Dear Randolph County Friends, The recent notes about Indiana people being buried in Vermillion County Illinois reminds us of our two “brick walls”! We have Fred Hammer 1885-1929, born in Farmland, married Edith, had son Ray Custer Hammer & lived in Indianapolis. The son Ray Custer Hammer may have dropped the Hammer name & gone by Ray Custer & may have stayed around Indianapolis. We were told that Fred & his family were living near Cleveland & Fred was working there when he died in a Cleveland hospital of ruptured appendix. He was buried 25 Jun 1929 at Maxville, age 44. We are unable to find an Indiana death record or an Ohio death record. The stranger part is that we have been unable to obtain a Randolph County obituary, although he was born & raised in Farmland & probably didn’t leave Farmland until in his 20s. Thornburg Funeral Home probably did both funerals, but Thornburgs lost all their records in the tornado. Our second “brick wall” is Fred’s brother, Ray A. Hammer 1888-1924. Like Fred, he was born & raised in Farmland. We don’t have any documentation that either of the brothers graduated from Farmland H.S., but we assume that they did. Ray married Erma, & he worked at American Can at Indianapolis. Ray age 36 was buried 14 May 1924, at Maxville, beside his brother Fred. We think Ray did die at Indianapolis, but we are unable to obtain an Indiana state death certificate or an Illinois death certificate. We think Erma continued living in Illinois & she married 2nd to Eldon Geiger. Ray & Erma had a son Natt K. Hammer born c 1920. We have a photo of Natt in a Boy Scout uniform taken in Decatur Illinois. We have a photo of Natt in an Army uniform c 1943. Natt married Eleanor c 1945 & they had four children, Jeff, Mike, Linda & Natalie Hammer. Natt worked at A.E. Stehly Co. in Decatur, Illinois. We think that the deaths of their two sons perhaps hastened the demise of the parents and that may be why there appear to be no records in the family. But with all the information that we do have, it seems very strange that we are unable to obtain obituaries or death records on either brother. We have corresponded with the states, with the newspapers, with the funeral home, & with Maxville Cemetery. If anyone out there can help us we would be grateful. Thanks a lot. Nancy & Roger Hammer, Cheyenne, Wyoming.