Mary, You're not confused at all. The marriage info you have--that Edward REEL married Mary Polly (WIGGINS) HARKEY on 06 May 1869--matches what I found at <ancestry.com> and at <rootsweb.com> -- that Edward REIL married Mary HARKEY on 6 May 1869 in Yell County, Arkansas. Because of her advanced age at this marriage (Laurey says [Mary] Ellen was born in 1832), I thought it likely that HARKEY was the surname of a previous husband and not her maiden name, and so I wasn't surprised not to find her name in a HARKEY family in the 1850 Yell Co. AR census. Laurey-- According to Mary's information, Wilson Monroe HARKEY was Mary Ellen WIGGINS's first husband. He is found in the 1850 Yell Co. AR census living in the household of his mother, Julia A. (LIPE) HARKEY, the widow of Levi HARKEY: 1850 AR Yell Co. (Chickalah township), hh 10. Census taken 7 Nov 1850. HARKEY, Julia A. 41 NC $500 --Wilson M. 21 NC farmer --Daniel R. 19 NC --Polly M. 18 NC --Moses I. 17 NC farmer --Sandy (m) 14 NC --Catherine 13 NC --Jacob 11 NC --Julia A. 9 NC --John M. 7 NC --Henry C. 5 NC --Levi W. 2 NC (Not exactly relevant but interesting: I also found (at ancestry.com) the marriage of Moses I. HARKEY and Rhoda E. WIGGINS on 12 Jan 1868 in Yell Co. AR. ) There are two WIGGINS families who in 1850 are also living in Chickalah twp, very near Julia A. HARKEY's household: 1850 AR Yell Chickalah twp, hh 20-20 WIGGINS, Adam 48 NC farmer --Cynthia 51 NC --Hardy 23 NC --Mary 21 NC --Adam* 18 NC --Isaac* 15 IL --John M. AR (*) Listed in Chickalah twp. Yell Co. Voters List Sept 1868: Adam WIGGINS, 37, farmer Isaac WIGGINS, 33, farmer 1850 AR Yell Chickalah twp, hh 21-21 WIGGINS, Ransom 46 NC carpenter --David C. 8 AR --Margaret 6 AR (living in hh of Jacob & Martha TUCKER) Laurey-- You didn't say who were [Mary] Ellen's parents, but the only name that matches at all in the above two census entries is Mary, the daughter of Adam WIGGINS. I would venture a guess that this is the Mary WIGGINS who married (abt 1851) Wilson Monroe HARKEY and who later (May 1869) married Edward REIL/REAL/REEL. For one thing, they are the same marriageable age and live near each other. For another, [Mary] Ellen REAL, in the 1900 Benton Co. AR census, says that she was born in AR, and in 1850 AR there is no other WIGGINS household with a Mary or an Ellen. The 1900 census entry is as follows: 1900 AR Benton Co. Hico twp, hh 157-161 REAL, Edward head Aug 1827 72 m27 TN KY TN --Ellen wife Jun 1832 67 m27 2ch/2liv AR VA VA --Licurgus C. son Nov 1873 26 m1 AR TN AR --Cora dau-in-law] Jun 1876 23 m1 0ch/0liv MO MO MO The information in the 1900 census doesn't match exactly the information that is found in the 1850 census or the marriage record. If Adam WIGGINS isn't Ellen's father, that would certainly explain part of the mismatch (birthplaces of Ellen's parents). But it is also possible that Ellen made guesses about her parent's birthplaces, her own age, and the number of years she had been married. (Misreading and/or miscopying during the census-taking and recording is also possible. And it's also possible that someone besides Ellen answered the census-taker's questions and did the guessing.) Does anyone know when Wilson Monroe HARKEY died? I was wondering whether Mary was widowed or divorced. Also, the 1900 census indicates that Mary Ellen WIGGINS and Wilson Monroe HARKEY had a child. Does anyone know who that child is? I've gone on much too long. Is anyone still reading this? Alma Roark Johnson