Joachim Ritzel (son of Asmus and Anna Margaretha Ritzel) and Elisabetha Margaretha Vogel (daughter of Hans Adam Vogel) were married on 9 May 1737 in Wenings. They had at least one child, Julianna, who was born on 8 November 1739. Julianna Ritzel married Johann Adam Vogel and immigrated to Russia settling in Walter (see Vogel family information).
Joachim Ritzel's wife Elisabetha Margaretha died. He married Julianna Kempel, daughter of Balthasar Kempel from Gelnhaar, in Wenings on 24 Jun 1750. Julianna had been born 28 June 1728 and baptized 2 July 1728 in Gelnhaar. Joachim and Julianna had at least one child, Magdalena, who was born 25 March 1753. Joachim Ritzel died on 19 November 1756.
Joachim Ritzel's widow, Julianna, married Johann Heinrich Beck (son of Johann Erhard Beck), on 31 January 1759 in Wenings. They had at least two children baptized in Wenings: Johannes, born 24 March, baptized 28 March 1759; and Sibilla Barbara, born 13 February, baptized 17 February 1765.
Johann Heinrich and Julianna Beck arrived in Russia on 15 September 1766 with three children: Magdalena Ritzel, (Juliana's daughter by her first husband), Johannes Beck, and Sibilla Barbara Beck. They settled in Walter and are reported on the First Setter's List in Household #88.
The Gelnhaar parish records report that Johann Heinrich Beck was the father of Wÿgand Beck, the illegitimate son of Susanna Müller. Wÿgand was born on 28 December 1757 and baptized on 4 January 1758. Johann Heinrich denied this paternity according to the baptism record. Wÿgand used the surname Beck on later documents in Russia.
Susanna Müller, her husband Johann Nicolaus Wenzel, and her son Wÿgand (Beck) arrived in Russia on the same ship (arriving on 15 Sep 1766) and also settled in the Walter where they are reported on the First Settler's List in Household #91 (see Wenzel family information).
Katharina Elisabeth Beck, daughter of Johann Erhard Beck (and sister of Johann Heinrich), married Johann Konrad Link and immigrated to Russia, settling in Walter (see Link family information).
Parish records of Wenings on Archion.de: Trauregister 1736-1817, Taufregister 1736-1817, Beerdigungsregister 1736-1817
Parish records of Gelnhaar on Archion.de: Taufregister 1708-1815
Parish records of Gelnhaar and Wenings, Family Search Films #1201724, #1201720, and #1201721
Pleve, Igor. Einwanderung in das Wolgagebiet, 1764-1767 Band 4 (Göttingen: Göttinger Arbeitskreis, 2008): 314.
Pleve, Igor. Lists of Colonists to Russia in 1766: Reports by Ivan Kulberg (Saratov: Saratov State Technical University, 2010): 383.
