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Descendants of Andreas Ullmer

Generation No. 1

1. ANDREAS² ULLMER (JOHN GEORGE¹) was born December 19, 1840 in Hochstadt, So. Russia, and died March 07, 1916 in Guernsey, Sask., Canada. He married KATHARINA SCHMIDT January 24, 1863 in Hochstadt, Russia, daughter of GEORGE SCHMIDT and GEORGIANA BIEFELD.

Notes for ANDREAS ULLMER:
Notes from Arthur about his great grandfather, Andreas Ullmer:

To obtain a true picture of the people of German descent in Russia and their history, one must consider two factors.
1. The first migration of earlier centuries, (1550-1760), composed of craftsmen, merchants and officers who retained their German citizenship and often stayed only a limited time; and
2. The second migration, a much larger group, was solicited by the Russian Czars between 1763 and 1824. This group was largely an agricultural population but with many craftsmen from the cities and villages.
The Swabian migration, 1804-1818-24, was from Wurtemberg, Germany. They settled first in the Berdjansk area of south Russia, generally north of the Sea of Azov and encompassing most of the towns and villages mentioned in the records we have of our immediate relatives. Since we are definitely Swabian Germans, (except some possible Russian heritage from Andreas), it is reasonable to assume that the first Ullmers were a part of this migration.
Translations from original Russian records of Johannestal of the year 1825, indicate that German colonist Mathias Ullmer and family settled there and at the same time another colonist named Zacharias Ullmer and his family settled at the same place. Interestingly enough the transport commander for this group was named Stephen Schmidt. Unfortunately, there are no records for Johannestal after 1825.
At about this same time, records indicate that Schwabian colonist George Adam Ulmer (could this have been spelled "Ullmer"?), settled in Neuhoffnug and also in Rosenfeld. These two settlements are more in the Hochstadt area. Hochstadt was about 80 miles east of Simmonsfeld and Simmonsfeld is about 100 miles east of Johannestal.
After several years of intermittent research of the Ullmer family tree, I recently ran into a complete dead end. Most of the research was very interesting because it involved the German migration to Russia, most of which was well documented by Russian-German writers like Dr. Karl Stumpf, Dr. Joseph Height and many others. My problem arose when I became convinced that Andreas, my great-grandfather, was not of German ancestry at all, but a full blooded russian and for the following reasons:
When I first became interested in our heritage, I asked my father, Karl, son of Wilhelm Ulmer, for some details. I was quite disappointed in his lack of knowledge of the Ullmers in Russia. I understand now, but I didn't then. From what my Father said many times, Andreas was a very knowledgeable man about many things. He was a horticulturist, a decorator for a molotchna wagon manufacturer-wagons that were sold at an annual trade show and carnival at Taganrog. In addition, he must have been at least the cultural leader of his "Dorf" because he and his immediate family always seemed to occupy the best house in their village.
Andreas, I have gathered, loved his grandchildren and was in turn loved by them and spent many hours with them. He must have had a lot of leisure time because Dad remembers him mostly for puttering with his fruit trees, making wine, smoking his pipe and directing things in general.
My Father said many times that Katharina Schmidt's marriage to Andreas was frowned on by her family because she was supposedly of royal blood, a Von Schmidt no less. I am inclined to think her parents were less than happy with the marriage because Andreas was a German in name only. "Mixed marriages" at that time were unheard of. Everyone, I think, knew Andreas was a Russian orphan and a product of second class people. Dad insisted Andreas was a German orphan and until recently I even questioned the orphan theory.
When I talked to Aunt Katie, Dad's sister who lives in Walla Walla, she, too, remembered that Andreas was supposed to have been an orphan but insisted she had never heard of Russian parents.
Clara Ulmer Wurtz, Dad's cousin, says Andreas was definitely the first son of a Russian herdsman who herded the animals for the Ullmers and others in this Dorf. Andreas' mother died giving birth and his father left to get help to care for the child. He never returned, which must have pleased the Ullmers because they gave him their name but apparently never officially adopted him.
Most orphans in those days were legally adopted by someone or put in community-supported orphanages. It was also customary in those days for the youngest member of a family to inherit the family estate. I feel that Andreas must have been the youngest because Dad's cousin, Fred Ullmer of Portland, and my father, Karl, told me several times that Andreas received word, long delayed, of his foster father's death. He was asked to return to take over the estate and he apparently refused and it was given to an older brother. The fact that he was offered the estate makes me wonder about the so-called lack of official adoption.
Katharina Schmidt was christened in Josephostal (Josefstal) in the Odessa District maybe or Josefstal in some other area. There is one fifty or so miles north of Hochstadt. She and her family may have lived at Schllangendorf. Schlangendorf and Hochstadt, where Andreas and Katarina were married, were only a long days travel apart by buggy.
Kronau, both Hochfelds, Simmonsfeld, Hockstadt, Schlangendorf and both Feodorowkas are all in a radius of less than 100 miles of each other in South Russia.
Fred Ulmer of Portland has it that Andreas was in the Russian government service, a Commissioner or Judge or something and that he wore an official vest known as a "Snook" (spelling?), which immediately established his identity as one of authority, one to be consulted in disputes or matters of law. He also once operated a brick factory.
Russian or German, Mayor, Judge or whatever, Andreas must have been quite a man, according to all accounts by my Father and Aunt Katie.
According to Clara Ulmer Wurtz, Andreas adopted father's name was Andrew Henry Ullmer, and his grandfather was Henry Ullmer. If this is true, all the research I have done on the Swabian Germans that migrated to Russia is for naught. I can find none with those first names.
Andreas' death certificate lists a George Ullmer as being his father and if this is true, it would be easy. I am firmly convinced that Andreas' father's first name was George. I know not, however, whether George is his real father or foster father's first name.
To trace the rest of his ancestors, however, I will have to have more information.
Andreas, according to Clara, was a tall, sturdy man and had a Russian-Jew shaped face and blue eyes. His hair was dark and remained so for most of his life.
Katharina had "temper red" hair that remained red for most of her life. She, like Andreas, was a talented person but with a rotten and tyranical disposition. i understand from Dad that Andreas sometimes found it necessary to paddle her fanny with his pipe - and he smoked a big, heavy one. She must have been about 4'9".
Andreas and Katharina were married in Hochstadt in 1863. In 1871 they moved to Hochfeld. They must have moved around a bit, but Dad and Katie were both born in Simmonsfeld and moved to Feodorowka, probably about 1893 or 1894.
Andreas and his immediate family occupied the largest building there, a stone castle.
In about 1905 they moved from Feodorowka to Krasnykut in the Volga district.
For various and sundry reasons, mostly political, they decided to migrate to Canada. An advance party comprised of Andreas and Katharina, their son Karl and my Aunt Katie went first. They crossed the ocean on the Queen Victoria. Wilhelm and Heinrich and others arrived in Canada in February of 1907.
According to Aunt Katie, the reason the Ullmers left Feodorowka was to avoid trouble with local rebel Russians who were intent on killing all the Germans in that area.
The journey from Feodorowka to Krasnykut was accomplished in one day by wagon and buggy.
The first few years in Canada were very difficult for most of the Ullmers and particularly Wilhelm's family. Money was hard to come by, the land and the weather not very cooperative and there were a lot of mouths to feed. To my Father Karl, and his sister, Katharina Buehler, they being the oldest, fell the lot of earning hard cash with which to buy a few of the bare necessities. I have gathered that the only work available for a time was to dig wells by hand. You might guess Dad did the digging and Aunt Katie operated the wench and dumped the full buckets. With snow flying and with the bitter cold, working conditions were far from pleasant. If I had been asked to work that hard under those conditions, I think I would have told somebody to go find another jackass. But then hunger sometimes makes us do many disagreeable things for survival.
Times have changed and the last two generations of Ullmers have all been reasonably successful in life. I don't know of any millionaires or any paupers or any that are a liability to society.
If Andreas and Katharina were alive they would be justly proud of what they started.
I would like to extend my thanks to all those who helped me gather what information I have. I want particularly to thank Aunt Katie of Walla Walla, Uncle Leo and Aunt Jean of Saskatchewan, second cousin Fred Ulmer of Portland, Oregon, and most certainly fourth cousin Carl Buehler of Moosemin, Sask. He filled in a lot of holes and showed me how to get a lot of the information.
My one regret is that most of this information became available after my Father Karl passed away. He would have enjoyed all this.

More About ANDREAS ULLMER:
Fact 1: December 25, 1840, Chr., Wantz Lutheran Church, Hochstadt
Fact 2: March 09, 1916, Bur., Mennonite Cem., Guernsey, Sask

Notes for KATHARINA SCHMIDT:

More About KATHARINA SCHMIDT:
Fact 1: June 20, 1843, Chr., Josefstal, Russia
Fact 2: September 06, 1930, Bur., Regina, Sask., Canada

Children of ANDREAS ULLMER and KATHARINA SCHMIDT are:

BARBARA³ ULLMER, b. December 02, 1863, Hochstadt, Prischib, Russia; d. October 13, 1909, Viscount, Sask., Canada.

ii.

ANNA ULLMER, b. August 02, 1865, Hochstadt, Prischib, Russia; d. December 22, 1928; m. STUHL, August 27, 1885, Kronau.

Notes for ANNA ULLMER:
Christened Aug. 15, 1865 by Minister Gottlieb Loll in the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Hochstadt.
Anna was married by minister Forne in Kronau.

iii.

WILHELM ULLMER, b. December 27, 1867, Hochstadt, Prischib, Russia; d. September 04, 1934, Nakomas, Sask. Canada.

iv.

ELIZABETHA ULLMER, b. March 06, 1870, Hochfeld, Kronau, Russia.

HEINRICH ULLMER, b. December 30, 1871, Hochfeld, Kronau, Russia; d. December 21, 1928, Regina, Sask., Canada.

vi.

GEORGE ULLMER, b. October 05, 1873, Hochfeld, Kronau, Russia; d. August 01, 1882, Eigenfeld, Russia.

Notes for GEORGE ULLMER:
Christened Oct. 15, 1873 by teacher Fred Wild in her home in Hochfeld. Confirmed by minister Renchel.

Died suddenly through an accident with a thresh-stone. Buried by teacher Georg Demmler

vii.

PAULINA ULLMER, b. May 06, 1875, Hochfeld, Kronau, Russia; d. February 09, 1877, Eigenfeld, Russia.

Notes for PAULINA ULLMER:
Christened May 16, 1875 at home in Hochfeld. Confirmed by minister Julius
Peters.

Buried by minister Scheffler in same cemetery as George, in Eigenheim, Sask., Canada

viii.

KARL ULLMER, b. January 19, 1877, Hochfeld, Kronau, Russia.

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