Some of our EKISS relatives lived in Macon Co. Our direct line in Bethany. Several years ago we finally visited Bethany and on that trip learned that it is now a 'bedroom' community to Decatur residents that wish to live in a quiet, rural area. My husband, typical man!!? just doesn't remember his childhood or much about his Grandparents. He'd tell me they were from Decatur but he remembered going to GA. Then all of the sudden one day he told me he'd not attended his Grandmother's funeral in IL but had gone there with his parents. They said he shouldn't to go to the funeral however. He was 15 at the time. IL! the hunt was on and I've traced the Ekiss family way back. I'd love to hear memories of Bethany if anyone has some. I think finding the social history of a community is more than half the fun of genealogy research. This is the type of discussion I seek on a roots -L and wish it was more frequent. I've been told to join roots history L if that is what I'm interested in but the few history L I've joined are more scholarly and less personal experience. Our ancestors were real people. This brings them to life, makes them human to know where they had that hot dog, or ice skated, or where they might have stole the first kiss. Barb in AZ

Barbara, would you have Benjamine Franklin EKISS and Luella Grace SCOTT in your file? Luella Grace SCOTT is my second cousin once removed. They come thru my STUART line. They have two daughters Eleanor and Deva who still like in Bethany. I have visited Eleanor on several occasions. Best regards Sandra Wagner Decatur, Illinois ----- Original Message ----- From: "John and Barbara Ekiss" <jbekiss@att.net> To: <ILMACON-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2004 11:02 AM Subject: [ILMACON] memories > Some of our EKISS relatives lived in Macon Co. Our direct line in Bethany. > Several years ago we finally visited Bethany and on that trip learned that > it is now a 'bedroom' community to Decatur residents that wish to live in a > quiet, rural area. > > My husband, typical man!!? just doesn't remember his childhood or much about > his Grandparents. He'd tell me they were from Decatur but he remembered > going to GA. Then all of the sudden one day he told me he'd not attended > his Grandmother's funeral in IL but had gone there with his parents. They > said he shouldn't to go to the funeral however. He was 15 at the time. > > IL! the hunt was on and I've traced the Ekiss family way back. > > I'd love to hear memories of Bethany if anyone has some. I think finding > the social history of a community is more than half the fun of genealogy > research. > > This is the type of discussion I seek on a roots -L and wish it was more > frequent. I've been told to join roots history L if that is what I'm > interested in but the few history L I've joined are more scholarly and less > personal experience. Our ancestors were real people. This brings them to > life, makes them human to know where they had that hot dog, or ice skated, > or where they might have stole the first kiss. Barb in AZ > > > > ==== ILMACON Mailing List ==== > Visit the Macon County ILGenWeb page at: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacon/ >