August 1948 - A series of 80-100 unexplained fires broke out on the farm owned by Charles WILLEY in Bethel Twp. The Macomb Daily Journal carried articles nearly every day. I'm a descendant of Absolam and Rachel LEMLEY WILLEY and am trying to determine how Charles is related to Absolam. One newspaper report sites his brother as Obie WILLEY and his wife's brother as Arthur MCNEIL, Sr. Can anyone fill me in on Charles and the identity of his wife? The articles (found at IRAD at Western IL U) are outlined as follows: 7 Aug -The first fire was found burning in the woodbox beside the stove in the kitchen by Mrs. Willey 11 Aug-brown spots began to appear on the wall paper throughout the house. They would break into flames that the Willeys and their neighbors would help put out -with as little as a cup of water. 12 Aug- Willeys and their neighbors began ripping wallpaper off the walls thinking the paper might be the cause, but fire broke out in the lathes in the plaster. The furniture and other valuables were removed from the house. Walter STONEKING, a neighbor, reported that he put a lace curtain across the foot of a bed and returned to find it in ashes. 13 Aug-the Willey home burned to the ground 15 Aug-While the Willeys were milking the barn their house burst into flames and quickly burned to the ground. 18 Aug- fires broke out in the paper which had been used to line the milk house which the family was using as a dining room 19 Aug- basket of papers in the chicken house and papers on pantry shelves in the milk house burned. Later that afternoon the second barn burned to the ground in 18 minutes. 20 Aug - the state fire marshal'sl office was asking that experts examine the Willey farm. Rumors began that the Army was going to test for radio activity, high frequency radio waves and foreign sabotage. 30 Aug - the culprit was discovered - 13-year-old Wonet McNeil, the Willey's niece and Arthur McNeil's daughter. Wonet, her 8 year old brother Arthur and their father were living with the Willeys, since their parents divorce. Wonet set the fires hoping she would be returned to the custody of her mother. Sept 1948 custody of Wonet was given to her maternal grandmother Mrs. John JOHNSON of Marseilles, IL. What ever happened to Wonet?? Cindy Foster researching: Willey, Stoneking, Frakes, Stokes in McDonough Co., IL P.S. I'll be gone for a week of vacation, but will be excited to learn more about this line of the Willey family.