This is far as I know my own family history: Father Alfred born in Postal, Bessarabia, on 29 April 1918, d. 15 July 1986 in Stuttgart, Germany. Grandpa (August) died in July 1918 in Russia; don't know when or where he was born. August's father, Christian (jr.), was a mayor in Postal; his father, Christian (the elder) emigrated to the United States in 1881; I believe the ship he was on to make landfall in America was called Suebia (Schwaben?). When Christian arrived in America, he was 52 years of age; he was with his wife (said to be much younger) and two daughters. Surely, there must have been other (male) Elhardts that left Europe either before or after Christian's year of arrival on the East Coast. There seem to be many more Elhardts in America than in Germany. Well, anyone interested in picking up this piece of thread? I'd be glad to have some feedback, as well.