Thanks to all those who responded to my question about clues from language dialects. I regret that I did not supply complete data. I had asked about the family names before and gotten no connections, so here I confined myself to seeking some off-the (brick) -wall method of narrowing location. It appears I will have to read every Protestant church record in Hessen looking for one containing two names I need. (And my eyes are NOT what they once were.) I am looking for the hometown of William BIEDENKOPF and wife Eva MAYGOLD, presumably from somewhere in Hessen Darmstadt (census) They were in Maryland in the 1820s and worked their way across Ohio to Cinti by 1850 and Spencer Co.IN by 1860 (cn) Source: a centennial county history bio of a son ("mean uncle" -see below). As yet I have not located any passenger or naturalization records in Maryland, nor found any of the family in a census of MD, OH or IN prior to 1850. (using all sorts of spelling variants.) Their daughter Katherine married Ludwig Adam (Louis ADAMS) in Cinti (recovered marriage book). Three Adams children survived. Dora, the youngest was my great grandmother who argued in German (In Indiana they termed it "Dutch"}. Dora was orphaned at six, so her memories were few. Her sister was raised by a BIEDENKOPF uncle, listed as a servant in his hotel (census), and married another servant. She died before her children were grown - possibly in Missouri. Edward, the oldest, ran off to Texas because his (another) uncle was so "mean", and came back years later to sue for his inheritance and win. (That is court documented.) Dora was raised by her Aunt Eva (Biedenkopf) Kramer, who for the sake of this quiery, I am assuming raised Dora with her mother's speech pattern. I have traced a number of family lines in Spencer County, so I am fairly familiar with available records there. I do not know where the family worshiped. Dora's parents lived in Centerville in Spencer County - a bend in the road which no longer exists. I have found no record of where they were buried. My grandmother supposed Centerville. William Biedenkopf left a will, and Louis Adams has estate records (his brothers-in-law all owed him money. Dora didnt get any of it, and didnt sue.) None of this is helpful in tracing the family in Germany. I also corresponded with a cousin - descended from the mean uncle. She helped me with cousins but had no better information on early generations. Between lack of official records and memories lost by untimely deaths, I fear I have found all that I am likely to find on this side of the water. So that is why I asked a silly question. Barbara Feigel Rice ======================== also among others more remote- RIMSTIDT (the husband who didnt understand) /Seveus / Lullman/Luerke - Hannover near Bremen Bretz, Rothenberger, Griess, Decker, Bohland etc. within hiking distance of Alzey - "Rhennish Hesse" Feigel, Dietrich, Bolz ... - Belheim Pfalz Elzer, Roth ... - Westheim Pfalz Maier - Gruenwettersbach -Baden Veigel, Johle/Uhlin ... Hessignheim, Wurtemburg ==================================