Favorite Websites

I'm sure that many of you know about these two websites. If not, please check them out by clicking on the links below.  They have answered so many questions in my research.  I am grateful to those who have worked so hard to freely share this information with other researchers.

volgarecords.com

https://volgagermaninstitute.org

July 31st

 Put this event on your calendar. I'm excited to attend!

We will hold our chapter meeting at the FamilySearch Library in downtown Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.  

We can study together, learn together, and enjoy being together. We will meet in the map area of the B-1 floor. Please text (801 671-0629) when you arrive or to let us know whether to plan on you.

Hello 2024

 I'm writing this post to let you know I'm back.  After a very tricky year in 2023, I hope I will keep up much better with the events of our chapter here in Utah.  I was initially quite discouraged to see that some of the contents of this blog were missing, but I'm hopeful that new information will be shared here.  I want all of you to know that I appreciate your efforts to continue the work of finding our ancestors and learning their stories.  Hopefully, we will be able to make new connections.

Remember Roots Tech, February 29 through March 2, 2024.

Please send anything of interest to me so that I can post it on the blog. Thanks!

Remember June 10th

Now that summer is in full swing, it's time for our next meeting.  We will meet on Saturday, June 10 at 10:00 a.m. at the FamilySearch Library in downtown Salt Lake City (near the corner of West Temple and SouthTemple).  We will be provided with a tour of specifically Germans from Russia areas in the library. We'll leave the library better acquainted with everything GR for your future reference and studies.

We look forward to seeing you there.  The plan is to meet by the front door.

Join Us at Our Next Zoom Meeting

 We will start out with a special presentation from Fritz Juenling of the Family Search Library,

Please be prompt as we are only allowed 40 minutes. 

April 15, 2023, at 10:00 AM Mountain Standard Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us05web.zoom.us/j/89768479924?pwd=TmhFZ2ZZOU8xbWEwbmtuSVNva2V6UT09

February Zoom Meeting

Join us this next Saturday, February 11, 2023, at 10 a.m. for our chapter meeting "Understanding DNA."  Watch for the zoom link Shari Stone will send out later this week, and join us!

German Proverbs

• Every lie needs to be fed ten more.

• It's not healthy to swallow books without chewing. 

• An uneducated person is like an unpolished mirror. 

• The tree must be bent while it is young.

• Truth is medicine that needs to be given at the right time. 

Looking Ahead

On February 11, 2023, we will have a presentation, Understanding DNA, via Zoom. I look forward to learning about this fascinating topic. Please join us!

Thank You

A heartfelt thank you to the Intermountain Chapter members for your support in a difficult time for the Reynolds family. We recently lost our precious granddaughter in a car accident during a snowstorm. The personal cards, texts, and emails were greatly appreciated. The flowers sent to the funeral were beautiful. At a time like this, you really felt like family.

Request for Support

The Wacker family in Billings would appreciate any support in identifying the individuals in this photo. The original was not labeled so the surviving family is asking for assistance. The family is known to have lived in the village of Hussenbach, Russia. If you have any information regarding the identification please contact Dee Hert: deeehert@gmail.com. One of the individuals may be Katherine Wacker-Roth; another name suggested was Charlotte. Many members of this family are thought to have died in Russia and or Siberia.

Christmas Social

Our Christmas Social is on Saturday, December 10th, at 10:00 a.m. Address: Springville Community Presbyterian Church, 245 South 200 East, Springville, Utah. We will have lunch and a short business meeting. Then we will hear from Vira Bahr who was born in Kiev, Ukraine, and emigrated to the United States. Several years ago the chapter helped her adopt a young orphan from Ukraine and bring her to the U.S. to live. For those who are unable to attend, you will be receiving a zoom link next week from Shari Stone so watch your email.

Seeking Marie Kathryn Schmidt

The family of Marie K. Schmidt and her husband Frederich Benzel are seeking conclusive information about Marie. Marie was born on 2 August 1889 in the Volga area of Russia. Her family members have been located in the Volga villages of Kolb and possibly Messer. Her name is common among the Germans from Russia, and it has proven difficult to precisely identify her and her parents. The family of Marie and her descendants were most likely early settlers in the Volga area. Marie married into the Benzel family, and they are among the earliest of German settlers. The village of Kautz was the first family village, and individuals relocated to daughter colonies from there. My goal is to identify Marie K. Schmidt's parents prior to an upcoming family reunion. Thank you in advance for assistance in solving this challenge. Dee Hert

Meeting Reminder

Our chapter meeting is tomorrow, Saturday, August 13th, from 10 am to noon. Children are welcome and encouraged to attend as there is a playground at the Buttercup Park in Sandy. For those of you who are unable to attend in person, Shari sent out the zoom link this morning. If it doesn't show up in your inbox, please take a minute to check your junk mail.

volgaparishes.com

For any of you who don't know about this site, it is fabulous! I use it regularly. It shares parish records from the Volga region for free, and new records are added constantly. Many people have shared their expertise in translating the records and coordinating the efforts. Some rules for you: No commercial use of these records without express written permission. Unless otherwise indicated, you may view, download, and print materials from this site only for your personal, noncommercial use. You may not download the entire site.

SHOW/TELL/SHARE MEETING

June 11, 2022, at 11 am to 1 pm. Buttercup Park at 1501 Buttercup Dr., Sandy, UT, 84092. It will also be on Zoom. Family and kids are encouraged (playground available). This is an opportunity for you to share stories, artifacts, and recipes about your ancestry with the rest of the chapter. Bring an ancestral recipe potluck to share. Chapter will furnish cups, plates, utensils and water. Looking forward to actually seeing you!