The Schrag Roots Part II

from The Johann and Anna Schrag Family Record, 1848-1976 / compiled by John B. Goering and Roma Schrag Stucky

The Schrag Roots / James A. Goering & Mrs. Art D. Goering

start with Part I

In 1807 the major portion of the Urzulin-Michelsdorf community moved to Edwardsdorf near Dubno, Vohynia and in 1837 the remaining smaller portion left Michelsdorf and settled in Horodischtz, Dosidorf, and Waldheim in Volhynia.

In 1861 the larger part of the Edwardsdorf settlement moved to the villages of Kotosufka and Neumanovka in eastern Volhynia.

The reason for moving from place to place were sometimes religious, sometimes because better opportunities for living presented themselves. Persecution drove them from their native soil in Switzerland to the Palatinate. There, further persecution and hardships caused them to move to Austria, Poland, and Russia where more inviting conditions were offered them by the rulers of these nations. And finally, it was the withdrawal of the privilege of non-participation in the military that instigated the move to the United States.

From the time of the Amish schism of 1693-1697 the Schrags were Amish. Religious differences with their non-Amish Mennonite neighbors in Galicia seem to have contributed to their moving to the Hutterian Bruderhof in 1776 There again, religious differences contributed to their leaving within a year for Michalin. But through these migrations they came into contact with other Mennonites, intermarrying occurred, and by the time of the migration to the United States in 1874, the barriers between the Swiss Volhynian Mennonites and other Mennonites in Volhynia were breaking down. Since coming to America, their descendants have all but forgotten their Amish origins.

In 1874 the Swiss Volhynian Mennonites moved en masse to South Dakota and Kansas. This was precipitated by Czar Alexander II’s program of militarization and Russianization of all of his people. Special privileges of having their own schools and language and military exemption were to be gradually abolished. Andreas Schrag, a grandson of the first mentioned Schrag (Joahnnes Schrag), was the representative of the Swiss-Volhynians on the official delegation of twelve Russian Mennonites who were sent to America and Canada to explore the possibility of migrating to a new land. He returned with a favorable report and by the Fall of 1873 plans were made to migrate to America the following Spring. The first group left April 10, 1874 under the leadership of Andreas Schrag and consisted of ten family heads and 55 people.

Among this first group was Johann G. Schrag, nephew of Andreas and great-grandson of Johann and Elizabeth Albrecht Schrag. Johann G., age 24 and his wife, Anna (maiden name Schrag), had a small son Andreas, age 20 months. On the day of departure their four month old daughter died and was left without a proper burial. They sailed on the ship, S.S. City of Richmond, which arrived in the port of New York on May 18, 1874. They then settled in Yankton, South Dakota.

According to newspaper reports, the group was industrious and soon established for themselves homes and farms. But by 1882 Johann and Anna Schrag had made the decision to move to Kansas. They sold their quarter section of land to a brother and moved to Moundridge, Kansas, in a horse drawn covered wagon, bringing with them their sons, 3 year old Elias and one year old Leon. The child they had brought from Russia died shortly after arrival and three more infants had been born and buried.  The remains of a dugout type house and the grave of three infants were evident for many years as a reminder of this portion of the Schrag history. The reason for the move to Kansas was probably three-fold– the Kansas winters were milder than those of South Dakota, relatives in Moundridge were welcoming them, and opportunities seemed good.

Johann and Anna Schrag purchased on August 22, 1882, 160 acres of land from the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad for $906.65. The location description is as follows: N.E. 1/4 of Sec. No. 17, Twp. N. 22, R. No. 2W, Harvey County, Kansas.

A golden wedding celebration for Johann and Anna was held in the winter (probably January) of 1921 placing their wedding date to the winter of 1871. Their church affiliation was first with the First Mennonite Church of Christian in Moundridge and later with the Eden Mennonite Church. Burial was at the Eden church cemetery.

While the Schrag roots have been transplanted in American soil, they reach back to Kotosufka and other areas in Russia, to Poland, to Austria, to Germany, and to Switzerland. The heritage is a rich one. The forefathers were not afraid to stand up for what they believed and they sacrificed much for their faith. Their lives should serve as an example for us to keep alive the spirit and faith of our fathers so that the Schrag family tree many grow and flourish. It would be satisfying indeed if our offspring should come to realize what a tremendous heritage they have and make the faith, which served their fathers so well, their own also.

James A. Goering
Mrs. Art D. Goering

Bibliography: A Short History of the Swiss Mennonite Who Migrated from Volynian, Russia to American and settled in Kansas by Mr. and Mrs. Benj. B. J. Goering, The European History of the Swiss Mennonites from Volynia by Martin H. Schrag, Story of the Mennonites by C. Henry Smith, and personal stories related by John B. Goering.