This is from my "just when you thought you knew everything" files .... There is this 94 year old man who attends the Birdwell Reunion in Robertson County ... His name is Luther Vernon Short ... Someone asked him just the other day why he attends that reunion. He apparently responded - "We,,. I know I'm related" ... then his wife said she knew why ==>> "John J. and Mariah Birdwell were his grandparents and Ella Birdwell was his mother". Thud ... The picture of the Birdwell reunion circa 1902 - 03 .... the young couple on the far left (looking at the picture) sitting down ... is *probably* Ella Birdwell and her husband Archie Short ... I'll find out for sure on the 30th at the John J. memorial service .... Ella was born 1 Apr 1882 (hence, no show on the 1880 census) and was married by 1900 (hence no show on the 1900 census) ... She was a daughter of John J and Mariah that few of us knew about until just recently ... Ella Birdwell Short died 5 nov 1909 - the mother of four. Jerry