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/iIB.2ACI/968.1 Message Board Post: I have only a small bit of data on the FOSS family, but perhaps it will lead you to more information..... This comes from a bio sketch on Augustus Cory Lane, in an old book that I have. Referring to A. C. Lane and wife Elizabeth Fairbanks, it states: "Mr. and Mrs. Lane have five children, record of whom is as follows: Minnie [who died at the age of twenty-five years]; Sarah [wife of Melvin Foss, of this township, has four children, --James, Stella, Cyril and Cecil, twins]; Semando [who married Cora Hack, and they have one son, Severn D.]; Alton [who married Miss Glee Wise]; and Charlie. I have a note written that Melvin E. Foss is the son of Melvin A. and Sarah Foss. But no other info on that (and I'm embarrassed to say I don't have a source note.....which I'm usually good about writing in) I had also indexed an old cemetery in Verona Twp. of Faribault County, about a mile from my childhood home (I don't live in southern MN anymore). I have a few notes I took regarding stones in the Verona Cemetery: Melvin E. Foss (block 1 lot 44, lot owner M. A. Foss) One stone: "Father. 1864-1936" My notes: b. 15 July or Sept 1864, d. 21 Mar 1936. Wife is Sarah R. Lane. Son of Melvin A. and Sarah Foss. Sarah R. Foss (block 1 lot 44, lot owner M. A. Foss) On stone: "Mother. 1864-1948" My notes: Sarah R. Lane. b. 11 March 1864, d. 5 May 1948. Wife of Melvin E. Foss. Dau. of augustus Cory Lane and Elizabeth Fairbanks. Cecil U. Foss (block 1 lot 43; lot owner M. A. Foss) Written on stone: "Minnesota Pvt Co C 1 Developmenet Bn, World War I. April 13 1892 - May 8, 1953". Other notes I made on him: name is Cecil Urban Foss, married Emily Brooks. Cecil is son of Melvin E. Foss and Sarah R. Lane. The old plot map of the cemetery indicates that Emily is buried there also, but there is no stone to indicate that. James M. Foss (block 2 lot 43, lot owner James Foss) On stone: "1885-1977" My notes: born 16 Nov 1885, d. 3 Feb 1977; married Emeline Thompson. James is son of Melvin E. Foss and Sarah R. Lane. Emeline is on the same stone "1889 -1975" (actual dates are b. 19 Aug 1889-d. 5 June 1975). Fanny E. Foss (block 1 lot 44, lot owner M. A. Foss) On stone: "daug. of M. A. and S. A. Foss. 1884-1884" My notes: Death record states d. March 1884, age 5 of lung disease. Dau. of Melvin Foss. There are some other Foss gravestones, but I don't know how they connect to Melvin's family: Homer A. Foss and Bernice E. Foss (block 2 lot 26, lot owner H. Foss) On stone: "1904-1976" (Homer's dates), and "1916- 1980" (Bernice's dates) My notes: Bernice Mitchell, b. 18 Feb. 1915 in Illinois, age at age 64. wife of Homer A. Foss, married 4 June 1938. Info on Homer: Homer Alan Foss, b. 17 March 1904, d.7 Aug 1976. On same stone as Homer and Bernice: Pamela Jo Foss. On stone: "Pamela Jo, Aug 1975". (don't know who this is) Related to Homer?....Marlys G. Foss (block 2 lot 26, lot owner H. Foss) On stone: "Apr 30 1931 - Mar 21 1986". My notes on her: Marlys G. Anderson. marr 1st to ___ Hanning; 2nd to Dennis Foss. Mrs. O. P. Foss (block 2 lot 26, lot owner H. Foss) (no stone exists anymore....I found this info on the old plot map of cemetery). My notes on her: Arvilla M. Bruce (dau of Dana Bruce and Marcia Royce) b. ca1818, d. 1891. She married Oliver Perry Foss. Oliver born 2 Apr. 1817, NH. I don't know how or if Oliver P. Foss is related to your Melvin's line.).....but they're all in the same cemetery. I haven't really followed the Foss line at all, since my line was the WISE line (see Alton Lane, who married Glee Wise, in the first paragraph).....so my notes are just items I've picked up along the way.....and they maybe confuse things more than help. When I was a little girl, I knew Jim and Emeline Foss because they used to come and visit my grandmother when I was there and went to the same church. One more thing, the old book I mentioned is "Memorial Record of the Counties of Faribault, Martin, Watonwan and Jackson, Minnesota". Lewis Publishing Company. Chicago. 1895. There are two bio sketches of FOSS names in the book, but I don't know how either of them connect to your Melvin. I'll copy and send them to you if you like. Here's the main names listed in each bio: Bio on O. P. Foss: O. P. Foss is son of John H. Foss (John is son of Eben Foss). John H. and Edith Chase Foss had 12 children: James, O. P., Jacob, William, John, Wellington, Caroline, Louisa, Judith, Ann, Sarah(died), Sarah, 2nd. O. P. Foss married Arvilla M. Bruce and they had two sons: Almon E. Foss and Herman A. Foss Bio on Almon E. Foss: b. Oct 18 1842 in Campton, Grafton Co NH, son of Oliver P. and Arvilla M. (Bruce) Foss. Almon married Maggie Shields in 1883. Their children are Myrtle Arvilla and Pearl Marcia. Good luck as you delve, Margaret