There was a lot of postings recently on the Ruppel family of Somerset & Fayette Counties. My husband is a descendant of Elizabeth Ruppel (abt 1769) and John Burnworth, and I've been digging around a bit looking for information on these and related families. Thanks to Rinnah Burns, I discovered Elizabeth Ruppel is the daughter of Jacob Rupel (1742) and Margaret Livengood. I recently found the following information from the book "Both Sides of the Ocean: Amish Mennonites from Switzerland to America," by J. Virgil Miller, published 2002, Mastof Press: "Peter Livengood was one of the first settlers in what is now Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It has been said that Peter was Amish and then joined the Brethren. It is beginning to look as though he may have joined the Brethren shortly after arrival in America. His background is Lutheran or Reformed rather than Amish or Mennonite. The Livengood family emigrated with people other than Anabaptists, and first settled in areas where the Brethren had meetings. ... Peter was a trader, and even after migrating across the mountains he made many trips back and forth to Lancaster and Berks Counties. After he settled in Elklick Township, Somerset County, he bought land for himself and his children. Although some of Peter's children intermarried with the Amish, Peter himself became a Brethren minister and most of his children joined the Brethren. Exceptions were Barbara Livengood, married to David Yoder; and Peter Livengood, married to Anna Beachy. The family of Peter Livengood's second wife, Barbara Nafziger, was originally Amish, but they joined other churches after the first migration to America. Peter Livengood was a good neighbor to the Amish-Mennonites and a leader in the pioneer community of Elklick township, Somerset County." The book states that Peter Livengood's father was (Hans) Jacob Levegood, Jr., born ca. 1715, em. 1750; Douglas Twp., Berks Co, PA; then Tulpehocken Twp, Berks Co, PA. Han's Jacobs father: Hans Jacob Liebengut, b. ca. 1690, Alsace, em. on the ship "Phoenix in 1750." Douglas Twp, Berks Co. The family apparently came from Schalkendorf in northern Alsace between Bouxwiller and Niederrodern. Please contact me if you'd like additional information. The book does contain information on the Amish Nafziger family as well. Ellen (ellenlevy66@yahoo.com) --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes