Unbelievable (to me), one of my letters is now transcribed and translated within 24 hours of my initial request! For others with this 'challenge', I'll summarize what I've found since yesterday morning since reading the suggestions offered for how I could get some newly discovered family letters translated. I didn't get to trying a translating dictionary, because I couldn't read the handwriting. I've saved the site reference though. Thanks, GipCWoman@aol.com! Pam & Linda suggested this site. http://www.genealogienetz.de/misc/translation.html I contacted them regarding my shorter letter. Since I needed a transcription, this is a special request which they only do for German-to-English. I email a description of what I want (file size, etc.). They email me someone to contact. I email him. He (I think he's a 'he') emails me asking for the files. I email him with attached jpg files. By luck, the timing was right & we were both online -- mid afternoon here in Boston, mid evening in Germany. So my letter was in 'his' hands by 5 pm EST & results were ready for me when I checked mail this morning. I've asked him whether I should send him the 2nd letter or whether I should start the process from the beginning. This is the most amazing service! Thank you, Pam & Linda, so much for letting us know about it. I also think Mary is absolutely right when she recommended that getting a native speaker to read the original handwriting. Pam had also suggested the German Rootsweb boards. I found an offer from someone to transcribe/translate old German documents for free. I contacted him and he said that he was swamped with requests, but if that I still needed help in 2 months to contact him. Thank you, everyone! Linda Gardner Acton, MA