Feist/Fiest Surname. Some Canadian family members changed surname Feist to Fiest to conform to rules of Canadian-English ('i' before 'e', except after 'c'). It is now documented (2013)that the ancestors of these Feists emigrated from Kaidenburg/Eberbach, Bas_Rhin, France, to Strasburg, Russia (a Kutschurgan Colony Village, Odessa Province, South Russia - now Kutchurgan, Razdel’nyansky District, Odessa Province, Ukraine) circa 1808; between 1883 & 1906 many of our Feist/Fiest family immigrated to North Dakota, USA; some onward to Saskatchewan, Canada. Our Feist/Fiest families were German speaking Roman Catholics. James E. Fosti and Grant R. Fiest are third cousins; Administrators of the Feist/Fiest Surname. Stephen Feist Family #1: US census 1900, Benson County, North Dakota; from Russia; also found in 1911 census of Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada. Michel (Michael) Feist Family #2; US census 1900, Benson County, North Dakota; from Russia; some of this family also found in 1911 census of Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada. Grant R. Fiest descends from this family line. Karl Fiest Family #3; US census 1900, Benson County, North Dakota; from Russia; some of this family also found in 1911 census of Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada. Feist/Fiest families #1,#2, #4 immigrated to USA, 1887-1899; homesteaded near Harvey, North Dakota (Wellsburg, Benson County) in 1901; 1911-12 they moved around Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada; settling in Benson & Hitchcock. Karl Fiest (Feist) family #4; US census 1910, Pierce County, North Dakota. James E. Fosti's mother Barbara (Fiest) Fosti descends from this family line. Karl Fiest#4 immigrated to the USA, 1899; in 1910, Karl, his mother, widowed sister & children; and half-sister all lived Pierce County; 1911-12 Karl farmed around Oxbow, Benson, Estevan, Maple Creek, and finally settled Fox Valley, Saskatchewan, Canada. Karl married Estevan, Saskatchewan in February of 1912. Stephen Feist #1, Michel Feist #2, Karl Feist #4 lived within 1 1/4 miles of each other in Benson County, North Dakota; all three applied for homestead land August 27, 1901, Montana State Office. Stephen Feist, Michel Feist, Karl Feist #3 are believed to be brothers to Joseph Feist, d. Russia; possibly a sister Barbara Feist married an Anton Sheer, lived Tirsbol (Strasburg) North Dakota; we believe they are uncles & aunt to Karl Fiest #4. Joseph Feist was the father of Karl Fiest #4.