George Kambeitz, 1834-1914, and Marie-Anna Kambeitz (nee Bertram), 1838-1930, Kandel, Kuts., Russia

On my father's side, we have this very old photograph of my great-great-grandfather (he was my father's father's mother's father).

George is the one standing next to the plinth, in the back.  The imprint at the bottom says that the photo was taken in 1862, and then it says (in Russian) "Kishinev" and "Kharlampievsk".  "Kishinev" is another way of saying "Chisinau", which is the capitol of Moldova.  "Kharlampievsk" is the name of a church in Kishinev, and might also be the name of a saint. (Thanks Sarah, for the Russian research!)  I am not sure yet which army these men were in, and what they were fighting for.

I know that most of my German ancestors were Black Sea Catholic Germans from Bessarabia, somewhere near Odessa.  I haven't put all the geographical pieces together yet, but in terms of who is related to whom, George B. Kambeitz from Alberta has done all the Kambeitz family history research and has put it on the web!!  According to this research, George Kambeitz in this photo might also have been named "Johann George Kambeitz".

George Kambeitz from this photo was born and died in Kandel, Kuts., Russia.  His father before him, Franz-Joseph Kambeitz, was born in Durmersheim, Rastatt, BA (the Gazeteer currently puts Durmersheim in South Baden, Germany), but moved during his lifetime to Kandel.

George from the photo married Marie-Anna Bertram.  Here is a nice photo of George and Marie-Anna in their later years.  Marie-Anna is my father's father's mother's mother.  She was born in Selz, Kuts., Russia, and died in Kandel, Kuts., Russia.

George and Marie-Anna had nine children, one of whom was Anna-Maria Kambeitz, my great-grandmother.  She was born in Kandel, Kuts., Russia, in 1872 and died in 1939 in Kandel, Kuts., Russia. Anna-Maria Kambeitz married Peter Schmidt, the son of Johann Schmidt.  Anna-Maria and most of her siblings stayed in Russia, but at least two others came to Canada (Anton Kambeitz, 1870-1957, and Maria-Anna Kambeitz, 1883-1959).  Her son Paul Schmidt was born in Kandel, and then came to Canada.  He homesteaded south of Liebenthal with his wife Anne-Marie (nee Gross), on the farm that my father grew up on.

I am not sure who this woman is, but there are many copies of this picture in my treasure trove.  She was obviously important.  I wonder if this is Anna-Maria Kambeitz (1872-1939), daughter of George and Marie-Anna, and mother of Paul Schmidt, my grandfather?  She looks to me a tiny bit like both George and Marie-Anna from the photographs above.  Or perhaps I am doing some wishful thinking.