Angeline Gallant - REMEMBERING VOLGA GERMANS: A Handbook For Authors and Genealogists

W hat if the dead held secrets that were long forgotten - stories that needed to be told? I have always loved history and over the past several years have begun working in the field of genealogy in earnest, spending much time recording cemeteries and digging through long-forgotten records. W hat if the dead held secrets that were long forgotten - stories that needed to be told? I have always loved history and over the past several years have begun working in the field of genealogy in earnest, spending much time recording cemeteries and digging through long-forgotten records.

There is a burning desire within my heart to tell their stories - to breathe life back into their bones with my words. I have often dreamed of readers both old and young, reading the stories of those who lay beneath the ground under an abandoned grave with tears in their eyes as the lives of these men, women, and sadly, children, tug at their heart. At this stage in my life, though, it is very difficult for me to find the time to turn each story into a minimum of fifty-thousand words, spinning my research into a novel. And, if I were honest with myself, it might take a lifetime. Recently I began to ponder the idea of trying my hand at non-fiction. My goal has always been to tell their stories so these people will not be forgotten.

I believe that can still be done now, and at a greater scale in books such as this one. I hope to one day be able to do more, but until then, this book is my contribution - my way of casting light onto the past and passing the torch on to those who go before. I hope, as you read of the people who time has mostly forgotten, you will feel my heart behind the words. It is my dream that perhaps you will be inspired to write novels about their lives, or commemorate them in some other way. Perhaps, you may even take the time to place a flower on a grave, now eroded. Even as I sit here behind my laptop, a smile touches my lips at the thought of inspiring others to join the ranks of those who have fallen in love with genealogy.

Thank you for reading my first non-fiction. ~ Angeline ~

V olga Germans were Germans who had settled in southeastern Russia near the Volga River in the 1800s when they had been recruited as immigrants to Russia. When the Germans invaded the Soviet Union in 1941 during WWII, the Soviet government considered these people to be conspirators. As a result, they were driven out of their homeland, deported eastward where many thousand died. Further Information The following contains some of my research on these people. I hope that, in writing this book, their memories will be preserved.

The Volga German Project

F RIEDRICH ARNOULD Friedrich was born in Germany in the 1700s. He is believed to be the father of all the Volga Germans. Further Research CHRISTIAN JAKOB JAKOB AAB Jakob was born in approximately 1839 in Grimm, Russia. In about 1860, Jakob married Katharina in his birthplace. During their marriage they had two children. Further Research JOHANN JAKOB JAKOB AAB Jakob was born about 1854 in Grimm, Russia.

Further Research JOHANN KONRAD KONRAD AAB Konrad was born in approximately 1829 in Grimm, Russia. He was the son of Johann Samuel and Eva Margaretha. Konrad married Louisa Barbara Heathe and together, they had eight children. Further Research MARIA KATHARINA AAB Maria was born in Grimm, Russia in approximately 1815. She married George Friedrich Meisner. Maria was Georgs second wife and was seven years younger than her bridegroom.

Together they had five children. Further Research ALEXANDER BUSCH Alexander was born about 1925 in Zarizyn, Soviet Union. His parents were Johann and Amalia. Further Research ANDREAS BUSCH Andreas was born about 1869 in Russia. He was the son of Johannes and Eva. Further Research FRIEDA BUSCH Frieda was born about 1927 in Russia.

She was the daughter of Johann and Amalia. Further Research JACOB BUSCH Jacob was born about 1931 in Russia. He was the son of Johann and Amalia. Jacob married Paline. Further Research JOHANN BUSCH Johann was born about 1890. He had five children.

Johann passed away about 1940. Further Research MARIA BUSCH Maria was born about 1926 in Russia. She was the daughter of Johann and Amalia. Further Research JACOB R. DIETRICH JR. Jacob was born on October 25, 1910 in Balzer, Russia.

In 1912 he and his family immigrated from Russia to the United States. By 1930, he was living in Lincoln, Lancaster, Nebraska. Verna and Jacob were married on May 16, 1947 in Lincoln, Nebraska. He owned a restaurant for twenty years before getting into real estate after he retired. Jacob was ninety-seven years old when he passed away on May 14, 2008 in Nebraska. Further Research MARIA BARBARA DEITRICH Maria was born about 1717 in Germany.