This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/ZVC.2ACE/341.2.2.1.2.1 Message Board Post: Our Rahtert came from the Gehlenbeck area of Germany. The smaller town is Isenstadt. We visited both places and were able to get into the church books at Isenstadt and were able to determine that Heinrich Wilhelm Rahtert (my great grandfather) was born there. His father was August Rahtert, and he was born at Isenstadt farm # 85. That is as far as we could go as the person in charge of the church books at Gehlenbeck would not let view the books. There are still Rahterts in the area, but we could not tie them together with my great grandfather. One of the problems we encountered is that when a man marries a woman who owns a farm he often takes her name. My great grandfather married Anna Sophie Charlotte Brammeier in Isenstadt in 1853. and emmigrated to the US shortly there after. They settled at Wilton, Iowa, and about 1871 moved to Treynor, Iowa where he died on July 9th 1873. He has many decendents there but none bear the Rahtert name as his surviving children were ! all female. If you want to contact me directly, my email is vorthman@mwci.net