This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: HOWARD Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/GBB.2ACI/1625.2 Message Board Post: Hello, I worked for about an hour or so this morning and I have worked out quite a bit on your Opha. I had to overcome you said she married in and about 1895. Actually, that was pretty much when she was born!! Here is your Opha HOWARD and I don't believe she was a CHESTER. She shows as an HOWARD in the census and the births of her children all show her maiden name to have been HOWARD. >From the 1910 Leslie Co. Fed. Census Dwelling 142-106 - Elk Horn - ED142 HOWARD, James, 37, husband, "married 2 times", mar. 16 years, b. KY; parents b. KY . .Alice, wife, 35, wife, mar. 1 time, mar. 16 years, 10 born; 7 living; b. KY; parents b. KY . Ophie, 13, dau, single, b. KY * * (this would be her!!) . .Pearlie, 9, dau, KY . .Joseph, 8, son, KY . Mae, 5, dau, KY . .Hargis, 4, son, KY * * . .Ballard, 2, son, KY * * (later on you will see how they tie in) . Cody, 11 mo's, son, KY >From the KY Birth CD's I found these births and in all cases, the maiden name of the mother was listed as Opha HOWARD: WOODS, Reid, b. 11-17-1914 in Leslie Co.; Vol. 83, Cert 41385 WOODS, Ada M., b. 8-29-1916 in Leslie Co.; Vol. 71, Cert 35460 WOODS, James, b. 12-9-1918 in Leslie Co.; Vol. 121, Cert #60168 One would think then that Ophie would appear on the Leslie Co. 1920 with these children BUT. . . she does not. None of the children born are present nor is she . The only James WoODS present is one married to a Peggie and they have children from 2 years through 6 years. Therefore, either the both of the parents have moved on or he has died or they have divorced and she has moved on. I have no idea. As of the 1920, Opha's parents are in the Wilder Precinct of Leslie Co. as follows: Dwelling 165-66 HOWARD, James, 52, Husband, b. KY; parents b. KY . .Elsie, 42, wife, b. KY; parents b. KY . .Pearlie, 19, dau, KY . .Mae, 15, dau, KY . .Hargis, 13, son, KY . .Ballard, 11, son, KY . .Cody, 10, dau. (it does say dau.; however on the 1910, Cody is clearly written as a son. These things happen on transcriptions. Sometimes they are a transcription error and sometimes they were an error on the part of the census enumerator.) You can never entirely depend that because it has said his wife was an Alice that that was what it was. She could have been an Alsie, Alice, Elsie, etc. etc. I found ONE birth record as follows which probably ended in the death of this child but it could be that Alsie was an OLIVER (your g-grandmother). 2-23-1913 in Leslie Co., Vol. 18, Cert 8987 HOWARD, Beach born to: Ailcie OLIVER, maiden name. You stated Opha married a Henderson COLWELL and I found one who had 30 children and who had been married 3 different times with his 3rd wife listed as a Opha CHESTER (which is probably a big error). Anyway, from the births of his earlier children with his second wife, I then knew that your Opha was born much later than you indicated. He was still having chldren with his lst wife, Rebecca STIDHAM as of 1899. Then he married a Nancy FUGATE and then came the Opha. He is shown as dyingon 15 March 1940 in Hazard, Perry Co., KY. Now comes the 2nd round of children for Opha HOWARD who is now having COLWELL babies - - all in Perry Co., KY. Perhaps that would be where you would locate their specific marriage record. It would seem reasonable since Henderson COLWELL seems to have been a long-term resident of that particular county. KY Birth CD's: COLWELL, Bertis, b. 11-15-1922 in Perry Co., Vol. 118, Cert 58559; maiden name of mother: Offie HOWARD CALWELL, Jeff, b. 8-27-1924 in Perry Co., Vol. 138-68983 (I found where he died in January 1981 in Hamilton Co., Cincinnati, OH from the Soc. Sec. Index.) CALWELL, E. J. b. 9-4-1931 in Perry Co., Vol. 085, Cert 42330 CALWELL, French, b. 5-7-1933 in Perry Co., Vol. 047, Cert 23135 CALWELL, Lomie, b. 1-19-1935 in Perry Co., Vol. 189, Cert 91307 COLDWELL, Thirty, b. 8-12-1937 in Perry Co., Vol. 085, Cert 42042 NOTE: This old man actually named his 20th child, Twenty COLWELL and his last child with your Opha was named "Thirty COLWELL". I guess that is one way of keeping track of them. ha ha Also, on the 1930 Perry Co. Fed. Census, I found them: 1930 Perry Co. - Forked Mouth Road, Mag. Dist. #108 Dwelling 78-78 COLWELL, Hederson, 58 or 59?, mar. at 16 years, b. KY; parents b. KY . .Opha, wife, 34, mar. at 18 yrs, b. KY; parents b. KY * * WOODS, Ada, "stepdau", 13, KY WOODS, Opal, stepdau, 11, KY . .Osbon, son, 11, KY COLWELL, Twenty, son, 19, single, KY . .Birties, son, 7, KY . .Jeff, son, 5, KY . .Martha, dau, 4, KY . .Alcil or Alcie, __, KY HOWARD, Hargus, boarder, 23, KY . .Ballard, boarder, 21, KY NOTE: These would both be Opha's brothers!!!! I hope this has helped to give you a start. With this information, you should be able to make some better postings and gain more knowledge with regard to your family. Please always remember to help others along the way. Joyce Taylor Collins La Palma, CA