Franz Michael Mehler and Margareta Ewald

Citing this biography: Boyd, Michelle, "Franz Michael Mehler and Margareta Ewald," article, Olive and Eliza, last accessed [current date]."

Franz Michael Müller was christened 30 November 1748 at St. Emmeran, Mainz, Rheinland, Germany, the son of Johann Georg Müller and Maria Martha May. His godfather was Franz Michael Sonder.

Franz married first Anna Maria Schnellbecher. There is a record of Franz Mueller, a Catholic from Mainz, in the Kuhlberg Lists that could be our Franz. If so, he was single when he arrived at Kronstadt, St. Petersburg, Russia on the ship Die Perle from the port of Luebeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany on 18 June 1766 and worked as a shoemaker. After arriving in Russia, he would have been sent to stay in barracks in Oranienbaum (now Lomonosov, St. Petersburg, Russia). He would have had to have married Anna Maria right after arrival, if our Franz was the Franz in the Kuhlberg Lists, and had a baby right away.

Franz immigrated to the colony of Leichtling near Saratov, Russia. Franz appears as Franz Mueller in the Original Settlers' List but translations of later Russian records show him and his family under the name Meler/Mehler.

He married second Margareta Ewald. Margareta was born 15 Jan 1765 in Haibach, Aschaffenburg, Bayern, Germany to Jacob Ewald and Margaretha Rein. Her godmother was Margaretha Fuchs, daughter of Franz Fuchs.

Franz died 31 December 1808 in Leichtling, Saratov, Russia.

Franz and Anna Maria’s children are:

1	Sarah Mehler, born in Mar 1767 somewhere between Mainz, Germany and Leichtling, Russia.
2	Johannes Mehler, born about 1773, of Leichtling, Saratov, Russia, married Elisabetha Vasenacht, died perhaps 23 Oct 1811 in Leichtling, Saratov, Russia. Wife: Elisabetha Vasenacht.
3	Johann Georg Mehler, born about 1779, of Leichtling, Saratov, Russia, married Anna Catharina Heinrich. Wife: Anna Catharina Heinrich.

Franz and Margareta’s children are:

4	Johann Friedrich Mehler, born about 1783, of Leichtling, Saratov, Russia, married Maria Agnes Dreitz 7 Feb 1805 in Leichtling, Saratov, Russia, died 27 December 1845 in Leichtling, Saratov, Russia. Wife: Maria Agnes Dreitz, b. 1784, d. bef. 1850.
5	Barbara Meler, born about 1785, of Leichtling, Saratov, Russia.
6	Elisabeta Mehler, born about 1792 in Leichtling, Saratov, Russia, married Petrus Groh 23 Jan 1812 in Leichtling, Saratov, Russia. Husband: Petrus Groh.

Summary of Sources

Boyd, Darryl et al. (trans.), Köhler Parish Records, 1803-1895, Concord, CA, 2021.
Meininger, Dr. Robert (trans.), No. 2841, The 1798 Description of the Saratov Colony of Illavlya also known as Leichtling, No. 122, Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1996.
Pleve, Igor R., The Germans on the Volga: The Second Half of the Eighteenth Century, Lincoln, NE (Saratov, Russia): American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 2001, p. 416.
Pleve, Igor, List of Colonists to Russia in 1766: Reports by Ivan Kulberg, Saratov, Russia: Saratov State Technical University, 2010, p. 90.
Kirchenbuch, 1540-1875, Katholische Kirche Sankt Emmeran Mainz, Taufen 1723-1798, FHL Microfilm 957272.

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Weathered statue of a woman inside a church

Source Materials

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Christening record in the Church Book (Kirchenbuch) of St. Emmeran, Mainz

Christening record of Franz Michael Mueller — Christening,
Franz Michael Müller,
30 Nov 1748

Source: Kirchenbuch, 1540-1875, Katholische Kirche Sankt Emmeran Mainz, Taufen 1723-1798, FHL Microfilm 957272.

Köhler Church Records

Line number Year Birth Baptism Given name Father Mother Colony Parish of record

12                     1803    Dec 7    Dec 10     Joannes                   Georgius Mehler               Catharina Heinrich            Göbel        Semenovka
49                     1806    Mar 13    Mar 16    Ma. Barbara            Johann Georg Mehler     Catharina Henerich           Leichtling    Semenovka
17                     1808    Apr 13    Apr 15       Michael                    Georg Mehler                   Catharina Heinrich             Leichtling    Semenovka
14                     1811    Sep 13    Sep 15    Anna Maria            Joannis Georg Mehler     Catharina Henrich             Leichtling    Semenovka
1                       1815    Mar 8     Mar 8        Andreas                    Joannis Georg Mehler     Anna Catharina Henrich   Leichtling    Semenovka

Line number Marriage date Groom Bride Bride's village Colony where married
Groom's parents Bride's parents Parish of record

47 1805 Feb 7 Johann Friderick Mehler Maria Agnes Dreiz
Semenovka

4 1812 Jan 23 Petrus Groh Elisabeth Mehler Leichtling Leichtling
Semenovka

Image Line number Age Death date Name Village Parish of record

9 60 1808 Dec 31 Franciscus Mehler Leichtling Semenovka

12 35 1811 Oct 23 Joannes Mehler Leichtling Semenovka

1845D (22) 108 61 1845 Dec 27 Friedrich Mehler Leichtling

Source: Boyd, Darryl et al. (trans.), Köhler Parish Records, 1803-1895, Concord, CA, 2021.

List of Colonists to Russia in 1766

18 of June 1766.
Public colonist, arrived from Luebeck
by the Luebeck's ship "Die Perle" with the Skipper Thomson

Mueller Franz Cath., shoemaker from Mainz, doc. No. 1075, single.

Source: Pleve, Igor, List of Colonists to Russia in 1766: Reports by Ivan Kulberg, Saratov, Russia: Saratov State Technical University, 2010, p. 90.

First Settlers List

Leichtling, Russia, founded 14 May 1767

Family #34
Mueller, Franz, 20, from Mainz
wife: Anna Maria Schnellbecher, 22
daughter: Sarah, 9 weeks

Source: Original Settlers’ List, http://www.boydhouse.com/leichtling/firstsettlers.html, based on Pleve, Igor R., The Germans on the Volga: The Second Half of the Eighteenth Century, Lincoln, NE (Saratov, Russia): American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 2001, p. 418.

1798

Leichtling, Russia

Register made for the Office [Kontora] of Immigrant Oversight by Deputy of the Chief Justice, Court Counsellor Popov, in the Colony of Illavlya [Leichtling], listing the male and female foreign residents, with and indication of their ages, which males between the ages of 16 to 60 years are able to work, and remarks by the colonists about the colony.

October 7, 1798.

No.	Names of Foreigners	Age	No. of Souls		Able or not to work		Remarks*
			M	F	Y	N
1.	Franz Meler [Meller?]	49	1		1
	wife Margareta Ewald	35		1
	son: Friedrich	15	1			1
	daughters:
	Barbara	13		1
	Elisabeta	8		1
	son by deceased wife: Georg	19	1		1

* Remarks about those disabled, those discharged with or without passports; information about 3-ruble debt payments

No.	Head of Household	Workers	Livestock				Fowl
			Horses	Cows	Sheep	Swine	Geese	Turkeys	Ducks	Chickens
1.	Franz Meler [Meller?]	2	4	11	15	6			6	15
32.	Johannes Meler [Meller?]	1	3	5	6	3				10

Planting of grain and potatoes
Autumn 1796 and spring 1797

No.	Rye		Wheat		Barley		Oats		Millet		Peas		Potatoes
	¼	C	¼	C	¼	C	¼	C	¼	C	¼	C	¼	C
1.	3	1	3	6	1		3	6		3			1	2
32.	2		2		1		2			2			1	4

Source: Meininger, Dr. Robert (trans.), No. 2841, The 1798 Description of the Saratov Colony of Illavlya also known as Leichtling, No. 122, Lincoln, NE: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1996.