Hi Marcy, It gave me a pleasent surprise to see someone inquiring on the Bartenhagen name. Mabel was first cousin to my grandfather, Henry Peter Bartenhagen (son of Wilhelm and Emma Friedrich Bartenhagen). I would be happy to supply you with all I know about Mabel's Bartenhagen ancestors. Unfortunately, I can't help you with the Robinson side of her family, but you already know more than I knew. Send me an address and I'll forward hard copies OR, if I can figure out how to seperate the Bartenhagen info, I could send you an attachment. For now, Henry (Heinrich) Bartenhagen (no middle name) was born February 9, 1876 near Wischhafen, Kehdingen region, Stade, Niedersachsen, Germany. He was the third child and second son of Peter and Adelheid Rebecca Steffens; they had a total of eight children. Henry emigrated to the United States sometime between 1892 and 1905. He was probably sponsored by his older brother John Henry Bartenhagen who had come to the Muscatine area in 1892. On January 23, 1907, Henry and Mattie E. Robinson (b. abt 1878; d. unk) were married and on January 3, 1908, Mabel was born. Henry died in April 1966 and is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery, Muscatine, Iowa. Mabel was an only child and she never married. I admit, somewhat sheepishly, that since there was no continuation of the line, I hadn't researched the Robinson-side of Mabel's line. You may be interested to know that the Muscatine library has a large collection on Mabel's memoirs. She was a hostess on the Delta Queen and was a local celebrity. I'm sure, also, that the Muscatine Library would be interested in reading the letters you have. As for myself, I would like to read them for insight to her father thought and memories on Germany. Rumor has been that the four Bartenhagen boys didn't want to fight for the Kaiser, so they came to America; the four sisters stayed in Germany. Peter was said to be a dike builder in Germany, but it apparently was mandatory that his sons serve in the army for a brief period. I suppose that the people from Schleswig-Holstein and Niedersachsen had no fondness for there Prussian masters. Hope to hear from you soon. Stephen Bartenhagen BARTENHAGEN/CRESWELL: Archibald Bailey Crilley Dickinson Erwin Friedrich Grinke Hammann Holthusen Jackson Ollrich Steffens Stephen Van Trump McNEIL/SCHNEIDER: Bertiss/Burns/Capwell/Dunkel/Harkins/Herrick/Michael/Powell/Stiles/Van Schaick CROMER/SUTTON: Edwards/Hardy/Hill/Keller/Mervin/Rouse/Stevens/Walters PELLUM/RUTLEDGE: Alderman/Clark/Duke/Frederick/Gray/Pelham/Prine/Southern/Whidden ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]