Hello Diane and all: Here is the data I have had forwarded to me. I am interested in the descendants of the person-Mathias Clares(akaKlaers?) who was the son of a Michael Clares and Susanna Kraml. He was married to a Catherine Doffing on Mar. 3, 1819. They had the folowing children: 1, Johann born May 16, 1820; Thomas born Aug. 20, 1821; and Mathias Dec. 27,1812. They lived in a small village in the Kreis Bitburg area by the name of Gransdorf. There were two other families that lived in the same village that were ther briefly before they went to other places- Schaack and Doffing. I do not know the origin of the particular Clares family. I do know that they was a Christopher Clares that was born in Neurath that also emigrated to the US and was married at New Trier, Minnesota, but I do not know his kniship to this family. I was hoping a descendant could be found. Thank you all for your responses. I thought Klaers was a rare name. What is the orgin of the Klaers family that settled in Minnesota in ca. 1855?? Bob Olson