Hello, I have been reminded that I don't think I mentioned on this List that a CT researcher and I are very excited. She received a surprise package in the mail a few weeks ago; it was full of old photos. Two of the photos were of Mrs. Mary DEXTER, and her mother, Mrs. Rhoda CLARK. * This is what we have been waiting for ! I've told my grandmother's long, complicated story before during the past few years. So, I'll just quickly mention that she was reported to have been a "foundling" in Boston in Feb. 1889. But I don't believe that story. In Mar. 1892, she was adopted by a couple in their 50's who were then living in Melrose, MA. John and Mary (CLARK) DEXTER were life-long residents of Killingly, and they had moved to MA ~1885. Unfortunately, Mrs. Dexter died in Apr. 1899 and my grandmother, Age 10, was taken to an orphanage in Boston. Probably Age 13-14 she went to live in "The Temporary Home" a few streets away, and she remained there until she was 19 or 20. My "educated guess" is that the Dexter's married daughter back in Killingly had a pregnancy outside of her marriage in the summer of 1888. She was Mrs. Clara YOUNG and the baby was probably sent to live with her parents in Melrose. The researcher in CT and I had compared photos of our respective grandmothers and there was a family resemblance. (Supposedly both descended from Rhoda in Westport.) Now? We compared my grandmother's younger photo to Mrs. Dexter's and her mother, and there is definitely a family resemblance. So, Karen in CT both believe that we can now say we are "distant cousins." That's all I'll say for this morning. Oops. As I think I mentioned earlier this summer, finding a picture of Mrs. Clara YOUNG -- would be more exciting ! By the way, Abner and Clara YOUNG only had one surviving child, Earle YOUNG, who lived in New Haven. Earle had 2 sons and 2 daughters. Son, Winthrop, had several children, and one married daughter still lives in CT. I wrote to her and one of her brothers 2 years ago, and they chose not to respond. Because their late father was a professional genealogist, I believe that one of his children must have his boxes of research papers. And they probably have a picture of their great-grandmother, Clara, tucked away someplace. It's a real shame that they won't correspond with me. But, some "family secrets" never die. And, Clara went to her dying day (1937?) proclaiming that she didn't even know that her parents had adopted a little girl. Betty (near Lowell, MA) * full name: Mrs. Rhoda (MANCHESTER) (LAVARE) CLARK, with 3 LAVARE children and one CLARK child. (For newcomers to List, I've posted about this family many times in the past, so you can check the archives for more details.)