Hello, I thought it would be a good time to mention a history of "Memorial Day" in the U.S. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day And, as I said in another posting of mine this morning, on other Lists, in addition to remembering your relatives or friends who fought hard and / or suffered badly during "any" war this weekend, you could also remember your ancestors. How many of you would be sitting at your computer right now -- IF your ancestor had fought and died - BEFORE - he or she had had a child ? One relative who comes to mind is my aunt. She had a very brief marriage ~1939, and it resulted in a pregnancy. While she was pregnant she "left" that man, and then delivered a "stillborn" baby. She then became a soldier, a WAC, during WW II. She served for one year - under her married name. She remarried a few years later but never had another child. So, my aunt, lastly known as Mrs. Louise MUZZEY, had no descendants ! She died in the 1990's in Somerville, MA, but was buried in the MUZZEY plot in a cemetery in Greenfield, NH. Perhaps I should drive there this weekend and see if her "services" is mentioned on her stone ! About my question above, I can mention my KIDDER line. The patriarch, James (1626-1676) reportedly died as a result of injuries in suffered during the long-standing, so-called "Indian Wars." But, he and Anna (MOORE) had had 12 children before that happened. One son, John, also fought in those wars, but he and his wife had had 12 children before he had passed. One son, Thomas, literally "dropped dead" one day ~1730, but he and his wife had had 4 sons, and she was probably pregnant with their 5th when that happened. One son, Joseph, had to very quickly - climb a very large tree - in order to HIDE from the enemies (New Ipswich, NH) He survived, and he and his wife had many children. One son, Calvin, went to Canada. Calvin was killed in a boating accident - one week after his only child was born. That son was very nearly killed in the "great Mirimichi Fire" in New Brunswick which was in 1825. He didn't marry in Maine until ~1834. One son, Joseph, became a soldier (from Princeton, ME) during the Civil War. He fought in Florida - where he was seriously injured. He did survive and returned to Maine - where he married his cousin, Clarissa. Their first child was born in 1870. "Sanford" left home at Age 15 after his mother's passing, and became a "woodsman" / "lumberman" - as his grandfather had been. I'm told he took on many dangerous tasks. His 2nd marriage was in 1898, and his first child was a daughter, Clarissa, born in 1899. She became my grandmother. She had many casualties as a child, but survived to have 5 children. But, as far as I know, her brother, "Sanford, Jr.," did not have children. And, her other brother, Clinton, was nearly killed by a "drunk driver" at Age 9. He lost an entire leg as a result of the accident. He married but had only one child. This son will never have children, so that is the end of my "KIDDER line" - as far as males are concerned. (And, I could mention the siblings of my KIDDER ancestors who fought in wars. In New Ipswich, NH, Wilder KIDDER, was a "famous and animated Fifer" in the Revolutionary War. He fought in many states and survived. He married in NJ but never had children. His brother, Joseph, fought as a 14-year-old, probably in NY. He is one of my mysteries. Was it him, or his cousin - with same name, same age, and in same town, who married and had children ?? Last year I visited Temple, NH, and found only Wilder's name on the monument in the town center.) I hope you are having a pleasant weekend ! And, it's a good time to visit a cemetery ! Perhaps it's a cemetery very near you - who you've been meaning to visit. You don't need special equipment to take pictures of stones. I use a "disposable camera" and have the film developed. I am lucky enough to have a printer with a "scanner" capability. I take the pictures and "scan" them into my computer. From there I can send each picture to an e-mail (as an attachment). Betty (near Lowell, MA) (I would love to see a picture of the "KIDDER stones" in Princeton, Maine.) (Perhaps I should visit the cemetery in Ayer, MA, this weekend. I doubt anyone else is placing flowers beside the stone of Robert HUTCHINSON. My research has shown that he was the last, male HUTCHINSON coming out of the "HUTCHINSON Farm" in Winchester, MA (1700's to 1900's). I found out about him, unfortunately, 2 years after he had been killed in a car accident in Westford, MA.) (There might be a male descendant in Brooklyn, NY, but I can't find anyone researching that family ~1860's.)