Hello Barbie,
Thanks for the information. You and Mona raise some good thoughts. I am most grateful. Those could be the answers as to why the differences in the same family. My gr. grandfather did receive an education over here--I believe he came at 10 or 11 years of age--while is uncle was older and didn't. Maybe that's why the older ones stayed Böhne and/or Boehne and he switched because of the sound it made--an "a" sound and because he had gone to school and learned about the "Y". Maybe his teacher "corrected" the spelling for him! Ha! (I have a letter my gr. grandfather wrote to his aunt while he was mining for gold in California in 1855, and a copy of his 1860 Water Rights while he was mining near the Yuba River.) He does pretty well-clearly he had an education in the states. He signed his letter, "Believe to be your Affectioned Nephew", Lewis BAHNE (looks like an A--not an O.) SO....he used at least one other spelling in I think I have found about 20 possible spellings for my name. It makes it so hard!!! (My maiden name is pronounced like this now: Baynee-emphasis on the first syllable.)
Do you know of anyone who knows a great deal about the Nieder. Archives? I know if I could get some answers about that reference it would help me.
Warm regards and thanks again,
Marsha Baney-Lowrey