The table below lists the heads of each of the original families that settled in Balzer. Also, the town and/or country of origin along with the actual date of arrival in Balzer. Highlighted surnames indicate further detail on the family in Germany that is being researched.
Frequently single village residents were forced by limitations to look
outside of their own village for marriage partners. As Balzer was one of
the larger villages and the Kanton for the area, many individuals married
into Balzer, introducing more family lines and additional surnames.
| Surname | First Name | Village/Country of Origin | Arrival Date | |
| Bär | Georg | Darmstadt, Hesse | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Barthuly | Balzer | Höfchen, Essen, Hesse | 28 Aug 1765 | |
| Bauer | Johannes | Kurpfalz | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Bauer | Ludwig | Kurpfalz | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Bender | Jost | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Bengel | Wilhelm | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Berg | Michael | Darmstadt, Hesse | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Blitz | Johann Georg | Offenbach, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Borell | Georg | Baden-Baden, Baden | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Borell | Jakob | Baden-Baden, Baden | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Brotzmann | Philipp | Isenburg, Hesse | 1 Jul 1767 | |
| Buchner | Philipp | Dillkreis, Offenbach, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Busch | Jakob | Kurpfalz | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Busick | Johannes | Kurpfalz | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Claus | Stephen | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 1 Jul 1767 | |
| Decker | Philipp | Kurpfalz | 28 Aug 1765 | |
| Dobin | Elisabeth (Widow) | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Dorlosch | Jakob | Hesse | 28 Jun 1765 | |
| Eichner | Philipp | Kurpfalz | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Engel | Heinrich | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Aug 1767 | |
| Erth | Jost | Isenburg, Hesse | 14 Jun 1767 | |
| Eurich | Adam | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jul 1767 | |
| Eurich | Lorenz | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jul 1767 | |
| Faust | Konrad | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Aug 1767 | |
| Fech | Hermann | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jul 1767 | |
| Frickel | Georg | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Aug 1767 | |
| Geist | Wilhelm | Kurpfalz | 26 Apr 1766 | |
| Gerlach | Johannes | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Grasmuck | Johann Jakob | Rohrbach, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Gropp | Jakob | Kurpfalz | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Haberman | Valentin | Isenburg, Hesse | 28 Aug 1765 | |
| Heckmann | Adam | Kurpfalz | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Heckmann | Michael | Kurpfalz | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Heft | Heinrich | Isenburg, Hesse | 28 Aug 1765 | |
| Heil | Konrad | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Aug 1767 | |
| Heimbuch | Heinrich | Isenburg, Hesse | 1 Jun 1767 | |
| Heimbuch | Johannes | Isenburg, Hesse | 1 Jun 1767 | |
| Heizenroder | Maria (widow) | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Herbel | Jakob | Hesse (Transf. to Dreispitz) | 14 Jun 1767 | |
| Herzog | Jakob | Kurpfalz | 26 Nov 1765 | |
| Hoffman | Valentin | Kurpfalz | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Huber | Ludwig | Kurpfalz | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Idt | Georg | Isenburg, Hesse | 1 Jun 1767 | |
| Jakel | Heinrich | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Kähm | Kaspar | Offenbach, Hesse | 18 Aug 1767 | |
| Kähm | Markus | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Jul 1767 | |
| Kaiser | Philipp | Offenbach, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Kalbin | Lorenz | Offenbach, Hesse | 1 Jun 1767 | |
| Karl | Christoph | Loewenstein | 28 Aug 1765 | |
| Keller | Johann Heinrich | Offenbach, Hesse | 18 Aug 1767 | |
| Klaus | Stephan | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 1 Jul 1767 | |
| Klein | Jakob Sr. | Baden-Baden, Baden | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Klein | Jakob Jr. | Baden-Baden, Baden | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Kleinfelder | Heinrich | Offenbach, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Kling | Andreas | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Köhler | Kaspar | Offenbach, Hesse | 1 Jul 1767 | |
| Kolb | Philipp | Kurpfalz | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Kräuter | Friedrich | Isenburg, Hesse | 1 Jul 1767 | |
| Lohrengel | Jost | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Magel | Heinrich | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Mai | Christian | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Meissinger | Johannes | Offenbach, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Merkel | Georg | Kurpfalz (or Switzerland?) | 26 Nov 1765 | |
| Möhser | Joseph | Switzerland | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Müller | Ernst | Offenbach, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Neugard | Johannes | Offenbach, Hesse | 1 Jul 1767 | |
| Raab | Johann Heinrich | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jul 1767 | |
| Reuss | Johannes | Lorbach, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Ritter | Jakob | Kurpfalz | 26 Apr 1766 | |
| Robertus | Georg Schneider | Switzerland (Pfalz?) | 28 Aug 1765 | |
| Röhrig | Philipp | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Aug 1767 | |
| Ross | Johannes | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Aug 1767 | |
| Roth | Konrad | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Rutt | Karl | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Scheck | Jakob | Kurpfalz | 28 Aug 1765 | |
| Scheibel | Anna Maria (widow) | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Aug 1767 | |
| Scheidt | Heinrich | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Scheidt | Philipp | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Schlegel | Johannes | Offenbach, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Schleuger | Heinrich | Offenbach, Hesse | 18 Aug 1767 | |
| Schneider | Johann Heinrich | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Schneider | Konrad | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Sinner | Anna Maria (widow) | Offenbach, Hesse | 18 Aug 1767 | |
| Späth | Jakob | Kurpfalz | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Steinpreis | Peter | Kurpfalz | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Stöhr | Paul | Kurpfalz | 28 Mar 1766 | |
| Stumpf | Johannes (widower) | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Aug 1767 | |
| Tebele | Ludwig | Öhringen, Württemburg | 28 Aug 1765 | |
| Tirol | Heinrich | Offenbach, Hesse | 14 Jun 1765 | |
| Tischler | Jakob | Gladbach, Rhine Provinz | 28 Aug 1765 | |
| Volz | Leonhardt | Öhringen, Württemburg | 28 Aug 1765 | |
| Weber | Anna Maria (widow) | Rohrbach, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Aug 1767 | |
| Weisheim | Johann Heinrich | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Weisheim | Johannes | Isenburg, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Weisheim | Konrad | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Weisheim | Maria(widow Adam) | Dudelsheim, Budingen, Hesse | 18 Jun 1767 | |
| Zieg | Philipp | Isenburg, Hesse | 1 Jul 1767 |
Hattie Plum Williams, in her book The Czar's Germans, includes lists
of colonists by arrival for the village of Balzer on pages 102-105. The
lists contain occupations for some of the first arrivals. Property holdings,
farm implements, livestock and agricultural crops are detailed in the 1775
and 1798 censuses that are available. These provide a glimpse at the lives
of these early settlers.
Many German emigrants were married in Budingen
Castle before departing for Russia. A complete list of Budingen
Marriages is available, however only a few of the original Balzer
settlers were married there before departing. Microfilms of the parish
records documenting departing individuals are available. Microfilm of the
parish records for the villages of Dudelsheim and Lohrbach (outside of
Budingen), and Offenbach (near Frankfurt) are examples of some that are
available.
Updated May 23, 2004
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