This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Gibson, Philate, Davis, Verlin Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.gibson/5267.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Maybe something I write may help.... Philate is part of the word philately, which is the study or collection of postage stamps. Maybe it's the male first or middle name Philetus (nicknames Leet or Phil)? In the Social Security Death Index (http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi) there are three matches for first name Ruth and birthdate 5 Dec. 1885, but none were issued or died in CA. She may have died before the late 1960s. You can use the same kind of criteria on the 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 censuses at Ancestry.com by filling in first name Ruth, born California, born 1885 /- 1 year, and a town or county of residence. This way, you don't have to know her surname to find her, though you may have to wade through a bunch of records to find the right address. In the notes field you could add Robert (for son) or Charles (for brother) in the appropriate time frame. Another trick would be to use the city directories since you know the address. Often city directories have reverse addresses so you can look up by street name, which may give you Ruth's surname. Contact the local library for city directories. Also, the library may have newspaper clippings and obituaries on file, so ask. Ancestry.com and http://news.google.com/archivesearch and HeritageQuest/ProQuest newspapers and obituaries (available through libraries) also have historical and more recent newspapers available. Michele also suggested contacting the prison, which is a good idea too. You may need to dig out your birth certificate to prove you are Robert's daughter. Also, you could look for court records for his trial. It may give you info on his birthdate, his family, his residence, his marital status, his employment, etc. And follow through with newspapers for the robberies, capture, court case, and deadly prison fight. Hmmm, I wonder if prisons also have burial grounds or records.... There are a few web sites on the prison: http://www.cya.ca.gov/Visitors/fac_prison_FSP.html http://www.stevenmenke.com/FolsomPrisonMuseum.htm Hope you find the answers you're looking for! ---Robin Mason www.wordsworth2.com