Hello everyone, 1st let me introduce myself. To all my fellow researchers on these list I am new but have been here for a month just listening and reading. I have been corresponding with Joan for about year off and on. I just recently made a major break threw on my GEIGER research. She sujected I should post it to all of you.. With in the last 2 weeks I have found so much information that my head has been swimming in cloud 9,10 and so on.. I grew up listening to the stories of my ggreatgrandfather John B. Geiger. But none of his family in Alsace. His death certificate is even as elusive as them.. I even backed off from researching my Geiger family cause I got tired of the closed door.. Finally I received his Naturalization papers in the mail along with family sheets from the daughter of John's first son.. In these papers I found a name of a town "Bergheim, France.. You see all the stories were of Germany not of France. I took a chance and ordered civil records of "Bergheim, France". When the film arrived I went to the year he was born 1/23/1852. Low and Behold John B. Geiger was #9 on the list.. Then it came to a surprise that his name is actually "Jean Bapstite Geiger". Yes, name's are translated when they enter in to Unisted States. As I further looked at this record, by the way is in French, I found that his fathers name is JOSEPH GEIGER and mother is MARIE ANNE GRENIZ. On his death certificate his father is listed as JON with mother UNKNOWN. Who every gave the information on him didn't even know. Looking even further at these records I found 2 siblings a brother with their mothers name reversed but last name spelled GRENIER. His sister has the same name as mother but her last name spelling is as it is on John's records. After this I went back to look at the GERMAN'S TO AMERICA books. I found him again and the ship. My friend at the library knew how long I have been betting my head on the wall.. The ships name is ERIN year Aug 31, 1872. The next day I ordered ships records. So no matter how long it takes you in your research. Take the hunch on the smallest clue it may pay off. Cindi