VGI Updates

Early Volga German immigrants who settled in Bay City came from the following colonies: Dreispitz, Erlenbach, Oberdorf, Schwed, and Shcherbakovka.

Early Volga German immigrants who settled in and around Berrien Springs came from the following colonies: Schilling, Bangert, and Stahl am Tarlyk. They moved to the area beginning in 1910 from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Racine, Wisconsin. These Volga German families are mixed in with many German families from Volhynia.

Volga German immigrants from Rothammel settled in Brimley.

Volga German immigrants from Kind and Susannental settled in Caro.

Many Volga Germans came to the Caro area to work in the sugar beet industry. In May 1901, German Russians from Nebraska were brought to the Caro area to work in the sugar beet fields. A sugar beet plant had been constructed in Caro in 1899, and in 1906, it became part of the newly formed Michigan Sugar Company. In 2002, Michigan Sugar became a cooperative, and is currently owned and operated by the local sugar beet farmers.

Volga German immigrants settled in Croswell. Sallet reports that there was once a pretty large settlement of Volga Germans in Croswell.

Volga German immigrants who settled in Deckerville came Paulskaya and Kind.

Early Volga German immigrants who settled in Flint came from the following colonies:

Balzer
Erlenbach
Fischer
Grimm
Huck
Messer
Oberdorf
Rosenberg
Schilling
Stahl am Tarlyk

In the northern part of Flint, in a neighborhood known as Pasadena, there were approximately 150 Volga German families living at one time, most employed in the automobile industry.

Volga German immigrants settled in Glendora. Here they were living among ethnic Germans from Russian Volhynia.

Early Volga German immigrants who settled in Mayville came from Rosenberg.

Volga German immigrants who settled in McGregor came from Susannental, Paulskaya, and Kind.