Sterling

HISTORY

Sterling was founded in 1873, but it was not until the arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1887 that the community began to grow. The construction of a Great Western Sugar Refinery in 1905 brought many Volga German immigrants to Sterling.

Many of the Catholic Volga Germans came from Pfeifer to settle in Sterling. In addition Volga Germans from Dietel, Grimm, Holstein, Nieder-Monjou, Rothammel, Schilling, Sewald, and Unterdorf settled in the area.

Volga German families known to have settled in Sterling include:

Albrandt
Amen
Appelhans from Rothammel
Barnhardt
Bellendir
Deines from Franzosen
Dumler from Grimm
Els
Frank from Frank
Fritzler
Gareis
Grauberger from Dietel
Herrmann from Liebental
Kaiser from Marienfeld
Kaufman from Frank
Kautz from Dietel
Keil from Katharinental
Keller
Kerbel from Grimm
Kildau
Klein
Klippert
Kloberdanz from Rothammel
Knaub
Kraft
Lechman
Lienweber
Lohr
Maier
Manweiler
Marie
Meisner from Grimm
Michel from Dietel
Mildenberger
Miller from Frank & Walter
Ott
Pfannenstiel
Pfeifer
Popp
Reisch
Reitz
Ring
Roth from Grimm
Rothammel
Rutz
Schaller
Scheuerman
Schick from Grimm
Schönberg
Schott from Grimm
Schmick
Siebel from Grimm
Sinner
Steinbach
Steinmiller
Stieben
Schwartz
Usinger
Wacker
Wagner
Walker
Waltz from Beideck
Wamboldt
Weingardt
Wegner
Werner
Willmann
Wohn
Wuckert from Grimm
Zwetzig

VOLGA GERMAN CONGREGATIONS

St. Anthony Catholic Church
Trinity Lutheran Church
Zion Congregational Church