Flora, Long shot at best, but maybe this could provide a clue: Samuel Ross Carter (1840-1903), of Chatham, Pittsylvania County, Virginia, was my ancestor, and he was known as Ross. Among his children was my great-grandfather, Shields Saunders Carter. My grandfather, Weld Saunders Carter, was born in 1900 and his sister Elaine in 1907. Some months before her birth, Shields left the family. Somewhere in family lore there is the suggestion that he "went west" and died in the mid teens. (Samuel Ross Carter's brothers included James Carter, whose daughter, Maud Carter Clement, wrote the wonderful history of Pittsylvania County.) For reasons I can't explain, Miller's book (1916, page 141) on the descendants of Captain Thomas Carter shows Shields' children as Rosewell York Carter and Elaine Carter. I've wondered whether, after he left his wife and children, Shields might have remarried and had more children. If he did, "Ross S. Carter" would be a very reasonable name to give one. And alternatively, perhaps there are other descendants of Samuel Ross Carter's parents named for "my" Ross. It is not an uncommon pattern in the family -- Shields Saunders Carter was named for his maternal uncle Shields Saunders Lucke, who died at the Battle of Seven Pines, and I've got many other examples, to this day. I'd love to hear more, if anyone has clues or suggestions. At 07:54 AM 5/10/2002 -0500, Flora Newby wrote: >Does anyone know the genealogy on Ross S Carter he died in 1947 and was thw >ghost author of the book Devils In Baggy Pants.On one page he mentions his >ancestor Thomas Carter he served as a paratrooper in WW II > >Thank You >Flora