I might be getting closer....don't know the possibility of finding birthparents of someone from this era though without knowing which County they were born in. But just received my GGGrandmother's death cert and it lists her birthdate! so that is a bonus. Also lists her as buried at Oakwood Cemetery....I asssume this is the one in Chicago (there are several I found). {Her fosterparents were buried in Graceland Cemetery in Chicago, and there are still family plots available...so don't know why she wasn't buried there too}. Grace Esther Ryerson was born to parents from Scotland (acc'g to 1880 Chicago Census) on May 5, 1868. She was adopted by Tunis Ryerson (from NJ) and Rose Anderson (from Canada) before 1871 (Tunis died in July 1871). They had been living in Muskegon, Michigan. I can't pinpoint the families locations. Tunis and Rose came to Illinois and there is suggestion they lived in Chicago. However, Tunis died in Elgin, Kane in 1871. He was buried at Graceland Cemetery in Chicago. Rose remarried to Robert Forrester and lived in Chicago (with Grace too). Grace married Samuel Edward Davis (from Alton, Madison) in Cook County in 1887. He was a creamery businessman in Chicago (South Water Street I've been told). They had four children, one was born in Elgin, Kane....another lived in Geneva, Kane (so I assume they all were in that area). Rose died in 1904 in Bloomington. According to Graceland Cemetery records, S Edward Davis and Grace lived at 15 Porter Ave, Elgin, Kane from 1905-1915 and 920-926 E 44th Street Chicago, Cook from 1916-1942. Grace's death certificate says they lived at 1426 Hyde Park Blvd, Chicago, Cook (16 Dec 1917). Samuel Edward remarried to Mabel around 1924. Graceland says he died in 1945, notes from deceased daughter says he died around 1928..in either case, haven't traced him. ....so it appears that the family was in Chicago, Cook and Elgin, Kane (& Rose was also in Bloomigton, McLean) Pete Hanson