A copy of a picture postcard I have (received this from Bernice Jones 1981) of a man reads: we ben laying of all weak they are talking to shut the the camp down tomorrow till after xmas if it wasn't so far I would come and spent xmas with you but is it a little to far I got a leter from cousin (of course hole punched here and only the last letter "d" shows) they are all well this leaves me well hping it will reach all the same. Signed: as Ever your cousin Jacob Beitzel. Under the picture someone wrote - Grandpa Bauman's nephew Ed Bauman. Perhaps it was Ed Bauman mentioned as "d" in the body of the note. A bit confusing but believe Ed Bauman is the cousin of Jacob Beitzel. I'm trying to find the family connection. Grandpa Bauman would be Ludwig/Louis Bauman(n)/Bowman who immigrated to US (unknown time) but married in 1868 in Maryland to Catherine Romer/Ramer and came to Washington State where they homesteaded. Help please. I did find a Jacob Beitzel in the 1870 Brooklyn census of Alameda Co., CA. He is 32, (b. ca. 1838) a butcher, b.in Prussia with wife Caroline 19 b. Prussia and Elizabeth 68 b. Prussia. Ludwig/Louis Bauman/Bowman was b. 25 Mar 1839 in Prussia. They would have been same generation so perhaps this letter was written to Ludwig and not Ed Bauman