Johann Michael Hettinger/Gedinger was born on 6 April 1716 in Adelshofen a village in the district of Heilbronn in Baden-Württemberg, which belongs since 1 July 1971 to Eppingen. He married Eva Marghareta Müller in Adelshofen on 24 May 1751. They had 2 sons born in Adelshofen: Johann Leonhard born 26 March 1753, and Georg Michael born 15 August 1757.
Johann Michael's parents were Sebastian Gedinger (son of Johannes Matthias Gedinger) and Anna Maria Wind (daughter of Andreas Wind). The first wife of Sebastian was Anna Catharina Casselman (daughter of Jacob Casselmann). They married in Adelshofen on 22. November 1712. Sebastian Gedinger`s first wife Anna Catharina Casselmann died on 22 April 1714. One month later their son Johann Georg died.
Johann Michael Hettinger/Gedinger had 5 siblings, all born in Adelshofen: Johann Georg born 6 August 1713, died 26 May 1714; Anna Barbara born 30 April 1718 died 1735; Anna Maria born 24 April 1720; Johann Georg born 14 May 1724; and Marghareta Barbara born 20 August 1727.
Johann Michael Hettinger and his family immigrated to Denmark in 1762. They left Denmark and immigrated to Russia in 1765. They settled in the Volga German colony of Dönhof on 21 July 1766 and are recorded there on the First Settler's List in Household No. 6.
According to the church books, the correct spelling of the surname is not Hettinger but Gedinger or Getinger.
- Parish records of Adelshofen
- Pleve, Igor. Einwanderung in das Wolgagebiet, 1764-1767 Band 1 (Göttingen: Göttinger Arbeitskreis, 1999)
