Hello, I am posting this to several lists in hopes of getting some leads. I am hoping that someone out there can give me some clues for researching the surname KROUSE. I have John Krouse, b. perhaps around 1840's. Place of birth is unknown, but possibly MD or VA (according to family lore). At a point is time, John Krouse traveled to AL, where he had a child with Rosetta AUSTIN. The mulatto child, my grandfather, b. 1860s or later, was named Johnnie Henry Krouse. Rosetta and her son, Johnnie, lived in Tensaw, AL (Baldwin Co.) near Mobile. Rosetta was probably a slave up until emancipation in 1865, around the time of my grandfather's birth. Rosetta's mother's name was Molly PATRICK, also a slave. As an adult, Johnnie Henry lived in Pritchard and Mobile (Mobile Co.). Johnnie Henry had a younger sister, Fannie Mae. I do not know if John Krouse was her father...I think not. John Krouse probably did not live with Rosetta and may not even have remained in AL for very long. It seems I heard that John Krouse did have a wife, who may have lived with him in the Mobile area. I am seeking any information about these people: Where was John Krouse from? Is his family found in any German community? Where? Did the family have Austin or Patrick neighbors? What might John Krouse's occupation have been such that it led him to AL? Where did he migrate to after living in AL? Where was Rosetta born? Did Rosetta eventually marry someone named Austin, who was the father of Fannie Mae? What is Molly's story? Do "Molly" and "Rosetta" appear together on any Krouse/Austin/Patrick slave listings. I have poked around with these fragments for several months, not finding anything substantive. I have been fortunate to find considerable assistance through internet contacts with some of my other surnames. I hope someone can help to get a foot-hold into this particular line of research. Thanks you, Annette Krouse McLane Washington, DC