Hinrich Mueller was born in Ostfriesland, Germany, about 1799 and died in Brown County, Illinois, in 1880. He married Geske Husmann in Ostfriesland and she immigrated with him to the United States. Some things I learned about research from Hinrich:

• don’t overlook anything–even if it’s not often helpful. Hinrich is the only direct ancestor I have in a mortality census. No one else had the courtesy to die in a year one was taken.
• don’t assume the parents did not immigrate. Hinrich and Geske were in their early sixties when they arrived in America a few years after their daughters had already arrived.
• don’t assume location of settlement. I have numerous Ostfriesen ancestors who died in Hancock or Adams County in Illinois. Hinrich is the only one who ended up in nearby Brown County. I had incorrectly assumed all “my people” were in the Adams and Hancock County settlements.

Hinrich is my fourth great-grandfather. He can be viewed in my online ancestor table.