VGI Updates

Several translation errors have created a difficult documented history for the Benner family that settled in Walter.

Konrad Benner [erroneously recorded as Binder], a farmer, his wife Magdalena, and sons (Johann, age 15; Johann Nikel [sic], age 10½; Wilhelm, age 5) arrived from Lübeck at the port of Oranienbaum on 15 September 1766 aboard the snow-brig Die Frau Dietrika under the command of Skipper Joachim Friedrich Luhn.

Johannes Baumgärtner, son of Johannes Christoph Baumgärtner & Eva Nachbar, was born in Lützelsachsen and baptized in the nearby Reformed parish church at Weinheim on 10 September 1727.

Johannes & Anna Catharina Baumgärtner had two children who were born in Lützelsachsen and baptized in the City Church (Stadtkirche) of Weinheim: (1) Anna Maria, baptized 7 February 1755; and (2) Anna Margaretha, baptized 18 November 1757.

The Johann Christoph Bär family from the area of Isenburg settled in Yagodnaya Polyana on 16 September 1767, where they are listed on the 1767 Census in Household No. 6.

There appear to be two separate Bär families in Yagodnaya Polyana, and neither appears to continue in Yagodnaya-Polyana.

Martin Becker, his wife Julianna, and children (Johann, age 12; Gertrude, age 6; and Conrad, age 2½) arrived from Lübeck at the port in Oranienbaum aboard a ship under the command of skipper Reders on 14 September 1766.

Martin Bäcker, his wife Anna Julianna, and children (Johann Peter, age 12; Gertrude, age 7) settled in Norka on 2 September 1767. They are recorded there on the 1767 Census of Norka in Household No. 203.

Martin Bäcker, his wife Angelina [sic], and daughter Gertrude are recorded on the 1775 census of Norka in Household No. 22.

Johann Philipp Becker and his wife Louisa Elisabeth arrived from Lübeck at the port in Oranienbaum aboard the hooker Die Jungfer Dietrika under the command of skipper Christian Korsholm on 14 August 1766.

Johann Philipp Bäcker, his new wife Johannette, and her children Georg Bauer (age 16) and Katharina Bauer (age 8) settled in the Volga German colony of Norka on 26 August 1767 and are recorded there on the 1767 Census of Norka in Household No. 180. Johanette was the widow of Georg Bauer.

Widow Margaretha Bäcker from the area of Isenburg arrived from Lübeck at the port of Oranienbaum on 9 August 1766 aboard the pink Slon under the command of Lieutenant Sergey Panov along with her nephew Nikolaus Müller and his family.

They are recorded on the 1767 Census of Norka (Household No. 12).

This is one of four apparently unrelated Bäcker families that settled in Norka.

There do not appear to be any surviving male descendants of this Bäcker family.

Konrad Bäcker, a farmer, his wife Anna Katharina, and daughter Gertruda (age 5) are recorded on the 1767 census of Krasnoyar in Household No. 87. They had settled in Krasnoyar on 20 July 1767.

This Bäcker family doesn't seem to be related to the other one that settled in Krasnoyar.

The 1767 census of Krasnoyar records that Konrad Bäcker came from the German village of Laubach.

There are no known surviving male lines of this Becker family among the Volga German colonies.