The family name was originally (I think) Kottke; that's what my aunt told me, and I have some early documents with my grandfather's signature; it sure looks like Kottke. So I have researched many Kottke families looking for a connection. And almost all of them either came from or have some connection with a small area in West Prussia and northern Posen between Zempelburg and Bromberg. So I really believe that if we Kottkes could only figure it out we would find lots of connections. And maybe DNA provides the way. I recently had my own DNA (the Y chromosome) tested, and I have set up a "project" for the names Kottke/Kattke at http://www.ysearch.org/. If you are unfamiliar: the Y chromosome is passed essentially unchanged from father to son, so two males who have the same Y chromosome almost certainly have a common male ancestor. So I need other male Kottkes willing to have their DNA tested (it costs about $100); maybe we are connected, or maybe we will find several groups, each with its own Y chromosome. At any rate, I think this will be a very interesting endeavor; who will join me? The process is simple: there are several companies. I used Relative Genetics, but I have heard that Family Tree DNA is good; there may be others. They each have several tests; my guess is that the simplest and cheapest is good enough. You can always pay for an upgrade (without a new sample). You give them your credit card number; they send you a kit. It contains a swab to be used on the inside of the cheek; it goes into a sealed package and gets mailed back. The results show up in the mail and you enter it into ysearch. Jerry Kattke Naperville, Illinois, USA