Hello Everyone, I had three wonderful responses to my question of what a Haushaltungsrodel was - a household register. Now I will try once again with the surname I am researching in Switzerland. I am researching my ancestor Barbara STIERLI, daughter of Susanna Stierli (which tells me she is illegitimate) as stated on her marriage certificate to Johann Gottlieb Hottmann dated 5 Aug. 1856 in Sauk County, Wisconsin, USA. Barbara and Johann had a daughter Elisabeth born July 1854 in Switzerland. By this birth date I am calculating Barbara's birthdate to be about 1834. They immigrated to America in 1854 and to Wisconsin by 1856 when my great-grandfather Christian Frederich Hottmann was born. Barbara died in Dec. 1857 in Arena, Iowa County, Wisconsin. I have checked the Swiss Surname Book for villages where the Stierli name existed prior to 1800 and from 1800-1900. I have pinpointed six localities in Canton Aargau: Aristau, Boswil, Gebenstorf, Goeslikon, Muri, and Turgi and three in Canton Zurich: Birmensdorf, Kloten, and Urdorf. The LDS has microfilmed Buergerakten for the surname Stierli in Aristau from 1630-1791, but this is too early for me. Are Buergerakten citizen records??? Johann Gottlieb Hottmann was from Grunbach, Wuerttemberg, Germany. My aunt had repeatedly told me that her Grandfather always said, "Ich bin eine Schweizer gelbe Bauch". From what I can figure, this means "I am a yellow-bellied Swiss". Why would he have said this? If this was truly my aunt's grandfather saying this, well, he was born in Wisconsin and if it was instead her great-grandfather, he was born in Wuerttemberg. He emigrated to Switzerland before coming to America. Anyone have any light on this or have any connections to the Stierli surname? Darcy from River Falls, Wisconsin