In a message dated 01/07/2000 9:57:29 PM Pacific Standard Time, davisg@ris.net writes: > 1. I have a copy of a letter from "Estella May Sapp" to her "Aunt Maggie". > Could this be a Great Aunt of yours? It was written 15 Oct 1899 from Atlas, > IL. It looks like it was written by a young girl. She writes about a little > brother that is "growing lots". She also writes that they had their pictures > taken. My Uncle Butch has the original. To me this is further verification > we found the right Louisa Davis. Well Jerry we are definitly cousins....... whether adopted or blood. Estella May Sapp is my grandmother Eva's sister. My grandmother is the baby of ten children. Estella was the eldest child. Estella and 4 others had died by the time my grandmother was born in 1916. Estella was born in Nov.1890 we think in Atlas, Pike County Illinois. I wonder which "little brother" she was talking about. Estella had 3 little brothers in 1899. Homer Nelo was born in Aug.1892, Raymond Leo was born in Feb.1894 (although I do not have a death date for him, he may or may not have been alive in 1899) and Alvin Glen was born in March 1899. Bet she was speaking for the "baby" Alvin who would have been 2 days short of 7 months when she wrote the letter at nearly 9 years old. Jerry I would very much love to have a copy of that letter, if that's at all possible! I spoke with my grandmother Eva today. She remembers her mother Louisa (pronounced with a long "i" she told me today) and thought she was wonderful lady. I asked if she remembered her mother ever talking to her about her parents (Eva's grandparents). She told she does not remember her mother ever speaking about her family. The little bit she does know she learned from her next older sister who is also still alive (88 years!) They are the last 2 alive now. I asked if she ever heard the name Electa and she indicated she had not. Bless her heart, she seemed sort of sad to think I new more about her mother's youth than she did. The only information she did tell me that I did not know was the one of Louisa's parents, she doesn't recall which one, died when Louisa was 4 years old. 2. Also, I looked in my 1850 and 1860 Borderbund CDs for Sapps in Pike County. 1860 Census: D. D. Sapp Atlas Township pg 863 James Sapp Atlas Township pg 865 John Sapp Atlas Township pg 865 Mathew Sapp Atlas Township pg 864 Sarah Sapp Atlas Township pg 866 1850 Census: Mathew Sapp 7S4W(Pleasant Hill Township) pg 220 Daniel Sapp 7S4W(Pleasant Hill Township) pg 220 James H. Sapp 7S4W(Pleasant Hill Township) pg 219 Jacob Sapp 7S4W(Pleasant Hill Township) pg 220 Mary M. Sapp 7S4W(Pleasant Hill Township) pg 220 James Sapp 6S4W(New Salem Township) pg 211 Mary Sapp 6S5W(Derry Township) pg 221 Yes I know of these Sapps. Mathew in both census' is my ggg-grandfather. As you may have read in some of my posts I have not been able to find the parents of siblings of Mathew. I feel many of the above if not all are related but I just can't find the connection. I'll keep at it .....as with most researching their ancestors I have become obsessed! Looking at the 1880 census I noticed that Joseph's mother name was Louisa....Louisa was named for her grandmother? just another pinch of proof the this is the right Louisa! This has been so wonderful...finding family...please keep me posted on anything you find and I will do the same! If you can send me your Joseph Davis family chart I would sure love to see it. And again, I would dearly love the 1899 letter to Maggie from my great aunt. Thanks so much!! Cousin, Melody (friends & family call me "Mel") Melody Byrd 29632 312th Way SE Ravensdale WA 98051 360-886-7042