I have tried all sorts of things - posting to numerous boards, lists, etc., but have gotten nowhere in my search of descendants of John and Leona/Lena WALSH in Mecosta Co. MI. I am hoping this list can help. John WALSH b. 1834 "L Ireland" (according to 1860 MI Census) married Lena/Leona b. c. 1838 "Antrim Ireland" ( " ") In 1860 they were living in Mecosta County Michigan - with one son, William, age 1. In the 1870 census they are listed as "WELCH" -living in the same place. In 1880 Lena is listed as a widow, with all children except William living at home. I have no further information after that, beyond finding Alfred and James (and that is an assumption) listed in the 1919-1923 Rural Directory of Mecosta Co. The children I have information on are: William b. c. 1859 (no information on him after age 12) John "Jack" b. 1860-1861 (my great-grandfather) Alfred b. 1863 (m. Rachel, both buried in Mecosta Co, MI, Stanwood Cemetery) d. ca. 1933 - ( I think they had 5 children) Elas/Elias James b. c. 1873 (m. Pearl? - possibly living in Mecosta Co. as late as 1919 - had at least 2 children) Martha Mary all born in Michigan. I have no idea whether John and Lena were married in Ireland or Michigan. I do not know when they came to US. John Sr. died between 1872 and 1880 - Lena is listed as a widow in the 1880 Michigan census. Last child b. 1873. John (Jr.) moved to Pineville, KY in the 1890's. He married Mary Lucinda Elizabeth Patterson in Pineville in 1895. They had the following children: Mary Myrtle b. ca. 1897-1898 twin baby girls who died as infants b. 1900 John Dewey Walsh (sometimes listed as Jr.) b. 1903 Frank Handley b. 1905 Emma Ethel b. 1910 Virginia b. 1912 Jesse (aka "Buster") b. 1907 - died in California ? 1950s? I am the granddaughter of John Jr who had 9 living children, including my mother, Anita Faye Walsh Evitts. Any information about the Walsh family in Mecosta Co. / Stanwood, Michigan area would be appreciated: How to find documentation of the death of John or Lena, Lena's maiden name, immigration records or information, etc. I have a suspicion that Lena remarried after 1880, but can find no proof. I think that Jack did not have any contact with his family in Michigan after coming to Kentucky. Family legend has it that the two sisters, Mary and Martha, were kind to Jack's children when they were contacted. Any help anyone can give me on how to go about finding the descendants of any of these Walshes - especially Alfred and Rachel or James and Pearl - since I believe they continued to live there, would be wonderful. Would it be feasible to put a classified in a local paper - is there one? If anyone out there knows someone named Walsh whose family has lived in Mecosta Co. for over 100 years, please pass this info along. Since my great grandfather did not have any contact with his family after leaving in the 1890s (and by all accounts did not even talk about them), I'd love to hear from someone who might know more about the family history. Sorry for such a long note my first time out. This has been a long search! I have high hopes for this list! :) Thanks a bunch - looking forward to hearing from you. Mary K. Becker Corydon, IN