Attention Schleis, Seigfried, Schnitzler and Willig relatives: Here's your source for contacting fellow family members by E-mail AND linking to cool sites on the web related to our common roots. Read on!

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FAMILY E-MAIL ADDRESSES

Let your mouse do the walking! Click on any family member below to send them instant e-mail, and message Paula or Tom Schleis to add your own.

Tom Schleis | Paula Schleis | Steve and Rose Ann Schleis

Kevin Freeman | Rosemary and Chuck Fletter | Barb and Dave Yoder

Michael Rohrer | Linda Rohrer | Susanna Freeman | Jerry Freeman

Diana Seigfried | Debbe Guster | Adrian and Helen Schleis

Jennifer and Jonathan Harbour | Dennis Seigfried | Christina Pfeifer

Conrad Storad Jr. | Uwe Morres | Mike and Loretta Schleis

Dan Hasselschwert | Steve and Andrea Yoder | Susan Yoder | David Yoder

Tom Freeman | Paula Freeman | Tim Bryan

If you've got to reach out and touch someone the old-fashioned way, try this great resource for looking up phone numbers and addresses throughout the United States:

The Ultimate Phone Book

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Since beginning our web site, we have received e-mail from all over the world. Some folks have not been linked to us by blood yet, but they share our passion for family, in addition to our surnames! Visit them at their own home pages.

Links Worth A Look

LINKS TO THE PAST

Once upon a time...our ancestors called Eastern Europe home. Specifically, areas today known as Hungary, Romania and Bosnia were filled with German settlements. Those Germans separated from the homeland in the 1700s during a migration called The Great Swabian Trek. Like pioneers in the American West, the Schleisses, Schnitzlers, Seigfrieds and Willigs traveled to distant, wild country using the Danube River as their transportation. They spent the next 250 years taming the land. After World War II, Germans living in those areas were evicted. As refugees, they spread out the world over in search of a place to lay down new roots. But because of their unique relationship with the Danube river, they continue to call themselves Donauschwabens - in honor of their past, and of a bond that time and distance cannot erase.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THE HISTORY OF THE DONAUSCHWABENS:

Many of our ancestors set sail for America long before World War II. Huge ocean liners started bringing them to the New World at the turn of the century. Of the four surnames chronicled on these web sites, Anton Willig was the trailblazer, landing in New York on February 13, 1902 aboard the SS Rotterdam. Others soon followed. George Weiman (of the Schnitzler side) brought the SS Pannonia in on September 19, 1907. Maria and Stephen Willig followed their parents (Anton and Clara Willig) to America, arriving March 26, 1909 on the SS Argentina. George Schnitzler and Valentine Sigmund (who was married to George's sister, Theresia) made many trips shuttling family here. One such trip was recorded March 14, 1910 on the SS Floride. Martin Schleis made the journey April 28, 1912 on the SS Caronia; while Theresia Sigmund followed her husband, Valentine, on the SS Saxonia on March 26, 1911.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON SHIPS OF DESTINY

While some families tested the waters in Michigan and Pennsylvania, most of the Schleis, Seigfried, Schnitzler and Willig families settled in or near the booming industrial town of Barberton, Ohio. At one time, Barberton had more industry per capita than any other city in the country, and it grew so quickly, it was dubbed The Magic City. Adding to Barberton's attraction was its location as a suburb of Akron, the Rubber Capital of the World and home to several of the country's biggest tire manufacturers. Of course, time has changed all that. Heavy industry has left both Barberton and Akron, and both cities are striving to revive themselves in new ways. Today, more than 600 descendants of those families still reside in the Barberton-Akron area.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE MAGIC CITY:

After World War II, many more Schleis, Seigfried, Schnitzler and Willig family members came to the U.S., settling in places like Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit. Many found homes in other countries. And while these sites are primarily about those whose origins are in Eastern Europe, we happily claim bonds with those who share our surnames throughout the world.

Danube Swabian Coat of Arms: The coat of arms of the Danube Swabians was originated by Hans Diplich in 1950. The imperial eagle is a symbol of the Holy Roman Empire under Germanic kings. The wavy line symbolizes the Danube River, on which or along which, the German settlers traveled to Hungary. The crescent moon is the symbol of Islam, representing the Turkish occupation of Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. The sun is the symbol for Christ. The fortress represents the city of Temeschburg (Timisoara). Its six towers represent the six main settlement regions for the Danube Swabians: Swabian Turkey, Slavonia, Syrmia, Batschka, Banat and Sathmar. The fortress stands on the fertile farm land made arable and productive by the Danube Swabians. The inscription reads, "The Danube Swabians - Forever Free and Unidivided." This information and more at the Donauschwaben Geneology Page

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