Hello, I just recently joined the list and wanted to post my surnames of interest: STROUD, AYERS, MOCK, KERR, SIMPSON--possibly CARTER My grandfather, Clyde Ayers Stroud, was born 11 Sep 1890, Butler, Keokuk, IA. He was one of four sons born to Samuel Ayers Stroud and his second wife, Mrs. Mary Mock Hart. (I have not yet located her first husband's HART family.) Samuel Ayers Stroud was married first to Sarah D. Helms and by her, had a daughter named Maybelle. I have an old photo of the family, including Maybelle, Samuel and Mary, along with my grandfather and his older brothers, Charles Edward, Elmer C. and Paul Clinton STROUD. In the early 1900s, the family migrated to Western Canada to start a horse-breeding ranch. Everyone but my grandfather eventually moved back to the States and they lost touch. My grandfather, Clyde, moved from Canada to Oregon after WWII and it was there in the Pacific NW where we were born and grew up. The STROUD family came from colonial Natick, Massachusetts to NY to OH to MO to IA. The male line goes William, William, Joel, Samuel C., Samuel Ayers and my grandfather, Clyde Ayers. Other surnames in this MA family are Stanford, Crouch, Fisher, Fiske, Barbour, Clarke, Morse and related families of Natick, Dedham, Sherborn, Mass. Following the Revolution, the family began its movement West. They married into the SIMPSON family of VA, in Athens Co. OH. Their faith was Methodist. And from there to Scotland Co. MO, where the AYERS family connects into the Strouds. According to Census records, Mary Carter AYERS was born in NC. And according to Census records, Sarah G. SIMPSON, was born in Virginia. Sarah married Joel STROUD a Veteran of the War of 1812. By 1830, they seem to have left Athens Co. OH for Scotland County, MO and finally up into Salt Creek Township, Davis Co. IA. According to the death certificate for Mary MOCK, her father was named Andrew and her mother _____ Kerr. I found an Andrew and Nancy Mock living in Benton Township, Keokuk Iowa in the 1860 Census. I suspect this is my Mary's parents, as they have an elderly lady living with them named Mary and a child the right age for my Mary, living there as well. I have not found anything back from Sarah G. Simpson, linking her to her family in Virginia. A research assistant from Athens Co. OH wrote to me that her father was listed with them as "John Simpson," but I haven't found him. There are numerous John Simpsons in OH, following the Revol. and the opening of the west. And while I suspect that Mary Carter Ayers may be connected to the Samuel Ayers family of Scotland Co. OH and previous to that, Virginia--I don't yet have proof. There is some suggestion that the CARTER family is connected to this branch, as Mary and Samuel's son, Joel Stroud, 1849-1929, married Mary Elizabeth CARTER. This line moved to South Dakota. And I'd like to know more about the KERR family, whose daughter (Nancy?) was married to Andrew MOCK. If anyone has run across this family, please let me know. I'd be happy to share. Maureen Mead -- mmeadpond@aol.com meadponddesign@earthlink.net USGenWeb Project CC: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ctfairfi