Return to Index
Previous Section | Next Section

The largest single expedition to leave Russia for America comprised 108 families, and statred[sic] from Saratov on July 8. This party had some difficulty in obtaining passports, but after paying the government eighteen rubles per person and bestowing some gifts on the governor, all were permitted to depart.

At Duenaburg, they were joined by a large party of Mennonites, and traveled together as far as Eydtkuhnen, where they separated. The Mennonites finally settled in Nebraska.

As a result of the poor treatment they received on the North-German Lloyd ships, the colonists in America advised their friends who contemplated emigration to take another route. Because of this, those colonists who later settled in Munjor, Schoenchen, and Liebenthal went to Hamburg and came to America on the Hamburg American Line. The others, to the number of 1,454 souls, arranged for transportation to New York on the North-German Lloyd ship "Mosel," at 38 rubles a head.

When the group aboard the Mosel arrived in New York they received various offers of transportation ranging from $18 to $22 a person. These offers were all refused. Finally an agreement was made to transport them for sixteen rubles per passenger. Besides the Mennonites who went to Nebraska, there were in this group the following, who also came to Kansas: Peter Braun, Peter Andrew Braun, Andrew Brungardt Sr., Balthasar Brungardt, Franz Brungardt Sr., Franz Brungardt, John Peter Brungardt, Peter Brungardt, Peter Brungardt, Alois Dening, Michael Dening, Andrew Dinkel, George Dinkel, John Peter Dinkel, Michael Dreiling Sr., Anton M. Dreiling, Franz M. Dreiling, Michael M. Dreiling, Peter M. Dreiling, John Dreiling, Elizabeth Dreiling, Paulina Dreiling, John Frank, Joseph Kapp, Adam Knoll, Michael Kuhn Sr., John Kuhn Sr., Andrew Kuhn, John Kuhn, Michael Kuhn, Michael Kuhn, Jr., Anton Mermis, Michael Pfeifer Sr., Adam Riedel, Martin Riedel, Michael Riedel, Peter Rome, Ignaz Sander, Frederic Schamber, Andrew Scheck Sr., Andrew Scheck, Michael Schmidtberger, John Vonfeld, John Wasinger, John Windholz, Michael Weigel, John Wittman, Peter Wittmann, Martin Yunker and Peter Yunker. All of these came from Herzog, Russia. There were also John Leiker, Anton Rupp, Caspar Rupp and Jacob Rupp, from Obermonjour, Russia; Joseph Graf Sr., Martin Quint and Michael Quint of Louis, Russia; and Henry Gerber of Graf, Russia. All of these with the exception of Peter Yunker who remained in Topeka till 1877, made their home in Herzog, arriving in Victoria on the third of August, 1876.

In the meantime, the party traveling by way of Hamburg-American Line arrived in New York, and a few days later came to Kansas. Included in the group were the founders of Munjor: Jacob Engel, John Berg, Franz Leiker, Henry Leiker, Jacob Leiker, Joseph Leiker, Joseph Leiker, Konrad Leiker, Michael Leiker, Nicholas Leiker, Peter Leiker from Obermonjour. Russia; John Dechant, John Herl, Henry Miller, Henry Ruder, Stanislaus Ruder, Joseph Schreibvogel, Anton Schumacher, George Schumacher, Henry Schumacher and Catherine Schumacher all of Wittmann, Russia; Nicholas Eberle, Peter Gross, Matthias Rohr, and Peter Rohr of Mariental; Anton Wasinger and Anton Wasinger Jr., of Schoenchen; Anton Schneider and Peter Stoecklein of Gattung; and John Goetz of Herzog. For several days these families remained in Herzog, and then moved to a place on Big Creek, north of the present site of Munjor. After staying here two months they removed to Section 25, in Wheatland Township, where Munjor now stands.

With the founders of Munjor came the following families who settled in Liebenthal: Henry Depperschmidt, Peter Depperschmidt, John Jacob Schoenthaler. Karl Herrglotz, Jacob Monsch, Joseph Monsch, Michael Schmidt, Simon Schoenthaler, Joseph Schuckmann, Frederic Werth, Jacob Werth, John Werth Sr., John Peter Werth, Karl Werth, Louis Werth and Jacob Zimmermann. These arrived at their new home on the eve of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, 1876. In September Adam Bieker, Frank Dreher, John Dreher, Konrad Dreher, Philip Dreher, Frederic Graf, Joseph Rumbach and Joseph Zimmermann came to Liebenthal from Obermonjour.

Rothamel on the Ilawla sent a small quota of emigrants who left Saratov on July 24, 1876. This group was made up of the following: John J. Basgall, his brother Joseph Basgall, Martin M. Appelhans, John J. Basgall, Elizabeth Basgall, her son Joseph Basgall, Martin Appelhans, John Basgall, son of John J. Basgall, and Alois Hartmann. All of these settled in Pfeifer.

On September 26, 1876, Jacob Staab, J. Jacob Staab, John Staab, Peter Staab, Raymond Staab and Peter Ubert of Katharinenstadt, arrived in Catherine.

The last group of emigrants to leave Russia in 1876 came from Obermonjour. They left Saratov on September 18-30, and arrived in New York aboard the "Gellert" of the Hamburg-American Line, about a month later. On November 1, they arrived at Hays. This contingent was made up of the following families who settled in Catherine: Karl Karlin, Leonard Mittelmeier of Katharinenstadt; Jacob Meier, Henry Paul and Michael Peter of Louis; and John Giebler of Obermonjour. The party also included Anton Befort, Konrad Befort, Michael Graf, Christian Hertl, John Klaus, John Krannawitter, Jacob John Leiker, and Jacob Pfannenstiel, all of whom came from Obermonjour, Russia, and made Munjor their home.

On August 6, 1877, the families of Joseph Giebler of Obermonjour, and Friedrich Weilert of Katharinenstadt arrived in Catherine.

Johannes Kaeberlein, Jacob Kissner, Kaspar Kissner, Adam Stegmann, Matthew Stegmann, of Pfeifer, Russia, and John Ingenthron, Anton Stremel, Anton Stremel Jr., John Stremel, Michael Urban, Jacob Urban, Stephen Urban, George Urban, Mrs. Michael Urban, George Urban, and George and Jacob Burkart of Kamenka, Russia, arrived at Pfeifer, Kansas, on November 12, 1977, A few days before Christmas, the following families of Herzog, Russia, arrived at Herzog (Victoria, Kansas); Peter Linenberger, Joseph Schmidtberger and Peter Kuhn.

The year 1878 marked the waning of the immigration to Ellis County. On June 20, Andrew Bahl, Jacob Lang Sr., Peter Roth, Mrs. C. Schaefer, and her son George Schaefer of Kamenka, Russia, arrived in Kansas. All with the exception of the Lang family, which remained in Herzog, went to Pfeifer.

On July 20, the following families came to Catherine front Katharinenstadt: Peter Leikam, Jacob Mueller, Jacob Mueller Jr., and Michael Weilert; on November 25, the following: Dorothea Beilmann, Jacob Dorzweiler, Anna Mittelmeier, and Heinrich Wolf, likewise former residents of Katharinenstadt.

Late in July, or early in August a small party from Obermonjour settled in Munjor. These were the families of Gerard Befort, Anton Dechant, Carl Dechant, Jacob Engel, Peter Klaus, John Pfannenstiel, Konrad Rupp and John Stoecklein. Two weeks later Anton Gabel arrived alone.

The last large group of immigrants to Ellis County left Herzog, Russia, on August 8, 1878, under the leadership of Joseph Linenberger. It was made up of the following families: John Billinger, Anton Dening, Andrew Goetz, Henry Hansen, Peter Kuhn, Joseph Linenberger, John Pfeifer, Michael Vonfeld, Valentine Weigel and John Windholz, from Herzog, and John Ernst, Laurence Herrmann, Adam Ernst, Joseph Gassmann, Andrew Korbe and Peter Pfannenstiel of Mariental. Of these, the four last named, together with Anton Dening, settled in Munjor, and the others in Herzog.

After the departure of this group, emigration from the Volga colonies practically ceased. Though military service was disliked, it was not, as in the case of the Mennonites, a violence to conscience. As the years passed the colonists came to look upon conscription as a matter of course, and in addition, letters relating the hardships met with in the New World had given military service the appearance of a lesser evil.

Pictures of:
1. Farm of John A. Dreiling in Herzog Township
2. Farms of Christ Legleiter and Adam Herrman near Liebenthal
3. Farm of Paul Ruder in Lookout Township

Pictures of:
1. Farm of John Peter Braun in Herzog Township
2. Farm of Peter Roth in Freedom Township
3. Farm of Ambrose Staab in Catharine Township

Transcribed from The Golden Jubilee of German-Russian Settlements of Ellis and Rush Counties, Kansas, August 31, September 1 and 2, 1926