VGI Updates

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.

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.

Viktor Friedrich August Dobbert, son of Pastor Alexander Dobbert & Eugenie Baronesse von Stempel, was born 10 May 1862 in the German colony of Prischib. He died 25 June 1927 in Stettin, Germany.

He studied theology at the University of Dorpat. He was ordained 26 January 1886 in Tsarskoe Selo.

He married on 22 September 1893 in St. Petersburg to Ida Amalie Pflug. She was born 19 May 1869 in St. Petersburg; died 4 July 1946 in Berlin.

Pastor Ferdinand Baumbach was born 9 June 1823 in Kurland (English = Courland, a historical region today located in Latvia).

He served the Lutheran parish in Riebensdorf from 1886-1888.

[There are two Lutheran pastors with the name Friedrich Heinrich Wilhelm Keller. This one went by the name "Heinrich." Some documents erroneously refer to this Pastor Keller as Ferdinand Heinrich Wilhelm Keller.]

Friedrich Heinrich Wilhelm Keller, son of Heinrich Wilhelm Adolf Keller, was born 10 December 1850 in Hapsal, Estonia. He went by Heinrich Keller. He died in 19 July 1926 in the Lichterfelde neighborhood of Berlin, Germany. He was married to Martha Schück (1846-1917).

Pastor Keller was ordained 30 April 1889 in Katharinenfeld (Caucasus).