From The Berschauer Genealogy

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Volga History researched by: Eva Viola Berschauer-Miller

12 OUT OF 73 MEMBERS OF FIRST RUSSIAN CONONY TO RUSSELL COUNTY STILL LIVING

"That first winter (1876-77) the weather was so mild we children picked up buffalo bones in our bare feet. It was a blessing it was that way." commented G.J. Deines in telling a Russell Record reporter about the first colony of immigrants from Russia to settle in Russell County.

The group consisted of 73 persons, adults and children, arrived in Russell October, 1876, coming from Kratzka, a village not far from Saratov, Mr. Deines stated. Most of the men in the party were inspired to come to the United States because of the imminence of war with Turkey. Not wanting to be conscripted for military service they heeded stories about land being available to homesteaders in this country.

12-DAY OCEAN CROSSING

Leaving their *native country, [* It appears that the Russell Record didn't understand that these people were stonch Germans.], the party traveled by train to a port in Germany. (Hamburg) The Atlantic crossing required 12 days, during which time two families each lost a child at sea. They were Jacob Maiers and the George Peter Deineses. Mr. Deines' parents, Mr. & Mrs. Frederick Deines suffered the loss of a daughter after reaching the United States and the child was burried at Lincoln, Nebr., the first destination of the colony.

From Linclon a scouting party headed by a man by the name of Riedelheimer and inclucing George Bender, Jacob Krug Sr., and Michaleis, traveled over Nebraska and Kansas, as far as the Colorado line, before they decided to settle in Russell County. In Kansas they spent several months, working on farms. Not only did they investigate the possibilities of this section of the state but they traveled along the Santa Fe and at one time considered the area around Larned and Pawnee Rock. After making their decision to settle south of Russell the scouters rejoined the colony at Lawerence where it had gone to await their return.

SETTLED AT BENDER HILL

The Kratzka immigrants went 10 miles south of Russell and the head of each family filed homestead papers with the federal government for 80 acres of land. There, south of the Smoky Hill River, and west of highway 281, they proceeded to build homes - dugouts and sod homes - and to form an inland village. The community of industrious, prosperous farmers today, in many cases the sons and grandsons of the original colonists is known as "Bender Hill". Homestead laws carried the privilege of filing on another 80 acres after the elapse of two years, which many of the settlers did.

Not one of the group that came here in October, 1876, ever desired to return to Russia, except for a visit, although hard times and crop failures plagued the first years. Three did go back to their native land before World War I but it was only for a visit, Mr. Deines added.

In recalling his boyhood, Mr. Deines, who was close to seven years old when he arrived in Russell, stated his father worked the first year for $100. "The next two years he worked for Doc. Ellis and was paid $200 a year, which was a little living.", he added.

Gathering buffalo bones, and there were lots of them on the prairie around here in those days, netted the magnificent sum of $1.25 for a double sideboarded wagon load.

The Kratzka colony was followed in December, 1876, by another party from Russia in which the Karst, Elsasser, Nuss, Keil and Becker families arrived. In June, 1878, the first Morgensterns, Radkes and others who had settled in the Dakotas, and which William Morgenstern chronicled 20 some years before his death. The latter group came to the United States from Bessarabia, Russia.

Mr. Deines who resides at 30 South Main and is the father of the brothers owning the furniture store and mortuary, spent considerable time recently compiling names and other information on the Kratzka colony. According to this chart the roster follows:

COLONY FROM KRATKA, RUSSIA, WHICH ARRIVED HERE OCTOBER, 1876

Name:	Maiden Name of Wife:	Children & Address if Living [in 1931]
George Bender Mary Magdalene	Schwien	Adam Eva-Mrs. John Lohman, Milberger, Ks Henry
John Jakob Krug, SR. Katherine	Templing	** George Henry ** John Jacob, Jr. Georg Jacob Elisabeth Lena Mary-Mrs.George Neidens, Hoisington
Adam Dietz Anna	Deines	Elizabeth-Mrs. Karst Galatia Mary Anna-Mrs.Fred Deines - WaKeeney
Jacob Dietz Elizabeth	Mai	Galatia
George Dietz Mary Elizabeth	Bender	Russell
Jacob Meier Mary	Kulebar	Eva Magdalene unknown-lost at sea
Jacob Berschauer Maria Magdalena	Bender	Henry
John Jacob Deines Wife deceased		Henry ** George Jacob
Frederick Deines Mary Katherine	Boxberger	Henry George Jacob, Russell Lena-died in rute
George Peter Deines Christian	Siebel	Mary Catherine Anna Margaret-died at sea
Frederick Schwien Katherine	Schneider	Fred Mary Katherine -Mrs. Mary Deines-Russell
Adam Mai, Sr. Elizabeth	Krug	Henry-Russell Adam, Jr.
Single Men:
George Henry Michaelis John Henry Berschauer Georg Jacob Michaelis George Mai Henry Michaelis Jacob Blehm Henry L. Bender Henry A. Bender Rudolph Seidel

**George Henry Krug, son of John Jacob Krug, Sr., was accompanied by his wife, nee Catharine Elizabeth Boxberger, and their four childrern; Katherine, Henry, Jacob A., who resides in Russell and Adam. His brother, John Jacob Krug, Jr. was married to Anna Boxberger, but they had no children at the time of arriving here.

**George Jacob Deines, son of John Jacob Deines, was married to Mary Magdalene Rein, and they were accompanied here by their four children, Mary, Elizabeth, John Jacob, and Henry, who now lives in WaKeeney.