Hello Wolf and the "German Passenger - Lists" members. Thanks for your invitation to the list. Here is a short story to introduce myself. My name is Carole Lannom and I live near Cincinnati, OH and was born in Cincinnati, OH. My maiden name was Weisbrodt. I come from a very long line of German immigrants. Why did I start researching my family? Twenty years ago I was in a life-changing automobile accident that left me partially paralyzed on my left side. I had worked in a law firm and could not work anymore, needed something to do so took up genealogy. Some of my German surnames and places they came from in Germany: Weisbrod (t), Reilingen, Germany Freudenberger, Bad Rapenau, Germany Henke, Neidermehnen, Westphalia, Germany and Capelin, Germany (Prussia) Scheppmann, Toemmern (near) Bramsche, Hanover, Germany Sruebbe, somewhere in Germany Kassen, Linne,Amt Wittlage, Hannover Schwer, Harpenfeld, Amt Wittlage Hannover, Germany Schmitt, Hockenheim, Germany Klare, Hanover, Germany My Germany ancestors owned and operated various businesses in Cincinnati, OH. They owned a cigar business (Weisbrodt), baker/confection business (Kassen) and a tailor business (Henke). I was searching for several years for information on my grandfather, Louis Charles Weisbrodt with out any luck at all. He was an only child. I complained to my father and he said "Didn't I tell you that Grandpa added a t' to his name?" That opened up a ton of family information, rich history, culture, pictures, and contact with relatives still living in Germany. I am doing my family research to preserve the information/documentation concerning my ancestors for my future generations and hope to put it all down in book form -- some day. I am glad to be a part of this group and if anyone recognizes any of the above names, please contact me. Thank you, Carole Weisbrodt-Lannom