On my paternal side, my focus is on the DUMROESE, KRAFT and KUBBERNUS families. These families emigrated from Pommerania, Prussia (Dumroese) and Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Kraft and Kubbernuss) between 1875 and 1885 to southwestern Michigan and Chicago. On my maternal side, it's the KASTEN and HILL families; they emigrated from Mecklenburg-Schwerin around 1885 to Stephenson County, Illinois. My HUBER and ZIEGLER families emigrated from the Lower Palatinate region (Pfalz) around 1832 to Cincinnati and southeastern Indiana.

On Deb's maternal side, my focus is on the SMITTER and WERKMAN families that emigrated from Groningen, The Netherlands between 1880 and 1904 to central Michigan. Deb's paternal side has the longest roots in the U.S. The PAGE, BUTTS, RADFORD, McKINNEY, RUSTIN, and CURRY and JOHNSTON families can be traced to the late 1700s or earlier, generally migrating from Virginia through Kentucky to Missouri and beyond.

Kas