Thanks for your response to my inquiry. My grandfather, Sidney, had several brothers and sisters who emigrated with him. Like him, they all had strangely English-sounding first names. There was a sister named Rose and one named Lily and there may have been a Sara as well. Rose and Lily did live in the area you mentioned, actually, Waltham, Mass. The information that I really need is from the previous generation, most of which never left Latvia. Barkin is a Russian name so I don't know if there are very deep roots in Latvia, either. Thanks again and write if you should find anything else of interest.

Tim barkin