I have hit a dead end with family members I am researching.

My grandfather is Richard Frank Schoniger(American version)(Schoeniger/Schöniger) born in Aug 23 1930 in the Czech Republic. He came to America in 1956 on the German quota for immigrants.
His father was also Richard Schöniger born 1906 and his mother was Johanna Nahr born in 1911. I am interested in tracing the Schoniger/Schöniger/Schoeniger last name, but I am also interested in learning about the Nahr last name.
Thanks for any help!

In 1930, and even in 1906, it's a good-sized country. We need some more clues -- any mention of a family village? Is the village mentioned in the immigration records? Can you point us to a ship's list in Ancestry? (For 20th century immigration, the records seem to list the town of origin, but I cannot find a match.) Do you have church baptismal records from here in the states that might mention the place of birth of the parents?

Technically, in 1930, it was still Czecho-Slovakia. Before World War I, it would have been Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia, etc. If you are lucky enough that they were from Moravia, chances are better that you can find them.

I think I found the ship's record, and it is not helpful. (attached). However, if the numbered document still exists in storage somewhere, the contents might be helpful.

New York Passenger Lists > 1956 > October > 04 > General W C Langfitt > Image 48 of 78

There is/was an International Tracing Service in Bad Arolsen. Might be worth trying.

Thank you for the help, I have found a document in our house that is half in German and half in Czech, it says the town or area that he is from is Mocidlec, or something close to that because it is pretty hard to read. What I know about this town is that it is in West Bohemia, near karlovy vary, I tried looking up Church records from the town, but all that I have found is that you have to go to the church to get the information. Any other suggestions?

thanks!

Yes, those record are too recent to be digitalized. The books are either at the local municipal office or at the archive. It´s possible to get a copy of a record, if you´re a direct relative. You can contact the archive at soka-kv@soaplzen.cz and ask for information.

Richard´s name is German, it´s possible that he was German as well? If yes, he most probably had to leave Czechoslovakia after WW2 and go to Germany. You said that he came to US on German quota for immigrants, so it´s possible that he lived there for a while.

Močidlec, in german Modschiedl, belonges to Pšov
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo%C4%8Didlec
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C5%A1ov
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C5%A1ov
http://maps.google.at/maps?hl=de&cp=8&gs_id=1g8&...

archives in Czech Republic:
http://www.genealogienetz.de/reg/SUD/crarch-info.html
http://www.genealogienetz.de/reg/SUD/crarch-list.html

Westböhmischer/westbohemian Kreis: Staatliches Gebietsarchiv Pilsen (Plzen):
http://www.genealogienetz.de/reg/SUD/crarch-list.html#g1
Neu 2010: es wurde begonnen, digitalisierte Matriken online zu stellen, z.Z. Pfarreien mit Anfangsbuchstaben A-N; siehe http://www.actapublica.eu/ (wie Archiv Brünn und Archiv Prag). Man muss sich nicht mehr registrieren! Archiv Pilsen/Plzeň auswählen und bei "suchen" den tschechischen Namen der Pfarrei angeben. Dazu Anleitung.
New in 2010: it was started to provide digitized parish registers online, currently parishes with initials AN, see http://www.actapublica.eu/ (as Archive and Archive Prague Brno). You must register no longer! Archive Pilsen / Plzeň and select "Search" from the Czech state name of the parish. see instructions:
https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Czech_Republic_Church...
http://www.actapublica.eu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudeten_Germans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudetenland

Schöniger has reference to german word "schön" = beautiful.