People > Notable Norkans > John and Marcella Wark
John and Marcella Wark
Both John Wark (born 1925) and Marcella Wark (née Freeman, born in 1923) were Norka history enthusiasts. Marcella first married William Alexander Mohr (born 1918) in 1945. He was the son of Alexander Mohr and Catharina Hölzer from Norka. William died in 1952. Marcella had a strong interest in his family history that would grow over time. She married John Wark in 1971, and he helped Marcella in her quest to learn more about Norka.
The Norka Newsletter was first published by the Wark's in 1996.
The Warks obtained the first copy of the 1767 Census (also known as the First Settlers List) after the collapse of the Soviet Union and arranged to have this document translated into English in 1998. This was a very challenging task, given that German colonists spoke their names to Russian officials who recorded the sound of the name in Cyrillic script. The Cyrillic script was then translated into Latin script. The Warks deserve credit and thanks for their pioneering work locating and translating records related to the colonists of Norka.
The Norka Newsletter was first published by the Wark's in 1996.
The Warks obtained the first copy of the 1767 Census (also known as the First Settlers List) after the collapse of the Soviet Union and arranged to have this document translated into English in 1998. This was a very challenging task, given that German colonists spoke their names to Russian officials who recorded the sound of the name in Cyrillic script. The Cyrillic script was then translated into Latin script. The Warks deserve credit and thanks for their pioneering work locating and translating records related to the colonists of Norka.
A flyer announcing the publication of the first Norka Newsletter in March 1996. Courtesy of Jerry Krieger.
John Wark died in 2011 and Marcella passed in 2013.
Sources
Jerry Krieger, Norka Newsletter Editor.
Last updated December 8, 2023