In a message dated 3/8/03 11:43:32 AM, RMatewan@aol.com writes: << left 2 sons and his wife in the care of Samual VanNatter >> what dates do you have on Mary Polly Dempsey? I have her born about 1825, but no death date. Because Andrew JB married #2 in 1863, I'd thought that wife #1 had died beofre then, leaving Andrew with 4, 5 or even 6 children under the age of 10, which would explain why in 1860 they are all living with other families. By 1870, he was living with the older 4 children, wife #2 and his children with wife #2. Why were the other two boys still living with Samuel Vanetter? Where was their mother? Who were Mary Dempsey's parents? What was her relationship to Samuel Vanetter? Was he mayber her uncle or brother in law? Between 1860 and 1870, of course, was the Civil War. Is this part of what tore this family asunder? Martha