VGI Updates

The Reverend Elias (Eli) Hergert was born 22 June 1878 in Brunnental, Russia, and was confirmed there in 1893 by Pastor Stuher. In 1900, he married Maria Elisabeth Liebrecht. Elias Hergert was a teacher is Siberia before coming to the United States in 1908 where he joined his brother Jacob in Portland. In 1912, he entered the Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis and following graduation served Peace Lutheran Church (now St. Johns Lutheran Church) in the Sellwood district of Portland until 1916, when for a year he became a home missionary in Sheridan, Wyoming, and Hardin, Montana.

The Reverend Jacob Hergert immigrated to the United States in 1893 and was naturalized in 1899. He was born 15 August 1859 in Brunnental. He married Christine Lohrei in 1877. He was a minister in the Evangelical Church and served Evangelical Lutheran in Endicott and St. John's in Alkali Flat (both 1894-1897) and Zion Church in Walla Walla, Washington (1897-1904). He also served Immanuel Church in Packard (1899-1902) while living in Walla Walla. In 1904, he moved to Portland where he helped organized St. Paul's Evangelical & Reformed Church.

Pastor Johann Gottfried Hermann served the congregation in Saratov from 1803 to 1816.

Pastor Martin Gottfried Hermann served the congregation in Yagodnaya Polyana from 1820 to 1821.

Father Herrmann was born in an undetermined colony on the Wiesenseite. He served the parishes in Schuck and Zug.

The Rev. Johann Georg Herwig, son of teacher Conrad H. Herwig and Elisabeth (surname unknown), was born in Aue near Eschwege (Germany) on 11 July 1714 and died in Norka on 29 April 1782. He married in Willershausen, Hessen (Germany) on 12 February 1742 to Sophie Elisabeth Stippus. She was born in Willershausen (Germany) on 29 October 1710.

He started his theological studies on 25 September 1736 at the seminary in Marburg. From 1741 to 1756, he served as pastor in Willershausen near Herleshausen.

Pastor Leonhard Karl Wilhelm Hesse was born 11 Febriary 1856 in Sarata (Bessarabia). He served the congregation in Tomsk-Barnaul from 1884-1885. He was in Galka from 1886-1888; in Penza from 1888-1914; and in Tomsk from 1914-1923.

Pastor Hesse died 26 March 1933 in Saratov.

Father Peter Heut was born in 1894 in Sewald. He was ordained in 1917 and served several parishes in the area of Novocherkassk.

He served the parish of Petersheim before 1927, when he went to the Crimea. He was arrested there in 1932 and accused of participation in the Volga German clergy conspiracy.

Following a tribunal before the secret police, he was sentenced on 18 January 1933 to 10 years of prison at the Medveshya Gora Belbaltlag near Finland. In April 1936, a letter was received from him at the Polish Red Cross in Moscow.

Father Cornet (sometimes spelled Korne) was born 29 March 1768 in Limal, Belgium, and died 4 April 1844 in Tarnapol. He was a member of the Order of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order) and was ordained 12 Jun 1805.He served the Schönchen Parish from 25 February 1806 to 5 October 1807 and the Kamenka Parish from 8 December 1807 to 10 February 1810. During this time he also served the Mariental Parish from 22 June 1808 to 8 August 1808. On 2? February 1810 he began his service to the Rohleder Parish where he remained until September 1820.

The Rev. Felix Coulin was born 19 November 1879 in Libau and died 8 October 1963 in Kiel. He was ordained on 6 February 1905 in Moscow and served the congregations in Saratov (1905-1906), Yagodnaya Polyana (1906-1908), and Tsarizin (1908-1913).