The Diehls Have It!

I have always endorsed my sister Caron as the family expert in genealogy and I have happily accompanied her overseas a few times to meet our “shoe string relatives”. The thing that struck me the most when seeing and meeting our great aunties of the Diehl family of Butzbach, Germany, was how much they looked like my U.S. born grandmother, her sisters and brother and their descents who were born with the Diehl name: The pure white hair, the small to average statue, the bushy eyebrows of the men (!).

Butzbach family reunion 2007 

Great Aunties Elisabeth and Hilda Diehl, in front of their nephew Alfred and his wife Inge

Sarasota, Florida balcony - prior to 2005

My father Aaron (mother was a Diehl) with his cousins Grace (Diehl) Riegler and Don Diehl

In looking back and knowing many current members, it is also interesting to note that there are several academics, artists, artisans and other entrepenurial and creative types in the family.

Finally, seemingly, the world is getting smaller. The Diehl family that can trace it roots to the 1400s and the Roman-era market town outside of Frankfurt, has spread to Finland, Norway, Sweden, Canada, and the U.S. with other countries and ethnicities represented in the current greatly extended family. I am glad to have met these interesting new relatives and hope all my "some kind of cousins" continue to stay in touch.

I look forward to meeting more family members in the future as my sister continues her research and finds the keys to unlock other doors with DNA tests and new contacts for other branches of the family! With a little luck, Caron and I will be able to make a few more trips to "The Old Country".