August 21st: Mehren to Hannover (almost)

This morning was quite productive. We met with Father Helmos at the Mehren church at 9am. He shed just a small amount of light on the family and we got a good lead in Trier for locating church records from the KircheAdministratium (church administration).

Then we hit the jackpot! We went to the local administration in the district seat, the town of Daun, and inquired as to the birth records of Johann Borsch. The young woman there took Grandpa and I downstairs in to record storage and took out books back to 1810 (the oldest).

We discovered----and have copies of----the following:

• birth record of my great-great grandfather (Biz and Alex, you're great-great-great grandfather) Johann Joseph Borsch.
• His marriage certificate to Suzanna Zapp (with whom he emigrated to Minnesota).
• Johann's parents marriage certificate! Their names were Johann Mathias Borsch and Anna Elizabeth Franzen. (Biz and Alex, you're great-great-great-great grandfather and grandmother)
• On Johann M. and Anna's marriage certificate, it lists his parents as Johann Borsch and Anna Katarina ?.(Biz and Alex, you're great-great-great-great-great grandfather and grandmother)

We spent until 1pm today finding all this and feel pretty terrific that we've located all this information. Grandpa is really happy!

We then took off for Koln to see the Dom cathedral.

Some pictures of our day