This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: sk1117 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.kansas.counties.johnson/308.2.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hello Sally Berry! My interest in your family is that I have been working off and on for many years on 5 Billett brothers who came to America. One of them was my great-grandfather, Rudolph, who lived in Alcony, OH. My grandfather was one of his 3 children and ran away from OH because of a wicked step-mother. I have proof from her family that she was a real meanie. Be patient, I'll have a point here soon. Another Billett brother was Leopold, who settled in Dayton, OH and prospered greatly. He married Elizabeth Mentel Weckel who had been married to Mr. Weckel who died in the Civil War. Leopold was in the shoe business with Mr. Weckel and when he came back from the Civil War he married the widow Weckel. One of his daughers was Frances - called Fannie. She married Addison E. Martin.This is where you and yours come in. Therefore Leopold and Rudolph kept in touch as brothers from a foreign land would and they kept in touch after my grandfather fled Ohio and ended up in Kansas (where I still am). My mother, Mae Elizabeth Billett Anderson, kept in touch and Addison E. Martin was one of the ministers who married my parents in Princeton, KS in the Methodist church there. "Uncle" Ad as she always called him and his wife, Fannie Billett Martin stayed in touch with my mother for many years. I began to do my genealogy on my Great-grand father Rudolph Billett but there wasn't much effort to finish that off quickly so I began on the other brothers. Christian Karl who landed in New Orleans with the other brothers, stayed there and prospered in the grocery business. I have also worked on his family and I have met 2 of his descendants - they came to Kansas City for other reasons and we were thrilled to meet each other! Anyway, I got stuck after I located Mary Patricia Martin - in Leopold's branch and have been trying to locate others. That is my story and I'm sticking to it because I've put so much effort into it! I will be happy to share what I have found. I am in the process of putting it on Ancestry Tree as a Private Tree. I want to be able to control who can see it because that's the way I am. No one but family needs to know about me and mine and this way I can also add photos with the confidence that no one will be able to track any of the family. In fact, I haven't even gotten to the Martins yet! My husband was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer almost exactly 2 years ago and this project has helped me have an interest that I can do without neglecting his care.He gets chemotherapy every week and it is beginning to wear him down with the side effects etc. So you see, ask me a question and I can go on forever. My answer though to what I believe was your question was that the well went dry with Diann. Oh, do you know Nancy Festa? She is a Martin and seemed to know quite a bit abt. the younger generations. She lives in CA and is involved with education - abt. to retire. Susan Billett Anderson Kost PS I'll be happy to answer any questions that you have! PPS I have not looked at my notes, this is just out of my memory, so I hope it is accurate! Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.