Hi Americans, Yes, it WAS a tradition in Trier region that children got the first name, often added in front of the first name with Anna or Maria, Baptist or Johann. My grandfather Johann Lichter (1910-1978) gave me his first name. So I was called Werner, but I am baptisted Werner Johannes (that´s Johann long version, a short version would be Hans). My mother broke the tradition, but my fathers generation hat this. My uncle was nemed Matthias by his grandfather Matthias Lichter in 1934, my father Peter by his uncle Peter Heckelmann, but my aunt Monika (born 1946) was not named by any ancestors ! I think this tradition got a breake in the years 1914-1940 in Germany after World War I. Werner J. Lichter -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- Von: TRIER-ROOTS-L-request@rootsweb.com [mailto:TRIER-ROOTS-L-request@rootsweb.com]Im Auftrag von kql Gesendet: Mittwoch, 28. Juni 2006 08:58 An: TRIER-ROOTS-L@rootsweb.com Betreff: Re: [TRIER-ROOTS-L] RE: Trier emigrants to Wisconsin Kortenkamp, Daniel wrote: > Catherine [KISCH] OETH named her first child (a son) "William". > Maria/Mary [KISH] SAUTER named her first son "William". Perhaps (if > Catherine & Mary were sisters) they named their first sons after their > deceased father. It was the tradition in the Trier area to name children after their baptismal sponsors. Although grandparents were often sponsors for their grandchildren, that couldn't have happened in this instance if the grandfather were already deceased. The indexes to dozens of Familinbücher are online here: http://www.genealogienetz.de/vereine/wgff/trier/ Why don't you check them out to see if you can find any clues? It seems to me that the birth name of Antoinette is a big clue. It was a very unusual name in the Trier area. Serial emigration was very common, so another way to approach this is to find the hometowns of others who settled in their area of Iowa. Good luck! Kathy ==== TRIER-ROOTS Mailing List ==== Going on vacation longer than 4 days? Go to http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/DEU/TRIER-ROOTS.html to unsubscribe Informieren Sie sich jetzt über die faszinierenden Möglichkeiten des digitalen Fernsehens und über Kabel Digital HOME - auf dem Kabel Deutschland Infokanal. Den Kabel Deutschland Infokanal gibts in den Kabelnetzen von, Bayern, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Niedersachsen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt und Thüringen. Diese E-Mail und etwaige Anhänge enthalten vertrauliche und/oder rechtlich geschützte Informationen. Wenn Sie nicht der richtige Adressat sind oder diese E-Mail irrtümlich erhalten haben, benachrichtigen Sie bitte den Absender, indem Sie auf diese Nachricht antworten und vernichten Sie anschließend diese Mail und die Anlagen. Das unerlaubte Kopieren sowie die unbefugte Weitergabe und Verbreitung dieser Mail und den Anhängen ist nicht gestattet. Kabel Deutschland kann für durch Viren entstandene Schäden, die über diese Mail übermittelt worden sind, nicht haftbar gemacht werden. This e-mail and its attachments may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient (or have received this e-mail in error) please immediately notify the sender by replying to this e-mail and then delete this e-mail and its attachments from your system / computer. Any unauthorised copying, disclosure, dissemination or distribution of the material in this e-mail is strictly prohibited. Kabel Deutschland accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.