This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: KenStyles Surnames: Lutz, Sondersdorf, Minnesota, South Dakota Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.minnesota.counties.faribault/195.235.1.1.1.1.1.2.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: kleskiw, Thanks for your email. I have your great grandfather Alfred Raymond in my records. It is amazing the age differences in the children of Modeste and Mary. Mary Corcoran Lutz was 14 or 15 when she married Modeste in 1871. That gave her many years to have children. I think the oldest was born in 1874 when she would have been 17/18. She must have been 40 when she had your great grandfather. As I mentioned in an earlier email on this sight, my family is distantly related. As far as I understand things, the Lutzes came over in three different stages. The earliest Francois Joseph, the father of Modeste, came around 1838. Some of his sons came next. He himself went back to Alsace and came back to the U.S. Finally his wife and the other children came over around 1862. The next generation to come were two of his nephews. Joseph Anton, son of Morand (the brother of Francois Joseph) came in 1871. He married Ellen Corcoran, the sister of Mary Corcoran (wife of Modeste). The! y lived first in Minnesota Faribault county. Then they moved to South Dakota and finally returned to Minnesota when they were much older. Joseph Anton's brother, Eugene, came over in 1881/1882. He settled in South Dakota where he raised his family. The final generation of Lutzes to come to the U.S. were nephews of Joseph Anton and Eugene. They were George Lutz and Emil Lutz, sons of the Morand II, a brother of Joseph Anton and Eugene. George came to the U.S. in 1910 and then went back to Alsace. He came back to the U.S. again in 1913. A little later he asked my grandfather, Emil, to bring over George's wife and daughter. When I was growing up, my grandfather said he had uncles in Minnesota and South Dakota. I don't know whether he actually ever met them. They left Alsace before he was born. He may have gotten out to South Dakota to see them. But maybe not. I never thought at the time to ask him. I do know that they wrote back and forth although I do not have any of the letters. You asked about contact with second cousins. I have been in contact with descendants of Joseph Anton and of Eugene, my grandfather's uncles. Peggy Smith Lutz, the widow of Cecil Lutz, a great-grandson of Kamil Lutz, brother of Modeste, knows a great deal about the family and has shared much with me. My other contacts have been with the grandchildren of George Lutz (my grandfather's brother) and of the other siblings of my grandfather. All of them are my second cousins. They are not so much into genealogy but do have many stories about my grandfather and his siblings which they have heard from their grandparents. There are other relatives from Sondersdorf who also came to the U.S. I have some info on them, but not too much. I enjoy hearing stories which make the history come alive. It would be nice to hear any your family may have. Again, thanks for the email. Ken 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.