our carpenter line began in america in 1709-14 when hans zimmerman came with his wife to philadelphia pa from berne swit. as a mennonite refugee. his brother dr. heinrick zimmerman had come in 1692 but went back to marry in 1698.his wife.salomeruffner[hans also md. a salome ruffner]. heinrick returned to america with his wife and 2 oldest children..they had 6 more to be born in lancaster co. pa..cocalico township and by 1712 owned 3000 acres. lived in germantown..was born in swit. 7-9-1693.hans was born in swit. in 1670she left homberg,steffisberg about 1709. no ship lists exist before 1729. but he settled in lancaster co. pa...4 of his known children arechristian1787married,barbara ..died1787,hansmarried---annaruchtiwho md.anne weaver..later md.ann bricker about1720 ,peter1710-1790, peter had 5 children:jacob[our ancester],anne,barbara ,. mary,elizabeth.peter junior..went to north carolina about 1760. there are 4"lost sisters".peter andhis wife barbara had 12 children..their descendents ended up in ala.,ga. and perhaps n.c. and pa. i have more to add later.i dont know where they were before they were in switzerland but i think it was prussia...Around 1850{?} a carpenter md. a wright ,,around 1900 mary wright md. james r yates in wedowee ala. i cant find the notes on that today but wanted to submit this. i know that the mennonites even today have large families and often there are 5 cousins with the same name..so it can be hard to trace them but the wright who md. a carpenter were baptists.