To the Memory of the Departed Cousins; Fathers, Mothers, Brothers and Sisters of the John Jacob Cousins of America, this book is dedicated.
It has been prepared with the view to stimulate interest amongst the kin; to help and to define matters of the family that have been a question with many of the cousins of the Clan during these many years.
The occasion for its production was stimulated by the holding of the celebration of the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the American Citizenship of the Dreibelbis Family.
In its preparation, at the beginning, our greatest embarkment was the lack of sufficient funds due to the terrible depression which had prevailed in 1933…making it impossible for us to devote the necessary time that is required in research of this kind…also preventing us from gathering the necessary data, verify traditions and more thoroughly write out the biographies and list the genealogies of the Cousins in their respective categories.
Errors no doubt will therefore appear in this work, a matter which we shall heartily regret, as it is our sincere desire to give here the most authentic records that were possible for us to secure during our research work.
Though asked to undertake this work late in the year 1931, we had found little time to map our our work systematically and thus began the search for matter available to us then in time for the celebration which was held in the Fall of 1932, a matter which we later explained in the “Dreibelbis Family Brochure” of 1966.
In our labors we chased many an “Ignis fatuus” of traditions, traveling many miles and devoting many days of our time, only to find that most of what we heard and were told by folks turned out to have been myths, so that with the lack of the necessary money and leisure time, we found ourselves handicapped trying to complete the history.
For years, and on many occasions it had been the dream, hope and ambition of some of our Cousins to gather such data as this, but thus far very few even succeeded in really getting anything more than the listing of their own immediate families. We therefore owe our success, if such it may be called, to the hearty cooperation of all of the Cousins who had been involved, and especially so to those of kin folks who have made it possible for us to gather the information which is contained herein.
Our thanks are due also to the many other parties and channels, outside those of our own family, for the information that they have so graciously given us during our labors.
We have endeavored to gather and publish nothing but verified history and, if in our attempt we should have overlooked any part or person, it will not have been the fault of our purpose but rather that of our lack of ability, which, although regrettable as it may be, we trust it many militate against its historical value.
With these explanatory lines to introduce our work we trust that this book will find its way into the homes of every Dreibelbis son or daughter or the descendants of either, and that it may be the means of bringing them closer together as the Cousins of John Jacob Dreibelbis Families of America.
Respectfully Yours,
THE DREIBELBIS HISTORICAL COMMITTEE