VGI Updates

Dr. Alexander John Schleuning, son of Alexander Schleuning, was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1934.  He died there on 30 April 2005.  His Volga German ancestors come from the colony of Norka.

Maria Schleuning, daughter of Dr. Alexander and Patricia Schleuning of Portland, Ore., has been a violinist with the Dallas Symphony since 1994.  She is also the artistic director of Voices of Change, a group with which she's been since 1996.  An active chamber musician, Ms. Schleuning has performed in New York’s Alice Tully Hall, Weill Hall, Merkin Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and the Museum of Modern Art, as well as at numerous festivals throughout the United States and Europe.

Dr. William H. Wunder, son of Henry F. Wunder & Lydia Eitel, was born in Kansas on 2 December 1929.  He served as President of Marymount College (1987-1989).  In 1995-1996, he was president of Lions Clubs International.

His Volga German ancestors come from the colonies of Moor and Beideck.

Les Dudek, American songwriter and guitarist, was born 2 August 1952 at the Naval Air Station on Quonset Point in Rhode Island. He is the son of Harold Dudek & Alma Jablonka.

In addition to a solo career, Dudek has played guitar with Steve Miller Band, The Dudek-Finnigan-Krueger Band, Stevie Nicks, Cher, Boz Scaggs, The Allman Brothers Band, as well as Maria Muldaur, Bobby Whitlock, Mike Finnigan and Dave Mason.

His Volga German ancestors come from the colonies of Frank and Kolb.

On 15 April 1928, Adán and Andrés (Adam & Andrew) Stoessel, sons of Andreas & Anna Maria (née Masson) Stoessel from the Volga German colony of Dehler, departed their hometown of Arroyo Corto in the Buenos Aires Province of Argentina in a Chevrolet Model 1928 with the intention of driving all the way to New York in an era when the Pan American Highway was still only a dream.

Steven Dietz is an American playwrite was born 23 June 1958 in Denver, Colorado. His play "Handing Down the Names" (1994) recounts his Volga German heritage.

In 2010, Dietz was once again named one of the most produced playwrights in America, placing eighth on the list of the Top Ten Most Produced Playwrights in America.

His Volga German ancestors come from the colony of Dönhof.

Argentine Natty Hollmann Petrosino was born in 4 June 1938 near Villa Iris in Buenos Aires Province of Argentina to Volga German Juan Hollmann and Ana Eberle.  During her early career, she was a model and actress.

Argentinean actor, author, and children’s theatre director, Pipo Pescador was born Enrique Fischer, son of Ernst August Fischer, on 29 April 1945 in Gualeguaychú.

His father's mother's Volga German ancestors come from the colony of Huck.

Juan Esnáider Ruiz, son of professional footballer Juan Eduardo Esnáider Belén, was born 31 January 1992 in Madrid, Spain. He plays for the Swiss club FC Lausanne-Sport.

His father's ancestors (German Schneider = Spanish Esnáider) are known to be Volga German, but which exact colony has yet to be determined.

Juan Eduardo Esnáider Belén was born 5 March 1973 in Mar del Plata, Argentina.  He is a retired Argentine professional soccer player.  He plays for Real Madrid & Argentina National Team.  His son Juan is also a professional footballer.

The Schneider family is acknowledged to be a Volga German one although the exact colony from which they came has yet to be discovered. This family changed the spelling of their name to the Spanish Esnáider.