I am Molly's second cousin once-removed. Our Koesters come from Logan Co., Illinois. Our ancestor Heinrich Koester was born in Huxfeld or Lilienthal (marriage record says one thing and death record says another) which is not far from Martfeld where his wife, Rebecca Dorothea Clausen came from.

Heinrich had a brother Johann who remained in Germany but he had another brother named (confusingly) Henry who married but had no children and lived in Logan County and later in Mason County (in or near Havana), Illinois.

It is likely we are related to the Koesters in Iroquois Co., but I haven't figured out how. Does anyone have this traced back?