It may be easiest to understand who the following people are by finding their names in the pedigree chart found in Appendix VI. That information combined with knowing their geographic locations at different points in their life helps us better understand who they were, why they moved, who they married, etc. Unruh's South Russian Mennonite Census, 1795-1814 Although many details may never be known, we begin to see patterns caused by lack of land, poor land, poor water resources, political changes, theological trends.

For example, the second immigration wave to the Chortitza colony consisted mostly of members from the Frisian churches. The original families had been mainly, if not entirely, from the Flemish churches. This caused no small amount of friction leading the new families to begin a new village called Kronsweide, to the north of the existing villages. As we look at the families and where they lived during that time we can now know something about the particular religious convictions those families held We can even begin to surmise what their parents and grandparents believed based on the points of origin in the old country (Prussia).

David Falk is believed to have been born in 1780 to David Falk (b. 1759) and Sara Martens (b. 1761). It's not clear as to when they arrived in the Chortitza colony. He married Henrietta Martens probably in 1802, in the village of Kronsweide, Chortitza colony, Ukraine. Henrietta was born in the village of Kronsweide in 1788, to Aron Martens (b. 1756) and Anna Janzen (b. 1759).

Children of David Falk (1780- ?) and Henrietta Martens (1788-1840)
Peter Falk	Born Apr 6, 1803	Mar 2, 1844
David Falk	Mar 9, 1808	Oct 20, 1876
Maria Falk	Oct 13, 1810	Jan 23, 1865
Anna Falk	Nov 11, 1812	Jan 23, 1895

In 1818 Abram Friesen (b. 1785) and Anna Dyck (b. 1790) with grandfather Martin Dyck immigrated to Russia where grandfather Dyck died and is buried in Pastwa, Molotschna.

Their son, Abraham Friesen was born in West Prussia on Aug. 13, 1816. He was baptized in 1835, according to the Bergthal church registry, probably in the Chortitza colony. He married Katharina Schwarz on Dec. 8, 1838, in the Chortitza colony. It can be speculated that Abraham and Katherina were among the "land-less" families that helped start the Bergthal colony. We know for sure that Aganetha (b. 1851) was born there. Abraham was called to the ministry in Bergthal on Mar. 10, 1849.

Children of Abraham Friesen (1816-1871) and Katherina Schwarz (1819-?)
Abraham Friesen	Born Sep 9, 1839	Died ?
Johan Friesen	Jul 11, 1841	?
Anna Friesen	Mar 10, 1843	Dec 11, 1853
Katarina Friesen	Aug 1, 1844	Oct 12, 1861
Anganetha Friesen	Feb 16, 1846	Sep 14, 1849
Aron Friesen	Feb 19, 1848	?
Peter Friesen	Apr 20, 1850	Feb 11, 1851
Aganetha Friesen	Dec 22, 1851	Apr 28, 1932
Jacob Friesen	Nov 29, 1854	?
Peter Friesen	Jul 14, 1858	?
Cornelius Friesen	May 27, 1861	May 28, 1861
Cornelius Friesen	May 17, 1864	Apr 15, 1928

Jacob Harder, who was born in Marienburg Werder, West Prussia the year the Chortitza colony was founded, moved to Schoenwiese, Chortitza colony with his wife Margaret Groew and five children, Jacob, Johann, Margaretha, Maria, and Abram sometime before 1833. Jacob and Margaret were married in W Prussia in November of 1809. Their move to the Chortitza came after Johann was born in West Prussia in 1812.

Seventeen families established the village of Schoenwiese in the Chortitza colony in 1797. The village was east of the Dnieper River, as opposed to the other villages that were all on the west side. Schoenwiese, a name of Prussian origin according to the 1848 village history, was only separated from the district city of Alexandrowsk by a small creek called the Mokraja. Elder Heinrich Janzen moved there at the very beginning, from his parish in the village of Kronsweide. The village was often not included in the village lists for Chortitza as it fell within the political district of Alexandrowisch.

Although about 1/3 of their village lands were on the other side of the Mokraja creek, the villagers made up for this defect by taking full advantage of the land along the creek banks. This land was quite fertile and the harvests were quite generous. The produce sold for a nice profit to the occupants of the city on the other side. Another 1/3 of the village land was used initially for hay production.

The original settlers engaged in agriculture and sheep raising. When manufacturing and milling become more prominent in the mid 1800's this village became a major center for these activities. In fact, in the 1850's more than a dozen windmills were in operation in this village, indicating to some extent the general prosperity of the settlement. Peter Bock, a resident of the village became very well known for his construction of mills.

Children of Jacob Harder (1789-1857) and Margaret Groew (1786-1844)
Jacob Harder	Born Aug. 15, 1810	Died Apr. 10, 1860
Johann Harder	Mar. 9, 1812	Apr. 19, 1846
Margaretha Harder	Oct. 15, 1815	Feb. 9, 1873
Maria Harder	Aug. 22, 1819	Nov. 5, 1891
Abram Harder	Oct. 19, 1823	Jul. 15, 1883

Jacob was born in the village of Insel Chortitza, Chortitza colony, Ukraine on Mar 3, 1792. In January, 1812, he married Maria Isaak, whose parents Dietrich Isaak and Susanna Krahn had immigrated to the new colony at the same time the Hepners did. Sometime in the next two years they moved to Nieder-Chortitza, another village on the Dnieper River, but about 6 kilometers downstream. There they raised their family of six boys and four girls.

Children of Jacob Hepner (1792-1857) and Maria Isaak (1791-1850)
Jacob Hepner	Born Oct 20, 1812
Maria Hepner	Sep 1, 1814	Dec 21, 1853
Dirk Hepner	Jan 28, 1816
Susanna Hepner	Nov 20, 1818
Anton Hepner	Apr 20, 1820
Helena Hepner	Nov 9, 1821
Johan Hepner	Apr 20, 1823
Sara Hepner	Apr 11, 1825
Peter Hepner	Mar 9, 1827
Frans Hepner	Oct 18, 1828	Mar 14, 1841

Cornelius was born in Ellerwald, Prussia, on Oct 1, 1786, shortly before his parents emigrated to the Chortitza colony. We know very little about Anna Warkentin except that she was born in 1794 and they married during or before 1814. Their first child, Cornelius, was born in 1815. Cornelius passed away in the village of Schoenwiese, Chortitza colony, Ukraine, in 1855.

Children of Cornelius Janzen (1786-1855) & Anna Warkentin (1794-?)
Cornelius Janzen	Born abt 1815
Abraham Janzen	Abt 1824

It is likely that Cornelius was born in the village of Schoenwiese, Chortitza colony, given the fact that his parents appear to have lived in that colony their entire married lives. Sometime in the intervening years, Cornelius met Maria (surname unknown) and they married. Our family records indicate that their first daughter, Maria, was born in the village of Wernersdorf, Molotschna colony, indicating they moved at some point and settled in this village, established in 1824. It would appear likely they didn't move to the Molotschna colony until some time after the census of 1835. Their first child was born in about 1843.

Children of Cornelius Janzen (1815- ?) and Maria (about 1812-?)
Julius Janzen	Born abt 1843
Maria Janzen	Feb 28, 1845	Oct 7, 1924
Cornelius Janzen	Abt 1848
Abraham Janzen	Abt 1848
Heinrich Janzen	Abt 1857

"Peter Penner was the son of Gerhard Penner born 15 Oct 1758 and Helena Driedger (daughter of Peter Driedger) who were married in Klein Wickerau [Prussia] on 23 Feb 1792 by minister Peter Dyck according to family records and confirmed by the diary of Aeltester Gerhard Wiebe of Elbing… Peter and Maria lived in Einlage in the Chortitza Colony before moving to the Bergthal Colony according to a letter from Abram Penner at Mountain Lake [MN]."

Maria Derksen was the daughter of David Derksen (b. 1765) and Anna (surname unknown) (b. 1775).

Children of Peter Penner (1792-1849) and Maria Derksen (1790-1873)
David Penner	Born Sep 1819
Peter Penner	Dec 9, 1820
Anna Penner	Apr 1, 1827	Mar 3, 1901
Maria Penner	Jun 26, 1829
Gerhard Penner	Nov 25, 1831
Bernhard Penner	Jun 18, 1834
Katarina Penner	Sep 2, 1837
Johann Penner	Aug 27, 1839

B.H. Unruh lists a Wilhelm Rempel living in the village of Schonhorst (founded in 1790) and Nieder-Chortitza (founded in 1803). The uncertain living conditions in the Chortitza colony in the early years could easily explain why both villages are mentioned as his residence during those years. The last of the original families weren't allocated land until 1797, when Mr. Brigonzi, under authority of the Russian government, made the final arrangements.

On January 26, 1811, Wilhelm married Katharina Wiebe. It's likely they were among the early settlers of the Bergthal colony when it was begun in 1836. That leads us to conclude that they lived in the Chortitza colony in the interim.

Children of Wilhelm Rempel (1789-1850) and Katharina Wiebe (1790-1856)
Wilhelm Rempel	Dec 8, 1811	Nov 15, 1870
Abraham Rempel	Mar 25, 1813	May 25, 1845
Katarina Rempel	Sep 2, 1814
Peter Rempel	Nov 2, 1817	Dec 20, 1869
Agatha Rempel	Apr 14, 1827
Jacob Rempel	Apr 20, 1828
Johann Rempel	Apr 15, 1832

Peter Sawatzky and Helena Penner lived in Blumenort and Zeyersvorderkampen in Prussia. They immigrated to the Chortitza colony in 1793, along with their children, Peter, Johann, and Helena. They had been married in 1784. The Chortitza Census of October 14, 1797, indicates a Peter Sawatzky family with 2 males and 3 females. This would seem to imply another daughter was born to them sometime between 1790 (B.H. Unruh's listing) and 1797 when the Chortitza census was taken. On Apr 16, 1801, Helena passed away. On May 4, 1801, Peter married Margaretha Rempel. Peter had eight more children by this marriage. The Bergthal Gemeinde Buch suggests that it is probable that both sons Peter (b.1785) and Johann (b. 1788) died in the interim as those names were given to subsequent children. Franz was born in the village of Nieder-Chortitza, Chortitza colony, in 1814.

The village of Nieder-Chortitza was founded in 1803, taking its name from the fact it was on the lower portion of the Chortitza river. It was founded with 39 families. Each of the founding families was given 1000 rubles, a considerable sum in those days, and ten years free of interest, before repayment was expected.

The soil in that area was mostly sandy and slightly sloping which caused a good deal of leaching of the nutrients from the soil. Generally the crops were not abundant for this reason. Peter and Margaretha Sawatzky may have established their home in that village when it was founded.

Children of Peter Sawatzky (1760-1843) and Helena Penner (1764-1801)
Peter Sawatzky	May 29, 1785	?
Johann Sawatzky	Jun 29, 1788	?
Helena Sawatzky	Apr 1, 1790	?

Children of Peter Sawatzky (1760-1843) and Margaretha Rempel (1780-1853)
Johann Sawatzky	Jan 28, 1804	Mar 25, 1853
Kornelius Sawatzky	Jan 3, 1806	?
Margareta Sawatzky	Nov 2, 1807	?
Peter Sawatzky	Mar 13, 1811	?
Franz Sawatzky	Aug 14, 1814	Dec 24, 1857
Thomas Sawatzky	Dec 1, 1816	?
Jacob Sawatzky	Dec 18, 1818	?
Sara Sawatzky	May 23, 1821	?

Family records show that Jacob's daughter was born in West Prussia. That places Jacob and his wife Aganetha Buhr in West Prussia during that time. What isn't known is whether Jacob eventually migrated to south Russia as did his daughter and son-in-law. He was born the year the first group of Mennonites moved to the Ukraine to establish what became known as the Chortitza colony (Sep 11, 1789). Aganetha Buhr was born July 5, 1787. Subsequent to their marriage they had five children.

Children of Jacob Schwartz (1789- ?) and Aganetha Buhr (1787- ?)
Aganetha Schwartz	Born May 13, 1812
Sara Schwartz	Nov 20, 1817
Jacob Schwartz	Jan 8, 1824
Katharina Schwartz	Jun 18, 1819
Johann Schwartz	Mar 2, 1826