Marsha - I think I didn't follow Tilman's advice yesterday and thus this email didn't get posted in this thread properly. I hope I am now doing it right. Here 'tis:

Marsha - Thank you so much for the information. Yes, I think we are definitely related. I just talked with my father's sister, my Aunt Emma, who is 91 years old and still living in Wisconsin Rapids. She recalls my Grandpa's sister Carrie (Richter) often visiting the farm when she was young. Carrie lived in Minnesota. She also knew a Michael Brandl had a farm just South of Auburndale and he was my Grandpa's brother. She couldn't recall Theresia other than to say that there was a headstone in the Auburndale cemetery for a Michael and Theresia Brandl. She couldn't confirm these were her Grandparents but it sure would seem to fit. George was not a name she knew. She did say that she thought my Grandpa was the youngest.

Emma also said that his mother raised him exclusively because his dad Mike wasn't around. I think that's where I got the abandoned story, although I do recall my mother saying that Grandpa didn't know his birth date, and had virtually raised himself from the time he was young.

My father's name was Martin and he was born 9-27-1913. His siblings were Alyda, Emma (both older), Ruth and Rudolph. My mother's name was Henrietta Ter Maat born 9-11-1919 and they were married in 1942 I believe. My brother Jim was born 2-6-1943, married to Sue Spaans in August 1965, and I was born 11-29-1949 and married Donna Crotteau 12-30-1967.

Do you have birth dates, marriage dates, immigration information and death dates on any of these folks? Or any other information?

We did not know about Eisenstein Austria, although I had always guessed it was near Vienna and close tot he CZ border. Thanks again!!

.. Bill Brandl ..