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Family history Family history
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My 8th great-grandfather, Johann Peter Wambold was born in 1651 at Pfungstadt a German town, located in the present day in the
district of Darmstadt-Dieburg in the
state of Hesse. He married Anna
Margaretha Zimmerman, a native of nearby Seeheim (now Seeheim-Jugenheim). Of this union at least twelve known children were produced
between 1684 and 1707. My
family lineage continues through a daughter Anna Elizabeth. Johann Peter lived for 75 years before he
died at Zwingenberg which is located about 7.5
miles south of his birthplace at Pfungstadt.
Anna
Elizabeth Wambold was born at Pfungstadt in 1693. In 1715 she first married Arnold Reinhard, also a native of Pfungstadt. Five known children were born to Elizabeth
and Arnold between 1716 and 1725. It
is their son Valentine Reinhard through whom
I am descended. After the death of
Arnold Anna Elizabeth married Valentin Steinmetz,
of Pfungstadt, in 1728. Between 1729
and 1732 Anna Elizabeth bore two more children. In 1737 she and Valentin along with their children emigrated
from Hesse to America. On 26 Sep 1737
they arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania aboard
the ship “St. Andrew Galley.”
Soon after their arrival Anna Elizabeth’s last child Eva Elizabeth Steinmetz
was born in 1738. Eventually the
family moved to land near Saucon Creek in Bucks County,
Pennsylvania. Today this area lies in Upper Saucon Township
of Lehigh County. Anna Elizabeth probably lived the remainder of her days at
this location. |
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Origins of the
surname
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An Introduction to the Name
The practice of adopting hereditary surnames began in the
southern areas of Germany during the second half of the 12th
century, and gradually spread northwards during the Middle Ages. With the passing of generations and
the movement of families moved from place to place many of the original identifying
names were altered into some of the versions that we are familiar with
today. Over the centuries, most of
our European ancestors accepted their surname as an unchangeable part of
their lives. Thus people rarely
changed their surname. Variations of
most surnames were usually the result of an involuntary act such as when a
government official wrote a name phonetically or made an error in
transcription. Research into the
record of this Wambold family line indicates that the
variations, meanings and history of this surname is most likely linked to
that area of Europe where German linguistic
traditions are commonly found. |
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Meaning of the Name
Most modern
family names throughout Europe originated from with of the following
circumstances: occupation (i.e., Carpenter,
Cooper, Brewer, Mason); locational (Middleton, Sidney, or Ireland) or
topographical (i.e. Hill, Brook, Forrest, Dale); nicknames (i.e., Moody Freeholder, Wise,
Armstrong); status (i.e. Freeman,
Bond, Knight); and acquired ornamental names that were simply made up. The Wambold surname comes from a Germanic personal name composed wan
‘hope’ + bald ‘bold’. |
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History of the Name
The first hereditary surnames on German soil are found in the
second half of the 12th century, slightly later than in England and
France. However, it was not until the
16th century that they became stabilized. The practice of adopting hereditary
surnames began in the southern areas of Germany, and gradually spread northwards
during the Middle Ages. The German surname Wambold, and its variant
spellings, have traveled widely in
many forms throughout Europe. First found in Bavaria, where the
name Wambolt was anciently associated with the
tribal conflicts of the area. The Wambold name does tend to be
confused with the English versions, and particularly so in the United States
where immigration from both countries was at its height in the 18th
century. In any case the name from
both countries is often in the same spelling, which is perhaps not surprising
as they share similar pre 7th century "Anglo-Saxon" roots. |
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Early Immigrants to North America
During the 17th, 18th
and 19th centuries hundreds of thousands of Europeans made the
perilous ocean voyage to North America.
For many it was an escape from economic hardship and religious
persecution. For most it was an
opportunity for to start over, own their own land, and make a better future
for their descendents. Immigration
records show a number of people bearing the name of Wambold, or one of its variants, as arriving in North America between
the 17th and 20th centuries. Some of these immigrants were: George Wambold arrived
at New York aboard the ship “Irad Ferry” in 1847; Adam Wambold and his family landed at Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania in 1736; in 1757 Barbara Wambold left Germany
and came to Nova Scotia, Canada. Many German surnames were re-spelled in
America because of the close relationship between the English and German
languages. In some cases Germans are
able to transform their names to the English form just by dropping a single
letter. After the start of the first
World War, Germans in great numbers Anglicized their names in an effort to
remove all doubt as to their patriotism.
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Use
the following links to find more early
immigrants with this surname: |
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$ Search Ancestry.com Immigration Records; or Free Ship’s Passenger lists at OliveTreeGenealogy.com |
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More About Surname Meanings
& Origins
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German Surnames Many German names have their roots in the
Germanic middle ages. The process of forming family names began around the
year 1100 and extended through 1600. All social classes and demographic
strata aided in the development of names. First Names (Rufnamen) identified
specific persons. Over time the first name began to be applied to the
bearer's whole family. At first through verbal usage, family names
(Familiennamen) were later fixed through writing. Until the 17th century,
first names played a more important role. The earliest family names derived
from the first name of the first bearer (Patronym). Later names derived from
the place of dwelling and location of the homestead. If a person of family
migrated from one place to another they were identified by the place they
came from. Of more recent origin are names derived from the vocation of
profession of the first bearer. These names comprise the largest group and
the most easily recognizable, for they tell what the first bearer did for a
living. Another group are names derived from a physical or other
characteristic of the first bearer. Finally, there are names that tell you
the state or region a first bearer and his family came from; the age old
division in tribes and regions (low German, middle German and upper German)
is often reflected in names. |
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Variations
of the surname
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Throughout the
centuries, surnames in every country have continued to unfold and expand
often leading to an overwhelming number of variants. As such one can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames
because in early times, spelling in general and thus the spelling of names
was not yet standardized. Later on
spellings would change with the branching and movement of families. Spelling
variations of this family name include: Wambolt, Wambold, Wamboldt, Wampolt, Vambolt, Vomboldt, Wemboldt, Weimbold and many
others. |
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The complexity of researching records is compounded by the fact that in many cases an ancestors surname may also have been misspelled. This is especially true when searching census documents. The Soundex system was developed in an effort to assist with identifying spelling variations for a given surname. Soundex is a method of indexing names in the 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 US Census, and can aid genealogists in their research. The Soundex Code for Wambold is W514. Other surnames sharing this Soundex Code: WAMPLER | WINFIELD | WOMBLE | |
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Searching
for more Information about this and other surnames? |
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Then
take a look at our: |
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Family
coat of arms
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In the Middle Ages heraldry came into use as a practical
matter. It originated in the devices used to distinguish the armored warriors
in tournament and war, and was also placed on seals as marks of identity. As
far as records show, true heraldry began in the middle of the 12th century,
and appeared almost simultaneously in several countries of Western Europe. Heraldry spread to the German burgher class in the 13th
century, and even some peasants used arms in the 14th century. |
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Fig, 1 |
Fig. 2 |
There is one known armorial bearing for Wambold recorded in Reitstap’s
Armorial General*. The coats-of-arms shown in figures 1
and 2 at the left depict different stylized versions. These arms were formally granted to the Lords of Wambold
(Wambolt) in 1664. At that time they
held lands in Baden, Hesse, and Bavaria.
Wambolt of Umstadt is
the name of an ancient Rhine - Hessian who Die Herren von Wambolt gehörten zum Uradel im Niddagau . belonged to the nobility in Niddagau. Zweige der
Familie bestehen bis heute. Branches of the family exist today. Die Familie gehörte seit dem Stiftungsjahr 1532 zur
heute noch bestehenden Althessischen Ritterschaft .
Figure 3 shows a Dukat from 1641 which recognizes
Anselm Casimir Wambold von Umstadt (1629-1647) Archbishop
of Mainz. One side of the
coin features elements of the Wambold armorial bearings.
No Wambold family mottoes are known. It is unusual for a German
Achievement to include a motto. * Reitstap, J.B., Armorial General, Volume II, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore,
Maryland, 1965, |
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Fig. 3 |
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A Coat of Arms is defined as a group of emblems and figures (heraldic bearings) usually arranged on and around a shield and serving as the special insignia of some person, family, or institution. Except for a few cases, there is really no such thing as a standard "coat of arms" for a surname. A coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, is a design usually granted only to a single person not to an entire family or to a particular surname. Coats of arms are inheritable property, and they generally descend to male lineal descendents of the original arms grantee. The rules and traditions regarding Coats of Arms vary from country to country. Therefore a Coat of Arms for an English family would differ from that of a German family even when the surname is the same. The art of designing, displaying, describing, and recording arms is called heraldry. The use of coats of arms by countries, states, provinces, towns and villages is called civic heraldry. Some of the more prominent elements incorporated into a coat of arms are : |
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Crest - The word crest
is often mistakenly applied to a coat of arms. The
crest was a later development arising from the love of pageantry. Initially the crest consisted of charges
painted onto a ridge on top of the helmet. Wreath or Torse – The torse is a
twist of cloth or wreath underneath and part of a crest. Always shown as six
twists, the first tincture being the tincture of the field, the second
the tincture of the metal, and so on. Mantling – The mantling is a drapery tied to the helmet above
the shield. It forms a backdrop for the shield. Helm or Helmet - The helmet or helm is situated above the shield
and bears the torse and crest. The style of helmet displayed varies according
to rank and social status, and these styles developed over time, in step with
the development of actual military helmets. Shield or Arms - The basis of all coats of arms. At their simplest, arms consist of a shield with a plain field on which appears a geometrical shape or object. The items appearing on the shield are known as charges. Motto - The motto was originally a war cry, but later mottoes often expressed some worthy sentiment. It may appear at the top or bottom of a family coat of arms. |
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Direct
Ancestors
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Descendant Register Generation 1 |
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Johan
Peter Wambold-1 was born on 16 Oct 1651 in Pfungstadt, Darmstadt-Dieburg,
Hessen, Germany. He died on 1727 in Zwingenberg, Bergstrasse, Hessen,
Germany. He married Anna Margretha Zimmerman. She was born in Seeheim,
Darmstadt-Dieburg, Germany. Children of Johan Peter Wambold and
Anna Margretha Zimmerman are:
Anna Margaretha Wambold, B: 08 Feb 1684 in
Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany.
Jacob Wambold, B: 26 Jan 1686 in Darmstadt-Dieburg,
Hessen, Germany.
Anna Wambold, B: 29 Jan 1687 in Darmstadt-Dieburg,
Hessen, Germany.
Catherina Elizabeth Wambold, B: 1691 in Darmstadt-Dieburg,
Hessen, Germany. 3.
v.
Anna Elizabeth Wambold, B: 18 Nov 1693 in Pfungstadt,
Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany,
D: Aft. 1737 in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, PA, M: 26 Feb 1714/15
in Pfungstadt, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany. vi.
Johan Dalton Wambold, B: 13 Aug 1696 in
Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany. vii.
Johan Peter Wambold, B: 22 Feb 1698 in
Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany. viii.
Sophia Wambold, B: 25 Jun 1702 in
Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany. ix.
Johan Peter Wambold, B: 17 Jul 1703 in
Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany. x.
Johan Henrich Wambold, B: 07 Sep 1704 in
Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany. xi.
Christoph Wambold, B: 20 Jan 1706 in
Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany. xii.
Elisabetha Margaretha Wambold, B: 25 Dec 1707 in
Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany. |
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Generation 2 |
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Anna
Elizabeth Wambold-2(Johan Peter Wambold-1) was born on 18 Nov 1693 in
Pfungstadt, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany. She died on Aft. 1737 in
Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, PA. She married Arnold Reinhard on 26
Feb 1714/15 in Pfungstadt, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany, son of Johann
George Reinhard. He was born on 1684 in Pfungstadt, Darmstadt-Dieburg,
Hessen, Germany. He died on 21 Aug 1727 in Pfungstadt, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen,
Germany. She married Valentine Steinmetz on 27 Apr 1728 in Pfungstadt,
Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany.
He was born on 01 Jun 1702 in Pfungstadt, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen,
Germany. He died on Aft. 1737 in Upper Saucon Twp. Lehigh Co. PA. Children of Anna Elizabeth Wambold
and Arnold Reinhard are: 2
Anna Elizabetha Reinhard, B: 19 Sep 1716 in
Pfungstadt, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany. ii.
Johann George Reinhard, B: 14 Nov 1718 in
Pfungstadt, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany, D: 29 Oct 1778 in Upper
Saucon, Lehigh, Pennsylvania, USA. iii.
Elizabetha Margaretha Reinhard, B: 01 May 1721 in
Pfungstadt, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany. iv.
Johann Peter Reinhard, B: 09 Aug 1723 in
Pfungstadt, Darmstadt-Dieburg,
Hessen, Germany, D: May 1762 in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, M:
07 Aug 1750 in Augustus Lutheran
Church, Upper Providence Twp.,Montgomery
Co., PA. v.
Valentine Reinhard Sr., B: 10 Oct 1725 in
Pfungstadt, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany, D: Jun 1792 in Frederick
County, Maryland, M: 1749 in Bucks
County, Pennsylvania. Children of Anna Elizabeth Wambold and Valentine
Steinmetz are: i.
Anna Barbara Steinmetz, B: 08 Jul 1729 in Germany. ii.
Johann Christoph Steinmetz, B: 13 Oct 1732 in
Pfungstadt, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hessen, Germany. iii.
Eva Elizabeth Steinmetz, B: 01 May 1738 in
Pennsylvania, USA, D: 13 Sep 1797 in Upper Saucon Twp. Lehigh Co. PA. |
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Additional information about our DIRECT
ANCESTORS as well as a complete listing of
individuals with this surname may be reviewed by clicking on the
following LINK. |
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Free Genealogy Surname
Search Help from Google |
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Use
this free genealogy site to help you get the best genealogy searches from
Google™ by using your family tree, for your research. It will create a series
of different searches using tips or "tricks" that |
will likely improve your results. The different searches will
give you many different ways of using Google and the Internet to find
ancestry information about this or any other Surname. |
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Ancestral
locations
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Researching the locations
where my ancestors lived has provided me with valuable evidence needed to
fill-in the gaps in my family trees.
It has also led me to many interesting facts that enhance the overall
picture of each family group. The
names of states and counties on the following list were derived from the known
places where the persons in the “Direct Ancestors” list (see above) were
born, married, and / or died. |
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COUNTRY |
STATE |
COUNTY / SUBDIVISION |
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GERMANY |
Hesse |
Pfungstadt; Zwingenberg |
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UNITED STATES |
Pennsylvania |
Lehigh
County |
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Use this LINK to find out more about the locations listed above. |
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Where in the World are My Ancestors? |
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Resources which enhance our
knowledge of the places inhabited by our ancestors are almost as important as
their names. The
LINK
to the left will take you to Maps, Gazetteers, and
other helpful resources that |
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will assist in discovering Ancestral Locations. These web sites comprise only a small
portion of what is available for researchers
interested in learning more about the areas in which their ancestors lived. |
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Source
documents
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The documents and headstones contained within the “Source Documents
Archives” have been located during my research of this family, and used as evidence to prove many of the
facts contained within the database of this family’s record. Most of these documents can be considered as
primary or secondary evidence. Primary
evidence is usually defined as the best available to
prove the fact in question, usually in an original document or record. Secondary evidence is in
essence all that evidence which is inferior in its origin to primary
evidence. That does not mean secondary evidence is always in error, but there
is a greater chance of error.
Examples of this type of evidence would be a copy of an original
record, or oral testimony of a record’s contents. Published genealogies and family histories are also secondary
evidence. Classifying evidence as either primary or
secondary does not tell anything about its accuracy or ultimate value. This is especially true of secondary
evidence. Thus it is always a good
idea to ask the following questions: (1) How far removed from the original is
it, (when it is a copy)?; (2) What
was the reason for the creation of the source which contains this evidence?;
and (3) Who was responsible for creating this secondary evidence and what
interest did they have in its accuracy? SOURCE: Greenwood, Val D., The Researcher’s Guide
to American Genealogy, 2nd edition, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD 21202, 1990, pgs. 62-63 You are welcome to
download any of the documents contained within this archive. Should you encounter a problem obtaining a copy you may get in
touch with us via the contact information found at the end of this page. |
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Use the following LINK to view the source documents pertaining to this family. |
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Web
resources
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This search
engine may provide you
with additional |
information to
assist with your research
about this topic. |
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General Surname
Resources |
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Your genealogy research of this surname can be facilitated by use of SURNAME WEB. This website links to the majority of the surname data on
the web, as well as to individual family trees, origin and surname meaning if
known, and many other related genealogy resources. |
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SURNAME
FINDER provides easy access to
free and commercial resources for 1,731,359 surnames. On each surname
specific "finder" page, you can search a variety of online
databases all pre-programmed with your surname. |
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Use ALL
SURNAMES GENEALOGY to get access to find your surname
resources . There are almost 1300 links in this
directory. |
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Additional Sites That We Recommend |
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Linkpendium Surnames - Web
sites, obituaries, biographies, and other material specific to a surname. Cyndi's List - Surnames, Family
Associations & Family Newsletters Index - Sites or resources
dedicated to specific, individual family surnames. Free Genealogy Search Help for Google
- This free genealogy site will help you use
Google™ for your research. It will create a series of different searches
using tips or "tricks" that will likely improve your results. The
different searches will give you many different ways of using Google to find
ancestry information on the Internet. FamilySearch.org - Family History and Genealogy Records - The largest collection of free family history, family
tree and genealogy records in the world. Top Genealogical Websites - These mighty roots resources compiled by “Family Tree
Magazine”, will give you the power to bust through research brick walls and
find answers about your ancestors—all from your home computer. SurnameDB
Free database of surname meanings - This site
SurnameDB.Com contains a large FREE to access database (almost 50,000
surnames) on the history and meaning of family last names. |
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OUR GENEALOGY REFERENCE
LIBRARY |
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The
following Link
will take you to our library of genealogy reference books. Here you will find bibliographies, family histories and books about names. In addition, there are texts that pertain
to ethnic
and religion groups, history, geography as well as other books
that will assist you with your research. Research
Library – Table of Contents |
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Images
gallery
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During my research I have collected images
and photographs that are of general interest to a particular family. Some of them are presented on this website
because I believe they tend to provide the reader with additional information
which may aid in the understanding of our ancestors past lives. If you have any
photographs or other images relating to this ancestral family we would greatly appreciate hearing from you. |
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Use the following LINK to ascertain whether we
have any images that pertain to this family. |
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Free Image Search Help from Google |
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Use the power of
Google™ to find more interesting images about this topic. A Click on this
button will link you to the Google Images Search page. |
Enter the topic you are
searching in the box and click “Search Images”. At the “Images” display
page you will see the image, as well as the website of which it is
associated. |
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Snail Mail: Fred USA |
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Snail
Mail: Fred USA |
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