
In the Family history it was always known that Yona Straus was a descendent of the Bal Shem of Michelstadt thru his daughter Genendel, recently some family members did some research and contacted Susan Breitenbach from the Michelstadt City Archives, according to the archives there is some gap in the yichus and they themselves don't know exactly.
I would like to point out almost the entire Straus family (all different branches that are around these days) have always knew by passing down in the family that the Straus family are descendants of the Bal Shem and the fact that there is a gap in the line does not contradict the Straus family heritage,
Here is a partial list of Straus descendants families that always know that they are descendants of the Bal Shem of Michelstadt, The Spitzers, The Lichters, The Wesel Family, The Heinemann Family.
Rabbi Yaakov Mashinsky has done a lot of research on the Straus family and has come to the conclusion that there is a gap in the line from the Straus Family going up to the Bal Shem, but not to erase the Staus family Yichus.