In a message dated 99-09-05 10:15:36 EDT, you write: << are there many zimmermans or carpenters in minnesota??? >> Yes, There are lots of Zimmermans. The ones around Fergus Falls, I think, are generally from Switzerland. The ones around Stearns, Todd, and Morrison counties (my interest) are from eastern Bavaria, on the Czech border. At least the ones I'm interested in. Descendents of George, John, Paul, and Joseph who arrived in the 1850 to 1870 time-frame.