My sister, Judith Merkle Riley, writes historical novels (1, 2, 3, 4).
My father, Theodore Charles Merkle, Jr., ran Project Pluto.
My grand uncle was Fred Merkle, of baseball fame.
A picture of my great grandfather, Ernst John Karl Merkle, and some family members (including Fred).
EJK Merkle was born April 9, 1865, in Basel, Switzerland.
A cousin's web page on the family history.