Hello, I am new to this list and have a few questions. I looked at the web site "Volga Germans" and found a list of villages and their respective coordinators. However, the villages I need more information about do not have coordinators right now. Does anyone on this list have information about the villages of Mueller (or muller) and Stephan? In particular, I am looking for information about my great-grandparents and their ancestors, the villages' censuses, etc. My great grandfather George Funk was born in Stephan, Saratov, Russia, on 4 May 1888. His original name may have been Georg or Johann Georg. He may have had a brother named Friedrick. George's father was named Conrad Funk and his mother was named Bertha. I do not know her maiden name. According to a 1798 census of Stephan, a Funk lived in the village, so perhaps this Funk is one of my ancestors. My great grandmother Amelia Usinger was born in Mueller (or muller), Saratov, Russia, on 1 Feb 1890. Her father was named George Usinger and her mother was named Mary Elizabeth. I don't know her maiden name. One of the 113 original settlers of Mueller is Johann Usinger. It is possible this Usinger is also one of my ancestors. In 1908, while in Russia, George and Amelia had a daughter named Amelia, Jr., and sometime before or during 1909 they moved to Germany. They then emigrated to the U.S. by ship in 1909, possibly with his unverified brother Friedrick, and eventually settled in Yakima County, Washington by 1920. Does anyone on this list have access to the censuses or vital records of the villages of Mueller and Stephan, or any information about my great-great-grandparents? I understand that the vital records were kept by churches and it looks like there are several archives in Russia that have those records that have survived. Does anyone have experience or advice that they are willing to share on obtaining records or information from these archives, or where and how I should continue my search? I would appreciate any help that you can provide. Thank you, Sean