This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Risling, Riesling, Kraft, Roll, Schweitzer, Mitzel, Merdian, Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/kNB.2ACI/888.991.1 Message Board Post: My maternal grandfather's mother's maiden name was Risling. That family immigrated from Germany to Franzfeld, Russia (now Ukraine) in the early 1800's. Have you had anyone looking for Theresa Risling on posts? My gr-grandmother was Elizabeth (Risling) (Kraft) Roll, but her sister Theresa, b. 1864-1868 was supposed to come to the U.S./Sask Canada, but died in Russia (we lost contact with her early 1900's). From her letters we know of Risling relatives in the Catholic village of Elsass (Kutschurgan villages); Karl "Karlucha" & Rosa, and their 9 children; Konstantine, Elisabeth (Lisa), Pawa, Wasia, Theresa, Bendikta, "Trawanla", Perma & Bans (some are very unusual names for Germans! - probably some nicknames). Theresa was well educated, traveled a lot, and worked for Tsar Nicholas II. We believe her father, Jakob Risling, died in a home in Odessa (possibly from asthma). I have a picture of the family, ca. 1888, that I can email to you. Let me know. God Bless, Mary Stringer, mother; Kraft (Kraft/Risling/Merdian/Liebham/Schweitzer/Mitzel/Streifel/Doerzaph/Susmann/etc.)