This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: madehlinne Surnames: Collins, Lepere Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.missouri.counties.stlouis/10083.3/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Interesting info on Bernard Collins: 1880 Census St. Louis Co.; Central Twp.; Dist. 177; p. 35 Household # 234/255 COLLINS BARNEY Head W M 45; S[ingle]; farmer b: MO; F: foreign born; M: born Mass. ------- CATHERINE H. mother W F; 74; wd.; b. Mass. LEPERE MARY niece W F; 23; S[ingle] Mary Lepere was the daughter of Francis Leo Lepere and Catherine Adeline {Collins}Lepere. The Lepere family owned a grocery business in St. Louis city and was VERY well off--to the tune of having an assessed valuation in 1870 of $20,000 plus $2,000 in personal property! It was also a VERY large family with at least 8 children, some of whom went to work in the family business as bookkeepers when they got older. The eldest daughter, also named Catherine, married on 17 Oct.1878 to William L. Dicks, and she AND her husband AND a baby were all living with their parents in the 1880 census. I suspect that Catherine Lepere probably sent her daughter to her brother to help keep house, since he was a bachelor with an elderly mother and a farm to run. And you need to e-mail me soonest. I have MORE info which I will not post here. Madehlinne Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.