I originally posted this and have heard from several people about it. "Stephen Gardner Hooker b.1824 in Poultney. He married Helen Nash Norton and they moved to IL where Stephen became a grain merchant. I believe that Stephen was the son of S.P. Hooker of Poultney. I am not sure what the S stands for but it could be Samuel. Stephen's mothers first name could have been Olivia." I thought Stephen Gardner Hooker was the son of Samuel Porous Hooker. But several different people who have him in their lineage have told me basically 2 different things. That he didn't have a son named Stephen and/or he had other children that no one knows the names of. I had found the name S.P. and Olivia in the LDS records which had been entered by unknown people. As we all know, the info that we often find is not always correct or the right info. After being told that Samuel Porous Hooker couldn't or very probably was not his father, I kept looking. I then found, and also had brought to my attention, the Stephen Shattuck Hooker whose mother was Eliza, a widow; older brother Silas and younger sister, Martha, who married a Baird, living in Goshen, VT. Martha Hooker Baird is very well documented on many family trees. I went through all census records and found Stephen Shattuck Hooker, still unmarried in his 60's, living with his sister, Martha Baird & her children. So by process of elimination, Stephen S. Hooker is not Stephen G. Hooker's father. Very, very probably Samuel Porous is not Stephen G. Hooker's father either. Samuel Porous had two groups of children from two wives. The names of his first 2 children are known but the second group are not, I am told. But he didn't marry his second wife until 1832 and my Stephen Gardner Hooker was born in 1824. So I am ruling out Stephen S. Hooker and Samuel Porous Hooker. In the meantime, I found through online searching the obituaries for Stephen G. Hooker and his wife, Helen Nash Norton Hooker in the Chicago Daily Tribune. Both stated burial in Graceland Cemetery in Chicago, IL along with some of their children and grandchildren So I contacted the cemetery and sure enough, found Stephen G and his family buried there. I was able to get a copy of the burial card and other info including a letter written by Stephen G. Hooker's grandson, Jerome Beardsley Hooker, stating all of Stephen G. and Helen's children...ones dead and still alive at that time which was 1934. Their son, Edward C. Hooker, Jerome's father, had just died and was buried in Graceland. **The letter stated that George Graves Hooker, son of Stephen and Helen, had a son named Preston Nash Hooker, who disappeared a little less than 20 years before 1934 and had never been heard from again. This will tie in below in the descendancy listing.** So I started searching online on Ancestry. com and all the other genealogy sites including Rootsweb. Searched though online databases for IL state and much more. I was finally able to find out that we still had family alive that were descended directly from Stephen G Hooker, the same as I. I was able to find and talk to on the phone, a Robert Jerome Hooker, who was the son of Jerome Beardsley Hooker who died in 1966 and was also buried at Graceland in the family plot. We had a very long conversation in which he told me that Stephen G Hooker was born in Brandon, VT He gave me other info that he was aware of but said he couldn't remember who Stephen's parents were. But he said he had been told that we were descended from Rev. Thos Hooker. I also spoke with his 2 daughters, who are both right around my age (55). They were thrilled to hear from me and are going through all their old trunks where they know there are original letters, photos, etc. But most is very probably from the Beardsley family but hopefully some Hooker things will be there. Robert is now 78 years old, very healthy and very mentally fit. But he said that he and his wife and children moved to Southern CA back in the 1950's and didn't keep in touch with most of the other branches (cousins) that were Hookers. His great Aunts, Helen Hooker Moyer and Mercy Hooker, spinster, both lived into the 70's and were daughters of Edward C. Hooker and sisters of Jerome Beardsley Hooker. So, I know that Stephen G. Hooker was born in Brandon, VT in May of 1824. I kept searching and found a Stephen Hooker, age between 40 and 50, living in Brandon, VT in the 1830 Census. He had 2 sons and 4 daughters listed along with a wife but no names. One of the sons was in the age above 5 but less than 10 age range. Stephen Gardner Hooker would have been 6 years old in 1830. So the info that Jean M.from the Rutland, VT list sent to the Forum/list is very interesting to me: Old Town or Congregational cemetery in Brandon Hooker,Dan---[broken][DAR:Daniel]died 10-1-1818] Wm G. died 10-1-1818 in 3rd year.[Sons of Stephen Abigail] Hooker,Daniel, died 2-13-1817 age 67 and I am wondering if these children that died the same day, were MY Stephen G. Hooker's older brothers and that the Stephen and Abigail Hooker listed as the deceased children's parents could be the same Stephen Hooker and wife in the 1830 census record that shows 3 girls and 2 boys with one boy listed between ages 5 and 10. My Stephen would have been 6 year old. That fits. Also, could Daniel Hooker, listed deceased at age 67, be MY Stephen G. Hooker's grandfather. So, I am now looking and trying to find info about the Stephen and Abigail Hooker listed in Brandon, VT. Also Daniel Hooker. Here is the descendancy listing for Stephen Gardner and Helen, in case anyone is interested as I have gathered it for my little line. My lines have * in front of number since colors don't come through on the list. *1.Stephen G. Hooker m. Helen Nash Norton 2.Alice G. Hooker m. Francis Wheeler Wadsworth 3.Harry Wadsworth 3 Francis Wheeler Wadsworth Jr aka Frank W. Wadsworth 2.Edward C. Hooker m. Mary G. Beardsley 3.Helen Hooker m. L.T. Moyer 3.Harry E. Hooker m. Anna Belle P. 4. Ruth E. Hooker 3.Mercy Beardsley Hooker, never married 3.Jerome Beardsley Hooker m. Mabel I.Timmons of TX 4. Robert Jerome Hooker 2.Chester W. Hooker m. Mary L. Schneider 3.Dorothy M. Hooker 3.Helen M. Hooker 3.Mary H. Hooker 3.Chester R. Hooker 2.Helen N. Hooker m. Eric Ringborg and moved to Sweden 3.Several children that I have names for. All in Sweden 2.Four other children who all died before age 14 *2.George Graves Hooker m. Nina Preston *3. Preston Nash Hooker aka James Preston Farrell He changed his name (notlegally)when heleft the Navy in early 1920's due to a scandal & moved to So CA where he never told my father or uncle his real name or kept in touch with his family back East. Also the ones who moved to CA never knew he was there. *4.James Russell Farrell m. Joan Rosemary Minor 5.Linda M Farrell (THIS IS ME) m. Alan T. Lathrop 5. I have 4 living brothers also So if you have made it through this very long posting, I thank you and hope that someone might have more info so I can complete my ancestry and connect to the Hooker line that I belong to. All the best, Linda M. Lathrop nee Farrell/Hooker