Dear All, I've found a marriage record for my great-grandmother, Anna Kuffel, in village of Topolno(Peppeln), Kreis Schwetz, West Prussia, 1854. Although it's difficult to read, a co-worker who was raised in Germany believes one entry to indicate that she was the daughter of a "kathner" (umlaut over the 'a'). This co-worker also has a vague recollection of a poem that had this word in it. I've been unable to find the word in German dictionaries at the library. Does anyone know what this is? Or the poem? Best regards, and TIA, Tom Milke in Maryland MILKET1@WESTAT.COM http://members.aol.com/txmilke/index.htm