Thank you, Robert.

I am really not sure of anything. This guy I'm looking for apparently left Germany hoping he would not be found then later left Fairfield County, OH and disappeared again.

I am having to go at this from both the Stormer AND the Kellenberger angle. The family legend is that his name was really Stormer, but who knows. I cannot help but wonder: If it is true that he, as Joseph Stormer, left his wife and family in Germany why in the world would he pick such an odd name for use here in the U.S? One angle is to confirm the origin of the first Kellenberger immigrant to the US...just to know where a "real" Kellenberger came from.

This Wintersbach thing is looking further into a Joseph Stormer (AWT http://awt.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:26400...) who was supposedly born there in 1827...the same time my Joseph was born (if he was being truthful in the 1860 and 1870 Census that I have him in).

As far as religion, even though my Joseph blended right into the Catholic Church here, he could have been an Atheist for all I know.

He is a tough nut to crack, but I am a stubborn one who will not give up easily.

I did order the FHL films of the church records from Heiligkreuzsteinach and cannot wait to pore over them.

I figure If I keep learning where on this planet Stormers and Kellenbergers were between about 1820 and 1857 I will one day find a family who had a Joseph "run off"...and if I keep looking here in the US around 1871 or 1872 I will find a Joseph who "showed up"...probably west of Ohio.

Even where he comes from is not certain. He told the census enumerator he was born in Germany but even that could have been a lie.

There are alot of stones to overturn here.

Whew!

Rick.