Marie Eva Schaab was born October 1, 1879 in the Volga German village of Semenovka to Paul Schaab and Elenora Kloster. On October 20, 1898, in Josefstal, she will marry Johann Adam Dieser, born March 2, 1879 to Paul Dieser and Anna Maria Haberkorn. They will settle and live their lives in Josefstal.
As far as I can tell, they will have 10 children. 4 will survive childhood, including a son Paul, born in 1918, as best as I can tell.
That is about all we know.
In 1994, while researching in Russia, looking for death records of my own great-grandmother, I came across a reference to a “Marie Eva Dieser”, who had died May 15, 1933 at the age of 51. My great-grandmother’s name was also Marie Eva Dieser, so I took the record anyways in hopes that some day, I might be able to put some closure on who this Marie Eva was.
After so many years and requests, we finally have access to Church archival documents. And I can piece together more about Marie Eva, her family, and ultimately, how she died.
It’s one of those sad stories that fill the history of the Volga Germans and our little village of Josefstal.
Marie Eva Dieser is listed as dying on May 15, 1933, of “stomach disease”. Archival workers in Russia assured me at the time that this was the code name for “starvation”. Civil registry officials would have been “shot” if they recorded an accurate cause of death.
Marie Eva’s death registration was reported by her son, Paul Adam Dieser. Whatever happened to Paul, we don’t know. At least in 1933 he was alive.
And this post remembers Marie Eva Dieser…who is not forgotten.
Josefstal - Skripalovo, Russia 