Hello List, I have a question for you. I am planning to attend a wedding in Iowa this summer in June. I was thinking of visiting Gentry County to try and find information on the death date and burial site of William Harrison Barnes. The 1870 cenus has him living with his wife and children in Howard Township, in 1880 he was living in Miller Township with his wife and youngest daughter in the home of his son A.(Alfred) L. Barnes. The census said he had rhematism. Family records show he died November 5, 1883 in Gentry County, MO. I have written the State and the County plus various genealogy societies and come up with nothing to document his death and burial site. The courthouse burned down in 1884 and all records were lost. I even hired a researcher, Laura Crane, to see what she could find. Nothing. Should I try to personally go to Gentry to see if I can find something that was missed? or is it a waste of my time. Is there a respected researcher in Gentry County that I could hire to do the leg work and make sure every effort has been found to locate William's grave and any information available about him. His wife Mary later moved to Mc Donald County in 1900 and was living her her son, Henry Martin, and his family in Pinesville, MO in 1910 she was living in Anderson, Mc Donald County, MO where she died. She was living as a boarder in the home of James M. Hutchinson and his wife Mary in the 1910 census. I have her death certificate and it says she was buried in Anderson but Laura Crane was unable to find where her grave was located. I keep hoping that records from the burned out courthouse were singed and stored but not totally destroyed. Please give me your best opinions on what to do now. Thank you very much for your help. Sincerely, Charlene Swan Kes6135@aol.com