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VGI Updates

Winkler (Unknown)*

Johann Georg Winckler (age 47), a farmer, his wife Maria Anna Seitz (age 38), and sons (Johann Heinrich, age 11; Johann Nicolaus, age 6; Georg Christoph, age 2) are recorded on a list of colonists dated 23 September 1765 who were gathering in the town of Worms. They had arrived in Worms on 19 September 1765. A note on this list records that the two youngest sons died in Hamburg in route to Russia.

Luft, Cara

Cara Luft, daughter of folk singer Barry Luft and granddaughter of Alexander "Sandy" Luft & Amelia Goerlitz, was born 27 May 1974 in Calgary. She is a Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist and banjo player, and founding member of the folk trio The Wallin' Jennys. She began playing the dulcimer and autoharp at age 4.

Luft's Volga German ancestors came from the colony of Yagodnaya Polyana.

Luft, Donald (Executive)

Don Luft began his career with Nowsco Well Service, serving in a variety of capacities from field operations to corporate management. He then joined Trican Well Service Ltd. where he served as president from August 1996 until his retirement in May 2016. He led Trican from being a relatively small private company into a large publically-traded oilfield services company. He then founded Alloy Energy, a Canadian energy service and technology company based in Calgary, Alberta.

Luft's Volga German ancestors came from the colony of Yagodnaya Polyana.

Luft, Donald (Athlete)

Donald Richard Luft, son of Henry Luft & Catherine Luft, was born 14 February 1930 in Winnebago Co., Wisconsin.

Don Luft played football for Indiana University and was the university athlete to letter in three sports in one year: basketball, baseball, and football.

He was a defensive end with the National Football League and played for the Philadelphia Eagles during the 1954 season. He also played for the Calgary Stampeders and Hamilton Tiger Cats.

He returned to Indiana and worked in Indiana University Athletics.