My grandmother defined the structure of her Koontz lineage from her father, C.P., to her grandfather, Ezra Peter, to her great-grandfather Peter who married Gertrude Derr.

Well, I have since found that GGGG Grandfather Peter Koontz may have been called Peter, but all of the documents, including the marriage records have his name as Baltzer Koontz. His son, Ezra Peter, has noted on his death certificate that his parents were Baltzer Koontz and Elizabeth Derr.

OK, so switch the search from Peter Koontz to Baltzer Koontz – it should have been easier with a name like Baltzer. Baltzar and Gertrude were married in Stark County, Ohio. So, how many Baltzar Koontz men could there be in Stark County, Ohio? So far, I have identified 3 more besides my ancestor with that name. Tracing through each of them has taken a lot of time. And they all are either too young, too old, or dead. So, Where are you Grandfather Baltzer (or Balthazar or Johann Balthazar or Peter Baltzer)?