Hi Ann ! Chester Smith died in Lapeer Co.., NY and I found it in the Lapeer Society's obituary file at their wonderful collection....they certainly are an active group. Recently, one of their members completed an awesome project. She spent seven years compiling all the family names from their two oldest newspapers' microfilms. She, noted if it was an obit, a death announcement, a birth announcement, or a family comment....trips, illnesses, etc. All the researcher has to do is to look up the surname, get the date, and then look at the microfilm for the ancestor. It was just recently added to their collection. The identity of my Arba's father was sent to me by a cousin in Texas who has access to the IGI files and it was there that he found my Arba (correct birth and death dates) with his father added. I am now attempting to locate more information on him in Cortlandville, Cortland Co., NY. His death date was given as December 31, 1817. I found it quite interesting that Cortland Co. has two townships named Marathon and Lapeer. He, also, sent me information that when my Arba purchased land in Macomb Co in 1825., he was living in Genesee Co., NY. I still haven't found out who the mysterious Johanna McDonald was, though. She was supposed to have helped him purchase the land or at least sponsored him in some way. Sure do wish I could find an obit for Arba's wife, Mary, in Macomb or at least a death record for her that might list her parents' names. Is this something that the sexton for Washington Twp. might have? Is there a newspaper for her death year available on microfilm? She died 20 June 1875. Did you know about this site online? _Find A Grave Search Results_ (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gsr&GSfn=Arba&GSmn=&GSln=Smith&GSbyrel=b efore&GSby=1790&GSdyrel=after&GSdy=1865&GSst=24&GSob=n) My Arba and Mary are on it with a picture of their tombstones. Take care of yourself and keep doing your exercises ! In the last four years I have had two knees replaced....lost them both to arthritis..and the exercise is still very important...especially in this cold , snowy weather up north. I've been going to water aerobics classes and it has really helped. I am finding that Ludington is a very friendly community. I'm hoping that I can find out more about their genealogical resources and eventually do some more volunteering through the RAOGK group in the summers. Diane <BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com.

Would you be so kind as to post the web site for the Lapeer Society you wrote about?? I am posting this to the list as other might also like to know this. Thank you, Ann in New Mexico, USA >From: Maprout@aol.com >Reply-To: mimacomb@rootsweb.com >To: mimacomb@rootsweb.com >Subject: Re: [MIMACOMB] Ann >Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2007 19:37:27 EST > >Hi Ann ! Chester Smith died in Lapeer Co.., NY and I found it in the >Lapeer Society's obituary file at their wonderful collection....they >certainly >are an active group. Recently, one of their members completed an awesome >project. She spent seven years compiling all the family names from their >two >oldest newspapers' microfilms. She, noted if it was an obit, a death >announcement, a birth announcement, or a family comment....trips, >illnesses, etc. All >the researcher has to do is to look up the surname, get the date, and then >look at the microfilm for the ancestor. It was just recently added to >their >collection. _________________________________________________________________ Mortgage rates as low as 4.625% - Refinance $150,000 loan for $579 a month. Intro*Terms https://www2.nextag.com/goto.jsp?product=100000035&url=%2fst.jsp&tm=y&search=mortgage_text_links_88_h27f6&disc=y&vers=743&s=4056&p=5117