After many years of despair, and after losing hope of ever finding my grandmother, I think I'm finally on to something! My grandmother Gladys/Julia Johnson was born 3 Nov 1900 in Red Bluff, CA. She was orphaned at an early age, and raised by relatives/foster families (WICKS/SPENCER). It's possible that one or more adoptions occurred. Until recently I didn't have much hope of finding info on her -- not easy with a name like Johnson. Now, thanks to an alert reader who turned me on to the Lingenfelter Archives, I have hope again! Here's the family I'm looking at: (Info from Lingenfelter Archives) DAVID J (PEGLEG) JOHNSON Born Wales died intestate near Susanville April 5, 1904 married Martha Jane Treadwell born France 1829 died Mountain Meadows, near Westwood Oct 12, 1864 Children: RALPH W JOHNSON died Mountain Meadows Sept 26, 1884 ELIZABETH ANN JOHNSON born Missouri April 19, 1853 died Red Bluff July 21, 1931 married George W Howard. Elizabeth in Tehama Co 67 years MARY JANE JOHNSON born Quincey, Illinois 1845 died Jan 25, 1947 married J A Heckle born Ft Smith, Arkansas JOHN WESLEY JOHNSON born Illinois (Iowa) May 26, 1851 died Burney August 15, 1908 (Will June 15, 1908) married 1st Tehama Co July 12, 1880 Mrs Mary J (Maite) Gurnsey born New York 1852 (a divorcee) died Red Bluff Jan 11, 1893; he married 2nd Tehama Co April 19, 1893 Mrs Katie Wilcox born Calif 1868 It looks like David "Pegleg" Johnson and family arrived about 1864. I'm hoping that with a name like Pegleg, he left his mark (if not his leg!) somewhere along the line. What happened to John Wesley Johnson? Did his second wife, Mrs. Katie Wilcox Johnson, die at the same time, or earlier? Why did my grandmother end up with her cousin, Mary Howard Hicks, daughter of Elizabeth Ann Johnson Howard. Was there an adoption? Why didn't my grandmother ever know the names of her natural parents? She would have been nearly eight years old when her father died. I would very much appreciate hearing from anyone with connections to this Johnson family, or ancillary families of HICKS, SPENCER, WILCOX, HOWARD, GURNSEY, TREADWELL. I REALLY want to fill in this big hole on my family tree! Thank you in advance for your time, Lisa L. Jones mailto:lljones@teleport.com