In a message dated 1/18/00 7:13:48 AM Central Standard Time, Gldtone@aol.com writes: > > Hi Listers, > I have a favor to ask. When searching for the ship the DUNKER's came over > to US on, and hopefully finding it, the names of the family were initials > only. Have been trying to confirm that this is our family. I found in an > obit of Henry DUNKER in the Rock Island Union on Apr 5, 1879 in article > "Death at a Coal Mine" it is mentioned that Henry came over on the same ship > > as "Conrad GRANTS over twenty years ago". Since this was a coal mine > accident - the mine was Heagy & Stoddard's coal mines at Happy Hollow, I am > wondering if this Conrad GRANTS ws a part of this mine? Anyway, would sure > like to find who he is and maybe can find what ship he came over on to > confirm my information on Henry and his family (parents and brothers). > Figured he must be prominent fellow to be mentioned in that manner, as tho > everyone reading the paper would know who he is. If anyone has any info or > could help me on this, I would sure appreciate it. > Pat > Pat..don't know if this will help you...it itsn't about Conrad Grants...but about your Dunkers. I find in 1870 the following in Rock Island: Henry Dunker age 21 born SHOL (do you know where that is?) John 22 SHOL Christian 27 SHOL William 27 SHOL John 15 IOWA (it appears that they may have been over in Iowa first.) I did not see Conrad Grants in 1870 Illinois. I checked for him in 1860 and found a man by his name in Placer Co, Calif. Then, I checked for Dunker name in 1860 and found the following which might be of interest. Hans Dunker, Scott Co, Davenport , Iowa (this is right across the river from Rock Island Co, Illinois.....sure looks like he could be the father of Henry and the others. Mina Dunker, Scott Co, Winfield, Iowa (note...her full name was probably Wilhelmina..I do a lot of German research on my family...and Mina was a nickname for Wilhelmina) William Dunker, Fulton Co, Canton, Illinois (Fulton Co isn't that far from Rock Island Co) Do you have access to the 1860 census? I don't have the 1870 census film available anywhere close to within a couple hundred miles. But, I do have access to the 1860 Iowa census. I would look it up for you, if you'd like, but if you have it available, you are going to want to see it for yourself anyway...as many times neighbors were other family members....maybe daughters who married. You can sometimes tell because of what they named their children. I don't have time for such an exhaustive research for others and there would be undoubtedly names I would miss. Now...something else you can do...is check the Illinois State Archives marriage index on line. I typed in Dunker for females and got 5 marriages in Rock Island. One was in 1878....probably a girl who came over on the ship....Lizzie A. Dunker. The other 4 marriages were 1897 and later. They are ~probably~ daughters of some of those guys listed above in the 1870 census. The only way to sort them out is to order the microfilm at your local family history center (Mormans) and look them up...or if you have access to the film at some archive...like the National Archives. Other names were Mary A., Mary, Elizabeth and Lillian. I suspect that Conrad Grants is the fellow in 1860 California...he evidently went out for the Gold Rush soon after arriving in the US. I checked other spellings...just Grant and also Grantz....nothing came up for him. There were some Grant/z families in Scott Co and also in Rock Island. It sure looks like there were only one or two Dunker families in the area in 1860...that of Hans and the other headed by Mina (widow?)....and they were across the river in Iowa. We have family that did the same thing....pretty common. There is a great story of my gg grandmother taking horse and team across the Mississippi in the late winter....to get back home from visiting her brother in Scott Co, Iowa. (she lived in Rock Island). The story goes (by one of her sons) that the ice broke up behind them as they went. It either was going to take a lot longer to go to the ferry...or else she was too cheap..OR..didn't have the money. She was evidently somewhat of a character...tough old pioneer type. Good luck ...Julie Bissell Tupker