My ears perked up when I saw recent posts on the Arnold family. I was maybe hoping that this was the the new spelling for Arnoldi, but it seems that this posted family has a long history in the USA. My Macoupin family came from Germany in 1892, and it appears that they went directly from the Port of Baltimore to Mt. Olive, IL. They landed the 21st of July in Baltimore and on 1st of August, they buried their young son who was not quite 5 months old in the church cemetery at Mt. Olive. One year later, on the 25th of July 1893, Henry was killed in mine accident, and is resting beside his young son. Twelve years later, his wife, Augusta, died of a burst appendix. I actually have, in over almost 40 years, scrapped up some information. One of the questions that remain unanswered is WHY they choose to come to Mt. Olive. Usually, they tell us, that they either had family or good friends in the community. I have found no suggestion of family. In fact, it was a blended family, Henry Schultze and his daughter, Sophie, August Schultze and her daughter, Maria, and their son, Frederick. Shortly before Henry's death, another son was born to them, William. I might also add that we descend from Augusta's daughter, Maria, and not one single person knew about Sophie. However, when I made contact with William's son a year or so ago, THEY knew all about Sophie. But then she was his half-sister, and only Maria's step-sister. After Henry died, Augusta remarried [to John Hillmann] and apparently "farmed out" her step-daughter, Sophie. In 1900 Sophie appears to be living with William & Minnie Wellenbring [Wellenbrink], who came from Germany in 1860. In 1909 she married John Herman Gerdes, a minister, and they moved away. Kind of says that Henry did not have relatives that could / would take in his daughter. Augusta was a Barkowsky [Barkowski] prior to her marriage to Henry. The sponsors for William's baptism were William Mueller and Heinrich Fricke. The sponsors for one of Augusta's Hillmann children were Frederick Kollner and Ludwig Arnoldi. It was Louis Arnoldi that was Henry's partner in the mines the day of the accident. Louis left to get help, and arrived back, too late. Sponsors for the youngest child [1901]were Maria Hillmann [could have been Augusta's daughter or one of John's sisters] and Louisa Falke. I can not tie any of these people to the family. So, how does it happen that this young, blended family decides one day to move from Germany to Mt. Olive, IL ????????? Or does somebody else have some of these people in their family that might just tie into mine?? Barkowsky [Barkowski] Schultze [Schultz] Arnoldi Fricki Mueller Kollner Falkie Wellenbrink [Wellenbring] ? Oh, and one more clue -- the blended family was perhaps from Steffenhagen, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany. Yet Augusta put on her marriage application that she was born in Galsdon, Tilsit, Germany. That is a far piece from Steffenhagen.. Sigh. Any thoughts? Ideas? Sharon Buethner