Dear Justin - Thank you sooo much for your quick reply. I don't know which has been more confusing, my Loitscher side or Trincano (Swiss/Italian, born in Porruntruy in 1828). The papers that I have that have been in my family since the Trincano/Christen family arrived here in California in 1869 are either in French or German. Even at the age of 79 I can still translate much of the French, but had to ask a former colleague to translate the German (we taught in the same high school). The spelling of Loitscher has appeared as Lortscher and Loertscher on the Morman website, and that's what really threw me off!! (They aren't very good at authenticating their material I've discovered!)
My Loitscher ggggrandfather might have been born in the last quarter of the 18th century. By the way, I have the print-out of the 1998 Swiss telephone directory in which there are 70 entries for Loertscher, and 43 for Lortscher (with two dots over the 'o').
Do you really think you have someone who would help me out??? That would be outstanding as I am really up the proverbial creek without a paddle!.
Please feel free to email me directly at hanahou@pacbell.net. I'm located in Chico, California.
Thanks again for your speedy reply, Justin.
Sincerely, Gerry