This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: WINTER Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/ZVC.2ACE/4010 Message Board Post: Hi all, I have an ancestor, his date of birth, and a ship passenger list that indicates he came from Hanover, Prussia (via Bremen). Can anyone give me advice on how to go about finding his origins in Hanover (b. 1836, immigration 1865)? I have read that the Lutheran Church in Hannover has many records but am not sure what steps to take to access them (or any "tricks" to locate his information). Is it best to hire someone in Germany to investigate? Is there a single, general index or would finding him require traveling to multiple places and searching through individual documents? Are there any other local resources (Hannover or Germany in general) I should consult? Any advice is appreciated. In the off-chance that someone else is researching him, here is his info: August Philip WINTER, b. 2 NOV 1836. Arrived in New York via Bremen on 15-16 MAY 1865, destination Ohio. Married in Dearborn, IN in 1867 to Friedericke KESSLER. Naturalized in 1868 and subsequently moved to KS then Platte and Lafayette, MO.