September 8 We visited Rottkamp cousins in Eissen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany today. After waiting six years to take this trip, Gloria Temple met three cousins and their wives at a family reunion on September 8th including homemade cake and rolls, a visit to two ancestral churches and at the end, a farmer’s fest including organic beer. […]
An unforgettable visit to the Grote ancestral farmstead on September 7th resulted in new connections with cousins in Germany and a wealth of new information for family historian Jane Williamson of Waco, Texas. Jane and her daughter Rachel Hernandez visited Mackenbruch after a long planning process begun in July, 2010 when Jane discovered European Focus […]
Every family historian should have a castle or two in their genealogy. Virginia (Gini) Packwood now has one, and it’s the former “Reichenburg” fortress located in the hamlet of Falkenstein, located in a high valley on the Donnersberg, Rheinland-Pfalz. We drove there on the 27th on a narrow road which was being worked on and […]
James Derheim started European Focus as a genealogical photography business in 1989. Leading private individual, couples and small group tours in Europe since 1996, James’ specialties include any country in Europe, Scandinavia or Great Britain. He is also known for his widely acclaimed family history discovery tours. James is German-speaking and capable in Italian. James […]
← Back to Vacation Tour Interest Form ← Back to Genealogy Tour Interest Form (If full text does not appear click once on the headline) Updated on March 3, 2026 Please read before submitting your tour inquiry form. European Focus Private Tours primary guide James Derheim lives full-time in Germany. He spends around seven months […]
Genealogy Related Sites Cyndi’s List of Genealogical Sites on the Internet — Cyndi features thousands of links to genealogical web sites. A great starting point for the beginner or a source of new information for the experienced researcher. Kirchbau.de helps you determine the age of your ancestral church with a simple and easy to use […]
Welcome to our newest guests, Paula and Bob Leitzell from California. On the way into Tessin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern the other day, Jim asked her, “How long have you waited to visit this village?” Paula replied, “Well, I first found out about the connection with my family about 12 or 13 years ago. I found you through […]