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.

Ernst Traudt, a farmer, his wife Katharina, and son Johann Wilhelm (age 3) arrived from Lübeck at the port of Oranienbaum on 19 July 1766 aboard a pinque named Slon (Elephant) under the command of Lieutenant Sergey Panov.

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.

There are several Schmidt families that settled in the Volga German colony of Boisroux on 7 June 1767. Two of them were believed to be related because they came from the same place in Germany. Research by David Schmidt confirms that they are brothers.

Among the children of Johann Christoph Schmidt & Elisabeth Dreßler/Drechsler whose baptisms are recorded in Rehsen are: (1) Johann Christian, born 21 October 1723, baptized 23 October 1723; and (2) Johann Friedrich, born 11 May 1730 in Gohrau, baptized 14 May 1730.