Benjamin Leander Tobias Kolb kept a lot of family stuff. So did his mother. So did his son. So did my mother. And so do I. Maybe it’s a Mennonite trait for which to be grateful. Without it, the surprising stories in Part ONE of this book would be lost.

Let’s also give a nod of appreciation to our industrious Mennonite cousins who published genealogies in the 19th century. Their research provides the content for Part TWO of this book. Thanks to them, you can read about our Mennonite ancestors’ challenges, successes and heartbreaks.

Most of all, be sure to write your own family record in this book and pass it on to your kids and grandkids so they too can trace their Mennonite roots back to Switzerland, Germany and The Netherlands in the 1600s.