When mom and I began researching her family tree, she believed that the Ensminger name was an uncommon one, and that most of her relatives arrived in the U.S. from Alsace via Ellis Island. We quickly learned that her branch of the family could be traced back to 16th Century Alsace, and that her first Ensminger ancestor to arrive in the U.S., Peter Ensminger, landed in Philadelphia in 1733. So, no Ellis Island. Oh, and mom’s maiden name is not as uncommon as she thought.