One of the things I like about the list is the "personal touch" that I see on the written page...or computer screen. It makes me feel that our Mo-Stlouis-Metro group know each other and are sensitive to the things that we see going on in each other's lives. I also know that most of the people on the group will come thorough with helpful hints and suggestions when I'll needing help. Barbara --- G STOLTMAN <stopan@msn.com> wrote: > Listers > > Please address the list with information that we > could all use. For example, don't send "Thanks > Herbie" - "I'll find out" etc. to all of the rest > of us. It's just courteous and the time it takes to > send directly is a fraction of the time all of us > take to read and delete. > > Thanks > > Gary Stoltman > Mercerville, NJ > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email > to MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com with the > word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject > and the body of the message > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta. http://new.mail.yahoo.com

Thankee Kindly Gary. If you notice, I gave credit to a pro genealogist from Haddonville, New Jersey. By any chance have you ever run into Megan Smolenyack up there? She's a great gal, pretty smart too. For her article I think she gives me too much credit. I'll be condensing that story for Bob down in the "Beautiful Missouri Ozarks" a little later.----Jim ----- Original Message ----- From: G STOLTMAN<mailto:stopan@msn.com> To: mo-stlouis-metro@rootsweb.com<mailto:mo-stlouis-metro@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, December 10, 2006 8:35 PM Subject: Re: [MO-STLOUIS-METRO] Brick Wall Hi James: Congratulations. Great story. - finally an ending and it's a happy one. Always enjoy your prose. Gary ----- Original Message ----- From: Barbara Byrd<mailto:barbjbyrd@yahoo.com<mailto:barbjbyrd@yahoo.com>> To: mo-stlouis-metro@rootsweb.com<mailto:mo-stlouis-metro@rootsweb.com<mailto:mo-stlouis-metro@rootsweb.com%3Cmailto:mo-stlouis-metro@rootsweb.com>> Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2006 6:39 AM Subject: Re: [MO-STLOUIS-METRO] Brick Wall James, Thank you for making my day! Barbara Byrd --- JAMES O BRASHER <jims505@msn.com<mailto:jims505@msn.com<mailto:jims505@msn.com%3Cmailto:jims505@msn.com>>> wrote: > The Brick Wall > > > > By now, everyone who has been doing work in the > genealogy field, for even a week, knows for certain > that it is a contrary, confusing and very > frustrating field loaded with brick walls, hidden > bodies, informational land mines and most of all, > reluctant relatives who just won't talk about Uncle > Otis who shot the post master over there in, > "Wandering Holler, Missouri." And finally to drive > you once and for all time, battier than a bed bug, > you find you can not find that cousin you are > absolutely certain is still alive but has moved out > of Wandering Holler, Missouri to bigger and better > things. > > > > Then add to all the above problems the problem that > you may be searching for a Smith, Brown, Jones or > Garcia and you have a problem that will drive you > over the brick wall you are trying to climb for > truth and enlightenment, just in time to kick the > dog, beat the kids and comfortably set your own hair > on fire when you are in a more relaxed mood, only to > discover there is nothing on the other side of that > brick wall but broken bottles, rusty tin cans, > discarded mattresses and, maybe, a few homeless > Hobos roasting weenies over an open fire. > > > > "BUT," sometimes on the other side of that brick > wall you find a huge pile of Christmas gifts gaily > wrapped in pretty wrapping paper, hams in cans, fine > wines in beautiful bottles and your favorite wife > all spruced up and standing there holding your > favorite pair of lounging slippers ready to slip > them on your worn out feet. > > > > Of course it wasn't Josephine on the other side of > my brick wall; she thinks my lounging slippers are > ugly, where I think they're beautiful. Thinking > back, I don't remember seeing any hams or fine wines > or gifts either. But something like this happened > last week right when I was feeling pretty low about > happenings in my family that are still driving me up > the wall but not over. > > > > Most of you old timers to the list might remember > about two or three years ago I was searching for my > great grandfather, Septimus (something) Brown. The > (something) turned out to be (nothing) he didn't > have a middle name. What Septimus did have was a job > with the Missouri Pacific Railroad and that gave me > a reference point to find that his father came to > this country in 1865 from England and settled in > Silver Mines, Missouri. This lead sent me to Carter > County to find that Septimus married there and had a > daughter in 1899 and that her mother died during > child birth. That daughter was my grandmother, Betty > Mae Brown who bore my father, Ralph Waldo Brasher > Jr. I soon discovered that after my great > grandmother's death in 1899 Septimus moved from > Ellsinore to Poplar Bluff and every thing ended > there. > > > > Like the intrepid hunter I like to believe I am, I > drove to Poplar Bluff to search for my Brown family > only to discover my leads were as cold as a mother > in law's kiss. I couldn't find anyone. The only > thing I can brag about on that trip is the very nice > people I met and interviewed down in Southeast > Missouri. That was fun. > > > > I searched all over that town for any living Brown I > could find and everyone I met had never heard of a > Septimus Brown. I left Poplar Bluff knowing I would > never find any of my living Brown cousins and came > home. > > > > Oh well, 2006 has not been a good year for me and so > I have not been doing any research on my genealogy > lines. > > > > Last week I was sitting at home angrily watching TV > when I got a phone call from Haddonfield, New Jersey > from a professional genealogist named Megan who told > me she worked for the department of the Army. She > wanted to know what my relationship to Septimus > Brown was. > > > > What the heck is this? Septimus was never in the > Army or any other service. He was even too old to > serve in WW-1 and wasn't born during the civil war, > he was born in 1876. I thought, "Maybe he was a spy > during World War Two and they needed some > information about his spying activities behind enemy > lines." But that couldn't be either; Septimus was > working for the railroad during the 1940s. He had > come out of retirement after retiring in 1941 to go > back to work in 1942 because the younger men were at > war and the railroad was an integral part of > America's war effort and had to be made to operate > no matter what. Old Septimus didn't retire, finally, > until 1953 when a stroke got him at Tower Grove > station in St Louis and still he was kicking until > the grim reaper came and got him in 1966 in Poplar > Bluff. > > > > After talking for awhile I asked Megan what her > interest was in Septimus, my great grandfather. She > began by telling me there had been a car accident in > New Mexico and there was a bunch of photo albums in > that wrecked car. "OH MY GOSH," My great > grandfather, Septimus Brown, had just been killed in > a car accident in New Mexico. > > > > But wait a minute, Septimus had died in 1966 this > was 2006, how could that be?.... It wasn't. > > > > The story unfolded as Megan continued to talk. > > > > It seems that one of Septimus granddaughters moved > from Poplar Bluff to Houston, Texas after her > husband went to work there some years ago. She had a > daughter who married there and later moved to Denver > with her family. After moving to Denver and > divorcing there, she remarried Samuel. Samuel and > Angie, who was Septimus great granddaughter, moved > to Albuquerque while I was back in Poplar Bluff, Van > Buren and Ellsinore, searching for any Brown family > members and I had no idea all this was going on. > > > > Mean while, it appears, there was some sort of > problem with some type of riotous spirits and Sam > and Angie divorced in Albuquerque in 2005 after > which Angie promptly moved back to Houston with her > family to her mama and daddy's abode, where she > lives today. It is my belief that poor Sam was > consoling himself with those same riotous spirits > when he wrecked his Legacy SUV and left all that > paper work and those picture albums in his wrecked > car in a junk yard in Albuquerque where he now > lives. > > > > Megan continues: A lady whose husband works in that > junk yard spied a loose picture and thought it > looked like one of his family members and took the > picture home and gave it to his wife who got in > touch with Megan in New Jersey. > > > > Megan thought: "What a great story this would make > for Ancestry Dot Com's magazine. I think I will > investigate and write the story." And so she has; it > will appear in a future copy. She sent me a copy of > what she submitted this week and I'm waiting too. > > > > Megan asked if I would be willing to go to the junk > yard and get as much paper work and pictures as they > would give me. "Sure," I said and off I went. The > treasure was there and I ended up with it all. I > made many copies of pictures and now have filled in > a huge gap of the Brown branch of my family tree. I > have also talked to one of Septimus daughters who is > still alive and a granddaughter. The granddaughter > is 55, the daughter is 71. > > > > There are two of Septimus daughters alive today in > Poplar Bluff, one living in a nursing home with > Alzheimer's and one who is married and remembers me > from the only time we ever met in 1950 when both of > us were fifteen years old, even as I remember her. > The irony is that my grand Aunt is almost one year > younger than me. That tickles me because Septimus > was not just a pretty face, he was a lusty old devil > too. He would have been 59 years old when his > youngest daughter was born in 1935. Actually, Billie > is five months younger than me, she was born in > November, I was born in June. > > > > For some reason this Christmas doesn't look so bleak > anymore, in fact I may go out and replace all my > fishing gear then take a hobo home for lunch. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email > to MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com<mailto:MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com<mailto:MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com%3Cmailto:MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com>> with the > word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject > and the body of the message > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Have a burning question? Go to www.Answers.yahoo.com<http://www.answers.yahoo.com/<http://www.answers.yahoo.com%3chttp//www.answers.yahoo.com/>> and get answers from real people who know. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com<mailto:MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com<mailto:MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com%3Cmailto:MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com>> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com<mailto:MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Nannette, Have you tried Zillow.com? LaVerne

Is there some kind sole with a digital camera that would possibly take any pictures to em me of these ancestrial home address's if the buildings still exist in St.Louis? I'd be gratefull & return whatever I can do from the Memphis Tn. anyone on the list may need. 1219 , 1239 ,1445 N. 9th St. 2004 Hereford 2523 N. Sarah St. 3960 Chouteau Av. 921 - O'Fallon 4115 Donavan Av. 1541 Valle Av. (Wellston area) Thank You.Nannette Bluebarron1@msn.com<mailto:Bluebarron1@msn.com>

Jim:Congrats..you are one of the luckiest genie diggers out there,wish I had just a bit more of the Irish you have, just to discover what my 2nd Grt.GF WARFIELD's first name was, in the 1850-70 era, to end my 9yr.brain frizzing. I've begun to think while prior to first finding his missus>Margaret 1870 New Windsor Md, that even though she & girls Sarah& Eliza w/her and their boys:Basil & Nathan(iel) are missing,probably with Mr.??--Warfield, immaculate conception is easier to think,than ever finding him.Prayed I had a lead when I found Nathan & his bride (Mary E.M.Mitchell)d/o W.D.& Ann Mitchell& got their 1875 marriage registration,in Shepherdstown,VA. At least traced her to her family,dicovering them farming in Saline,(Grand Pass) MO. in 1880 & know that's why Nathan moved there by 1881 from Carroll Co(Freedom),Md. Yepee, also found Nathan & son George in Kansas City Directory 1889-90 and George reported to be a Railroad ticket taker on his 1936 Death Cert.dying in ST.Louis City's Sanitorium. Now hunting down some of the kids birth's in NW Mo,and just found one 1889 on the State search site to send for,at least I know Nathan & Mary obtained their 7/9 ch.like the rest of us have begot! Nannette

LOL = We can come to New Mexico and get you. Don't you forget that.

Yeah, I know, but don't forget there's a lot of snow between Colorado and New Mexico in Raton Pass.----Jim ----- Original Message ----- From: ShineOn101@aol.com<mailto:ShineOn101@aol.com> To: mo-stlouis-metro@rootsweb.com<mailto:mo-stlouis-metro@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2006 2:23 PM Subject: Re: [MO-STLOUIS-METRO] That's our Jimmy! LOL = We can come to New Mexico and get you. Don't you forget that. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com<mailto:MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

PS "MY GOSH," Diane has described me perfectly.----Jim ----- Original Message ----- From: JAMES O BRASHER<mailto:jims505@msn.com> To: mo-stlouis-metro@rootsweb.com<mailto:mo-stlouis-metro@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2006 1:30 PM Subject: Re: [MO-STLOUIS-METRO] That's our Jimmy! Now Diane....You Know I don't live in Arizona.----Jim ----- Original Message ----- From: Diane<mailto:lilirish@earthlink.net<mailto:lilirish@earthlink.net>> To: mo-stlouis-metro@rootsweb.com<mailto:mo-stlouis-metro@rootsweb.com<mailto:mo-stlouis-metro@rootsweb.com%3Cmailto:mo-stlouis-metro@rootsweb.com>> Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2006 10:02 AM Subject: [MO-STLOUIS-METRO] That's our Jimmy! Jim: I am so happy for you!!! I know how determined you are to find all those wild rellies. This is a great story! If you ever find a rellie who is staid, introverted, boring, non-communicative, anti-alcohol, shy, and wears pretty lounging slippers, they're not a keeper. Better check twice! Diane Shaw Brr! in Hillsboro > > ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com<mailto:MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com<mailto:MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com%3Cmailto:MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com>> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com<mailto:MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Now Diane....You Know I don't live in Arizona.----Jim ----- Original Message ----- From: Diane<mailto:lilirish@earthlink.net> To: mo-stlouis-metro@rootsweb.com<mailto:mo-stlouis-metro@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2006 10:02 AM Subject: [MO-STLOUIS-METRO] That's our Jimmy! Jim: I am so happy for you!!! I know how determined you are to find all those wild rellies. This is a great story! If you ever find a rellie who is staid, introverted, boring, non-communicative, anti-alcohol, shy, and wears pretty lounging slippers, they're not a keeper. Better check twice! I knew that some day you would be famous!! I am envious and truly happy for you! Thanks for warming our genealogically driven hearts at a time when we in the Midwest are still recovering from a power outage. Enjoy that warm Arizona sun! Diane Shaw Brr! in Hillsboro > > ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com<mailto:MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Jim: I am so happy for you!!! I know how determined you are to find all those wild rellies. This is a great story! If you ever find a rellie who is staid, introverted, boring, non-communicative, anti-alcohol, shy, and wears pretty lounging slippers, they're not a keeper. Better check twice! I knew that some day you would be famous!! I am envious and truly happy for you! Thanks for warming our genealogically driven hearts at a time when we in the Midwest are still recovering from a power outage. Enjoy that warm Arizona sun! Diane Shaw Brr! in Hillsboro > >

Does this mean that St Louis Metro is back? It seems that for weeks very few MO or Metro St Louis posts have appeared, and I understand that one of rootsweb's servers has been down. Bob Doerr in the beautiful Missouri Ozarks ----- Original Message ----- From: "JAMES O BRASHER" <jims505@msn.com> To: "mo-stlouis-metro-l rootsweb" <mo-stlouis-metro-l@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, December 08, 2006 6:01 PM Subject: [MO-STLOUIS-METRO] Brick Wall > The Brick Wall

Bob, I don't know if everything is back or not. Have been trying to place a new post on another rootsweb site and it wants my password, etc. Can't seem to proceed and send it. I thought maybe after all these years they have changed the system...maybe not.... Barbara --- Bob Doerr <bdoerr@msm.umr.edu> wrote: > Does this mean that St Louis Metro is back? > > It seems that for weeks very few MO or Metro St > Louis posts have appeared, > and I understand that one of rootsweb's servers has > been down. > > Bob Doerr in the beautiful Missouri Ozarks > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "JAMES O BRASHER" <jims505@msn.com> > To: "mo-stlouis-metro-l rootsweb" > <mo-stlouis-metro-l@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Friday, December 08, 2006 6:01 PM > Subject: [MO-STLOUIS-METRO] Brick Wall > > > > The Brick Wall > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email > to MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com with the > word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject > and the body of the message > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta. http://new.mail.yahoo.com

James, Thank you for making my day! Barbara Byrd --- JAMES O BRASHER <jims505@msn.com> wrote: > The Brick Wall > > > > By now, everyone who has been doing work in the > genealogy field, for even a week, knows for certain > that it is a contrary, confusing and very > frustrating field loaded with brick walls, hidden > bodies, informational land mines and most of all, > reluctant relatives who just won't talk about Uncle > Otis who shot the post master over there in, > "Wandering Holler, Missouri." And finally to drive > you once and for all time, battier than a bed bug, > you find you can not find that cousin you are > absolutely certain is still alive but has moved out > of Wandering Holler, Missouri to bigger and better > things. > > > > Then add to all the above problems the problem that > you may be searching for a Smith, Brown, Jones or > Garcia and you have a problem that will drive you > over the brick wall you are trying to climb for > truth and enlightenment, just in time to kick the > dog, beat the kids and comfortably set your own hair > on fire when you are in a more relaxed mood, only to > discover there is nothing on the other side of that > brick wall but broken bottles, rusty tin cans, > discarded mattresses and, maybe, a few homeless > Hobos roasting weenies over an open fire. > > > > "BUT," sometimes on the other side of that brick > wall you find a huge pile of Christmas gifts gaily > wrapped in pretty wrapping paper, hams in cans, fine > wines in beautiful bottles and your favorite wife > all spruced up and standing there holding your > favorite pair of lounging slippers ready to slip > them on your worn out feet. > > > > Of course it wasn't Josephine on the other side of > my brick wall; she thinks my lounging slippers are > ugly, where I think they're beautiful. Thinking > back, I don't remember seeing any hams or fine wines > or gifts either. But something like this happened > last week right when I was feeling pretty low about > happenings in my family that are still driving me up > the wall but not over. > > > > Most of you old timers to the list might remember > about two or three years ago I was searching for my > great grandfather, Septimus (something) Brown. The > (something) turned out to be (nothing) he didn't > have a middle name. What Septimus did have was a job > with the Missouri Pacific Railroad and that gave me > a reference point to find that his father came to > this country in 1865 from England and settled in > Silver Mines, Missouri. This lead sent me to Carter > County to find that Septimus married there and had a > daughter in 1899 and that her mother died during > child birth. That daughter was my grandmother, Betty > Mae Brown who bore my father, Ralph Waldo Brasher > Jr. I soon discovered that after my great > grandmother's death in 1899 Septimus moved from > Ellsinore to Poplar Bluff and every thing ended > there. > > > > Like the intrepid hunter I like to believe I am, I > drove to Poplar Bluff to search for my Brown family > only to discover my leads were as cold as a mother > in law's kiss. I couldn't find anyone. The only > thing I can brag about on that trip is the very nice > people I met and interviewed down in Southeast > Missouri. That was fun. > > > > I searched all over that town for any living Brown I > could find and everyone I met had never heard of a > Septimus Brown. I left Poplar Bluff knowing I would > never find any of my living Brown cousins and came > home. > > > > Oh well, 2006 has not been a good year for me and so > I have not been doing any research on my genealogy > lines. > > > > Last week I was sitting at home angrily watching TV > when I got a phone call from Haddonfield, New Jersey > from a professional genealogist named Megan who told > me she worked for the department of the Army. She > wanted to know what my relationship to Septimus > Brown was. > > > > What the heck is this? Septimus was never in the > Army or any other service. He was even too old to > serve in WW-1 and wasn't born during the civil war, > he was born in 1876. I thought, "Maybe he was a spy > during World War Two and they needed some > information about his spying activities behind enemy > lines." But that couldn't be either; Septimus was > working for the railroad during the 1940s. He had > come out of retirement after retiring in 1941 to go > back to work in 1942 because the younger men were at > war and the railroad was an integral part of > America's war effort and had to be made to operate > no matter what. Old Septimus didn't retire, finally, > until 1953 when a stroke got him at Tower Grove > station in St Louis and still he was kicking until > the grim reaper came and got him in 1966 in Poplar > Bluff. > > > > After talking for awhile I asked Megan what her > interest was in Septimus, my great grandfather. She > began by telling me there had been a car accident in > New Mexico and there was a bunch of photo albums in > that wrecked car. "OH MY GOSH," My great > grandfather, Septimus Brown, had just been killed in > a car accident in New Mexico. > > > > But wait a minute, Septimus had died in 1966 this > was 2006, how could that be?.... It wasn't. > > > > The story unfolded as Megan continued to talk. > > > > It seems that one of Septimus granddaughters moved > from Poplar Bluff to Houston, Texas after her > husband went to work there some years ago. She had a > daughter who married there and later moved to Denver > with her family. After moving to Denver and > divorcing there, she remarried Samuel. Samuel and > Angie, who was Septimus great granddaughter, moved > to Albuquerque while I was back in Poplar Bluff, Van > Buren and Ellsinore, searching for any Brown family > members and I had no idea all this was going on. > > > > Mean while, it appears, there was some sort of > problem with some type of riotous spirits and Sam > and Angie divorced in Albuquerque in 2005 after > which Angie promptly moved back to Houston with her > family to her mama and daddy's abode, where she > lives today. It is my belief that poor Sam was > consoling himself with those same riotous spirits > when he wrecked his Legacy SUV and left all that > paper work and those picture albums in his wrecked > car in a junk yard in Albuquerque where he now > lives. > > > > Megan continues: A lady whose husband works in that > junk yard spied a loose picture and thought it > looked like one of his family members and took the > picture home and gave it to his wife who got in > touch with Megan in New Jersey. > > > > Megan thought: "What a great story this would make > for Ancestry Dot Com's magazine. I think I will > investigate and write the story." And so she has; it > will appear in a future copy. She sent me a copy of > what she submitted this week and I'm waiting too. > > > > Megan asked if I would be willing to go to the junk > yard and get as much paper work and pictures as they > would give me. "Sure," I said and off I went. The > treasure was there and I ended up with it all. I > made many copies of pictures and now have filled in > a huge gap of the Brown branch of my family tree. I > have also talked to one of Septimus daughters who is > still alive and a granddaughter. The granddaughter > is 55, the daughter is 71. > > > > There are two of Septimus daughters alive today in > Poplar Bluff, one living in a nursing home with > Alzheimer's and one who is married and remembers me > from the only time we ever met in 1950 when both of > us were fifteen years old, even as I remember her. > The irony is that my grand Aunt is almost one year > younger than me. That tickles me because Septimus > was not just a pretty face, he was a lusty old devil > too. He would have been 59 years old when his > youngest daughter was born in 1935. Actually, Billie > is five months younger than me, she was born in > November, I was born in June. > > > > For some reason this Christmas doesn't look so bleak > anymore, in fact I may go out and replace all my > fishing gear then take a hobo home for lunch. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email > to MO-STLOUIS-METRO-request@rootsweb.com with the > word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject > and the body of the message > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Have a burning question? Go to www.Answers.yahoo.com and get answers from real people who know.

Hey there Jim What a wonderful Christmas present I have been wondering what you have been up to always look forward to reading your posts about your quest for family info I am happy for you] so maybe there still hope for me !!!! LOL thanks for sharing Jim pat now in TN formerly of st louis,mo

The story was a delight. Thank you.

What a great story....true or not!!! :))) Isn't that always the way...you expend energy you didn't have, ruin your eyes looking for something that isn't there, and voilla'....sitting there in your ole' TV chair, minding your own business, and some stranger calls you out of the blue and says something that boggles the mind! How wonderful!~!! You have a knack, James....and we are the beneficiaries..and I thank you so much...on this bleak COLD night in Virginia! You just brought a smile to my face...and a ray of hope to my heart! Hey, if James can be that lucky..maybe..just maybe...>>>SHRUG<<<< Happy Holidays...and thanks again. Judie On Dec 8, 2006, at 7:01 PM, JAMES O BRASHER wrote: > The Brick Wall > > > > By now, everyone who has been doing work in the genealogy field, > for even a week, knows for certain that it is a contrary, confusing > and very frustrating field loaded with brick walls, hidden bodies, > informational land mines and most of all, reluctant relatives who > just won't talk about Uncle Otis who shot the post master over > there in, "Wandering Holler, Missouri." And finally to drive you > once and for all time, battier than a bed bug, you find you can not > find that cousin you are absolutely certain is still alive but has > moved out of Wandering Holler, Missouri to bigger and better things. > > > > Then add to all the above problems the problem that you may be > searching for a Smith, Brown, Jones or Garcia and you have a > problem that will drive you over the brick wall you are trying to > climb for truth and enlightenment, just in time to kick the dog, > beat the kids and comfortably set your own hair on fire when you > are in a more relaxed mood, only to discover there is nothing on > the other side of that brick wall but broken bottles, rusty tin > cans, discarded mattresses and, maybe, a few homeless Hobos > roasting weenies over an open fire. > > > > "BUT," sometimes on the other side of that brick wall you find a > huge pile of Christmas gifts gaily wrapped in pretty wrapping > paper, hams in cans, fine wines in beautiful bottles and your > favorite wife all spruced up and standing there holding your > favorite pair of lounging slippers ready to slip them on your worn > out feet. > > > > Of course it wasn't Josephine on the other side of my brick wall; > she thinks my lounging slippers are ugly, where I think they're > beautiful. Thinking back, I don't remember seeing any hams or fine > wines or gifts either. But something like this happened last week > right when I was feeling pretty low about happenings in my family > that are still driving me up the wall but not over. > > > > Most of you old timers to the list might remember about two or > three years ago I was searching for my great grandfather, Septimus > (something) Brown. The (something) turned out to be (nothing) he > didn't have a middle name. What Septimus did have was a job with > the Missouri Pacific Railroad and that gave me a reference point to > find that his father came to this country in 1865 from England and > settled in Silver Mines, Missouri. This lead sent me to Carter > County to find that Septimus married there and had a daughter in > 1899 and that her mother died during child birth. That daughter was > my grandmother, Betty Mae Brown who bore my father, Ralph Waldo > Brasher Jr. I soon discovered that after my great grandmother's > death in 1899 Septimus moved from Ellsinore to Poplar Bluff and > every thing ended there. > > > > Like the intrepid hunter I like to believe I am, I drove to Poplar > Bluff to search for my Brown family only to discover my leads were > as cold as a mother in law's kiss. I couldn't find anyone. The only > thing I can brag about on that trip is the very nice people I met > and interviewed down in Southeast Missouri. That was fun. > > > > I searched all over that town for any living Brown I could find and > everyone I met had never heard of a Septimus Brown. I left Poplar > Bluff knowing I would never find any of my living Brown cousins and > came home. > > > > Oh well, 2006 has not been a good year for me and so I have not > been doing any research on my genealogy lines. > > > > Last week I was sitting at home angrily watching TV when I got a > phone call from Haddonfield, New Jersey from a professional > genealogist named Megan who told me she worked for the department > of the Army. She wanted to know what my relationship to Septimus > Brown was. > > > > What the heck is this? Septimus was never in the Army or any other > service. He was even too old to serve in WW-1 and wasn't born > during the civil war, he was born in 1876. I thought, "Maybe he was > a spy during World War Two and they needed some information about > his spying activities behind enemy lines." But that couldn't be > either; Septimus was working for the railroad during the 1940s. He > had come out of retirement after retiring in 1941 to go back to > work in 1942 because the younger men were at war and the railroad > was an integral part of America's war effort and had to be made to > operate no matter what. Old Septimus didn't retire, finally, until > 1953 when a stroke got him at Tower Grove station in St Louis and > still he was kicking until the grim reaper came and got him in 1966 > in Poplar Bluff. > > > > After talking for awhile I asked Megan what her interest was in > Septimus, my great grandfather. She began by telling me there had > been a car accident in New Mexico and there was a bunch of photo > albums in that wrecked car. "OH MY GOSH," My great grandfather, > Septimus Brown, had just been killed in a car accident in New Mexico. > > > > But wait a minute, Septimus had died in 1966 this was 2006, how > could that be?.... It wasn't. > > > > The story unfolded as Megan continued to talk. > > > > It seems that one of Septimus granddaughters moved from Poplar > Bluff to Houston, Texas after her husband went to work there some > years ago. She had a daughter who married there and later moved to > Denver with her family. After moving to Denver and divorcing there, > she remarried Samuel. Samuel and Angie, who was Septimus great > granddaughter, moved to Albuquerque while I was back in Poplar > Bluff, Van Buren and Ellsinore, searching for any Brown family > members and I had no idea all this was going on. > > > > Mean while, it appears, there was some sort of problem with some > type of riotous spirits and Sam and Angie divorced in Albuquerque > in 2005 after which Angie promptly moved back to Houston with her > family to her mama and daddy's abode, where she lives today. It is > my belief that poor Sam was consoling himself with those same > riotous spirits when he wrecked his Legacy SUV and left all that > paper work and those picture albums in his wrecked car in a junk > yard in Albuquerque where he now lives. > > > > Megan continues: A lady whose husband works in that junk yard spied > a loose picture and thought it looked like one of his family > members and took the picture home and gave it to his wife who got > in touch with Megan in New Jersey. > > > > Megan thought: "What a great story this would make for Ancestry Dot > Com's magazine. I think I will investigate and write the story." > And so she has; it will appear in a future copy. She sent me a copy > of what she submitted this week and I'm waiting too. > > > > Megan asked if I would be willing to go to the junk yard and get as > much paper work and pictures as they would give me. "Sure," I said > and off I went. The treasure was there and I ended up with it all. > I made many copies of pictures and now have filled in a huge gap of > the Brown branch of my family tree. I have also talked to one of > Septimus daughters who is still alive and a granddaughter. The > granddaughter is 55, the daughter is 71. > > > > There are two of Septimus daughters alive today in Poplar Bluff, > one living in a nursing home with Alzheimer's and one who is > married and remembers me from the only time we ever met in 1950 > when both of us were fifteen years old, even as I remember her. The > irony is that my grand Aunt is almost one year younger than me. > That tickles me because Septimus was not just a pretty face, he was > a lusty old devil too. He would have been 59 years old when his > youngest daughter was born in 1935. Actually, Billie is five months > younger than me, she was born in November, I was born in June. > > > > For some reason this Christmas doesn't look so bleak anymore, in > fact I may go out and replace all my fishing gear then take a hobo > home for lunch. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MO-STLOUIS- > METRO-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Congratulations Jim and what a wonderful story. I know how you feel, a year ago Christmas one of my brick walls came down. I have one left and was hoping this Christmas ......but I don't think so. Pat

Hi Jim, What a great Christmas present! A wonderful find. We just never know when that brick wall will fall. Joan Schaller Yeckel St. Louis, MO JAMES O BRASHER wrote: >The Brick Wall > > >

The Brick Wall By now, everyone who has been doing work in the genealogy field, for even a week, knows for certain that it is a contrary, confusing and very frustrating field loaded with brick walls, hidden bodies, informational land mines and most of all, reluctant relatives who just won't talk about Uncle Otis who shot the post master over there in, "Wandering Holler, Missouri." And finally to drive you once and for all time, battier than a bed bug, you find you can not find that cousin you are absolutely certain is still alive but has moved out of Wandering Holler, Missouri to bigger and better things. Then add to all the above problems the problem that you may be searching for a Smith, Brown, Jones or Garcia and you have a problem that will drive you over the brick wall you are trying to climb for truth and enlightenment, just in time to kick the dog, beat the kids and comfortably set your own hair on fire when you are in a more relaxed mood, only to discover there is nothing on the other side of that brick wall but broken bottles, rusty tin cans, discarded mattresses and, maybe, a few homeless Hobos roasting weenies over an open fire. "BUT," sometimes on the other side of that brick wall you find a huge pile of Christmas gifts gaily wrapped in pretty wrapping paper, hams in cans, fine wines in beautiful bottles and your favorite wife all spruced up and standing there holding your favorite pair of lounging slippers ready to slip them on your worn out feet. Of course it wasn't Josephine on the other side of my brick wall; she thinks my lounging slippers are ugly, where I think they're beautiful. Thinking back, I don't remember seeing any hams or fine wines or gifts either. But something like this happened last week right when I was feeling pretty low about happenings in my family that are still driving me up the wall but not over. Most of you old timers to the list might remember about two or three years ago I was searching for my great grandfather, Septimus (something) Brown. The (something) turned out to be (nothing) he didn't have a middle name. What Septimus did have was a job with the Missouri Pacific Railroad and that gave me a reference point to find that his father came to this country in 1865 from England and settled in Silver Mines, Missouri. This lead sent me to Carter County to find that Septimus married there and had a daughter in 1899 and that her mother died during child birth. That daughter was my grandmother, Betty Mae Brown who bore my father, Ralph Waldo Brasher Jr. I soon discovered that after my great grandmother's death in 1899 Septimus moved from Ellsinore to Poplar Bluff and every thing ended there. Like the intrepid hunter I like to believe I am, I drove to Poplar Bluff to search for my Brown family only to discover my leads were as cold as a mother in law's kiss. I couldn't find anyone. The only thing I can brag about on that trip is the very nice people I met and interviewed down in Southeast Missouri. That was fun. I searched all over that town for any living Brown I could find and everyone I met had never heard of a Septimus Brown. I left Poplar Bluff knowing I would never find any of my living Brown cousins and came home. Oh well, 2006 has not been a good year for me and so I have not been doing any research on my genealogy lines. Last week I was sitting at home angrily watching TV when I got a phone call from Haddonfield, New Jersey from a professional genealogist named Megan who told me she worked for the department of the Army. She wanted to know what my relationship to Septimus Brown was. What the heck is this? Septimus was never in the Army or any other service. He was even too old to serve in WW-1 and wasn't born during the civil war, he was born in 1876. I thought, "Maybe he was a spy during World War Two and they needed some information about his spying activities behind enemy lines." But that couldn't be either; Septimus was working for the railroad during the 1940s. He had come out of retirement after retiring in 1941 to go back to work in 1942 because the younger men were at war and the railroad was an integral part of America's war effort and had to be made to operate no matter what. Old Septimus didn't retire, finally, until 1953 when a stroke got him at Tower Grove station in St Louis and still he was kicking until the grim reaper came and got him in 1966 in Poplar Bluff. After talking for awhile I asked Megan what her interest was in Septimus, my great grandfather. She began by telling me there had been a car accident in New Mexico and there was a bunch of photo albums in that wrecked car. "OH MY GOSH," My great grandfather, Septimus Brown, had just been killed in a car accident in New Mexico. But wait a minute, Septimus had died in 1966 this was 2006, how could that be?.... It wasn't. The story unfolded as Megan continued to talk. It seems that one of Septimus granddaughters moved from Poplar Bluff to Houston, Texas after her husband went to work there some years ago. She had a daughter who married there and later moved to Denver with her family. After moving to Denver and divorcing there, she remarried Samuel. Samuel and Angie, who was Septimus great granddaughter, moved to Albuquerque while I was back in Poplar Bluff, Van Buren and Ellsinore, searching for any Brown family members and I had no idea all this was going on. Mean while, it appears, there was some sort of problem with some type of riotous spirits and Sam and Angie divorced in Albuquerque in 2005 after which Angie promptly moved back to Houston with her family to her mama and daddy's abode, where she lives today. It is my belief that poor Sam was consoling himself with those same riotous spirits when he wrecked his Legacy SUV and left all that paper work and those picture albums in his wrecked car in a junk yard in Albuquerque where he now lives. Megan continues: A lady whose husband works in that junk yard spied a loose picture and thought it looked like one of his family members and took the picture home and gave it to his wife who got in touch with Megan in New Jersey. Megan thought: "What a great story this would make for Ancestry Dot Com's magazine. I think I will investigate and write the story." And so she has; it will appear in a future copy. She sent me a copy of what she submitted this week and I'm waiting too. Megan asked if I would be willing to go to the junk yard and get as much paper work and pictures as they would give me. "Sure," I said and off I went. The treasure was there and I ended up with it all. I made many copies of pictures and now have filled in a huge gap of the Brown branch of my family tree. I have also talked to one of Septimus daughters who is still alive and a granddaughter. The granddaughter is 55, the daughter is 71. There are two of Septimus daughters alive today in Poplar Bluff, one living in a nursing home with Alzheimer's and one who is married and remembers me from the only time we ever met in 1950 when both of us were fifteen years old, even as I remember her. The irony is that my grand Aunt is almost one year younger than me. That tickles me because Septimus was not just a pretty face, he was a lusty old devil too. He would have been 59 years old when his youngest daughter was born in 1935. Actually, Billie is five months younger than me, she was born in November, I was born in June. For some reason this Christmas doesn't look so bleak anymore, in fact I may go out and replace all my fishing gear then take a hobo home for lunch.

http://landing.ancestry.com/immigration/main/?o_iid=24988&o_lid=24988&o_it=24988 I just found this in a google search. It works for me. Give it a try. Diane Shaw