Dear Connie, If you have a couple of the same pictures, that should be proof we're on the same family! Did you have the picture of your grandmother with her grandmother? I'm sending, through the U. S. Postal Service, copies of the other pictures, and hope you can identify some of them. I'll number them, so through email we'll both know what pictures we are referring to. I've not done anything with this family for 7 years, but will write out what I had collected then and make it available to all members of the Louisa County Rootsweb List. Elizabeth Willis, sister of your Lavisa Willis, married Andrew Thompson. Andrew was born 3 October 1823 near Wheeling, West Virginia. They were married 17 June 1847 in Muskingum County, Ohio. Andrew died 18 April 1892 in or near Columbus Junction, Louisa County, Iowa. As stated above, Andrew was born in West Virginia. The family moved circa 1832 to Muskingum County, Ohio. Andrew grew up working in a harness and saddle making business. About six years after they were married Andrew and Elizabeth moved to Louisa County, Iowa, settling on a farm in Morning Sun Township circa 1853. Children of Andrew and Elizabeth Willis Thompson: 1. Infant daughter, probably died young, in Ohio. 2. William L.Thompson--lived at Central Point, Oregon. 3. Laura Ella Thompson was married 15 September 1881 in Louisa County, Iowa, to William S. Grimes, who was a medical doctor and had a county-wide practice, although centered in Wapello. 1. Florence L. Grimes was born at Wapello on 7 October 1883. She married a Steigleder and was living in Packwood, Iowa, in 1921. 4. Martha Lois Thompson married William D. Garmoe on April 1, 1880, in Louisa County. They lived near Winfield, Iowa. 1. Merle Garmoe, born 14/16 May of 1886 at Winfield, Henry County, Iowa. He married Marie Ewing Henderson 23 September 1909 at Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa. 2. Daughter, name unknown, born 17 August 1882 at Salem, Henry County, Iowa. 3. Carl Ebert Garmoe, born 21 May 1888 at Winfield, Henry County, Iowa. He married Mable B. Stephens on 6 March 1911 at Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa. 1. Daughter, who married Ted Plowman and was living in Douds, Iowa, in 1969. 2. Earl 3. Ruth Evelyn, born 24 May 1914 in Winfield, Henryh County, Iowa. 5. Mary Thompson was born January 27, 1848, in Ohio. She married William R. Harkness, son of J. B. Harkness and Margaret Fleming, on 12 November 1868 in Louisa County, Iowa. The family lived near Creston, Iowa. 1. Elmo 2. Lois 3. Maggie L. 4. Mary Eva, born 8 July 1871; died 27 Sep 1872. 5. Glen William, born 1 October 1876; died 1 November 1881. 6. Nancy Jane Thompson was born November 1, 1849, at Norwich, Ohio. She married J. H. Armstrong on 10 October 1867 in Louisa County, Iowa. 1. Andrew J. Armstrong 2. Jesse G. Armstrong 3. Eva M. Armstrong. She married a KELLY. 4. Frank L. Armstrong 5. Verne B. Armstrong 6. Olive M. Armstrong. She married a PORTER. 7. Robert Lemon Armstrong, born 21 January 1871; died 5 July 1882. 8. Nelson Leroy Armstrong, born 23 January 1891; died 13 September 1917 in Iowa. 7. Robert Newton Thompson, born 5 January 1852; died 29 August 1872 in Louisa County, Iowa. 8. Olive C. Thompson, born in September 1862 in Iowa. She married Joseph Alexander Porter, son of Hugh Porter and Lydia Malone, on 31 December 1885 in Louisa County. Olive had a twin brother, Oliver Thompson, a piano tuner, who lived at Fort Dodge, Iowa and several other places in Iowa. 1. Frances B. Porter, born October 1887 and died at McAllen, Texas. She was married to George Slosser and they lived at Mt. Vernon, Missouri, in 1944. They had no children. She died before George, and he continued to live in McAllen. When he died, his housekeeper inherited his property, among them the pictures that I possess. The housekeeper had sold them or given them to an antique dealer. 2. Mary L. Porter, born September 1892, died in January 1989. She was married to George McGinnis and they lived in Clinton, Wisconsin in 1944. They later lived in Avalon, Wisconsin. 1. Delbert McGinnis in 1991 lived at 619 Madison Drive, Delavan, WI 53115. 2. Evelyn McGinnis married Arnold Thompson and in 1991 lived at Box 5, Clinton, Wisconsin 53525. 3. George McGinnis, born 16 February 1922 and in 1991 lived at RR 1, Avalon, Wisconsin 53505. 3. Hazel E. Porter, born in February 1897, in Iowa. She married Palmer Wilson, and they lived at Dallas Center, Iowa, in 1944. They retired to Sun City, Arizona. 9. Oliver Thompson, born September 1862 in Louisa County, a twin. He was married in Iowa in 1893, wife's name unknown. 1. Wilma Thompson, born January 1894 in Nebraska. 2. Fay Thompson, born in November 1895 in Nebraska. 3. Oliver C. Thompson, born in October 1897 in Nebraska. 10. Jay Farley Thompson, born about 1865. He married Mary Higbee on 26 September 1889 in Louisa County, Iowa, and lived at Wellington, Kansas. He had three children born in Iowa before moving to Kansas. I have no names, but their birthdates were 24 February 1891; 16 April 1893; 3 August 1894. I have various documentation from Louisa County for the information given above, such as vital records in the courthouse, probate information, obituaries, etc. Well, enough for now. It is getting late, and I want to send you the photographs tomorrow. Bye, Keith Street > From: Connie Beck <cbeck@lenox.heartland.net> > To: Keith/Connie Street <ckcasey@lisco.net> > Subject: Re: New to the site!! > Date: Wednesday, March 18, 1998 12:54 AM > > Keith, > I received the photocopies in the mail today! WOW!!! That is my > grandmother as the little girl! She is Alberta Norvista Owens. Her > mother is Mary Elizabeth Willis, dau. of LaVisa. > > Is there any way I could have you make a negative of that picture? > I have the same picture you have of the the 4 adult women who are > sisters and the 2 elderly women. What else do you have? Any pictures > of Mary Elizabeth Willis? She is a real beauty. Long dark hair and a > pretty face. Do you know what she looks like? How about Robert > Willis? his wife? Any earlier than that? > > Thanks so much. > Connie