This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/BGB.2ACI/438.3.1 Message Board Post: Mr. Kerwin, Thanks again. I'm sorry I didn't make it clear, the land Eb homesteaded was near Muskegon. Nearly two years ago another kind soul told me about land records. From them I found that Eb and his brother, Milo, had both homesteaded land in Muskegon County. When I received those papers is when I found the Elmer signature. I know the census showed him as female. Either the census taker made a mistake, or trips to Denmark for gender changes started long before we believed. I do not know who Elmer's parents were. It depends upon who he is a half-brother to. If it was Eb and Milo, then Sally was an unmarried 52 year old mother. If it was to Eb's later children with Mary Booker (one of whom was my ggrandfather), I strongly suspect he was Eb's child from a first marriage. Milo did not join the household from New York until sometime between March and June of 1850. Elmer was born in Michigan. Eb, and his mother, Sally, had moved to Michigan (he to Jackson County, her to Hillsdale County) in 1847 (From New York land records). One scenario that fits the facts is that Eb had married, his first wife died or was divorced (that seems to be genetic in our family) and he subsequently moved in with his mother. If his wife was still alive or still married it seems as if she would have been listed as living in the household. That is why I have been trolling in Jackson County for info on Eb. Does any of this make sense? If you want, we can carry this on off of the board. I am at oldugly@tm.net. Thanks again. Frank