Mike Schummer wrote: > I believe I may have the same situation as Marge. .I am looking to obtain a > copy of the Family book by Reiner Schmitt for Catholic Church St Martins in > Hermeskeil . I dont understand why these book are so difficult to > obtain and are out of print You have to understand that some of these villages were, and still are, quite small, and the pool of people interested in such books (largely genealogists) is even smaller. Keeping books in print, particularly self-published ones, can involve a hefty economic undertaking. With books that have a limited interest group, it can be financially impossible. Mike, the parish records for Hermeskeil are available on microfilm from the FHL. As they're the original records from which the Hermeskeil Familienbuch was derived, they're even better than the Familienbuch (no transcription errors, omissions, etc.). Why don't you get the microfilm of the church records and look at the originals? Kathy