As a genealogist we always like to hear a success story. This is my first successful happening this year. Several months ago I wrote to the list about my search for my "lost line of Stevens," who lived in Fulton County, Illinois prior to 1916. My grandmother, Sophia Esther Stevens Scott died in Farmington, 30 August 1916, and my father (born 1915, died 1999) living with his father in another state, never received any contact from her family, all his life. Many long hours have been spent researching this Stevens line, trying to locate a living member, for my father. We learned the Stevens family had moved from Fulton County sometime after the 1920 (they were on that census in Fulton County), but we did not know where they had moved. Searching the Illinois Death Index, I later learned that they moved to McLean County, where Leonard (head of the family) died on 13 October 1925. While researching in Fulton County, I learned that Orval L. Stevens married Deloris Thousand, in Fulton County, on 3 July 1920, and that he was the informant on his father's death certificate. He was listed as a corporal so must have been in the army. I am searching for any descendants they he and Deloris may have had. Because I could not find any of the other Stevens I began to research the Thousand family to see if I could find anyone who knew something about Orval and Deloris. This year I received an email from a member of the Thousand family and she gave me some information that was crucial to my research. Orval and Deloris had one daughter (Vera Vandora Stevens), prior to their divorce. Deloris Thousand Stevens married Reece Jones, after her divorce from Orval. Vera Vandora Stevens (Orval's daughter) married Frank Dama (both now deceased) and they had three known children. Vera could have gone by the surname of Jones since she small child when Deloris married Reece Jones. The Jones Family is listed on the 1930 Knox County, Illinois Census with the following children in the household: Arlo ? (20), Ralph C. (18), Marie (16), Vera V. (8, and stepdaughter but listed as a Jones) and Rece B. (3). The last child was the only one on this census that was both Reece's and Deloris'. Reece was listed as a widower on the 1920 Census for Knox County. Deloris was not married on the 1920 Census and lived with her parents Charles and Lily (Grady) Thousand. Some might think that researching collateral lines is not worth the effort, but if you are going to be a good genealogist, who is thorough, research those collateral lines, especially if you are faced with a brick wall. Members of those collateral lines might have the family bible or those much sought after pictures of your ancestors. As an example, a distant relative in Indiana posted to a list that she had pictures of the Stevens family and she did not know how they related to her Jackson line. Could someone help her? I was able to tell her exactly how she was related to the Stevens family. Her ancestor was a sister to my great-grandfather, Leonard Stevens. The wonderful thing was that she had pictures of my grandmother, Sophia Esther Stevens Scott holding my father, as a baby. Our family had a copy of this picture, but it was not in very good shape. My distant relative's picture was perfect. She also had pictures of the brothers. We could only identify two of the brothers, based on another source that I was able to supply. Unidentified is Orval and Clyde Stevens. Deloris Thousand Stevens Jones and her daughter Vera Vandora Stevens Dama, and Frank M. Dama all died in Knox County, Illinois. Deloris died on 20 Dec 1996 while living in Abingdon. Vera V. Dama, born 28 May 1921, died 23 August 2000 while living in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois, and her husband Frank M. Dama, born 25 June 1909 died 10 April 1998. Would like to know where they are buried. I have requested obituaries (if available) from the Knox County Genealogical Society I am now searching for descendants of Vera Vandora Stevens and Frank Dama to learn more about the family and perhaps copies of pictures. I have not been able to locate Orval L. Stevens, Joseph Earl Stevens, Cecil Coyer Stevens or their mother Ida Jane Hatt Stevens on the 1930 Census. Ida could have remarried after the death of her husband, but I did not find a marriage record in McLean County, Illinois. It is possible that all three of the sons died between 1920 and 1930, but not likely. The one living son found was Clyde Ingram Stevens, still living in Baltimore County, Maryland on the 1930 Census with five children listed in that household. Ancestry.com has all individuals indexed for the 1930 Census which makes it easier to search, but they are having a problem with Illinois. It is only 99% complete and that might be the reason I am now finding my lost Stevens. Darlene Shawn