Saarland and New York connections
The BRILL surname is the second most prevalent in myRECKTENWALD tree (from a report compiled recently by a German genealogist Robert Gross).The earliest BRILL I have was Johann, b. 1828 in Alsweiler, married in 1855 to Maria WEIAND whose mother Anna was a Recktenwald.Another prominent name is RIEFER.A poster to a Recktenwald message board, Maurice BRILL, identified Father Charles Riefer as a cousin and pastor of a German RC church, Sacred Heart, in Perkinsville NY.
Many Recktenwalds emigrated in the 1830's from the Winterbach-St.Wendel area of what was then Prussia and is now the Saarland.They settled in Buffalo and Hornell NY, Fremont O, Louisville KY and elsewhere.They had large families. There are living Recktenwalds and Brills in the Winterbach area.
Any of these names or events sound familiar?
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Re: Saarland and New York connections
Maurice Brill 10/26/08