Tom Milke wrote: > > 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 Hallo Tom: forget the "h" (it's old spelling) and You will find something, perhaps the German word "Kate". It means a hut of a agricultural worker. The inhabitants of "Katen" are the "Kaetner". During my holidays I live in a modernized Kate in Bargfeld, Lower Saxony. (Look below!) Best regards Ulrich Goerdten