Hello Everyone, I am in sunny Southern California for a few months. I have been busy, but have had time to read some of the recent emails, and have a couple of comments. Also at the end I insert the obituary for Helen (Brewer) Marshall, who passed away a little over a week ago here in Long Beach. I was in Dade & Lawrence County for one day three weeks ago. I had time for a quick run for documents at the Dade and Lawrence Co courthouses before visiting an aunt in a nursing home. I spent some time at the Dade County library, and among the things I was looking for were obituaries for my Bird and Marsh family, the earliest generations (already had death dates). To do this I went through microfilms for two or three papers 1890s, 1900s, 1910s, 1920s. These were obits I didn't find in the excellent files kept by the genealogy society. I have these observations: First, I found several obituaries in the microfilms, so if any of you visit Dade Co., and can't find the obituary in the family files, the microfilms are right there handy. I found probably ten of interest in only 30 minutes. Second, and this relates to the California migration, in the Greenfield Vedette at one point in the 1920s I think they had a "neighborhood" report, right along with Everton, South Greenfield, Lockwood....for the San Joaquin Valley in California! Third, one obituary I wasn't looking for, for an allied Draughon line, didn't appear until about three months after the death. This would have been in the 1910s...so keep this in mind if you don't find something in the first couple of weeks after the death. Finally, my cousin Bertha Helen Marshall passed away as I mentioned. Her obituary from the Long Beach Press-Telegram follows. The obituary says she was born in Greenfield, but there is general agreement that she was born south of So. Greenfield near the Lawrence Co. border, probably 1/2 mile from WW (my mother remembers where they lived). Helen was the daughter of Lenia Fortner and Roy Brewer. son of William Brewer and Emma, with half siblings Tim and Oda. Lenia was the daughter of Bert Fortner and Bertha Marsh (sister of my grandmother Lucy Marsh Sexton). They were the children of Jacob T. Fortner and Sarah Haney (who lived in Lawrence County) , and William Michael Marsh and Casselia Bird. Lucy Marsh Sexton's husband Charley Sexton, was the grandson of Elizabeth Fortner Marshall, aunt of Jacob Fortner....oh well, you all get the picture...Cousins all around. Incidentally, I have found tons of old pictures of my mother's from 1920s, 1930s, especially all her Miller High School pictures, such as the extremely poorly padded football team in the 1930s, etc.. We are slowly going through and identifying the people. My best regards, Janet Hunter MARSHALL, Helen B., also known as "GrandMa", was a resident of Long Beach, CA for nearly 75 years. Helen died at her home on March 24, 2003 at the age of 82, due to complications from pneumonia. She was b orn in Greenfield, Missouri on December 10, 1920, the oldest of five siblings (the Brewers) and leaves three survivng sisters; Joyce Carter, Bonnie Sparr, and Betty (and Dewight) Williamson. She attended a one room School House in Missouri before relocating with her family to Long Beach at the age of eight. She attended Long Beach Wilson High School prior to her marriage to her husband, Jim Marshall, for 59 years when he died in January, 2000. She is survived by her loving daughter and family, also of Long Beach; Vicki Lynn Kennedy, her husband/ [Robert] Helen's "Son"-in-Law and her cherished grandson, Ryan Marshall Kennedy, now twenty years old. In Georgia, she leaves behind two great grandchildren and their parents, Joseph & pregnant Kimberly Kennedy. Helen loved to play Bingo every Wednesday with her favorite niece, Pam Marshall, & with her daughter, Vicki. Lotto scratchers or tickets, penny-ante card games and quarterly trips to Laughlin tickled her funny bone. She wore her earrings, necklace and lape l pin every day and said, leave your angels behind". She relished in the delightful smiles and glees of all little children. (She also thought of middle aged adults as .) Most days she would bring a smile to anyone wanting one (and even if they didn't.) She fought a lot of health battles in her 82 years and was truly a walking miracle. Thus her love of angels. God Bless her. She had a good heart and will be sorely missed. Grave side services will be held at One O'Clock on Saturday, March 29 2003, Forest Lawn Mortuary, 1500 E. San Antonio Drive, Long Beach, just to the south of the Memorial Chapel, Forest Lawn, Long Beach. An informal gathering will follow at the Marshall residence after the service. Donations to the American Cancer Society, 936 Pine Ave., LB may be made in lieu of flowersm if you wish. Published in the Long Beach Press-Telegram on 3/28/2003.