This is my first posting to this list. There were quite a few Matthew Harpers. Am I on the right track? The death certificate of my husband’s g-grandfather says his parents were Mathew HARPER and Mary A. WARD, both born in TN. I found the family group of our Matthew HARPER (age 48, born TN) and wife Mary (age 46, born TN) on the 1870 census in Pettis Co., Missouri, along with their children: 1. Joseph, born 3/12/1857 in Pettis Co., MO, and died in Richardson Co., NE 2. Sarah, age 9 (don’t know anything about Sarah) 3. Mack, born 10/11/1868 in Dunksburg, Johnson Co., MO, and died in Richardson Co., NE I found a Matthew, age 28, and a Mary, age 26, on the 1850 Smith Co., Tennessee census. I don’t know if this is "our" Mathew and Mary, but the ages are right. The children listed were Frances?, Walkup, and John. I didn't find the Mathew Harper family on the 1860 Missouri census. I also found 2 submissions to the Ancestral File at www.familysearch.org for Mat(t)hew HARPER, where the age looks appropriate and is from Tennessee. One is for Mathew HARPER (AFN: LQCN-TB), born 1822 in TN, the son of Matthew HARPER and Sarah BOON. No spouse is listed. Another submission is for Matthew HARPER (AFN: CQDS-P2), born < 1820 <Smith, TN>, and is listed as the spouse of Mary Ann WARD. No parents are given for this listing. Are these 2 Mat(t)hew HARPERS on the Ancestral File the same? Do I have the right connections, in that Matthew HARPER living in Missouri in 1870 is the same one as Mathew HARPER, son of Matthew HARPER and Sarah BOON of Smith Co., Tennessee? There are other Matthew HARPERS, and I’m hoping I have the right one. If anyone can straighten me out, I’d appreciate it. Also, if anyone has a more complete list of Mathew HARPER and Mary WARD HARPER'S children, please let me know. Thanks for your help. Jean Harper [email protected]