My German male ancestor, his wife, their 12 children, along with his father came from a little village, Ittlingen, between Heidelberg and Heilbronn. They came in 1747, landed in Philadelphia, moved into the Appalachian Mountains. Later generations settled in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The spelling of their name changed over generations. I guess this was common.

Genealogical research allowed me to learth that my Rabe ancestors came from the town of Brackwede, near Bielfedt; and that my Merkley / Merckel ancestors came from Hoheneck near Hanover. Fairly reliable sources show Lutheran baptisms for both of them. My Scholl ancestors are from Doebel Nuenberg in Wurtemburg, but I have not been able to locate that place. I have not been able to locate the place for my Wahl, Loucks, or Uhlman ancestors.

Thus, while in Germany two years ago, I visited the Lutheran churches for the first two. The church building in Brackwede was built in 1874, but on the site where my gr-gr-gr-gr-grandfather had been baptized. The one in the "Aldstadt" section of Hoheneck was almost certainly where five generations of my ancestors worshipped.

My mother was born in Beidenfleth (Itzehoe), Germany. Her mother was born in Ziniai (County of Wilkawiskis), Lithuania. Her father was born in Kreis-Tauroggen, Lithuania. They were forced out of their home in WWII. My grandfather was in the German Army and was taken POW by the English. My grandmother was forced to walk from Lithuania to Poland and on into Germany. She lost two children to hunger and cold along the way. She was seperated from my grandfather for years. Finally, they were reunited and my mother was born. A year and a half later, they were sponsored by a church in America and left by boat for Ellis Island, New York. From there they rode a train to California. And have been there ever since. My German relatives are based near Wiesbaden, Germany and Strasbourg, France. My father's side is also German but not too many details are available. My father's parents were born in Kulm and Paradise, North Dakota. Their families spoke fluent German. My father was born in Lemon, South Dakota. The family relocated to the west coast shortly after and have remained there since.

You would think that since 40 % of Americans have some sort of German ancestry that the Deutsche would give us tourists some kind of break on the exchange rate. You know, the lost children comming back to visit the relatives.

Wasn't there something about a prodical son getting some money?

Iwannagonow: A little weak on the Old Testament, are we?