Subject: Carolyn, This part of the message got dropped from my last email (I'm not doing very well at this lately): Thomas Newton Scifres was the brother to Mary Jane Scifres Burr, my great-grandmother. The Scifres family came from Indiana, before that, Kentucky, before that, Pa, I think. I have a few of them back to 1743, direct line only. The name Arvin Chance is not familiar to me. I don't have much on the Chances except the one line. I don't know of Chester Meek. My Meeks was Annie, born in Union Parish La. in 1859. Her father was Joseph A. Meeks, born in 1830 in Alabama. Her mother was Harriet Ann Auld. Joseph A.'s father was Mark Meeks, born in 1795 in Pendleton, S.C. His father was John Littleton Meeks, born in 1766. I don't have much on them, again, except my direct line. I would be happy to converse with anyone of the same Surname. Thank you very much for the info. Jane Re: This is for Jane McBride: I am going to throw a few names at you and if they mean anything, let me know. Does Chester Meek mean anything to you? His daughter Joanne lives in Monticello. My first cousin's son married a Meek also. My husband's uncle married Winnie Estelle Scifres, daughter of Thomas Newton Scifres and Mary Savilla Johnson. Winnie's sister-in law and neice live in Monticello. Arvin Chance married Florence Jacks (she taught many of us) also from Lincoln County. She was the elementary principal when my mother began to teach at Drew Central. Two years later, Florence Jacks Chance moved to the 7th grade and my mother became principal. I spent many hours in the home of Florence before and after her marriage to Arvin Chance. They were engaged while he served in World War II. When he returned, they were married. Florence had a nephew named Perry Jacks who lived in Star City, I believe. Lucy Mae Haisty in the list of 1946 teachers was my mother. The McKinstry ladies that Karen Groce mentioned - Artie Belle McKinstry Robinson, Lela McKinstry Willis and Edna Lee McKinstry Groce were her cousins - their mother was my mother's first cousin. Let me know if you would like to talk with someone in the Scifres or Meeks families. Carolyn