Although Stieb is a decidedly German name, and that they spoke German, had German customs, and lived with other Germans, they lived on the Lower Volga River in Russia. They came as a result of Czarina Catherine the Great's Second Manifesto in 1767. For more about the Manifesto and the Germans that took up the offer, the best site I have found so far is called German Villiages in the Volga Valley of Russia. Since this site is so new, I feel it is beyond my ability right now to dig very deep into the history of this ethnicity, but I will share what I know about the Stiebs. It is limited, but since the Iron Curtain fell almost 15 years ago, it has become easier to obtain information on Russian ancestors.
The earliest Stieb so far is Phillip, b. about 1835 in Russia, probably Goebel, or Göbel. His wife was unknown, but they had 7 sons: Phillip, b. abt. 1853; David, b. abt. 1855; Gottlieb, b. abt. 1858; Peter, b. abt. 1860; Andrew, b. abt. 1863, and 2 unknown sons who wew born after 1865 and died before 1880. I believe Phillip, Gottlieb, and Peter immigrated to the U.S. David and his wife died before 1885, leaving at least 1 son; Peter. He was raised by his uncle Phillip, and after he became of age, sold his share of land given him by his uncle, and in 1895 married Elizabeth Goette. In 1897 the couple sailed for South America, settling in Argentina.
Peter Stieb was born June 15, 1878 in Goebel, and married Eilzabeth on February 10, 1895. Elizabeth was born September 21, 1878 in Semjonkwa, one of only 2 daughters of Joseph and Anna (Gray) Goette. Like Peter, Elizabeth was also an orphan, but unlike her husband, she was forced to become a slave of sorts, doing housework for little more than a sleeping mat on the kitchen floor. After arriving in Argentina, they settled with other Germans in Buenos Aires. There they had 4 children:
In 1910, Peter and friend John Lange went ahead of the family to Topeka, Kansas. In May of 1911, the wives and families of Peter and John arrived in Kansas. They spent one year there, then moved south to Hereford, Texas, and worked in the beet fields for another year. There child #5, Anna Stieb, was born December 12, 1912. In 1913 the Stiebs moved to Sterling, Colorado, where they knew of a large German/Russian population.
In Sterling the family found a home for 16 years. They farmed, mostly sugar beets, and made a comfortable living. In 1929 when the stock market crashed, they lost nearly all of their money. It was here in Colorado that their last 5 children were born:
In 1930, Peter, Elizabeth, and all 10 children came to Lexington, Nebraska. Peter started working right away for a farmer north of Lexington. In the fall, they rented a farm one mile north and a half a mile west of town. In February 1931, Peter and son John went to an auction at a nearby farm, but came home empty handed. On returning home, Peter set down in his rocking chair and died of a heart attack while rolling a cigarette. Elizabeth struggled to keep the family together, moving frequently from farm to farm. She managed to raise the rest of the children, and keep a roof over their heads, until her death in Lexington on December 19, 1954.
More detailed information, including spouses of the 10 children, and their children, visit Troy's family tree using the link below.
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