Posted on: VanBuren Co. Ia Query Forum Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ia/VanBuren/11361 Surname: MILFORD, CATES ------------------------- The William Milford family appears in the 1860 Iowa census for Van Buren co., Farmington Township (ref: REEL NO. M653-342,Sheet No.417, Lines 36-40, continued on Sheet 418, Lines 1-2) as William, 36, born in PA; wife Mary J.,28, born in MO, and five children born in IA (William, 10; Mary E.,8; John M.,6; Margaret E., 5; Julia,1). In the 1880 Iowa Federal Census, Van Buren Co., Farmington Township, Enumeration District 34, Pages 15-16, line 49, son John, age 24, is listed with three additional siblings ( James, 17; Dorette, 15; and Nannie, 13). They are living next door to their older sister, Margaret MILFORD Cates, 27, and husband, William Cates, 33, my great grandmother and great grandfather. The children's mother and father, William and Mary J. Milford, had apparently died before 1880. According to the obituary (copy available) for the eldest son, William, b. 15 Nov 1847 in Van Buren County, Iowa, and d. 2 Dec 1913 in Van Buren County, William and Mary J. Milford had 10 children. As constructed from above census records: William, Mary E., John M., Margaret E., child5(?), Julia, James, Dorette, Nannie, child10(?). It is not known if the two unnamed children are placed correctly. Child5 was placed between Margaret E. and Julia to account for a four year gap between them on the 1860 census. All the children may have been born in Van Buren Co., Farmington township area. Dorette (Dora) married and moved to Putnam Co., MO. According to son William's obituary in 1913, there were two brothers and three sisters surviving. Desire to exchange information on these Milford and Cates families with anyone researching these lines.