All: I have been researching my family for about eight years now and have run into a bit of a road block. I am searching for any records for my great-grand-father Johann A. Zimbrich born 13-Mar-1853 I believe in Frankfurt am Main. I have a birth certificate of my great-aunt indicating he was Hessen and born in Frankfurt am Main. His death certificate indicates his father was Jacob Zimbrich. Johann came to Chicago around 1877. He died 16-Jan-1911 and is buried in Bethania Cemetery in Justice, IL. I have extensive records from 1877 on but cannot locate a link back to Germany. I have a few leads on passenger manifests but the dates don't seem to line up quite right. Also, the 1880 US Census listed Johann Zimbrecht in Cook County, IL so that could possibly be an alternate spelling, but I am pretty sure Zimbrich is correct. I am traveling for business to Frankfurt in July and hope to meet up with some people I met online with the same name, but we cannot establish a family link definitively. But these Zimbrich's are from the Pfungstadt/Damstadt area which seems promising. So, what I am asking for is if anyone might have information on a Zimbrich family from Hesse (Frankfurt area) or if anyone has suggestions on where I might try to look while in Frankfurt. Thanks in advance! Dave Zimbrich Plainfield, IL