hi john-there must be some connection-i have no idea where fred hess was from- but i don't think it was pulaski county. the railroad thing is what is interesting-the father of effie smith hess-andrew jeckson smith, her brother ivy eugene smith and her brother fred smith all worked for the frisco railroad all of their lives. effies brother john was killed when a child trying to hop a train. the railroad people seem to all be related in one way or another. i don't know anything about fred and effie hess's family- somewhere in my notes i have the names of their several children. joy