The German Evangelical Lutheran Friedens Church (540 D St.) was founded in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1907. The design of this neo-classic revival was influenced by churches in Balzer, Frank and Norka, Russia.

Read The History of the German-Russian Colony in Lincoln by Hattie Plum Williams, 1909. (There are several references to settlers from Norka.)

Sutton

An excellent article titled Life in the Russian Bottoms: Community Building and Identity Transformation among Germans from Russia in Lincoln, Nebraska, 1876 to 1926 by Kurt Kinbacher is available from the Journal of American Ethnic History (Winter 2007 issue). The article traces the social history of Volga Germans in Lincoln, Nebraska during the late 19th and early 20th centuries with special emphasis on families from Norka and Frank.

North Dakota

Source: German Villages in the Volga Valley of Russia website

Elliott (from Neu-Norka)

Oregon

Portland

An excerpt from Emma Schwabenland Haynes unpublished thesis, My Mother's People describes the early settlers:

"When Grandfather Miller arrived in Portland on October 27, 1890 he found about twenty Volga German families living east of the Willamette River between Tillamook and Knott Streets. Technically this area was not part of Portland, because until 1891 Albina and East Portland were incorporated as independent communities with their own mayor, town hall, banks, jail, etc. The first Volga Germans had left Iowa for Walla Walla, Washington, but after spending three months in that city, they had moved on to Portland as early as 1882. Other old timers came by boat from San Francisco or by way of Nebraska. Most of them were from the colony of Norka, and it is probably due to their influence that so many other people from that village eventually settled here. The names of the earliest pioneers include the following individuals: John Schnell, Conrad Schnell, George Betz, Ludwig Spady, Peter George, Constantine Brill, Henry Meier, Conrad Schwartz, Peter Gerloch, Adam Schwartz, Peter Wolf, Adam and David Schwindt, and a Frühauf family, all of whom had come before 1889.

Volga Germans in Portland Web Site

Argentina

Aldea San Juan

According to Ruth Nielsen, her contact in Entre Rios, Argentina said that the "mother village" in Russia of Aldea San Juan is both Norka and Dönhof. Aldea San Antonio is the mother village for Huck and Aldea Santa Celia is Balzer. He explained that every weekend there is some type of Volga German activity in the Buenos Aires area.

Canada

Source: German Villages in the Volga Valley of Russia website

Calgary

Glory Hills

Stony Plain

Photograph of Ludwig Yost and Elizabeth Yost, Stony Plain, Alberta