Johannes Schäfer (abt. 1751 - bef. 1850)

Born about 1751 in Hesse-Darmstadt

Ancestors

Descendants

Died before 1850 before about age 99 in Grimm, Saratov, Russia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Julie Mangano [send private message]

[[Category:Grimm

Biography

Johannes Schäfer was a Volga German.

Johannes Schäfer has German Roots.

Family #17 in the 1767 Grimm census.
Family #13 in the 1775 Grimm census.
Family #127 in the 1798 Grimm census.
Family #182 in the 1834 Grimm census.

Birth Date and Place

• 1751
• Germany

Parents

• Andreas Schäfer
• Elisabeth (Unknown) Schäfer

Marriage

• Katharina Elisabeth (Huck) Schäfer
• by 1782
• Grimm, Saratov, Russia

Children

• Johann Philipp Schäfer, born 1783
• Johann Jakob Schäfer, born 1786
• Johann Daniel Schäfer, born 1790
• Anna Margaretha (Schäfer) Schwemmer, born 1794
• Johann Michael Schäfer, born 1798

Johannes Schaefer was the second son of Andreas and Elisabeth Schäfer, born in 1751 in what is now Germany.

His father had a difficult time supporting his family due to multiple social and economic pressures of that time. When Catherine the Great invited Germans to immigrate to Russia, his parents decided her offer provided the best opportunity for supporting their family and offering them a brighter future.

Johannes' father Andreas is listed in the Kulberg Reports, which document Germans who traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia. He and other colonists arrived in St. Petersburg on 22 July 1766 via Luebeck on the Pink "Lev" which was captained by Lieutenant Fyodor Foydorov. ^[1] After spending the winter in Oranienbaum, the settlers were transported to the Volga region, specifically to the village of Grimm.

In the Kulberg Reports, Andreas is listed as a Lutheran and a farmer from Darmstadt. He traveled on document #2435 with his wife, Elisabeth, and their children: ^[1]

• Johann, age 17.5
• Johannes age 15
• Catharina, age 13
• Margaretha, age 10
• Andreas, age 1

After the family registered in St. Petersburg and took their oath of allegiance to Russia, the colonists were transported to Oranienbaum to special barracks-type housing. They spent about 12 months in Oranienbaum before they were transported to the Volga region of Russia. Their final destination was Grimm, also known by its Russian name as Lesnoi Karamysch, which was officially established on July 1, 1767.

The hard winter and brutal journey took the lives of many immigrants, possibly including several of Johannes' siblings, since their names aren't listed in the first census of Grimm.

1767 Grimm Census ^[2]

Family # 17

Head of the Household Andreas Schäfer, age 41, Lutheran farmer from Darmstadt

Wife Elisabeth Schäfer, age 32

Child #1 Anton [sic] Schäfer, age 19

Child #2 Johannes Schäfer, age 17

Child #3 Anna Katharina Schäfer, age 14

By 1775, Johannes had not yet married and was still living with his parents and siblings.

1775 Grimm Census ^[3]

Family # 13

Head of the Household Andreas Schäfer, age 49

Wife Elisabeth Schäfer, age 38

Child #1 Johann Daniel Schäfer, age 26

Child #2 Johannes Schäfer, age 24

Child #3 Anna Margaretha Schäfer, age 7

Johannes married Katharina Elisabeth Huck by 1882. Their first child was born the following year. By the time the next census was taken in 1798, the couple had five children under the age of 15.

1798 Grimm Census ^[4]

Family # 127

Head of the Household Johannes Schäfer, age 47

Wife Katarina Elizabeta Huck Schäfer, age 37, from Huck

Child #1 Johann Philipp Schäfer, age 15

Child #2 Johann Jakob Schäfer, age 12

Child #3 Johann Daniel Schäfer, age 8

Child #4 Michael Schäfer, age 6 months

Child #5 Anna Margareta Schäfer, age 4

By 1834, Johannes was 83 years old. Son Johann Jakob remained living in his household along with his children and grandchildren.

1834 Grimm Census ^[5]

Family # 182

Head of the Household Johannes Schäfer, age 83

Wife Katharina Schäfer, age 73

Child #1 Johann Philipp Schäfer, age 32 in 1816, to household #90

Grandchild #1 Jakob Schäfer, age 10 in 1816, to household #90

Grandchild #2 Johannes Schäfer, age 7 in 1816, to household #90

Grandchild #3 Christian Jakob Schäfer, age 1 in 1816, to household #90

Child #2 Johann Jakob Schäfer, age 48

Wife of Child #2 Maria Katharina Schäfer, age 44

Grandchild #4 Philipp Michael Schäfer, age 23

Wife of Grandchild #4 Katharina Margaretha Schäfer, age 21

Great Grandchild #1 Katharina Elisabeth Schäfer, age 3

Great Grandchild #2 Theresa Katharina Schäfer, age 2

Great Grandchild #3 Alexander Schäfer, age 6 weeks

Grandchild #5 Johann Konrad Schäfer, age 18

Grandchild #6 Christian Jakob Schäfer, age 14

Grandchild #7 Johannes Schäfer, age 11

Grandchild #8 Katharina Margaretha Schäfer, age 8

Grandchild #9 Georg Friedrich Schäfer, age 6

Grandchild #10 Anna Margaretha Schäfer, age 4

Grandchild #11 Maria Katharina Schäfer, age 2

Child #3 Daniel Schäfer, age 25 in 1816, to household #293

Child #4 Michael Schäfer, age 16 years 6 months in 1816, to household #52

Johannes Schäfer is not listed in the 1857 Grimm census; ^[6] he had most likely passed away some time before that year. Had he survived, he would have been 106 years old.

Johann Jakob became the de facto head of the household upon his father's death. Since his father's name is not mentioned in the 1857 census, he probably died before 1850 and his death was noted in the census that came out that year.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Pleve, Igor, Lists of Colonists to Russia in 1766, "Reports by Ivan Kulberg," Ministry of Education and Science of Russian Federation, Saratov State Technical University; Published in Saratov, Russia, 2010; page 169, document #2435, Johann Schäfer, age 15, son of Andrea Schäfer.
2. ↑ Pleve, Igor. Einwanderung in das Wolgagebiet 1764-1767, Band 2 Herausgegeben von Alfred Eisfeld under Mitarbeit von Sabine Eichwald, Published by the Nordost-Instsitut - 38085 Göttingen, 2005; family #17, Andreas Schäfer, 41, Lutheran farmer from Darmstadt; Wife: Elisabeth, 32; Son: Anton [sic], 19, Son: Johannes, 17, Daughter: Anna Katharina, 14.
3. ↑ The 1775 and 1798 Census of the German Colony on the Volga, Lesnoy Karamysh, also known as Grimm; Published by the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Lincoln, NE, USA; Published 1995; family #13 in the 1775 census.
4. ↑ The 1775 and 1798 Census of the German Colony on the Volga, Lesnoy Karamysh, also known as Grimm; Published by the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Published date: 1995; family #127 in the 1798 census, Johannes Schäfer.
5. ↑ 1834 Census of Grimm in the District of Saratov, Russia, dated 2 February 1835; Translated by Brent Mai, Concordia University, Portland, Oregon; Published by Dynasty Publishing, Beaverton, OR, USA; Published 2011; page 55, family #182, Johannes Schäfer family.
6. ↑ 1857 Census of Grimm in the District of Saratov, Russia, dated 5 November 1857; Translated by Brent Mai, Concordia University, Portland, Oregon; Published by Dynasty Publishing, Beaverton, OR, USA; Published 2005.