Listmembers, Last week I posted my query about the origins of Hester A. McDowell. Now I have a probable answer about who her parents were. I'm still seeking information about Hester and her children [Owen born 1843 & James born 1848] who were living in Mills County in 1870. Lyons Twp., Haynie P. O. Also, I'm asking about the family of Myrtle THOMPSON of Hillsdale, IA who married Elmer HAMAKER in 1902. Elmer was the grandson of Hester Ann. Does anyone know of these THOMPSONS?? Elmer worked at the White Cloud Mill ( just outside of Malvern)until about 1905 when it was sold, and the Hamaker clan moved to Wood Lake, NE. >From info that I posted on GenForum on the HAYMAKER/HAMAKER page, I received a packet of information from another Hamaker researcher. Would you believe she had letters written to her grandmother in the 1940s by my grandmother's cousins? Now it looks like Hester Ann was born a THOMPSON in TENNESSEE about 1820. Her husband's name was John MCDOWELL (ca 1820-1850). I'm off to the library today to look through old copies of "Ansearchin" to see if I can find any info about Thompsons. My curosity is to see if Myrtle's THOMPSON family and Hester Ann's THOMPSON family were connected. Thank you, Cay for your interest and support. I've spent about 2 years looking for Hester's family name. Sharon Laizure Hofer in Ontario, Calif.