Dave ---In regard to search for info on your great grandfather --- When you search for info, sometimes it's helpful to not only search under the full name (i.e. James Everett Sutton), but also the initialled version (i.e. J.E. Sutton), as news items, legal documents, etc. often used that form. Here are a few things which may or may not be related that I found on the internet. A Mr. J.E. Sutton is mentioned in William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas. Under the biography of a man (William M. Gellett) whom he was partnered with in "general mercantile business" (c. 1869-1879). This man Gellett married a woman named Jessie Sutton in 1869, and Mr. Gellett & his wife Jessie had a son James. If your Sutton preached 1889-1899, that still could fit in with this Sutton's story. Ironically, there is a mention in the same source (History of Kansas) of a man (John Harris) who worked for 6 years (c. 1881-1887) as an "itinerant preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church" (based in Marion County Kansas). Besides being a preacher, he had been a farmer, fought in the Civil War, later owned a couple of banks... Secondly, I saw a source called "United State (sic) Fiche Collection" (a large PDF file, located on www.heritagequest.cm/catalog/fiche.pdf ) which lists many special collections regarding Arkansas, but included "Arkansas-Church Records" F-1720 10 fiche. History of Arkansas Baptists Publ 1948. Says it also contains biographical sketches of preaches "and others"....don't know if they'd stretch things to include Methodist preachers or not. There are a lot of interesting sounding histories of counties published in the late 1800's. (didn't have a listing for Yell County) Thirdly --from the Mormon sources on www.familysearch.org --- a James E. Sutton (born 1849 in Conway Co Ark) parents James W. Sutton and Mariah Stacey.... he married Francis Scisson in May 15, 1879 in Welborn Twp, Conway Co Ark. Also, since your James was a Methodist preacher, it would be reasonable to assume he would name one of his children after Wesley (who founded Methodism I believe). There is indeed a James Wesley Sutton, bon Aug 19, 1885 in Salem, Sharp Co Ark (prob him who marries at age 19 to Nancy Katherine Vaugn in Alma, Crawford Ark) he died June 25, 1951 in Phoenix Arizona. His father was indeed a James Sutton (but his mother was Elizabeth Jane Williams ..this James had md Elizabeth in 1884 in Salem, Fulton Ark ). Also shows a James Sutton born in 1862 in Ark, listed in the 1880 census as an 18 year old farm laborer living in Myatt, Fulton, Ark. Also shows a James Sutton marrying in 1884 to Azulea Grant in Logan, Ark. Also a James Sutton in 1904 married a Maud Barnes intuckerman, Jackson Ark. (this James died 1934). Also references a James Sutton, who was the 2nd husband of a Nancy Ellen Blanchard Sutton (1865--c1916 in Tex) buried in Urich, Missouri. (but does not show James Sutton as buried there). Fourthly--- . in marriages in Pike County Arkansas (1821-1895) A Calvin Sutton md a Della M. ? in 1894, and a James H. Sutton md a Mary E. ? in 1891. Noticed that Scott County borders Yell County. In the early history of Scott County, no actual churches, just itinerant preachers holding forth in homes of the settlers in various counties).. By 1860, instead of itinerant preacher, a source said it was "supplanted by the circuit-riding pastor" (which the distinction was that the services were not held irregularly in settlers' homes. It says services at first were usually held in the district schools, but later log churches were erected. Linda