A Testimonial to Don Thank You Don Watson !!! March 21, 2005 I would like to offer this testimonial along with my sincere thanks to Don Watson for his very timely help and encouragement in locating archival records for my German ancestors. When I first contacted Don thru his Hessen website, I had determined the birthplace location and date of birth for my grandfather, Ludwig Reinhard, from his death certificate. Don graciously helped me with answers to many questions about archival record search, and helped me with letters of inquiry, in German, to the Kassel Evangelische Kirche von Kurhessen-Waldeck Landeskirchliches Archiv and to the Niedenstein Stadtverwaltung (Kassel Evangelical Church Archives for Kurhessen-Waldeck, and City of Niedenstein Municipal Administration). Don also made a telephone call to the Niedenstein Stadtverwaltung on my behalf, and even offered to travel to the Niedenstein/Wichdorf/Fritzlar areas to research my family during his trip to Germany in 2004. Because I neither read nor spoke German, this kind help and encouragement from Don certainly buoyed up my spirits and hopes for some progress in my longstanding quest for ancestor information. Fortunately, just before Don's Germany trip, I received email notification from the Kassel Evangelische Kirche that they had located 52 pages of archive records for my ancestors that spanned four generations and included many towns just south of Kassel! Don translated this response and helped me obtain the archival records. In the Niedenstein/Wichdorf area, with help from a local hotel owner, I located a living relative (a second cousin). He gave me many precious family documents and photos, and showed me the house where my grandfather was raised, and also my great-grandparent's gravesite locations in the local cemetery! I am so grateful to Don for helping to get this all started. Without his help and encouragement at critical times, it wouldn't have happened. After having seen this beautiful area and meeting the nice people there, I am very proud to say that I have German ancestors from Hessen. "Awe" is exactly the right word. Awesome! To stand in my ancestors footsteps was truly "closure" for me. I loved all that I saw about Hessen. This experience has also encouraged me to start learning the German language. Again, my deepest gratitude to you, Don, Dr. Kenneth L. Reinhard Coolin, Idaho Email: KnRnhrd@aol.com