Hello to fellow GIERKE researchers. I have a GERKE/GURKE in my line, but on a female one. My great great grandfather -Carl Christian MILICH came to SA in 1850 from Lasgen in Silesia near the border to Branderburg. On church records here and on the Brandenburg Emigration list (when free from Ancestry.com) gave Carl's mothers' name as the above. I notice on indexes that there were one or two males that also came to SA with the same name, and wondered is perhaps my variation in spelling could be interpreted as GIERKE as well. If your families came from the same area I would love to hear from you. Regards, Cheryl Briody in hot hot Ballarat, Victoria