Dear List, This is a long post, but I feel I need to lay groundwork before asking my questions. I have narrowed down my search for my ggGrandfather Friedrich M�ller of Jarischau, Kreis Berent, West Prussia. My question is: Where were the Evangelische church records for the Jarischau area recorded? The main possibilities are Pogutken or Sch�neck - both of Kreis Berent. I have been at the LDS website and see that there are some records for each. I am aware that there is more than one Jarischau (the other near Schleisen). However, research has found that his wife Euphrosine Brandstaedter came from Lissewken (Li�ewken) about 3 km from the Jarischau in Kreis Berent. They were married at least 9 - 10 years prior to coming to America, so my thinking is that they must have lived near one another to have met. Here are the key dates and locations I can verify. I am using the spellings as they were noted on the various records, so you will see a number of variations. Friedrich, Euphrosine and children Ludwig, Carl, Julius and Hermann came over on the Ship Shakespeare arriving at Castle Garden, New York on August 20, 1856 from Bremen. I have a copy of the ships log and see their names and ages and that they were heading to Wisconsin. Eventually they settled in Winona, Minnesota - right across the river from Wisconsin. I have been to their grave in Winona and took down the following dates: Friedrich Mueller born 30 Mai, 1820 (other records say June 1, 1820) died 22 Sept, 1896 -Various GEDCOM records list Friedrich's parents as Christian and Elisabeth with no other dates or locations - Dead end Efrosine Mueller born 21 Dec, 1821 (LDS has her born 14 Oct, 1821 in Lissewken) so December may be the christening date) died 21 Apr, 1899 -The LDS record has her name as Euphrosina Brandstaedter -The LDS record lists her parents as Gottleib Georg Brandstaedter and Chonstansia Pestke The cemetary did not have a record of the church involved in the interment.s I am going back to Winona this spring to see if I can make a connection at the various Lutheran churches there and at the courthouse for land records. In the various census that I have, I see Friedrich M�ller become Fredrick Miller - no middle initial or name is ever seen except for 1870 where he is listed as Fred K. Miller -I have a copy of his naturalization March 30, 1868 he became Frederick Miller, US citizen. Euphrosine has also been spelled as Efrosine and Aprozina. I'm sure these are all best attempts by census takers to deal with how they heard the names. It is always noted that Friedrich and Euphrosine do not read or write. My questions are many, of course, but let's begin with: -Which church district or parish would have presided over Jarishau? -I have contacted one person who published a GEDCOM listing Friedrich's parents as Christian and Elisabeth, but she didn't have any record of where the names came from - any ideas form this list? -How do I find his Declaration of Intent in New York? What information might that yield? -The biggest mystery is that I see no record of siblings for Friedrich or Euphrosine. They were both from farm families where extra children make the work easier. There are three possibilities.1) Both were only children - not seemingly likely. 2) Siblings were left behind. 3) Siblings also emigrated, but were never noted or tracked. I would love to make a connection across the Atlantic to pursue these three possibilities. I feel I am very close to connecting my USA roots to the other side of the Atlantic and any help would be appreciated. Family names: M�ller, Mueller, Miller, Brandst�tder, Brandstetter, Brandstaedter, Lemke, Pestke, Kruse, Schr�der, Schmidt, Schlarmann, Horstman Family locations USA: Winona, Miltona, Leaf Valley, Alexandria in Minnesota. Alma, Wisconsin. Family locations Prussia dna Germany: Jarischau and Lissewken in Kreis Berent, West Prussia, Thorst, Holdorf and Lohne in Germany Roger Miller PS: This is a terrific list. I follow it closely and it has helped me many times in the past by seeing how others have had questions answered.