Dear Listers, My name is Carol Hepburn and I have adopted this mail list and the GenConnect Hostleter Surname board. I want to welcome you all to this mail list and let you know that if you need assistance, you can always email me at my email address below. One of the things I would like to do with this list is generate a surname page that will give details on each members family origins. I have a website (I am moving it to freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com today) for my Hostetler tree and will add a page for this mail list. If you would all send me (directly), a short research synopsis (one to three paragraphs) outlining your research, I will post it online for others to see. Please include as much information as you can about where your Hostetler's came from and also include your name, email and postal address (if you want to get snail mail). I will put them in alphabetical order by first name on a webpage so that others can contact you if they think they may have a connection. If you have a family website, make sure you send that as well. Here is mine to start us off with: Jacob Hochstetler, circa 1704-1776 I have been researching this family name since 1995. My Hostetler family originally came from Switzerland and came to Berks, Pennsylvania in the 1700's. My direct line comes from Somerset County, Pennsylvania. My GGGgrandmother was Barbara Hostetler Baer. Jacob and his wife (unknown name - though some resources list her as a Miss Lorentz) had 6 children: John, Jacob, Joseph, Christian, Barbara, and an infant daughter. John Hochstetler married Catherine Hertzler and came to Somerset County in the very early 1770's. They had 10 children - their son Jacob married Barbara Miller (this is my line). Jacob and Barbara had four children: John, Jacob, Peter, and Catherine. I descend from both John and Catherine. My grandfather was a direct descendant of John and my grandmother was a direct descendant of Catherine (go figure!). Anyone related to this family is welcome to contact me. I would like to put together as many living branches on this tree as possible. -- Best wishes, Carol Hepburn chepburn@uswest.net Phoenix, AZ USA