In a message dated 98-08-04 08:47:22 EDT, you write: > In a letter I recieved dated January 1967 Maude Giger Horrell (daughter of > Aaron Lewis Giger), granddaughter of Joseph Giger and Mary Chance, stated: > " Mary Chance was of German and Iriquois Indian descent. She was the 3rd > wife > of Joseph Giger. She had by him 6 boys and 2 girls". > Katy, the book The Gigers has the following information about Joseph Giger: He was born August 1806. He was about three years old when his family moved into the Illinois prairie. He married twice; Nancy McAdams on 12 June 1823 and Mary Chance on 28 June 1835. Joseph had 19 children by the two wives: Children from Joseph and Nancy McAdams John born 22 Jan. 1825 died 31 July 1846 William born 6 June 1827 and died 3 Mach 1892 Elizabeth born 4 November 1830 died 25 Oct. 1843 Rhoda born 30 Jan. 1832 Children of Joseph and Mary Chance Henry born 1 Jan. 1837 Jordan born 25 Dec. 1839 Maria born 2 Feb 1841 died Jan. 1851 Minerva born 20 May 1843 died 30 Oct. 1843 Charly born 16 Aug. 1844 James born 14 June 1847 and died 8 Oct. 1850 Joseph born 9 Dec. 1849 James born 8 Oct. 1850 Schuyler born 9 Apr. 1852 Smiley born 3 Oct. 1854 (twin) Riley born 3 Oct. 1854 (twin) laura Matilda born 16 Dec. 1856 Smithy born 27 Sept. 1858 Irene born 9 Oct. 1859 Aaron born 4 Dec. 1861 Joseph Giger died 27 December 1861 and is buried in the Marine Cemetery. The widow and some of the chidren in this family eventually moved to southwestern Missouri. If Mary is truly shown on the 1850 census as being 27 years old (and I would want to see the film for myself to double check that--I have seen many incorrect ages shown on census records) I would want to obtain other census listings for her to see if her age might be recorded differently in those years. I would seriously doubt she was 12 when she married. Joan