VGI Updates

George Repp was born 28 January 1886 in Norka, the son of Konrad Repp (16 April 1857 - 13 August 1916) and Anna Maria Weidenkeller (23 May 1856 - 26 June 1949). Shortly after his birth, the Repp family left for America, arriving in New York City aboard the SS Suevia on 1 July 1886. The family originally settled in the Hastings, Nebraska, area before moving to Portland, Oregon. George and his brothers owned Repp Brothers Meats at 774 Union Avenue.

George married on 3 June 1905 to Katharine Miller (29 August 1882 - 22 November 1964).

Pastor Renz served Ebenezer German Congregational Church in Portland, Oregon, from 1933-1935. The records for the Pacific Conference of Congregational Churches do not indicate that he served other churches.

The Rev. Paul Reichert was born 27 June 1875 in Bettinger [some sources indicate that he was born in Kamyshin]. He studied theology at the University of Dorpat [Estonia] and was ordained on 8 September 1902.

From 1902-1904, he taught in the seminary in Dorpat. He served the parish in Volga German colony of Balzer from 1904-1922, in Neu-Saratovka (near St. Petersburg) from 1922-1932, and the congregation of Saints Peter & Paul in St. Petersburg from 1932-1937.

Father Franz Rau, son of Peter Rau, was born in 1886 in Rothammel (some sources record that he was born in 1888 in Neu-Kolonie).

He studied theology at the Catholic Seminary in Saratov and was ordained in 1911. He was a teacher in the German colony of Karlsruhe in the Kherson region.

The Rev. Karl Heinrich Rambach served the congregation in Yagodnaya Polyana from 1804-1820.

The Rev. Peter August Pundani, son of a customs official, was born on 13 May 1810 in Nyslot, Finland. He studied theology at the University of Dorpat and was an ordained Lutheran clergyman.

He served the congregation in the Volga German colony of Kukkus from 1836-1840, in Omsk (and surrounding congregations) from 1840-1847, and St. Catherine's parish in Kazan from 1848-1881.

He is possibly the brother of the Rev. Johann Pundani who served the congregation in Bettinger.

The Rev. Johann Pundani was born 13 January 1801 in Finland. He was an ordained Lutheran clergyman.

He served the congregation in Bettinger from 1823-1861. From 1830 to 1850, he served as the lead pastor (Probst) of the congregations on the Wiesenseite.

He is possibly the brother of the Rev. Peter August Pundani who served the congregation in the colony of Kukkus.

The notorious rebel leader Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachev was born in 1740 or 1742. In September 1773, he assembled a small band of guerrilla forces in southern Russia. Claiming to be Tsar Peter III (who had been murdured during the coup when Catherine the Great took the throne), Pugachev promised freedom and land to the serfs and other discontented peoples. Assuaged by these promises, his force reached several thousand rather quickly. They captured the city of Orenburg and held it for several months. During 1773 and 1774 his band rampaged throughout the Volga region.

Father Postoll was born 11 October 1753. He died 19 March 1810 in Arzan. He was ordained on 20 July 1772.

He served the Kamenka Parish from March 1803 to 7 December 1807 and the Rohleder Parish from 12 October 1808 to 1 February 1810.

The Rev. Emil Pfeiffer was born in Norka in 1891.

He studied theology at the Lutheran Seminary in St. Petersburg (Leningrad). Following ordination, he taught theological courses in Leningrad along with Bishop Malmgren until 1924.

He served the parish in Norka (along with those in Huck & Beideck) from 1927-1934.

He was arrested in 1935, along with his brother, the Rev. Arthur Pfeiffer, and exiled to Alma Ata (current Kazakhstan) where he was executed by Soviet authorities.