Dawn, I am sorry it took so long for me to get back to you. Life is in full swing here. Anyhow, I may not be able to help you as much as I thought, but perhaps there is something new here for you on Valentine. The meaning of the name Espenschied or Espenscheid is quite simple. The name means a political border of watershed surrounded by Espen or Aspen (poplar trees). It seems that it is derived by combining two stem words: Espen or Aspen, meaning an espen or aspen tree + scheid or schied, schiedt, etc., meaning a part cut-off, a political border, watershed or a part bounded. The name is of German origin. Peter Espenschied and his two brothers, Valentine and Daniel were the immigrants. Gothard Espenschied who d. at Siefersheim, 3-23-1708, was m. 6-30-1674 to Maria Kathrina Kettinger and they were the parents of 11 chn. The oldest child of this union was Sebastian Espenschied who m. 6-18-1709 Judith Kohler. The fifth child of Gothard Espenschied and Maria Katarina Kettinger was Joh. Nickolaus Espenschied who was b. 10-8-1682 at Siefersheim, d. 2-22-1769 at the same place, was m. first 4-23-1726 to Anna Katharine (surname unknown) and they were the parents of 5 chn. She dying 6-3-1737 he m. his second wife, Anna Katharina Surer and they were the parents of 6 chn. The second child of Joh. Nickolaus by his first wife was Andreas Espenschied, b. 8-7-1729 at Siefersheim, d. there, 5-25-1799, was m. 7-14-1750 to Anna Barbara Lotz. b. 11-17-1726 at Siefersheim and d. 9-24-1781 in the Ruhr. Andreas Espenschied had Barbara Lotz were the parents of 8 chn. of whom three were the immigrants, Joh. Valentine, Joh. Peter, and Joh. Daniel Espenschied. The order of the chn. of Andreas Espenschied and Barbara Lotz, all of whom were b. at Siefersheim which was at the time under the Electorate of Mainz, Germany and which in 1940 is in the province of Rheinhessen, Germany which is located about 12 miles south of the City Bingen on the Rhine, is as follows. See next post. Yvonne