This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: cellertson1 Surnames: Laughead, Kyle, Mitchell Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.iowa.counties.washington/481.1.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.2.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Dear Phil. Please add my sincere thank you to all of the others for making the Laughead booklet available to all of us. I have known of its existence for many years, and seen excerpts of it here and there, but never been able to read the whole thing. The Laughead/Loughead (I have even seen one census that spelled it "Longhead"), Kyle, and Mitchell families are all my family on my mother's side. I identified with everything he said in his book. Especially about David Mitchell (my 4th Great Grandfather), or at least everything I have learned regarding him. I am a descendant of the final child of Ruth Mitchell(dau David and Margaret Mitchell), and (Judge) Samuel Kyle. If you look at the dates, you will see that Ruth died about a month after grandfather was born. My family tradition always attributed it to "childbed fever". Hers and Samuel's children were subsequently raised by Rachel Jackson with whom he had another 15 children, the latter of which lead to his famous comment about having "75 feet of sons", as they were all very tall, and that was how he figured they added up. When I was a child of ten, I spent an entire summer in Washington, in the Kyle family home at 302 West Second Street. My grandmother's sister, Jeannet! te (never married), was the last of the family to reside there, and had passed away, and my grandmother and her brother Joe Kyle were settling the estate, and making arrangements for the old home to be sold. Grandmother had been blind for nearly 15 years, but had cataract surgery prior to our trip at the young age of about 76, just so she could see her childhood home for one last time, and her brother, family etc. Quite a feat for the day, considering she was also a diabetic, who had to have insulin shots every day. Great grandfather "Squire" David C. Kyle, was very active in the civic affairs in Washington. At one time or the other, he was the Assessor, Justice of the Peace (obit says he married over 200 couples), Mayor, County surveyor, and I can't remember what all. The entire family loved history, and he donated much to the historical society either before he died, or in his will. While there, my grandmother and some of her old classmates got together for a visit, and d! essert (served in stemware, of course), and just had a ball. Mary Ande rson was one of the ones present. I might even have a letter in my mother's effects, in response to the notification that Frances had passed away. They were all great people, and pillars of the community. David was best known for his extensive personal library (he translated books for a hobby), which I got in trouble with my mother for playing in - I was sliding back and forth on the library ladder as though it were a carnival ride (whee!). The books went up about ten feet, so it was a requisite to obtaining one, just like in the big public libraries..Almost all of that side of the family are buried at Elm Grove Cemetery..I believe one daughter is buried in the other cemetery there. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.