This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: babbs244 Surnames: Gross, Keplinger Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.maryland.counties.baltimorecity/48.2667.1.1.1.2/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hi Tina M, I think I might have some information for you. This is an old post so you may no longer be looking, but I believe that John Gross is the son of Mathias Gross (born 1850). Mathias arrived in Baltimore on the S. S. Rhein in January of 1912 with his son Johann (John) and daughters Elisabeth and Karolina. He had 2 other children (Matias and Marie) who came to the US at an earlier time. The index on ancestry.com for the Baltimore Passenger list shows their town as "Lurang, Hungary". This is mis-transcribed. It is actualy Zurany, Hungary. Zurany was in Hungary right on the border next to Austria, and had a largely German-speaking population. After WW I, the borders changed just enough that it became part of Austria and is now called Zurndorf (although the German population referred to it as Zurndorf, before the border change.) My husband's grandfather who was born in Zurany, Hungary identified himself as Austrian, even though the town was located in Hungary when he was born! . This record also shows that both Johann and his father Matias were shoemakers, as is the John Gross in the 1920 census that you mentioned. The one place where our information differs is in that I have Johanna C. Keplinger's birth year as Mar 1889, so maybe we aren't talking about the same people. The John in your 1920 census really matches the Johann who was the son of Matias, though. As for my Johanna C. Keplinger, I have her born Mar 1889 arriving in Baltimore on the SS Dresden in May of 1894 with her father Martin Keplinger and mother Magdaline and siblings, Magdaline, Martin and Johan. They claim to be from Zurndorf, too. FYI, I believe that Johanna's brother Martin Keplinger was married to John's sister Caroloine Gross. If you think we have a match, please let me know and I will happily share any other information that I have. Happy hunting! Kay Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.