Dear Family and/or Friends, I have put together a list of email addresses of some relatives, genealogists, and/or interested people, who have at least one thing in common. They are interested in the family history of the Sears Family, which I consider to be centered around Harrison County, Indiana. My particular branch (and that of several others) went on to the Hindsboro/Arcola, Douglas County, Illinois area. My thinking is that we can all learn about our mutual ancestors by sharing what we have learned. I am excited by the prospect of learning more about these people as I hope you will be too. However, now is the chance to request that your name be deleted from this group email list, if you are not interested. I will not be at all offended and will simply drop you off the list. On-the-other-hand, if you know of other relatives, friends, and genealogists, who want to be included, please let me know and I will add them to the emailing list. Perhaps some day we can finance a website, where we can share data and pictures, etc. I am familiar with similar sites on myfamily.com and really enjoy the interaction we have there. Just let me know. If I don't hear from you, I will continue to mail out what I learn about the Sears Family and will forward other people's data too. My interest in the Sears family started at age 15, in July, 1968, when I was staying with my maternal grandparents in Hindsboro, Douglas County, Illinois. My elderly great-grandmother, Maude Luesta (Sears) Strader (1882-1969) accompanied my grandfather and me out to the farm north of Hindsboro to do the chores. On the way back into town, "Ma Strader" asked my grandfather if we could stop at Van Voorhis "Deer Creek" Cemetery to copy down the dates off the tombstones of her paternal grandparents, Enoch and Margaret Sears (my great-great-great-grandparents.) We stopped and after the three of us located the graves in the old section of the cemetery, I copied the names and dates of the weather-worn tombstones onto an old envelope my great-grandmother had in her purse. (I still have the envelope - framed now and hanging on the wall in my genealogy office.) After returning to town, I was intrigued to find out more about these people and how they were related to me. I started interv! iewing my great-grandmother, who had a very good memory of her family. My descent from the first known Sears in our line, goes like this: (subject to change) Johann Georg Zerr (c.1710-c.1800) John Sears (c.1749-1839) m. c. 1778, Catherine Margaret Conrad (c. 1760-c.1822) George Jacob Sears (1789-1857) m. c. 1811, Catharine "Katie" Hon (1789-1880) Enoch William Sears (1819-1874) m. 1840, Margaret A. Hostetler (1822-1893) Stephen William Sears (1852-1934) m. 1875, Laura Belle Stites (1858-1926) Maude Luesta Sears (1882-1969) m. 1902, Alva Curtis Strader (1880-1960) Clifford Anthony Strader (1906-1997) m. 1927, Thelma Easter Allen (1908-1984) Myra Joy Strader (born 1932) m. 1951, Allan Kent Coy (1931-2002) David Kent Coy (born 1953) Just let me know. Thanks. David Kent Coy 123 North 20th Street Decatur, IL 62521-2114 (217) 420-4378 davidkentcoy@mcleodusa.net