Johann Heinrich Böcher, miller from Appenborn, married Anna Maria Höreß, the daughter of Johannes Höreß from Lauter, on 13 November 1749. This couple had six children, all born in Appenborn: Leopold Ludwig, born 28 September, baptized 29 September 1751; Johannes, born 30 June, baptized 2 July 1754; Anna Margaretha, born 26 September, baptized 28 September 1756 (died 12 January 1758); Johann Ernst, born 20 January, baptized 21 January 1759; Catharina, born 5 June, baptized 6 June 1761; and Anna Maria, born 7 April, baptized 9 April 1765.
All six of the children were baptized in Kesselbach, near Appenborn. The area was, at the time the Böcher family departed for Russia, a holding of the Freiherren von Nordeck zur Rabenau. The young Baron Leopold Ludwig von Nordeck zur Rabenau was the baptismal sponsor of the oldest Böcher child.
The family arrived in Russia on 29 August 1766 on the same ship as the Rothenberger settlers in Hussenbach, who came from the same parish. In the Walter First Settler's List, Family #78, Anna Maria is reported as the head of household, along with her sons Leopold and Johannes, and with her surname recorded as Bäcker.
Family #78 also includes a Johann Heinrich, age 34. It is not clear from the available records how this 34-year-old Johann Heinrich is related to Anna Maria and her sons. Anna Maria was Johann Heinrich Böcher's second wife. His first wife Elisabetha died on 5 November 1746 at the age of 37. It is possible that the younger Johann Heinrich is a child from the elder Johann Heinrich's first marriage, though it will not be possible to verify this until additional German parish records are available.
- Parish records of Londorf on Archion.de
- Henkel, Heinrich. Ortsfamilienbuch Rabenau, available online at https://ofb.genealogy.net/
- Pleve, Igor. Lists of Colonists to Russia in 1766: Reports by Ivan Kulberg (Saratov: Saratov State Technical University, 2010) p. 321
- Pleve, Igor. Einwanderung in das Wolgagebiet, 1764-1767 Band 4 (Göttingen: Nordost-Institute, 2008): p. 312
