In a message dated 97-10-15 14:08:26 EDT, treadway@netins.net writes: > > I'm not sure what this means. Aren't all nouns capitalized in German? if > so, capitalization does not imply (as it does in English) that this is a > proper noun. Dan, I certainly don't hold myself up to be any sort of expert in the German language or in German tombstone reading--although I have seen more than my share of old German stones in Pennsylvania cemeteries. I will quote the original inscription as was shown in the original message: "Denkmal/fur (double dots above u)/Sara Ginder,/ eine geborne Klein/ und Ehjegattin des/ Johannes Ginder;/geboren den 19 Januar/ 1806, starb den 2 August/ 1834, in dem Alter von 28; Johren, 6 Monaten und/ 13 Tagen." The line in question translates "one" (who was) "born Klein" (which could also be little). I think it is clear in this instance--as on many other stones I have seen--that the maiden name, and not the descriptive term, is what is being referred to. Joan Myers Young