Hello -- I had to write even though I have no ties with the families you have listed. I was born in Salinas, lived in both the Salinas Valley & just north of Salinas in Santa Rita, now live in NJ, & worked at both Romie Lane Convalescent Hospital & Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital on Romie Lane in Salinas!!! Just too many coincidences to pass up! Checking the California Death Index http://userdb.rootsweb.com/ca/death/search.cgi , they have listed: Name : PIERSON, EARL C. DOB : 07/18/1893 Mother's Maiden : Father's Last Name : Sex : M POB : NEW YORK County of Death : MONTEREY DOD : 10/03/1974 Social Security #: 545-16-6705 Age at Death : 81 years Name : PIERSON, EULA FRANCES DOB : 07/12/1897 Mother's Maiden : SEXTON Father's Last Name : THOMSON Sex : F POB : CALIFORNIA County of Death : MONTEREY DOD : 03/10/1985 Social Security #: 558-68-8432 Age at Death : 87 years Also, I realize these dates do not coincide with what you have listed for Earl's father but you also list him dying 8 years before Earl was born! Thought maybe the dates had just gotten listed incorrectly. Hope this will help too: Name : PIERSON, WALTER SCOTT DOB : 12/23/1867 Mother's Maiden : MILLER Father's Last Name : PIERSON Sex : M POB : NEW JERSEY County of Death : SACRAMENTO DOD : 07/16/1951 Age at Death : 83 years For any of these people, you can go to the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/vital/ssdi/main.htm & put in JUST the social security number (that will give you a certain match), then click to "generate letter" (far right side of individual listing). By doing this you will be writing to get a copy of the original Social Security application, filled out in their own hand (usually), & it will tell you not only their full name, POB, DOB, & where they are living at the time they applied, but also will list full name of father & full maiden name of mother. Especially for Walter, if this is the correct person, that might help you get back an extra generation. These copies cost $7 each, if you supply the Social Security number, & will arrive anywhere from 2 wks to 6 months later! (This is from much personal experience.) Oh, for Walter, the SSDI might not list him because they do not have all the deaths enter, especially before the early 1970s. Just include his info in any letter you might write for Earl & Eula. I just checked my map reference & Rutherford is abt 65 miles north of here. If there is anything I can look up for you, here in NJ, I do know that our local FHC has quite a collection of local records although I cannot say specifically what they are (I have no family here NJ so have never used them!). Let me know if I can help in any way. Bonnie F. fava@home.com -----Original Message----- From: M. Hirkaler [mailto:auntbuny@netscape.net] Sent: Monday, June 05, 2000 1:01 AM To: CAMONTER-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [CAMONTER] Pierson in Salinas Posted on: Monterey County Queries Board URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ca/Monterey?read=307 Surname: PIERSON, VANDYK, PIEKARZ, REDZIO, DUFFY, VEECH, MAPES, DECKER, STENGER, KOZIEL, KRAWIEC, HIRKALER ------------------------- Searching for info. on Earl C. Pierson, 1893 to 1974 in Salinas, Monterey County, CA. Wife was Eula, died in 1985. Father was Walter S. Pierson, 1844-1885 in Salinas also. Earl was born in E. Rutherford, NJ, moved to CA sometime in 1909 or after. Was in the Army & worked for Hartford Ins. in CA. Lived on Romie Lane in Salinas - Please email me at auntbuny@netscape.net privately! Thank you!!