This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/mkB.2ACI/139.4.1 Message Board Post: Hello, Jon. In case you aren't aware of our connection, your grandmother, Elva (daughter of Paul Oeding), and my dad, Earl Grasshoff (son of Ida Oeding Grasshoff) are cousins. I see in my records that you are Rodney's son; I've talked to Rodney several times through the years on different occasions where I've run into him. Regarding Thomas Oeding's ancestors, I was told by your dad and/or someone to whom your dad introduced me (I think she was a Carby, or was it Marsh?) that Thomas' dad was Franz Heinrich Oeding. We know that Thomas was born in Schulau, which I believe is now part of Hamburg, if memory serves me correctly -- I haven't looked at this in quite a while. In fact, I think your dad told me that he visited there years ago. But that's all I have definitively. I have found something interesting, however, although I can't verify a connection. Looking at the applications for naturalization in Fayette County, I found one for "Franz Henry Oeding" in 1894. The document indicates that he emigrated from Hamburg and arrived at New York on Sept. 22, 1888. Could this be the Franz Heinrich Oeding who is Thomas' father? If not, there sure are a lot of coincidences. Furthermore, looking at the Texas Death Index for 1903-1940, there is a listing for a Franz Henry Oeding in Gonzales County on May 30, 1935. I've looked in the Gonzales Daily Inquirer for an obituary about that time, but found nothing. I haven't pursued this Franz Heinrich (Henry) any more, but further investigation might tell us if he is Thomas' father. On the other hand, maybe you or someone else on your side of the family already knows this, and I've just been in the dark on this for many years! I, too, would be interested in knowing more about the Oedings back in Germany. You mentioned Denmark; do you know of anything specific there?