If you have German ancestors who lived in Monroe County in the area of Lewisville, Middle or Miltonsburg German Churches, you may be interested in a new book that I have translated and compiled from several volumes of parish records of those churches. It has just been published by Closson Press. Here is some info from their web site: Monroe County, Ohio Church Records: Nineteenth Century Records of Lewisville, Middle (St. John's) and Miltonsburg (St. Peter's) German Evangelical Protestant Churches by Dr. Shirley A. Harmon (October 1999) Understanding a little of the history behind the translation of these records from German to English make getting them to you more exciting. In February of 1977 there was a report in the newspaper, Spirit of Democracy, Woodsfield, Ohio of the finding of a box of church records in an attic. The finder reported the records to Catharine F. Fedorchak who published the report in her "Family Research in Monroe County, Ohio" newspaper column. Ernest J. Thode, Jr. of Marietta, Ohio translated a few of the records in these books which resulted in a 20 page booklet. Mr. Thode also compiled a list of the European origins for some of the individuals mentioned in these church records and Catharine Fedorchak published much of that information in some of her newspaper columns in 1978. Dr. Harmon later discovered these records in the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. The exact history of the record whereabouts between 1977 and 1993 is unknown, however, it is assumed that they were sent to the Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society in Lancaster, PA for safekeeping and preservation. The microfilm of 1993 was made in Lancaster, PA. Realizing the value of these records to genealogists with roots in Monroe County, OH, especially since the majority of the records had not been translated, the author translated, transcribed, and compiled the records into this book. The information found in those parish books primarily names families in Monroe County, OH. Shirley found mention, though, of people from many other locations in southeast Ohio, including Noble, Washington, Belmont, Jefferson, and Guernsey Counties, OH as well as Wheeling, WV and Pittsburgh, PA. There was also mention of individuals living in other parts of the United States. These records represent a major source of information on the European origins for these immigrants to Monroe Co., Ohio. These immigrants were people from Germany, Switzerland, and France (Alsace). Dates of the records were approximately from 1831-1948, but some birth dates were much earlier than the years when family records were entered. The Miltonsburg parish of St. Peter's is located today in Malaga Township, Monroe County, OH; the Middle Church parish of St. John's is located in Summit Township, Monroe County, OH. Lewisville is also located in Summit Township, Monroe County, OH. Includes family book records, baptism/confirmation/marriage and death records, and European Places of Origin for These Monroe County Families. What a find! Index. 8.5 x 11". Paper. 255pp. $26.00 The web site for Closson Press is: www.clossonpress.com/ Thanks - Shirley - ---------------------------- Shirley Harmon saharmon@worldnet.att.net