Surnames Kilber, Guenthner, Huber

[Sandra Merchant]

These were Germans who settled in the area around Simperofol. The colony names were: Friedental, Neusatz, and Zurichtal (and associated villages). Alternate spellings were Kilper and Kubler/Kulber (with two dots above the u), and Gunthner or any number of variations of that spelling (again, with two dots above the u).

I know that two of my great grandfather's sisters, and two of his brothers remained in the Crimea and contact was lost with them in the 1920s or 30s. Christina married Jacob Kilber, and Anna Maria married Johann Jakob Huber. Philipp and Nicalaus are the two Guenthner men who stayed.

If any of their descendants or relatives see this--or anyone with knowledge of their fates--I hope you will contact me.

Sincerely,
Sandra Heine Merchant
Great Grandaughter of Adam Georg Guenthner and Wilhelmina Reiner/Adam Kilber and Sophie Huber
Great Great Grandaughter of Johannes Georg Guenthner and Dorethea Walz/Leonardt Kilber and Katharina Sailer

[yudjin]

Hello Sandra,
The villages you mention are still exist but the names are different:
Fridental is Kurortnoe
Neyzats is Krasnogorskoe
Zurikhtal is Zolotoe pole.
Fridental and Neyzats are located East from Simferopol, app, 40 kilometers. Zurikhtal is much further East - app.100 kilometers. I've been in Neyzats and saw quite big cemetery with quite a few old German graves, some of them are in a pretty good conditions.

Eugene
Around Crimea by car

[Jiggy]

Sandra

You can hire researchers for you. Some on this forum will even go door knocking on village doors. I found my Aunt's family when someone went door knocking to the last known village my grandfather lived in. He left Ukraine in the 1920's and it had been 90 years since our family had contact with his family left behind. Anything is possible. I hired a researcher to locate another great aunt of mine (and her decendants). I had searched church records but they did not include years in which she would have been married, had childen etc. The researcher was able to trace her three marriages and went door knocking to find her grandson still living in the village. She stayed in Ukraine as she was married when the rest of the family (parents and younger siblings) came to Canada at the turn of the century.

So if your family last had contact in that time frame it is not without possiblities to find them but you may need to hire someone. You can send me a private message if you would like more info on cost etc.

Sandra

[Sandra Merchant]

Thank you for the update on the names, Eugene. I have found that people over here often misspell them, which makes it very hard to do any kind of search. I like to find current information about the villages to add to my research.

As for hiring a researcher, I'll think about it. But first I'd like to just use a variety of message boards to see what happens. I already found one person on Ancestry.com. Of course, sometimes language barriers exist.

Meanwhile, I've found an old transcript that indicates the the Kilber family lived in Beschui Eli. So...off to find information on that village!

Thank you both for your responses.
Sandra

[Jiggy]

Sandra,

If and when you have the village name you can always write a letter to the village mayor and ask him/her about people in the area with the names you seek. I have read many stories of people who sent letter to the mayor or just to the post office for the village that got responses. Be sure to write it in Ukrainian and it may take months to get a response but you could get one.

Just another thought.

Sandra

[Sandra Merchant]

Thank you, Sandra. Gee. How about that for coincidence?

So far, I think the only Crimean German village I'm lacking a name for is Beschui Eli aka Beschuile.

Sandra

[Jiggy]

Yes, great name you have!