Members of the Henry Kokenge family pose in front of the family farm home near Alton, Iowa, about 1908. the family lived on this farm for several decades.

Cousins Verna Klein Bunkers of Granville, Iowa,  and Barbara Kokenge Pasternak of Meschede, Germany, pose in the same place on April 14, 2001, after the Kokenge Family Reunion.

Bunkers, Simmerl, Hottua, Welter, Linster, Nemmers, Klein, Jungblut, Youngblut

Simon, Kokenge, Mairose

At left: Barbara Kokenge Pasternak visits her cousin, Verna Klein Bunkers, in Mesa, Arizona, in March 2002. Barbara and her son Nils Pasternak spent several days visiting Kokenge relatives in Arizona.

In June 2000, Dale, Rachel, and Suzanne Bunkers journeyed to Dinklage, Germany, to meet some of our cousins.  Here they are at a backyard barbeque at the home of Michael and Maria Bunker and family of Dinklage. In July 2001, several of us returned to Europe to get better acquainted with our cousins and to learn more about immigration history. 

In July 2001, we met our Bunkers cousins in Amsterdam.  From left to right: Verna Bunkers, Hanneke Bunkers, Dennis & Barb Bunkers, Marcel Bunkers, Annelies Konig, Chantal Bunkers.  In front: Iris and Jelle Bunkers. Many generations ago, their ancestors moved into Holland from the area around Emsburen, Germany.

Cousins Michael Buenker, Athanasius Bunkers, and Marcel Bunkers meet for the first time in Amsterdam on March 17, 2002.  Given Michael's theory that our Bunker(s) ancestors might have come to the continent from Ireland, Saint Patrick's Day seemed a most appropriate day to meet! We plan to continue our research later this year as we strive to connect the "Unconnected Bunkers." 

(Above) Rachel and Suzanne on their way to the top in Paris, 1997.

(Above)  Rachel, Suzy and Verna Bunkers on their way to the top in 2001.