Dear Paul, Maybe this will be of interest to you. Gilbert Blankenship lives near Newark, Illinois and his phone number is 815-695-5050. I telephoned him a few years ago to see if he knew who his ancestors were. He knew very little about his name -- his sisters always told him he was named after their favorite cat. His family once lived in Jefferson, Marion and/or Clinton Counties. His father was William and his mother was Amanda Alvis or perhaps Lydia Byers. He was uncertain about much of it, but he mentioned a Rebecca from Allen County, KY and some places in Illinois where his Blankenship relatives once lived; Eureka, Salem, Texaco, Mt. Vernon, Centralia. Other names were Howard, Luther, Spencer and Ellis. If any of these names rings a bell, you might want to call him. Also, I have corresponded with Becky McPeak, RR4, Box 304 Louisville, IL 62858-9205. She has researched the family of William S. Blankenship and others in Vermilion and Clay Counties. Although she has an Isham in her line, it does not appear to be the line that also contains Gilbert. Her Isham, like mine, is from Southern Indiana and has not been connected to any of the others. That search continues. Pat Torrance