This message will be of interest to Martin Loy descendants like me. I was gleaning through some of my old genealogy correspondence from the 1980's and found a photocopy that was quite interesting of a letter which would have been written before 1906. Despite the fact I've corresponded with William's great-granddaughter and her daughter, the letter came to me before I came into contact with them. In the mid-1980's I corresponded with an elderly distant cousin of my Effingham branch who had, in turn, corresponded many years with Genevieve Peters who authored "Know Your Relatives." Genevieve herself had corresponded many years with Vetta Loy Johnson, granddaughter of William and Duly (Hill) Loy, son of George and Catherine (Tillman) Loy, son of Martin and Catherine (Foust) Loy. Vetta's father George Tate Loy was an avid Loy genealogist (as was Vetta herself) and had corresponded with William E. Loy, whose father Job Loy was first cousin to George Tate Loy. William E.'s son Harvey Loy later did a Loy manuscript based on his father's work. Genevieve had sent cousin Myrtle a typewritten transcription of a letter Vetta had in her possession that her father had received from William E. Loy. This has an 17 August date on it, but I can't read the year, as part of the page is cut off. William died in 1906, so it would have to be before then. My comments are with DRW. ************************************************** 531 Commercial St. San Francisco Aug 17 Mr. George T. Loy--Coin Iowa Dear Cousin-it is considerably more than a year since you wrote me in regard to the affair with Luther Vanaradel. [DRW-don't know what this means unless W.E. was a lawyer] There seemed to be nothing to do unless the widow could go to Page Co. and commnece suit. This she could do and it would not pay her to do it even if she could be sure of winning which she is not. There is another matter I now want to write about and that is the history of the Loy family. When Father died fourteen years ago [this is Job Loy--DRW] I collected some facts but found it extremely difficult to get the records. Lately I have begun again and even if I never complete it or print it the records will be available for anoyone who has interest in the family name. Here are the fa[cts] I have learned. Your grandfather was George Loy and he lived in Guilford County North Carolina [DRW--should be Orange County, but county line may have changed to Guilford later??] where my grandfather was born. I do not know whether this first George Loy was born in North Carolina or whether he came from the old country. We have supposed all along that he came from Germany but I doubt. I can not learn the name of your grandmother. My grandfather Jacob Loy moved from North Carolina to Tenn and it is [more] than likely his father [George, but he died in NC--DRW] and all his family moved out there. You may remember to have heard your father [Jacob's brother William] say something about it. In any event, I want to ask you to refresh your memory and talk the matter over with any [of] your sisters who might remember. George Loy had three [sons] John, [George,] Jacob, Henry, and William. [W.E. Loy counts three but names four. Vetta made corrections on the page by adding George Jr., but still miscounted these as "four" and naming five! DRW] John died at Furnace, Tenn [this was John "Fisher" Loy. DRW] and he was the father of the Isaac Loy who came to Page County soon after the [Civil--DRW] War. Henry went off with the Mormons and the last grandfather heard of him he was at Nauvoo. I think I am not a fair way to determine his fate. I believe at the uprising of the people against the Mormons at Nauvoo Henry was among the slain. [Here, Vetta marks "no." See my comment at end of article. DRW] His widow and son and daughter came with the Mormons to Salt Lake and the daughter married a son-in-law of Brigham Young. Charles Decker or Deeker by name. This information is not yet confirmed but I believe it is correct. Your father as I have always understood remained in Tenn probably with John. [DRW--William went to Page Co., IA] My uncle Henry says there were several sisters of his father and yours....Of course I am chiefly interested in those who were born Loys. In all probability you have your fathers old family Bible as thus have the records. If I may impose on your good nature I wish you would carefully copy the record and your own thus... Do you know anything about the line of David Loy, Aunt Betsy's husband who died about 1858. I am not sure whether he was a first or second cousin to his wife. If a first cousin then who was his father. You will give the name of your wife (her maiden name) where and when born and when married. I hope this will not frighten you because I do not want you tao make any [illegible word--DRW] out of it. With good wishes I am Your Cousin, William E. Loy. **************************** Regarding Mormon Henry Loy, Vetta is correct, as George's son Henry died in 1873 in Jackson Co., IL. I have heard other accounts of this Mormon Henry Loy and not sure which family he really belongs or even if this was confused with Henry and William's sister Margaret (Loy) Clapp who did become a widow and lived in Nauvoo and went with him to Salt Lake. As for David Loy, he was son of John Loy, Jr, son of John and Mary (Holt) Loy. Thus George Tate Loy was second cousin to David, and first cousin to Elizabeth ("Aunt Betsy"). W.E. Loy's father Job would have been first cousin to David, and brother to Elizabeth. Delores