Stehle y Schneider
The maternal parents of my grandfather were David Stehle and Catharina
Elizabeth Schneider. My grandfather, Alexander was born in
Oberdorf November 13, 1907.
The history of our family Stehle is that
they arrived from Russia at the port of Buenos Aires around of the year
1911, and thence by train to Province of Entre Ríos, the city of
Domínguez in the Department of Villaguay. 
In the railroad station
remained the women with the children until the men got a transport
for travel to an adequate place.
They lived and worked in leased fields
until they settled definitely in San Salvador. They were dedicated to
agriculture. They lived in a great house sharing the work and the tasks.
When my grandfather arrived in Argentina he
was four years old. He
married my maternal grandmother, Amalia Windecker, who was born in
Hussenbach. When he was 30 years old, he became blind. He was pleased to
sing in German, accompanied of his accordion, and always was
singing a very nostalgic song that spoke of his "Heimat". He
dreamed of returning to his town. Never spoke too much of his
natal town because it caused him much sadness. We read him books
with history of Russia and of Catharina The Great. It was pleasing to
him. His wife Amalia recounted the stories of her mother in Russia (Hussenbach). My grandmother told how her mother would
recount to her that as a girl, many times she must be hidden in
the basement of the house when the nomadic were arriving, because
they were arriving to steal women. The entrance to the basement was just
under a carpet over which was a great table. There they remained
in silence until that the nomads left.
My great-grandmother
Schneider was very able to embroider, to weave, and to do blankets. My
mother Teresa recounted that in the house of San Salvador they had in
the headrest of the bed an embroidered cloth with angels and some
written words in German with gothic handwriting.
My great-grandfather
David knew that a brother of his disembarked in USA. 
He was sending
money to some family that had remained in Oberdorf, and at the time, one
of his daughters was receiving money from USA.
Contributed by Elena M.Vega
Heinze
Georg Jacob served in the Russian Army at Vladivostok during the
Russo-Japanese War. While he was away, a family picture was taken about
July 1904 (Julia's children's approximate age: baby Alex 4 months, David
3 yr, Marie 5 yr). Julia, Jacob's first wife, died at Kate's birth.
Marie had to carry Kate to Mrs. Henry Rush who had recently had a child
and had milk available for nursing.
Jacob returned from Vladivostok and shortly thereafter married
Catherine Schulteis. Catherine had been a seamstress in Saratov, a
village nearby. She had lost her first husband and two children in a
typhoid (or diphtheria) epidemic that may have also taken Julia's son
David.
Traditionally in Oberdorf, there was a
"longhouse" for each family. Each son brought his wife to live
there and they were given one bedroom. The wife of the head of the
family cooked for the whole family. She also took care of the children
while the others went out to harvest the wheat with sickles.
Another little known fact is that the Volga Germans also had camels!
Henry Rush's family, Alex (Uncle) Heinze's family and others from
Oberdorf, Saratov, Russia, immigrated to the U.S. and settled near
Okeene, Blaine Co, OK.
The S.S. Chemnitz was built in 1901 at Geestemunde for Norddeutscher
Lloyd Line. The ship was 7542 gross tons, length 428.8 ft x beam 54.3 ft
and a speed of 13 knots. She accommodated 129 second class and 1,935
third class passengers. She sailed from Bremen, Germany on May 11, 1911
and arrived at Baltimore, MD May 15, 1911. The passenger list included
this German Heinze family from Oberdorf, Russia:
Georg Jacob Heinze (30) farm laborer 5'7"
Catharina his wife (30) housewife 4'11"
Maria (11) none 4'3"
Alexander (7) none
Katharina (4) none
Lydia (3) none
All were listed fair complexion, Bld? hair, Blue eyes.
Extractions from the ship manifest: Jacob's father was Christian
Heinze of (Kol?) Oberdorf, Parab.(?) Russia. Their destination was Okla,
O'Kean where Jacob's cousin Heinrich Schuber lived.
Jacob was baptized as an infant in the
Lutheran Church, Oberdorf, Russia. In October 1895, he was confirmed. In
1911, he became a member of Evangelical & Reformed Church, Okeene,
OK. He was also a member of the United Brethren, which was a Volga German
society of brothers and sisters within the church. In the 1950's
services were still in German and the men and women sat on opposite
sides of the sanctuary. The women were required to a hat or scarf
covering their hair.
Catherine promised Jacob to board the Chemnitz, which brought them to the
US, but said that she would never get on a ship again. Later Jacob and
Catherine went on a trip to California with the Keith's to visit Kate
and Richard. Catharine refused to get on a boat for a day trip to
Catalina Island; she was perfectly happy to stay with Kate at home on
the mainland.
Contributed by Tom Heinze
Lorenz
Henry and Catherine left Oberdorf, Saratov, Russia on 15 Aug 1906 and
arrived at Ellis Island aboard the Steamship Korea on October 02, 1906.
They were accompanied by Jacob and Catherine Lorenz and son, Gottfried
and went by railroad to Windsor, Colorado arriving there on October 07,
1906. Jake & Catherine had a young son, Jacob born on October 8,
1906 who died in December 1906.
Henry, I believe, was conscripted into the Russian Army infantry.
Reports are that he had been wounded in battle in the Russo-Japanese war
1904 - 1905. (Bayoneted or shot? One Grandson has seen his bayonet
wound, but a granddaughter says he was wounded with a rifle shot).
Normally we read about the naval battles, which were disastrous for the
Russians, but there were also about four land battles in which the
Russians were defeated, surrendered or withdrew. Casualties were high.
Between February 19 to Mar 10, 1905 in the last battle around Shenyang,
the Russians lost 90,000 men and the Japanese had 50,000 casualties
(Ref. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2001).
I speculate, he might have been wounded in an earlier battle, was sent
home to recuperate via The Trans-Siberia Railroad, and was discharged
from service in time to immigrate to the US in August 1906.
Contributed by Walter Lorenz
Asmus 
The Oberdorf village visit was my most successful of all the
villages I have visited. The man in the picture with Maria and me is the
son of an Adam Asmus. Perhaps he is a relative of our family. However, his
father died when he was very young and he took his mothers family name.
I have his address and I intend to keep in touch.
The
second photo is of a tombstone we found in Oberdorf. Obviously, this
person was very well to do to have such a prominent stone, as most of
the graves had only wooden markers, and as a result thereof, they have
been lost to time. The stone is in German and you can read the words
Oberdorf. Oberdorf had more people that are German still living in it than any
other village I have been to. However, many of them are moving back to
Germany now.
Contributed by Paul Laubach
Schneider nee Wenz Funeral in Oberdorf
