Service from NARA is improving. A couple of months ago I reported that a pension file I ordered took six months to arrive. I just received another one that only took four months. Sometimes the records we find are not the ones we expect. Here is my latest story: My gr-gr-gr-grandmother's brother, William McIntosh, died in the Civil War (Union). He was only about 20 years old. No wife or kids. His mother applied for and received a pension based on William's military service. Nothing unusual in that -- mothers who were dependant on their sons for support were eligible for pensions. Usually these dependant mothers were widows. What is unusual is that in this particular case William's mother was not a widow. Her husband was still alive. However, her husband had a disability and they were able to prove that the disability predated William's enlistment in the army. The parents were dependent on William to work the farm for their support. When William died, his parents fell into very sorry financial circumstances. William's father was not eligible for a pension, but his mother was. What makes this situation even more interesting is the probate records. William's father died owning nothing, not even his home. And so there are no probate records, as he had no estate to be probated. But there are probate records for William's mother. There was only one item of value in her estate, "a draft for pension money amounting to $24.00." Who would have thought that a soldier's mother -- one who had a husband and five other children still living -- would receive a dependent's pension? Who would have thought that a widow would have a probated estate, when her husband didn't? Who would have thought that anyone would have a probated estate, when that person was nearly destitute? It just goes to show. . . you don't know what you'll find until you look. Barbara Leak