Our Brave Souls on a Difficult Journey
Thelma Mills

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My father's ancestor was born in Blieskastel, Germany in 1742 (1743). His name was Peter Kinderknecht. He was of the Catholic faith and a farmer. Blieskastel is situated in southeast Saarland, close to the French border. In the past, the town had been ruled by both countries - sometimes under France and sometimes under Germany. Presently, it is a German town. I do not have the route of their migration to the Volga, but I know that they first settled in the colony of Louis (Ostrogovka) on the fourteenth of June, 1766, and later moved to Mariental in 1788. My mother's ancestor, Dr. Thomas Weigele, was born in Passau, Bavaria in 1738. He had been serving as a doctor in the Seven Years War. As far back as he could remember, his ancestors, most of them tradesmen, had to give up their work and serve in the army, where pay was poor, and prospects for the future grim. He was already thirty years old, and was sick of the destruction of the war. On his way home one night, he overheard discussions on the streetcorner about the manifesto issued by Catherine. He obtained a copy from a Russian agent, and after reading it, decided to leave Germany. He went to headquarters,signed papers for his release from the military, sold his belongings, paid his taxes, and went to Regensburg to register with the commissioners as an emigrant. It is not known whether he was leaving family behind, or if some traveled with him. A very well written article on Catherine The Great and the history of Russia at that time, is located on the Walter village web site.

THE ROUTE

The journey eventually took him to Lubeck, the port of embarkation. Their route included the towns of Giessen, Marburg, Kassel, Herzfeld, Bebra, Goettinger, Heldeshum, Celle, and Hamburg. Buying food from the villages along the way became a difficult task, due to the large crowd of immigrants traveling. While waiting for the ships, the immigrants had to live in shanties and barracks, that were furnished for them. The accommodations were so unsanitary, and drafty, that many fell ill and died. While Dr. Weigele was busy tending the sick, he met a young women (Barbara Berglin) who was volunteering as a nurse. She became his wife in Lubeck, while spending the winter there at the port. In April of the next year, they were able to began their voyage to the Volga. A son was born to them near the city of Kostrama, Russia, where they were stranded again due to severe weather. The doctor contracted a contagious disease, as did his wife while trying to nurse him. Both died and are buried at Kostrama. Their small son was accepted by an elderly couple and taken along to the Volga. The Overland Journey The overland journey was long and arduous. Women and children had to ride in wagons piled high with baggage, while most of the men had to walk along beside them. The land was a wild frontier. On the west side of the Volga (bergseite) the banks rose steeply to a wooded range of hills with many deep gorges, and was a favorite hiding place for robber bands and runaway serf's. While on the meadowside (weisenseite), the steppe sloped gently toward the river, was crisscrossed by many small rivers, and with grass that grew almost as high as their horses. Here nomad tribes of Kirghiz and Kalmucks roamed, plundering, robbing, killing, and kidnapping. One cannot imagine, uprooting your family and leaving for a country where you knew neither the language nor the dangers you might encounter in this new land. It was a blessing that so many immigrated at the same time so as to have some support and encouragement when the loneliness and longing for their homeland crept into their thoughts.

 

 

FIRST GENERATION
CAPS denote my father's lineage.

 

NAMEBornMarriedDied

PETER KINDERKNECHT174217671820

Wife: Barbara Schuber174417671802

Barbara (married Mathias Rohr)1768??

Katarina1770??

Peter17761798?

Martin17781802?

NIKOLAUS178018001852

Andreas1781??

Valentin1783??

Sabina1785??

Anna Maria1788??

SECOND GENERATION

 

NAMEBornMarriedDied

Barbara17681791??

Husband: Mathias Rohr17541791??

Stepchild: Katharina Rohr1779??

Stepchild: Peter Rohr1782??

Stepchild: Margareta Rohr1786??

Hubertus1792??

Johannes1795??

Martin1796??

Maria Katherina1797??

 

(1son) Peter Kinderknecht17761798?

Wife: Marianna Wittman?1798?

Nicolaus (married Gertrude (?))1799??

Joseph (married Margaretha (?))1810??

 

(2son) Martin Kinderknecht17781802?

Wife: Maria Catherina (?)?1802?

Johannes (married Catherina (?))1803??

Peter1829??

 

(3son) NIKOLAUS KINDERKNECHT177918001852

1st Wife: Barbara Dinges?18001833

2nd Wife: Margaretha Schueller???

PETER (married Magdalena Hermann)18041824?

Margaretha1812-1812

Anton1813-1815

Nicolaus1814?1848

Johannes1817-1817

Gertrude1819-1821

Barbara1821??

 

(4son) Andreas Kinderknecht1781??

Wife: Christina (?)1781??

Joseph (married Anna Maria (?))1808??

Anton (married Anna Maria (?))1812??

Nikalous (married Elisabeth (?))1815??

 

(5son) Valintin Kinderknecht1783??

Wife: Maria (?)???

Johannes (married Catharina (?))1807??

Walpurga1818??

Nicolaus1820??

Anna Maria1825??

Maria Anna1827??

THIRD GENERATION

 

NAMEBornMarriedDied

PETER KINDERKNECT18041824?

Wife: Magdelena Hermann18061824?

Anna Maria (twin)1827??

Catharina (twin)1827-1827

Christina1830??

Elizabeth1832??

Catharina???

ANTON (married Mary Elizabeth Hansen)183618561892

Gertrude1839-1839

Johannes1841??

Peter1844??

Joseph1846??

FOURTH GENERATION

 

NAMEBornMarriedDied

(2son) ANTON KINDERKNECHT183618561892

Wife: Mary Elizabeth Hansen18301856?

child???

child???

Johann (married Catherine Boxler)1858??

Joseph (married Rosa Hunger)186618901948

Matthias (married Catherine Schuler)1869?1935

Mary (married (?) Rome)1870??

Anton (married Catherine Meis)187118921932

Catherine (married (?) Wittman)1872??

Peter (married Amelia Koerner)187919041945

FIFTH GENERATION

 

NAMEBornMarriedDied

(1s) Johann Kinderknecht1858??

Wife: Catharine Boxler???

Aloysuis (married Susanna Herber)18851904?

Anna1889??

Brigitta1895??

 

(2son) JOSEPH KINDERKNECHT186618901948

Wife: Rosa Hunger187318901936

Clementina (married Andrew Weigel)189219101925

Olinda1895-1895

ANTONE (married Otillia Weigel)189719251971

Joseph (married Philomena Hertel)189919271975

Elizabeth1901-1901

Peter1903-1903

Rosia1905-1905

Alousious1907-1908

Barbara (married Hilarius Eberle)191019281986

John (married Alta Thomas )191219371979

Mary (twin) (married Herman Pierce)191719371979

Sophia (twin) (married Glenn Sweet)19171940?

 

(3son) Matthias Kinderknecht1869?1935

Wife: Catharina Schuler???

Joseph1891??

Anna Katharina (married Joseph Waldschmidt)1896?1982

Catherine (married Frank Wittman)1901??

Mary (married Acquilinus Rome)1906??

Adolf1907??

 

(4son) Anton Kinderknecht187118921932

Wife: Catherine Meis?1892?

Alexander (married Anna Bolig)189419161964

Mary Elizabeth1896?1979

Katherine1898-1898

Celestina (married August VonFeldt)190019171984

Peter (married Susanna (?))190219371987

Felix (married Anna Brungardt)190419261967

Philip1907-1921

Regina (married John Schaeffer)1910??

 

(5son) Peter Kinderknecht187919041945

Wife: Amelia Koerner?1904?

Joseph (married Caroline Wasinger)1904?1967

Phillip (married Vica Landover)190619351972

Clara (married Leo Schuster)190819281993

Albinus1909-1909

Mary (married Oscar Wentling)1912?1992

Cleopha (married Clarence Anderson)1914??

Agnes1915-1921

Albinus (married La Vaun (?))1918??

John Benedictus1919-1919

Paul (married Corma (?))1923?1988

Gilbert (married Lucille (?))1925??

James (married Carol (?))1929??