VGI Updates

Pastor Heinrich Köpke was active in the parish of Beideck from May to August in 1828.

Father Köberlein was born in 1863 in Pfeifer. He died on 17 August 1910. He was ordained on 12 August 1890. He served as a vicar in Mariental. He also served in Neu-Liebental from 1904 to 1908.

Johannes (John) Koch, son of Michael Koch & Elisabeth Rieber, was born 21 April 1843 in Kolb, Russia on April 21, 1843.

In 1863, Johannes married Barbara Koch. She had been born in the neighboring colony of Frank on 12 January 1844.

Koch served as a schoolteacher in Russia.

Pastor Gottlob Koch, son of Jakob Koch & Anna Höschele, was born 2 March 1861 in Gnadental (Bessarabia). On June 15, 1887, he was married to Elise König.

He studied theology at the University of Dorpoat (Estonia) and was ordained 6 September 1887 in Saratov.

Fred Koch was born in Kolb in 1901. He came to the U.S. at the age of 5 and settled with his family in Ritzville, Washington. Mr. Koch's career was in the newspaper business in Wenatchee, Cashmere, Spokane, and Seattle, all in the State of Washington. During World War II, he served with the Office of War Information in London, the Office of Psychological Warfare in Paris, and military government in Frankfurt and Berlin. He is a graduate of the University of Washington. Mr.

Pastor Arthur Julius Kluck was born in 28 January 1891 in Dunayevzy, Podolia (currently in Ukraine).

He was ordained on 11 December 1916 in Saratov. He served the parishes of Saratov (1916-1918), Frank and Hussenbach (28 May 1917-1920), and Katharinenstadt (1924-1927). He did preaching tours in Siberia. In 1928, he was exiled to Siberia.

Pastor Alfred Rudolf Kleindienst was born 4 November 1893 in Lutzk, Volhynia. He served the congregation in Stephan (1917-1918), in Galka (1918-1921), and in Lutzk, Volhynia (1921-1939). From 1945 to 1948, he was in prison in Lodz.

Archbishop Kessler was born on 12 August 1862 in Louis. He was appointed Bishop of Tiraspol on 1 April 1904 and was consecrated the 5th Bishop of Tiraspol on 28 October 1904 and took residence in the diocesan headquarters in Saratov.

He left Saratov in August 1917 and moved to Odessa and then Krasna in Bessarabia in January 1920, finally to Berlin in September 1921.

Bishop Kessler made a trip to the United States to raise funds for the famine stricken among the German colonies along the Volga as well as in the Black Sea area.

Pastor Richard Keller, son of The Rev. Gotthilf Heinrich Keller, was born in 1863 in Neu-Freudental (Odessa). He died on 25 January 1949 in Ingweiler near Zabern, Elsass. He served the parishes of Katharinenstadt (1886-1888); Gnadentau (1888-1890); Bettinger (1890-1907); and Taganrog (1907-1921).

Isaak Theophil Keller was born 25 February 1842 in Karras (North Caucasus), son of Melchior Keller, a teacher, and Johanna Margaret Hübner. He is the brother of Pastor Gotthilf Heinrich Keller.

Isaak married Anna Hedwig Dell on 26 August 1869 in Dorpat, Estonia. She was born 11 June 1843, the daughter of Andreas Paul Dell, a medical corps captain, and Juliane Elisabeth Dyrsen.

From 1853 to 1859, he attended St. Anne's School in St. Petersburg. From 1859 to 1861, he worked at Wiedemann's sanatorium in St. Petersburg.