This book delineates the family of Johannes or Hans Jacob Berchtold (Swiss name) or John Jacob Berchald (USA name) an immigrant from Weiach, Zurich, Switzerland in about 1853 to the United States who settled in Tremont, Tazewell county, Illinois. He met and married Mary Magdalena Brunner in Tremont and she had immigrated there from Kloten, Zurich, Switzerland. They had 11 children. The book provides detail of his life here in the USA and traces as many of his decendants, as was possible to locate (aproximatly 1100), all over the US. The book also provides his pedigree back to the late 1400's in Switzerland and approximatly 2500 relatives in Zurich were located and their familues identified.