I thought I might be able to help you by checking some of my resources, but I haven't found your Robert Sylvester Donnelson either! I see by the 1900 census that Sarah C. Donnelson is in the census for Harrison Co., IA, listed as S.C. DONALDSON, age 41, widow. Her youngest child in this census is 10 month old Daisy, born August 1899. That would mean that Sarah's husband, Robert S. Donnelson was still around in about Nov. 1898, in order for her to get pregnant. You don't say who his sister in Missouri was, but if you want to share that name, I'll see if I can find anything there. I did check some records under Robert S. Donnelson and Donaldson. Nothing so far. This is a puzzler! Regards, Mona ----- Original Message ----- From: "Patrice Hartman" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, November 06, 2004 11:53 AM Subject: [IAHARRIS-L] Robert Sylvester Donnelson > > Searching for information on Robert Sylvester Donnelson. He was born about 1859 in Appanoose County, Iowa to Michael W. Donnelson and Nancy Ashby Donnelson. He was the youngest of their eight children. He married Sarah Catharine Plants on September 10, 1877 in Appanoose County. Soon after they moved to Harrison County, Iowa near the town of Magnolia where they were engaged in farming. They had 6 children, Bessie, Bertha, George, Warren, Emma and Daisy born between 1879-1899. In 1899 Robert left Iowa possibly going to Missouri to live with a sister. Robert wrote to his wife asking her to join him but her father had died leaving her an inheritance that she used to buy a home in Magnolia. On Nov. 16, 1906 Robert's wife, Sarah gave her permission for Emma to be married and made the following statement "This is to certify that my daughter Emma Donnelson is seventeen (17) years of age and that my husband and I have been separated for 7 years but not divorced." Sarah died Nov. 6, ! > 1913 and is buried at Magnolia, Iowa. I have searched the 1900 Missouri census and many other sources for Robert with no luck. Family tradition says he may have remarried at some time and had another family. I believe he was still living in 1925 when his brother James T. Donnelson died. Where did he go, what did he do and was there another family somewhere? Robert is my second great grandfather and I would like to fill in this blank on my pedigree chart. >