Hi from Elaine, I am working on the family of John James BENTLEY b abt 1833 in VA md Mahala FUGATE / FUGIT She was the dau of Jesse B. FUGIT & Nancy PLOUGHE My new website focusing only on this family and their stories is at http://home.att.net/~johnjamesbentley (case sensitive) John J BENTLEY and the FUGITS lived near the connecting edges of Decatur Co, Iowa; Wayne Co., IA; and Mercer Co., MO. In fact Jesse B. FUGATE was the County Surveyor of Mercer Co as they were sorting out where the state line was. The Fugits were there by 1850 and JJ came in 1852. The Bentleys settled in Decatur County until they moved on to Fremont Co., IA in 1873. JJ and Mahala had 9 kids, most or all < born Decatur Co > These are the ones who married, but all after moving from Decatur County. - Nancy Catherine BENTLEY b 1861 md (1) Houston N. MORGAN (Huse) (2) Leonard Carl HILPERT - John F. BENTLEY b 1864 md Melinda GRAHAM (Linda) when widowed md 2nd, then 3rd - Jennie L. BENTLEY b 1867 md Hiram D. TATMAN (called "Dee") - Sarah Alice BENTLEY b 1868 md Charles WILLIAMS - William A. BENTLEY b. 1870 md Alice Rachel REID or REED They also adopted their gr-dau Mamie R. MORGAN who md William Root CHIVERS. She took care of John J. BENTLEY when he was old in the area near Visalia, Tulare Co., CA and helped pass down the family history. Relatively yours, Elaine - http://home.att.net/~johnjamesbentley