The Mensinger family name has several derivatives, Menchinger, Mënchinger, Moenchinger, Menkinger, Mencinger, Menzinger, Menginger and even Menxinger. Another possible derivative is the Münchinger or Muenchinger family name. Names were often written down by clerks and spelled the way they thought they sounded. There is also a language change here and going from German to Russian and then to English may account for these derivations in spelling. The umlauts over a vowel in German defined it’s pronunciation. Often in English these vowels are the written oe, eo, ue, eu, etc. to try and duplicate there sound. The Mensinger name trails back from Volhynia, Russia into Poland and before that into Germany and possibly before that into Switzerland. There is a Menzinger Street in Munich Germany and near Lake Zurich Switzerland there was a small village named Menzinger in the 14^th century. This name is also probably related to the name Mensing. In German the ending “er” means from, so Mensinger may mean from Mensing or Menching? The Mensinger/Menchinger families I have found were Germans ethnically and came from Russia to America. In this research I tried to spell the last name as the majority of the records did at that time.

I checked four Declaration for Citizenship documents on file and found:

Frederick “Menchinger” filed his intention on 10 Aug 1914 and it gives his age as 26 years. His birthdate is given as 31 Dec 1887 and his birth place as “Rovener”, Russia.  He immigrated on 10 May 1902, arriving in New York from Liverpool, England.

Andreas “Menchinger” filed his intention on 03 Sep 1908 and it gives his age as 38 years.  His birthdate is given as 29 Nov 1869 and his birth place as “Roviner”, Russia.  He immigrated 28 Jul 1903, arriving in New York from Roviner, Russia aboard the ship, “Luconnor”. Note:  Andreas and Andrew are the same name.

Joseph “Menchinger” filed his intention on 27 Jul 1914 and it gives his age as 39 years. His birthdate is given as 09 Nov 1874 and his birthplace as Rovno, Russia.  He immigrated on 05 Jul 1903, arriving in New York from Liverpool. England aboard the ship,“Lucania”.

Gottliebe “Menchinger” filed his intention on 04 Sep 1915 and it gives his age as 27 years.  His birthdate is given as 24 Oct 1887 and his birth place as Rovno, Russia.  He immigrated on 27 Jun 1909, arriving in New York from Bremen, Germany aboard the ship “Bremen”.

Looking at these four records it appears the Menchinger family members of Berrien County were born in Rovno, Volhynia, Russia.  This location is now in the Ukraine, but was then part of Russia.  Several Germany families had settled in this part of Russia and I believe the Menchinger families were part of these German families.

Martin E. Mensinger married on 19 Sep 1948 Adelia M. Brackett. Martin was the son of Fred and Laura (Replogle) Mensinger. Adelia was the daughter of Walter and Cora (Upson) Brackett. They lived in New Troy, Berrien County, Michigan. Martin and Adelia (Brackett) Mensinger had children:

Don E Mensinger

Joyce Eileen Mensinger

Karolyn Elizabeth Mensinger

Martin Jon Mensinger

Fred Mensinger was born in Benton Harbor, Michigan on 28 Sep 1897. Fred was the son of Gottlieb and Amelia (Grieser) Menchinger. Fred Mensinger married 1^st Laura Bell Replogle in Goshen, Indiana on 23 Oct 1920. Fred and Laura lived in South Bend, Indiana, Niles, Michigan, Battle Creek, Michigan and after 1947 in New Troy, Berrien County, Michigan. Fred married 2^nd Mildred (Smith) Corwin on 02 Feb 1969. Fred Mensinger died on 03 May of 1981. Laura Mensinger died on 12 Jun 1968. They are buried in the New Troy Cemetery. Fred and Laura (Replogle) Mensinger had children:

Lester Lee Mensinger who died young

Martin E. Mensinger b. 1927

Laura Replogle was married 1^st to Henry Burgoyne in La Porte, Indiana in 1900. By 1908 they were living in South Bend, Indiana. Laura married 2^nd Fred Mensinger. It is not clear but from her obituary it appears that the children by the name of Burgoyne may have been her stepchildren? A family member told me that these children were hers by her first husband. Ruth Burgoyne’s birth record as well as the 1910 and 1920 census records support the fact that they were the children of Henry D. and Laura B. (Replogle) Burgoyne. Henry and Laura’s children were:

Zelda Burgoyne b. 1901 d. 1901

Henry Burgoyne b. 1902 d. 1902

Dorothy Burgoyne married Roland Korp b. 1904 d. 1947

Doris Burgoyne married Everett Casper b. 1905 d. 1992

Ruth Burgoyne married Reuben Nichols b. 1909 d. 1987

Fred Mensinger has a Draft Registration Card for WWI. This card is very difficult to read but it was signed on 17 Sep 1918 and gives his address as 1431 Linden Ave in South Bend, Indiana. The card also gives his birth date as 28 Sep 1897 and his father’s name as Gottlieb Mensinger. In the1930 census you can find Fred and Laura Mensinger living in Niles Township, Berrien County, Michigan. With them is one son, Martin who was 2years and 9months old.

There are two men by the name of Fred Mensinger who died in Berrien County, Michigan in 1981. Some genealogists who have posted their research on www.rootsweb.com have confused the two and therefore have two different birth and death dates for the Fred Mensinger who married Laura Replogle. They even have Martin E. Mensinger as the son of a Martin E. Mensinger Sr. instead of his father, Fred. The other Fred Mensinger who died in Berrien County died in October of 1981 and was the son of Joseph Menchinger of Benton Harbor, a brother of Fred’s father, Gottlieb. This Fred married May Bays. Fred and May (Bays) Mensinger had a son named Fred Mensinger Jr. The Fred, who married Laura Replogle has a death record, which states his father was Gottlieb and his mother was Amelia Grieser and that he was born in Michigan. Laura Mensinger’s death record says she was born on 09 Apr 1883 in Indiana and was the daughter of Chauncey “Replogh” and Sarah Snyder. The Replogle genealogy was done by a Paul Replogle and can be seen at www.gencircles.com and he has included the Fred Mensinger family.

Fred Mensinger can be found in the Polk’s South Bend and Mishawaka City Directory of 1919. The listing is Mensinger, Frederick, laborer, resides at 1431 Linden Avenue. I looked further in this directory for the Replogle name and found that Sarah Replogle, widow of Chauncey also resided at 1431 Linden Avenue. I looked-up 1431 Linden Avenue and found the owner was Henry D. Burgoyne. Looking for Burgoyne you can find that Henry D. and Laura B. (Replogle) Burgoyne lived at the 1431 Linden Avenue address. Henry is recorded as an assembler. It appears that Fred Mensinger and Henry Burgoyne were working in the factories. It is Henry’s wife Laura that became Fred Mensinger’s 1^st wife about 1925. Henry Burgoyne was also from the New Troy, Michigan area. His parents are buried in the New Troy cemetery.

The 1910 census of Portage Township of St. Joseph County, Indiana includes Henry Burgoyne and his wife Laura and their three daughters, Dorothy, Doris and Ruth Burgoyne. The 1920 census says that Laura was living in Portage Township but Henry was not there. She is recorded as the head of the house and has her three daughters with her and also a nephew. Fred Mensinger is not found in the 1920 St. Joseph County census but was there in 1919. The 1908 City Directory of South Bend includes Henry and Laura Burgoyne at 1907 Parallel and Henry worked at “Singer’s” and was a cabinetmaker. Henry Burgoyne did not die until 1954. The 1920 census indicates Laura was “D” divorced at that time.

Gottlieb Menchinger was born on 29 Aug 1872 in Russia and lived in what is today the Ukraine. This area was part of Russia and was known as Volhynia. Before this area came under Russian control it was part of Poland. Gottlieb Menchinger married Amelia Grieser. Amelia Grieser was born on 29 Jun 1874 in Russia. The plat maps of Weesaw Township, Berrien County, Michigan show that Gottlieb Menchinger owned property in Section 8 just east of New Troy on New Troy-Glendora Road. Gottlieb and Amelia (Grieser) Menchinger had children:

August Mensinger b. 1892 in Russia married Florence Prenkert

Conrad Mensinger b. 1894 in Moundridge Kansas married Eva Knapp

Fred Mensinger b. 28 Sep1897 in Benton Harbor, Michigan

Olga Mensinger b. 1900 married Harry Yeske

John Mensinger b. 1902 married Olga Zielke

Gusta Mensinger b. 1904 married Samuel Schmaltz

Adina Mensinger b. 1906 married Elmer Kittleson

Martha Mensinger b. 1907 married Ralph Taylor

Benjamin Mensinger b. 1909 married Minnie Gluth

Lydia Mensinger b. 1914 married Martin Hauch

Agnes Mensinger b. 1916 married Wm Barbee and … Gellison

The 1910 and 1920 census records of Weesaw Township were consulted to get this list of children. Marriage records were consulted to get spouse’s names. Apparently this family first immigrated to Kansas where Conrad was born in Moundridge. Moundridge is in McPherson County, Kansas. This area of Kansas was settled by Germans from Russia many of who were Mennonite. After Conrad was born Gottlieb and Amelia moved on to Berrien County, Michigan. Gottlieb Menchinger had two or more brothers who also came from Russia to Berrien County. Gottlieb immigrated in 1893 and settled in Weesaw Township just east of New Troy. His brothers Andrew Menchinger and Joseph Menchinger settled in the Benton Harbor area. Andrew and Joseph immigrated in 1903. All three can be found in the 1920 census records of Berrien County. Gottlieb’s uncle Konrad Menchinger was also in Berrien County. Gottlieb’s death record says his father was Andrew Menchinger and his mother was Louise Adam. Gottlieb Menchinger died on 17 Aug 1944. Amelia (Grieser) Menchinger died on 30 Jan 1947. Amelia’s death record says her father was John Grieser and her mother was Louise Schlender. Gottlieb and Amelia Menchinger are buried in the New Troy Cemetery.

Gottlieb Menchinger has a citizenship file in Berrien County. It is dated 1900 and I reviewed this file. Some of these files contain lots of information but this one does not. It only indicates he was born in Russia and that he immigrated in 1893 via Bremen, Germany. It does not give the name of the ship he arrived on, his children or wife’s name or any details. This appeared to be his citizenship and not the intention form. If the intention form could be located it might provide further information. Since he was in Kansas before coming to Michigan this form may be there. Generally these immigrants would file the “Intention To Become a Citizen” papers and then within about 10 years with the actual citizenship declaration. Ten years was the usual waiting period required by the State of Michigan. Gottlieb could not be found in the 1900 census of Michigan although records indicate Fred Mensinger was born in 1897 in Benton Harbor.

Gottlieb Menchinger’s obituary was in the 17 Aug 1944 issue of the Niles Daily Star (newspaper) and reads: “Gottlieb Menchinger New Troy, Dies in B. Harbor Hospital. Three Oaks, Aug. 17 Gottlieb Menchinger, 72, retired New Troy farmer, died at 12:05 this morning in Mercy hospital, Benton Harbor, after six months illness. Menchinger was born in Russia Aug. 28, 1872, and came to the United States with his wife Amelia, in 1893. He lived in the New Troy vicinity 44 years. They celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1942. Besides the widow he is survived by 11 children, August and John Menchinger, Mrs. Samuel Schmaltz and Mrs. Martin Hauch, all of Buchanan; Mrs. Ralph Taylor and Benjamin Menchinger, New Troy; Mrs. Elmer Kittleson, Three Oaks; Mrs. Harry Yeske, St. Joseph; Conrad Menchinger, Benton Harbor; Fred Menchinger, Battle Creek, and Mrs. William Barbee, Lakeside; 24 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren, and two brothers, Andrew and Joseph Menchinger, Benton Harbor. Friends may call at the Connelly funeral home here. The body will be taken to the Brethren church at New Troy, Saturday noon. Services will be conducted there at 2:30 Saturday by the Rev. Russell William, followed by burial in the New Troy cemetery.” Other records indicate Agnes Mensinger was married to a man whose last name was Gellison and lived in California? Agnes must have 1^st married William Barbee. No record of her marriage could be found in Berrien County.

Amelia H. Mensinger has an obituary that was in the 31 Jan 1947 Herald Palladium. This obituary tells the story of this families travels. It reads: “New Troy Woman, Once Local Resident, Dies Amelia H. Menchinger, 71 died last night at 9 o’clock in her home at New Troy following an illness of three weeks. She had resided in Berrien County for 50 years. Mrs. Menchinger, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Grieser, was born June 26, 1874, in Russia. She was married to the late Gottlieb Menchinger in 1891. They immigrated to the United States in 1893 and lived in Kansas for three years before coming to Berrien county in 1896. They lived in Benton Harbor for four years and then moved to a farm at New Troy, where they resided until six years ago, then they moved into the village. Mr. Menchinger died on Aug. 17, 1944. Eleven children survive Mrs. Menchinger. They are: August and John Menchinger, Glendora; Conrad and Fred Menchinger, Benton Harbor; Ben Menchinger, New Troy; Mrs. Olga Yeske, St. Joseph; Mrs. Augusta Schmaltz, Mrs. Adina Kettleson, Mrs. Martha Taylor and Mrs. Lydia Hauch, New Troy, and Mrs. Agnes Barbee, Lakeside. Mrs. Menchinger also is survived by 25 grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Herman Maikowski and Mrs. Augusta Sommerfelt, Benton Harbor; three brothers, Leonard and John Grieser, Benton Harbor and Adolph Grieser, Lodi Calif.; and three aunts, Mrs. John Krieger, Baroda; Mrs. Rosalie Albright and Mrs. Paulina Biastock, Benton Harbor. Funeral services will be conducted by the Rev. Russell Williams Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in the Brethren church at New Troy, and burial will be in the New Troy cemetery. Six grandsons will act as bearers. Friends may call at the Connelly funeral home, Three Oaks, until 12:30 p.m., Sunday, when the body will be taken to the church to lie in state until the hours of service.”

The 1900 census of Weesaw Township of Berrien County includes the family of Amelia (Grieser) Mensinger. They were:

Greaser, John 49 years of age b. Mar 1851 Poland/Russia immigrated 1892

Greaser, Louise 49 years of age b. Apr 1851 Russia/Germany

Greaser, Pauline 18 years of age b. Jun 1882 Russia

Greaser, Gustie 16 years of age b. Oct 1883 Russia

Greaser, Lyion (?)14 years of age b. Apr 1886 Russia

Greaser, Benjamin 11 years of age b. Mar 1889 Russia

Greaser, Adolph 8 years of age b. Jan 1892 Russia

Greaser, John 5 years of age b. May 28, 1895 Kansas

John Greaser/Grieser was recorded as a farmer. They immigrated in 1892 the same year as Gottlieb and Amelia (Grieser) Menchinger. They were in Kansas in 1895 when John was born. Gottlieb and Amelia (Grieser) Menchinger were also in Kansas in 1894 when their son Conrad was born. Apparently they followed each other on to Berrien County, Michigan.

It is believed Lyion was actually Leon short for Leonard as he is seen on his mother’s death certificate as the informant. John Grieser died on 25 Mar 1917 in Sodus. John was born on 11 Mar 1851 in Poland. His death record indicates his father’s name was Conrad Grieser. Benjamin Greaser died on 05 Feb 1920 in Benton Harbor City. Louise (Schlender) Grieser died on 09 Jan 1942 in Benton Harbor. Louise was born on 15 Apr 1851 in Poland. Her death certificate indicates her father’s name was August Slender. John Grieser (Jr.) died on 09 May 1957 in Benton Harbor. John Grieser (Jr.) and Louise Grieser were buried in Crystal Springs Cemetery. The Grieser family was also German ethnically but had been in Poland and Russia.

This 1900 census could not be photocopied as the microfilm is very faint. This record indicates Louise had 10 children 8 of them were living in 1900. If we add Amelia to this listing we have seven of the eight accounted for. Another would have been Ernestine Grieser who married Samuel Menchinger and stayed in Volhynia. That would account for eight of the ten. In the 1917 Rural Directory of Berrien County John and Louise Grieser were listed as fruit farmers at Route #1 Benton Harbor/Sodus. In the 1930 census you can find Louise (Schlender) Grieser was living in Hagar Township of Berrien County with her daughter and her family. They were William and Augusta (Grieser) Sommerfelt.

John or Johann and Louise (Schlender) Grieser do appear in the Lutheran Parish Records of Volhynia, Russia. In specific they registered the birth of two of their children in the villages in the parish of Tuczyn. This parish was established in 1888 from part of Zhitomir and part of Rovno parish. The children registered were:

Johann Conrad Grieser b. 15 Mar 1880 in Muschtscha

Pauline Grieser b. 15 Jun 1882 in Chotinka

Both Muschtscha and Chotinka are in this parish. Muschtscha is also seen as Marcelinhof and Chotinka is also seen as Chotenka and Neudorf. Also seen in Muschtscha were August Schlender and his wife “Susanna Pulgrad” who had a daughter, Pauline, born there on 19 Sep 1864. This is very likely Louise (Schlender) Grieser’s father and possibly her mother. Also seen in this same village were a Gottlob Schlender and his wife Pauline Steinke, who were having children there in 1879. This is also very likely the Gottlieb and Pauline Schlander who are found in Benton Harbor, Michigan in the 1920 census. In this same village there was also a Ludwig and Wilhelm Schlender having children in mid to late 1870’s. These are possible brothers of Louise, Pauline and Gottlieb. William and Ernestine (Steinke) Schlender are also seen in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Johann Conrad Grieser would be the ninth of the ten children Louise reported having in the 1900 census. Gottlieb Schlender’s death record dated 20 Jul 1932 says his father was August Schlender and his mother was “Susan Fulgrath”.

Note: Pauline Grieser and Samuel Menchinger both were born in Chotinka/ “Chotinke”, Russia 18 years apart. This is probably the area of Volhynia where Amelia Grieser and Gottlieb Menchinger became acquainted.

John Grieser has a citizenship file in Berrien County. It like the file for Gottlieb Menchinger is very vague. It says he also sailed from the port of Bremen, Germany in 1892 and that he was born in Poland. John and Louise (Schlender) Grieser are buried in the Crystal Springs cemetery in Benton Harbor.

The 1917 Rural Directory of Berrien County includes several Mensinger families:

Menchenger, Andrew and Hannah of Bridgman

Menchenger, Herman and Augusta of Bridgman

Menchinger, Andrew and Pauline of Benton Harbor

Menchinger, Joseph and Catherine of Benton Harbor

Mengenger, Bertha of Watervliet

Mengenger, Samuel and Augusta of Watervliet

Mensinger, August and Florence of Route 2 Galien

Mensinger, Conrad and Eva of Buchanan

Another clue to the point of origin of the Berrien County Menchinger families is given in a record of Adolf Mensinger, son of Andrew Menchinger who says he was born in Rovano, Poland. This is actually Rovno or Rovno Parish of Volhynia, Russia, which was once part of Poland. There was both a town by the name Rovno as well as a parish. August Menchinger’s draft Registration Card for WWI indicates he was born in Kustopeal, Russia. This may be Kostopol, which is a village in Rovno Parish, Volhynia, Russia. This August Menchinger was the son of Gottlieb Menchinger.

Information can be found on the web about these Germans who settled in Volhynia. You can search for “Wandering Volhynias” or “Germans from Russia”. The Wandering Volhynians web site http://feefhs.org contains a reference to a Frederick Menchinger from Solomke, Rowno, Volhynia. Solomke was also known as Solomka and Rowno was the same as Rovno. Solomka also went by the name Friederichsdorf. This is the same village that the Hauch and Hemminger families, of Berrien County, came from. Many of these villages had more than one name depending on the language being consulted. They may have a Polish name, German name, Russian name and or a Ukrainian name. The Mensinger family name does not often appear in the Lutheran Parish records of Volhynia so it is possible they were not Lutheran but were probably Baptist or Mennonite in religion. The New Troy Mensinger families associated with the Brethren Church, which is a branch of the Mennonite religion. Laura Replogle’ father was a “Dunkard Minister”. Dunkard was a term used to refer to the Church of the Brethren, as they believed in immersion of adults in baptism.

The ship “Luciana” which sailed from Liverpool, England on 27 June 1903 and arrived in New York (Ellis Island) on 04 Jul 1903 carried some passengers by the name of Menchinger. They were the two brothers of Gottlieb, Andrew and Joseph and their families. These records can be found at www.ellisisland.org These records state they were going to live with their brother Gottlieb Menchinger in New Troy, Michigan. They were to travel to the “station in Sawyer” and Benton Harbor is used as a reference as is “Co. Berrien”. These records also state that they were from Russia but were of German ancestry.

There are also records of a Samuel Menchinger b. 23 Sep 1864 and still in Kostopol, Rovno parish, Volhynia, Russia as late as 1933. This Samuel Menchinger married Ernestine Grieser. This is interesting because Gottlieb Menchinger married Amelia Grieser. Samuel’s parents were Andreas and Louise (Adams) Menchinger. Gottlieb Mensinger’s parents were Andrew and Louise (Adams) Menchinger. Andreas and Andrew are the same name. It appears that Gottlieb, Joseph and Andrew Menchinger had a brother Samuel who stayed in Volhynia whose wife was a daughter of John and Louise (Schlender) Grieser.

Andreas or Andrew and Louise (Adams) Menchinger had children:

Samuel Menchinger b. 23 Sep 1864 in Chotinke, Russia d. Kostopol, Russia

Andrew Menchinger b. 27 Nov 1869 d. 1945 Benton Harbor, Michigan

Gottlieb Menchinger b. 28 Aug 1872 in Russia d. 1944 Benton Harbor, MI

Joseph Menchinger b. 09 Nov 1874 in Russia d. 1967 St. Joseph, Michigan

Andrew Menchinger b. 27 Nov 1869 in Russia died in Benton Harbor on 17 Jun 1945. His death record says his father was Andrew Menchinger and his mother was Louise Adams both born in Germany. Andrew Menchinger married Pauline Kesterke. Joseph Menchinger b. 21 Nov 1875 died on 09 Mar 1967 in St. Joseph. His residence was in Benton Township. Joseph’s death record says his father was Andrew Menchinger and his mother was Louise unknown. Joseph Menchinger’s citizenship file indicates he was born in Rovno, Russia on 09 Nov 1874. Joseph Menchinger married Katherine Eberhardt. Joseph and Katherine (Eberhardt) Menchinger are buried in the Crystal Springs cemetery in Benton Harbor as is Andrew and Pauline (Kesterke) Menchinger.

Andrew or Andreas Menchinger was born on 18 Aug 1831 in Germany and his parents were Martin and Margaretha (Ischler) Moenchinger. Andreas married Louise Adam on 18 Sep 1855 in Zhitomir parish, Volhynia, Russia. Martin is also seen as Johann Martin Mënchinger, which is also spelled Moenchinger and Monchinger in some records in Volhynia. Johann Martin Moenchinger was born about 1800 probably in Germany. Martin and Margaretha had at least two sons:

Andreas or Andrew Menchinger b. 18 Aug 1831 in Germany

Konrad Menchinger b. 04 Jun 1833 in Germany and died in Bridgman, Michigan

In Zhitomir Parish of Volhynia, Russia Konrad Moenchinger married Justine Hemminger or Henninger in 1857 and Andreas Moenchigner married in 1853 Maria Herzog. At this point in time Rovno was in Zhitomir parish. If this is the same Andreas or Andrew who was the father of Gottlieb Menchinger then he must have married 2^nd Louise Adams. Konrad or Conrad is seen as a name passed down in the Weesaw Township Gottlieb Mensinger family. Conrad Menchinger died on 03 May 1905 in Lake Township. He was 72 years old. His name in this record is spelled Menginger. His parents are recorded as Jonathan Menginger and Marie Isehler. His death record indicates he and his parents were born in Germany. Calculating his birth date it would have been 04 Jun 1833. Konrad, his wife and several of their descendants are buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Lake Township. Andrew or Andreas Menchinger appears to have died in 1918 in “Kultobanovka, Wolga”. Wolga is the same term as Volga. The Volga area of Russia, near the Black Sea, was another area were there were many German settlers.

Richard Sallet, in his book Russian-German Settlements in the United States, describes one group of Germans as "Volhynia settlers". The area they settled was in the former state of Poland. Volhynia is in the northwest part of the Ukraine and was under Russian control from 1795. He states, "The migration to this area began in 1831 and peaked about 1862." He says the Germans were brought in as tenant farmers and buyers of land by the private efforts of Polish and Russian landlords.

Sallet says "Volhynian Germans are present in America in large numbers. The first ones arrived in 1873 ... a great number of them live in Michigan and Wisconsin. Michigan has two main groups: the settlements of Bay City-Saginaw and those in Berrien County. In fact Berrien County is the stronghold of Volhynian Germans in America. The first of them came to this area around 1890."

Richard Sallet states in his book, "The family life of the Russian-Germans in America still had strong patriarchal overtones. ... The father hired out all of his sons for wages. In this way the family saved up enough money to rent a farm or to be able to acquire its own land in a new area. The sons of Russian-Germans always, even in America worked for their father until their marriage." He relates that after World War One there was an anti-German sentiment in America and that this led to the next generation becoming estranged from their parents. He states, "Usually the parents speak to their children in German and they respond in English. ... The old people will take their German world with them to the grave. The young will live in an American world." Sallet states that there were 6007 Volhynian Germans in Michigan in 1920.

Many of these Germans from Russia settled in Kansas and that area. You can learn more about these settlers by visiting www.sggee.org or by searching the internet for Germans from Russia or Wandering Volhynians. Information can also be found at the Federation of Eastern European Family History Societies web site www.feefhs.org

Dr. Hopf’s book Inventory of German immigrants From Poland to Russia Between 1813-1866 does contain one Menchinger family. Christian Menkinger (Menchinger) and his family went from “Nowa Iwiczna/Warsaw” Poland to Rovno/Volhynia in 1839. This is likely the ancestor of the Menchinger families of Rovno parish, Volhynia, Russia. Many Germans went into Poland after Germany took control of part of that county. Some of those same families went from Poland in to Volhynia, Russia. Catherine the Great of Russia had invited German families to settle this area of Russia. This Christian Menchinger may have been the father or brother of the Johann Martin Moenchinger who married Margaretha Ischler.