Nick Besler was born 7 May 1993 in Overland Park, Kansas, the son of Greg & Diane Besler. He is an American soccer player with the Real Monarchs of Salt Lake City. He formerly played with the Portland Timbers. He is the brother of professional soccer player Matt Besler.
Nick's Volga German ancestors come from the colonies of Hölzel, Marienberg, and Streckerau.
Heinrich Hirschenhaÿn, son of Carl Hirschenhaÿn from Hain-Gründau, and Anna Maria Dietrich, daughter of Peter Dietrich from Mittelgründau, were married in Hain-Gründau on 8 August 1765.
They immigrated to Russia, settling in the Volga German colony of Messer on 18 June 1767. They are recorded there on the 1767 Census in Household No. 46. The surname in Russia appears to be Hergenhein.
It is not clear how Heinrich is related to Elisabeth Hirchenhaÿn also from Hain-Gründau, the wife of Jacob Repp who settled in Huck.
Yekaterinburg, alternatively spelled as Ekaterinburg, was founded on 18 November 1723. It was named after Catherine, the wife of Peter the Great.
In 1924, the name was changed to Sverdlovsk in honor of the Communist party leader Yakov Sverdlov. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the name was changed back to Yekaterinburg in 1991.
After the deportation of the Volga Germans in 1941, many Volga German families moved to the city of Sverdlovsk. Today, most Volga German descendants who had been living there have immigrated to Germany.
Bishkek, formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz Republic).
In 1825, Khokand authorities established the fortress of "Pishpek" in order to control local caravan-routes and to collect tribute from Kyrgyz tribes. On 4 September 1860, with the approval of the Kyrgyz, Russian forces led by Colonel Zimmermann destroyed the fortress. In 1868 a Russian settlement was established on the site of the fortress under its original name, "Pishpek".
St. Simon Evangelical Lutheran Church, located at 1540 N. Spaulding, was founded in 1889 and was originally affiliated with the Iowa Synod. St. Simon's was the German-language congregation and St. Peter Lutheran Church, located down the street, was the English-speaking Church. They merged in 1965 to become St. Simon Peter Lutheran Church.
The church was built in 1899. In 1986 the church building was sold to the Salvation and Deliverance Full Gospel Church with the stipulation that Simon Peter be allowed to use the building rent free for the next 10 years.
Many Volga German families settled in and around Toppenish, Washington.
Over the decades, many Volga German families have settled in Seattle and the surrounding area.
Volga German families from Hussenbach settled in Buffalo, Wyoming.
As early as 1887, there were Volga German families who had migrated to the village of Serakhs in Turkmenistan, along the Iranian border.
Following is an exerpt of a narrative by Henry Kissler (born 26 September 1867 in Frank; died 26 January 1955 in Greeley, Colorado) about his family's move to Serakhs. This family history of Henry & Katherine Kissler, Sr., was written in 1946 and submitted by Conrad Krening of Portland, Oregon, for the Winter 1986 publication of Das Frankerer Nachrichtsblatt.
Johann Eckhard Richter and Anna Maria Oberritter, daughter of Lorenz & Anna Barbara Oberrüther, were married on 15 June 1766 in Büdingen. Anna Maria had been baptized on 31 March 1744 in Schlierbach (Brachttal, Hesse). It appears the original spelling of the surname was Oberrüther. Lorenz Oberrüther and Anna Barbara, the widow of Johann Fuchs, had been married on 26 March 1744 in Schleierbach.
Johann Eckhard & Anna Maria Richter arrived from Lübeck at the port of Oranienbaum on 19 July 1766 aboard the barque named Fortitudo under the command of Skipper John Scott.