Vetzberg, Kr. Gießen, Hessen
Today, Vetzberg is part of the parish of Biebertal, northwest of Gießen.
VGI Updates
September 23, 2017 - Hays, Kansas - 250th Anniversary of Luzern, Ober-Monjou, Pfeifer, Schönchen, Wittmann, and Zug
Ober-Monjou, Russia
Celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the
Founding of the Volga German Colonies of
Ober-Monjou, Pfeifer, Luzern
Schönchen, Wittmann, & Zug
Saturday, 23 September 2017
Hays, Kansas
Kloberdanz (Norka)
Johannes Kloberdantz, son of Johann Reinhardt Kloberdantz, was born in Gettenbach, between Büdingen and Gelnhausen, on 22 March 1733. He married there on 16 November 1758 to Catharina. Their son Johann Conrad was born there on 18 April 1760 and baptized 21 April 1760. Gettenbach was part of the Gründau parish.
Grundt
Daughter Colonies
Daschle, Tom
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Daschle, former U.S. Senator from South Dakota was born 9 December 1947 in Aberdeen, South Dakota to Sebastian C. & Elizabeth B. (Meier) Daschle. His ancestors come from the German colonies near Odessa in Ukraine. He is not a descendant of the Volga German colonists.
Elshtain, Jean (Bethke)
Jean Paulette Bethke, daughter of Paul Bethke & Helen Lind, was born 6 January 1914 in Windsor, Colorado. Her mother's ancestors come from the Volga German colonies of Kautz, Dönhof, and Dietel.
Gaines, Tim (Timothy Hagelganz)
Tim Gaines is best known as the bassist for the Christian metal band Stryper. The son of Pastor James Hagelganz & Betty Flaig, Timothy James Hagelganz was born on 15 December 1962 in Portland, Oregon. His family moved to California when he was four years old. As a performer, he has adopted the stage name of Gaines.
Tim's Volga German ancestry can be traced back to the colonies of Kutter, Frank, Walter, and Warenburg.
Rothenbergen, Kr. Main-Kinzig, Hessen
Today, Rothenbergen is administratively part of the municipality of Gründau.
Church:
Schieferbergstraße 33
63584 Gründau
There has been a Protestant church in Rothenbergen only since 1967.
Historically, those Protestants living in the village of Rothenbergen were part of the parish located in neighboring Niedergründau.
The church in Niedergründau is called the Bergkirche because it is located on a hill. The church in Niedergründau, consecrated to St. Peter, is first documented in 1217.
Trau(d)t (Norka)
Ernst August Draut (sic) and his wife Catharina were married on 26 August 1762 in Rothenbergen. Their son Johann Wilhelm was born on 7 May 1763, and baptized on 12 May 1763, and their daughter Anna Elisabeth was born 22 November and baptized on 24 November 1765.
The Traut family immigrated to Russia, arriving from Lübeck at the port of Oranienbaum on 9 August 1766 aboard the pink Slon under the command of Lieutenant Sergey Panov.
Stahlbaum (Boisroux)
Maria Catharina Stallbaum, daughter of the deceased Gottfried Stallbaum, married on 22 April 1745 in Seegrehna to Johann Christian Schmidt from Gohrau, eldest son of Christian Schmidt. Maria Catharina had been born in 1722 in Seegrehna. They had a number of additional children including Dorothea Elisabeth who was born 7 July 1745 and baptized in nearby Rehsen.