Village Names - Clues (1)

AHSGR, Clues, 1978 Edition

Names of Families Residing in the Volga Villages
Submitted by Gerda S. Walker

(Excerpts)
(Page 58)
In 1940 Mr. Jacob Volz or York, Nebraska, collected the following lists of names of families residing around 1900 in the Volga villages. He did this at the suggestion of Dr. Karl Stumpp who had already begun his work of collecting the names of the German immigrants to Russia. Dr. Stumpp hoped that Mr. Volz would be able to collect the names of the Germans from Russia who migrated to America. Mr. Volz found this to be an impossible task but made an appeal through the German language weekly newspaper, Die Welt Post, requesting individuals to send in the lists of names of families as they remembered them at the time they left Russia. The lists that follow are the result of this effort. Although collected in 1940 they should prove helpful to many who are trying to determine their ancestral village.

(MY NOTES: This is in no way a complete list. The following contains only family names which may or may not lead to blood relatives. I will expand this list later on, need be.).
(Page 59)
BAUER (Rusn. Name: Karamyschewka, also Karamyschka), Kanton: Kamyschin, Later Kanton: Kamenka, Wolost: Sosnowka.
Founded in 1766 by 231 Ev. Lutherans. Located on the Bergseite in the B-5 quadrant of the Stumpp map #6.
From a letter sent to Jacob Volz by Mr. Heinrich Schumann, 2009 A.R. 8th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 21 Sept. 1939 and published in Die Welt Post, 28 Sept. 1939, p. 7, col. 4,5.

2. Becker

Names from other sources:
1. Gärber
2. Gellerut
3. Mohr
These three men signed the letter asking Catherine II to make Bauer a Crown Colony, for it was being mistreated by deBoff as a Private colony.

Other population figures:
1788 – 331
1798 – 385
1816 – 696
1834 – 1272
1850 – 1874
1857 – 2196
1860 – 2284
1886 – 2617
1894 – 3437
1897 – 4496 (?) [sic]
1905 – 4303
1910 – 4521
1912 – 4596
1926 – 3210

“The origins of the first (Colonists) were from different areas of Germany, for instance the STIEBEN, SCHRÖDER, SCHMIDT and GELROTH’s from Hamburg; the BRUG, FISCHER, STETTINGER, REIS, SCHLUNDT, MOHR and FERTIG from the Palatinate; the EHRHARDT and EIDEMÜLLER’s from Hesse-Darmstadt; RENA from Saxony; KRÜGER, 31 years schoolteacher, 1826-1857, ren (sic) Odenwälder, and the WAGNER’s came from Switzerland. This is the entire ‘Bestand’ composition of the colony Bauer from the beginning of the immigration until the Bolshevik time.” Report of Heinrich Schumann, 2009 A.R. 8th St., Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

ADDITIONAL DATA ON BAUER
From a letter by Mr. Heinrich Schumann of Milwaukee, Wis. and pub. in Die Welt Post 21 Sept. 1939, p. 7, col. 4 and 5.

A report from the year 1854 gives the following information: “The colony Bauer was composed of 55 families in the beginning. The first church was built in 1807. At first they had an old ‘Kronshaus’ which they had bought themselves from a Catholic village for use as a Prayer and Schoolhouse.”

Their second church was built 1873-1874 and was dedicated on July 14, 1874 by the esteemed Pastor “Boneswetsch. [sic]”* There were two crosses, one of the steeple and the other on the Sacristy. It was a much too windy day to put up the crosses…

(Page 60)
*There were 3 Bonwetsch pastors:
Christoph Heinrich Bonwetsch was Probst of Norka Parish, 1845-1876.
Samuel I. Bonwetsch was pastor at Galka near Bauer, 1858-1874.
Nathanael Gottlieb Bonswetsch, pastor, Adj., Bergseite Volga, 1871-1874.
Pastor at Norka 1876-1877.


NEU-BAUER There are two colonies by the name of New-Bauer listed in the 1955 Stumpp list and map:
1. New-Bauer, Kanton of Krasny-Kut, later Kanton Eckheim, Wolost Jeruslan, founded in 1859. It was located on the Wiesenseite, Ev. Lutheran and located in the F-4 quandrant of the Stumpp map #6.
2. The other Neu-Vauer listed is also on the Wiesenseite in the Kanton of Krasny-Kut, location F-5 on the map with only 86 persons in 1912.

The following is from the 11 April 1940, p. 8, c. 5 & 6 of Die Welt Post. From a personal visit with Mr. Alexander Wagner of Clearfield, S. Dak., who was born in Neu-Bauer on the Weisenseite of the Volga: “It was founded by settlers from the Mother colonies in the years 1850/52… Wagner came with a number of families to Mexico in 1900, and because the immigrants were not accustomed to the climate many of the died of Fever (Malaria?). They quickly left the area and crossed the border into the U.S.A. where they separated. He moved first to Oklahoma and later to South Dakota. The family has a dozen children, ten daughters are married and one son and one daughter are at home.” Jacob Volz.

Population:
1897 – 2042
1912 – 2344
1926 – 1002


(Page 61)
BRUNNENTAL (Rssn. Name: Kriwojar) Kanton: Seelman, Wolost: Bisjuk.
Brunnental was founded in 1855 by families which resettled from the villages of Walter, Frank, Norka and Kolb, with perhaps a number from other villages. It is located on the Wiesenseite in the D-5 quadrant on the Stumpp map #6. Names of families were published in Die Welt Post, 22 Fe. 1940, p. 8, col. 5.

(MY NOTES: This is the complete list given in this particular publication.)

1. Melcher
2. Braun
3. Baum
4. Block
5. Hergert
6. Steinmetz
Nagel is listed but a correction was sent in 14 Mar. 1940 by John Brehm who said Nagels came from Norka.

Population:
1897 – 4520
1912 – 4944
1926 – 2411


(Page 62)
DINKEL (Rssn. Name: Tarlykowka) Sometimes known as: Oberholstein.
Founded in 1767 by 179 Ev. Lutherans. Located on the Wiesenseite, east of the Volga River in D-4 quadrant of Stumpp map #6.
Pub. in Die Welt Post, 15 Feb. 1940. Jacob Volz does not say who sent in the names.

46. Wagner
47. Weber

Population:
1897 – 3050
1912 – 3586
1926 – 1711



DÖNHOF (Rssn. Name: Gololobowka, also Alt Gololobowka) Kanton: Balzer.
Est. in 1766 by 151 people, Ev. Lutheran Colony. Located on the Bergseite on the B-4 quadrant on Stumpp map #6.
Published 21 Sept. 1939, p. 6, col. 2 in the Dakota Freie Presse. Submitted by John Becking and Henry Kraus of Windsor, Colorado.

7. Becker

Names from other sources:
1. Kaiser/Keiser
2. Stecker/Stecher
3. Wagner

Population:
1788 – 711
1798 – 870
1816 – 1436
1834 – 2508
1850 – 3846
1857 – 4465
1860 – 4593
1886 – 4886
1891 – 6499
1894 – 6416
1897 – 7833
1905 – 7516
1910 – 8017
1912 – 8330
1926 – 5039