Linda: It appears that you are just starting your family research. I recently answered a request by Shirley Loose in about the same position. You need to find the death certificate of any known ancestors, especially ones that were born in Russia. The death certificates usually have their parents names and where they were born. These are generally found in County archives and sometimes State archives. Naturalization papers and Passenger lists are also helpful. Once you find your village in Russia, we can usually find your ancestors. I found the Enders and Ohlbergs in the 1798 Volga census (by Professor Brent Mai, currently in charge of "Volga Studies" at Concordia University in Oregon). I found Adam Enders (b.1751) and his family in the 1798 census. They were living in Krasnoyar, Russia. His father, Johannes Enders (b.1721) in Darmstadt, Hessen, emigrated to Russia, arriving in Krasnoyar in 1767. In 1798, I found Mathais Ohlberg (b.1758) and his family in Kukkus, Russia. One son, Johann Peter (b.1763) had married and was living in Laub, Russia. If you give names, dates and places of your U.S. families, as far back as you can, I may be able to guide you to sources to research here and prepare you for Russian research. You mentioned you like to read about the Volga Germans. The best website for that is http://cvgs.cu-portland.edu The center of Volga German Studies at Concordia University in Portland, OR. Brent Mai is the head of the Volga Studies and he has loads of data on the web and the latest Volga Census Records. If you want books, maps and early census records you should go to < www.ahsgr.org > the headquarters in Lincoln, Neb. of AHSGR (American Historical Society of Germans from Russia) They have books, etc. on sale on the Volga German History, culture and many other things. Good luck and have fun and get back to me with what you have found! Jerry Goertzen