeck at the port of Oranienbaum on 29 July 1766 on board a ship under the command of Skipper John Scott.

Johannes Schnell, his wife Anna Elisabeth, children (Anna Margreta, age 20; Johann Heinrich, age 18), and servant Johann Reuter (age 18) are recorded on the list of colonists being transported from St. Petersburg to Saratov in 1767.

Johannes Sauer, a farmer, and his wife Eva Maria settled in the Volga German colony of Norka on 15 August 1767. They are recorded there on the 1767 census in Household No. 68.

The 1767 census records that Johannes Sauer came from the German district of Isenburg.

Johann Jacob Loos, son of Johann Heinrich Loos & Anna Margaretha Schmidt, was baptized in December 1720 in Unterreichenbach.

Anna Barbara Wolf, daughter of Johannes & Catharina Wolf, was baptized in Unterreichenbach on 21 December 1727.

Lorenz Kuhn, a cobbler (Schuhmacher), and his wife Anna Margaretha arrived from Lübeck at the port of Oranienbaum aboard the Russian ship Strelna on 9 August 1766.

Lorentz Kuhn and his wife Anna Margreta are recorded on the list of colonists being transported from St. Petersburg to Saratov in 1767 along with a note that Anna Margreta died en route.

Anna Margaretha died during the journey to the colonies, and Lorenz remarried to Gertrude, the widow of Christoph Weitzel. [See Weitzel Family.]

Lorenz Krank, son of Johann Georg Krank, was baptized on 18 June 1719 in Birstein. Lorenz Krank married Barbara Gottlieb in Birstein on 6 March 1766.

The death of Barbara Kracken [sic], wife of Lorentz Kracken, on 19 April 1766 is recorded in the parish register of the Lutheran Church in Büdingen.

Lorenz Krank and his [new] wife Anna Maria arrived from Lübeck at the port of Oranienbaum on 9 August 1766 aboard the Russian galliot Strelna under the command of Lieutenant Sornev.

There are two Georg Josts who were original settlers in Norka.

Georg Jost, a craftsman (Handwerker), and his wife Anna Barbara settled in the Volga German colony of Norka on 15 August 1767.

They are recorded there on the 1767 census along with their 8-day-old son Johann Heinrich in Household No. 29.

The 1767 census records that Georg Jost came from the German district of Isenburg.

There do not appear to be any surviving male descendants of this Georg Jost among the Volga German colonies.

There are two Jost families that travelled together from the German village of Burgbracht to the Volga German colony of Norka. Their relationship to each other needs further research.

(1) Johann Georg Jost, son of Georg & Anna Jost, was born 29 March 1721 and baptized 4 April 1721 in Burgbracht. Anna Maria Freÿer, daughter of Ludwig & Elisabeth Freÿer, was baptized 4 November 1725 in Kefenrod. Johann Georg Jost and Anna Maria Freÿer were married in Kefenrod on 12 May 1749.

Hartmann Ifland, son of Johannes & Elisabetha Ifland from Lützelhausen, was baptized 2 October 1738 in Altenhaßlau. He married in Rothenbergen on 5 January 1764 to Anna Maria Hessler, widow of Jacob Hessler.

Two Hessler families settled in the Volga German colony of Norka on 15 August 1767. They are believed to be related, but the exact relationship between them has yet to be determined.

(1) Johann Jacob Hessler, son of Johann Jacob Hessler of Niedergründau, was baptized on 15 December 1718.  Anna Maria Meininger, daughter of Johannes Meininger of Mittelgründau, was baptized on 2 December 1725. Johann Jacob and Anna Maria were married in Rothenbergen on 26 August 1745.