This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/5k.2ADE/1312 Message Board Post: I have something of a mystery in my family tree. I have spent the past twelve months studying the Whitfields in the Idle/Pudsey/Calverley/Horsforth/Bramley areas between Leeds and Bradford in the West Riding of Yorkshire. My 3 x great grandfather's nephew, Joseph, was born 08 November 1807 in Idle. He married and had children in the area. He appears on the 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1881 censuses for the Idle area. In 1881 he was widowed and living with his widowed daughter, Martha Exley. On the headstone over the grave of his parents and two sisters is the following entry: "Also of Joseph Whitfield who died Maquoketa, USA January 31st 1886 aged 79 years" I have absolutely no idea why he travelled to Iowa to die! I tried e-mailing an historical society in Maquoketa but I didn't receive a reply. If anyone can throw any light on this matter I would love to hear from you! Also, if anyone needs information about the Whitfields in the areas detailed above please contact me. Marilyn Maybury Lancashire, UK

Marilyn wrote: > On the headstone over the grave of his parents and two sisters is the following entry: > > "Also of Joseph Whitfield who died Maquoketa, USA January 31st 1886 aged 79 years" > > I have absolutely no idea why he travelled to Iowa to die! I tried e-mailing an historical society in Maquoketa but I didn't receive a reply. > An obit from the local paper, if one existed at that time that is microfilmed, may shed light on the matter. I'll pass along your interest to an Obits-Request list I belong to and see if they can help. If anyone on this list can do the lookup, that would be better. Beth C. [email protected]