Researching our family history is an ongoing labour of love, and we are truly thankful for all of the support we have received from so many, in the way of stories,  photographs, dates, names and more.  Please let us know if there is anything else you  believe should be included, or if we have made any errors.

SPECIAL THANKS to the following people who have contributed so much to making this  tree what it is:

- BETTY DEMSKY (nee Poerschke) of Birmingham, Albama, USA; ALVIN POERSCHKE of North  Tonawanda, NY, USA and PETER POERSCHKE and PAGE POERSCHKE (nee Smith)of Birmingham,  Alabama,USA who have tolerated our countless phone calls at all hours of the day to  provide information about the Poerscke/Kriedemann families who emigrated from Prussia.

- JEAN CHRISTIANSEN (nee Upleger) who has also been bombarded with questions and so  graciously provided her time and knowledge.

- VICKI FLINT (nee Louwsma) of Lake Wales, Florida, USA who has provided countless  photographs and information about the Louwsma family who emigrated from the  Netherlands.

- CARL KALOTA who is no relation but has generously transcribed Poerschke and  Kriedemann obituaries for us.

- DIANNE HUNDICH (nee McKenzie) of Troy, Michigan, USA, who made me laugh so much  when she told me "all her friends are dead people", and has provided information  about the Upleger family who emigrated from Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

- GRIT HEIDEN of Rostock, Germany (who is related to the Upleger and Poerschke family through Simon Pentzien (b:1660) and Grethe Trede (b:1661), who has generously provided countless church records and photographs from Germany.

- Rosemary LITOGOT of Florida, USA who told me that she would love to visit  Australia, but the closest she has been was eating kangaroo tail soup in Paris, and  has provided invaluable information about the Penzien family from whom she descends.

- NANCY ROBINSON of Whidbey Island, Washington, USA who has provided information  about the Kriedemann family to which she is indirectly related.

- ANITA DAVIES (nee Bowen) who has introduced us to a whole family that we never knew  we had.

- PATRICK HANSON-LOWE who uncovered a hidden Hanson history and was so generous in  allowing us to use his amazingly detailed research.

We would also appreciate it if you would sign the Guest Book on this site, as one of the nicest outcomes from this process has been re-newing and making connections with family, near and far. We would love to hear from you.

Without your support, stories and photographs, this information would just be words  on a page.  Thank you, Clair & Sam



The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life  sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding  shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain  and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and  trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.

                              ~ Erma Bombeck ~