I am having a major problem with the decade files posted at the Odessa Library. I know that my Great-grandfather was named Andreas Esch and that he had two sons who came to the US before he did. My major problems are discrepancies in dates and places listed in the decade files and the individual naturalization papers. Andreas Esch, in his papers, listed his place of birth as Groslibendolf and his birth date as 11/02/1833. The decade files show an Andreas Esch born 11/02/1837 in Grossliebental. If this is the same person I can go back another hundred years to a village in Alsace. Andreas listed two sons in his naturalization papers. These were the two sons already in the US at the time of his coming to America, but the data he listed is not the same as what they put down in their own papers. Andreas listed his two sons, Jacob and Heinrich, as both being born in Petersdolf, yet my Grandfather, Jacob listed his birth place as Odessa and my Great-uncle Heinrich listed his as Guslic (or Gusalie) Romania and a birth date of 11/25/1884. I cannot find any trace of my Grandfather in the decade files but I can find a Heinrich Esch, son of Andreas, born in Peterstal in January 1884. I hope someone on this list can help clear up two things. 1. What is the difference between "dolf" and "stal"? My Great-grandfather refers to Grosslibendolf instead of Grossliebental and Petersdolf instead of Peterstal. Are these places the same, or perhaps smaller areas within the colonies. 2. How reliable are the dates in the decade files? I know that there were different calendars used back in those days and that after the Communist Revolution many documents were changed to agree with "Revolutionary Calendars".