Bob, I didn't realize until reading this email from you that you were on the Auburn University faculty the years (1963-65) I was a doctoral student in the Botany Department at Auburn. During those two years I was struggling to get the degree finished without failure --- certainly not thinking about Couch heritage matters. I retired last May from teaching biology 31 years at Oral Robert University and 8 years at Athens College in north Alabama. Jane and I recently moved into a retirement village just south of the ORU campus. We're staying busy with grandchildren, volunteer work here at the village, with Gideons International service, and for me, as a volunteer (10 years) tax preparer for the AARP-TCE program and CAP, a local program aimed at low income folk needing free help preparing and e-filing their tax returns. I continue enjoying your emails I see from time to time. I continue hoping to see that someone has found our common Couch ancestor?? cousin Richard of Tulsa, Oklahoma

Cousin Richard, Welcom to the happy land of retirement! It is the best job I have ever had. I am still trying to connect your Captain John and James from Buckingham County, VA with Thomas and Elizabeth Couch of Brunswick County VA from about 1720. Some way if we can find the connecting links then I know we will have the breakthrough we have been lookin for. Most of the Group 5 DNA members we belong to can trace their line back to Brunswick County, VA. I think I have found that the Thomas John Couch that you mentioned going to Kentucky is connected with the John Couch and his son Martin who also went to Kentucky from Ashe County, NC after having been in Orange County, NC. Since you have retired perhaps you will be able to help more. You have certainly helped me a lot in the past. My book has grown to about 450 pages now and still growing. I have found a printer and hope to publishe what I have in either one or two volumes by 2007. I was not at Auburn when you were here. I began working in the school of education in the Spring of 1967 and worked there until I retired in 1994. See where you have been helping with the AARP-TCE program. I have just been invited to join that program and think I will join up and help the poor with their income tax. How would you advise me. I am already a volunteer Mediator with the local courts, on the Family Selection Committee with Habitat for Humanity, edit the Old folks newletter at my church along with some other church duties. That along with my book keeps me hopping. My high school class is having its 50th Reunion next month and I am involved in that. More recently, a friend of mind and I have begun a project to photograph in B & W all the remaining 19th Century Wooden Churces in Alabama. We have done close to 3,000 pictures to date and published a calendar of our church photography last year. Now contemplating a coffee table book of our old Alabama Churches. Please keep in touch. I know that you and I are only ten days apart in age but forgot who is the oldest. My B'day is the 20th of March, 1937. Your cousin and 25/25 marker DNA match Bob Couch -----Original Message----- From: RCouch1148@aol.com [mailto:RCouch1148@aol.com] Sent: Friday, April 08, 2005 8:43 AM To: COUCH-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [COUCH] Re: Peter Couch and Alabama Couch descendents Bob, I didn't realize until reading this email from you that you were on the Auburn University faculty the years (1963-65) I was a doctoral student in the Botany Department at Auburn. During those two years I was struggling to get the degree finished without failure --- certainly not thinking about Couch heritage matters. I retired last May from teaching biology 31 years at Oral Robert University and 8 years at Athens College in north Alabama. Jane and I recently moved into a retirement village just south of the ORU campus. We're staying busy with grandchildren, volunteer work here at the village, with Gideons International service, and for me, as a volunteer (10 years) tax preparer for the AARP-TCE program and CAP, a local program aimed at low income folk needing free help preparing and e-filing their tax returns. I continue enjoying your emails I see from time to time. I continue hoping to see that someone has found our common Couch ancestor?? cousin Richard of Tulsa, Oklahoma ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx