Dear Mr. Stahly:

I have enjoyed the series of articles on Swiss Volhynian family history published in the MFH in 1989 and 1990. You have been most helpful in my effort to trace back my family history several generations.

I am planning a trip to the Woertenburg region of Germany in a few weeks and would love to spend a day or two contacting Mennonite historians/geneologists there. My primary purpose is to shed additional light on the Palatine origin of Christian Albrecht (died 1793, Einsiedel Galicia; m. Barbara; children Anna, Barbara, Johann, Jacob.)

While no record states Christian Albrecht's home town in Germany, I suspect that Christian and Elizabeth Albrecht (who married Johannes Schrag) were siblings or cousins. Johannes Schrag and wife Elizabeth left for Galicia from Albisheim on the Eis River. The facts that the Schrags and Albrechts migrated to Einsiedel at the same time and that the widowed Barbara Albrecht married Andreas Schrag, son of Johannes and Elizabeth [Albrecht] Schrag may strongly suggest kinship.

Regarding their ages: Christian's oldest daughter was born May 1785; he had signed the Essingen statement in 1779 - presumably as an adult. This puts his birth about 1760 or earlier. Elizabeth Albrecht, based on the age of her eldest son Jacob in 1784, was born before 1755.

1. Based on your understanding of our ancestor's customs, is it likely that Elizabeth's son Johannes Schrag would marry the widow and adopt the children of an uncle? There is no record of children born to Andreas and Barbara.

2. Do you know of any geneological records that would help with my kinship or geographic origin questions?

3. Do you know of any contacts (who speak English - my German is fairly useless) in Southern Germany that I could contact during my visit?

4. I read that Herr Pfarrer Alfred Hans Kuby addressed the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society 9/27/83 on similar topics. Can you help me locate Herr Kuby?

Kindest regards,

Geoffrey Anderson

P:S: If you have completed your book on Volhynian family history I would be most interested in obtaining a copy.