Since my last posting here I have made some very good progress on my STRAIN line. I wish to post my findings to see if I can gather up any more kin. I also hope to correct some errors and inconsistencies that I have found in various message boards, the Ancestral File, IGI and to confirm some uncertainties expressed by some. 1. James Harvey STRAIN did in fact marry Lydia ARISMAN on 14 Jul 1842 in Indianapolis. Source: Obits for James Harvey and Lydia STRAIN 2. James Harvey's Obit says he took care of 4 grandchildren. I've been told all 4 were kids of Mary Strain BROWN, and named Gertie, John, Irene and Lawrence. I have been able to find only 3 BROWN kids and they are named Lidda, Mary and John. One of those grandchildren would have been James Joseph Henry STRAIN, son of Joseph Marion STRAIN. Three BROWNs plus 1 STRAIN equals four grandchildren. SOURCE: 1880 census of Montgomery Co., MO, JHSTRAIN Obit 3. James Harvey DID NOT die in 1897. He died Feb 26, 1901. Moved to Montgomery Co., MO in 1859. Born 11 Dec 1823 Marion Co., IN SOURCE: JHSTRAIN Obit 4. Lydia Arisman STRAIN died 1897, specifically on the Monday before 16 July 1897. Born 1820 in Virginia. SOURCE: LASTRAIN Obit 5. Note that the family of James Harvey is enumerated twice in 1880, in each of Montgomery and Prairie Twps. 6. JH and Lydia had 8 children: (not in any particular order) Mary (BLACKSHAW), Joseph Marion, Jane (BROWN), Nelson Clark, Charles Wilson, Louisa Ellen (WORLAND), and two more that I am trying to nail down positively. Joseph Marion and the last two were the only ones to predecease James Harvey. Ancestral File has just about every child dead before JH. SOURCE: JHSTRAIN Obit. 7. Louisa Ellen married James Harrison WORLAND, not Worsley as has been reported. Their children were Annie (LANSING), Rosie (METCALF), Sarah (BONNELL), Mary (SEAL), and Margaret. NOTE: METCALF has strong ties to JENKINS and STRAIN in Montgomery and Audrain Cos., MO. 8. Joseph Marion is just that, not James A., married Sarah COPELAND. JM died in the 1890s. I am trying to get a hard date on this. They had 7 kids, only 2 alive in 1900 Louisa and James Joseph Henry. They were in Vernon Co., MO in 1870 and 1880. I am working on confirming the marriage and decendancy of Louisa now. I feel that the other 5 kids died young, however there are some unconnected STRAINs living in Vernon COunty that I am working on. Joseph possibly served in 83rd Ind. Inf. in the Civil War. He moved to Vernon Co. and married in 1869. Now my line: James Harvey 1823-1901 m. Lydia Arisman 1820-1897 Joseph Marion 1844-189x m. Sarah COPELAND J.J.H. 1876-1933 m. Lucy JENKINS F.M. 1903-1981 m. Mary METCALF 1904-1981 D.F. 1933-1988 m. E.I. Living 1936- me I will glady provides copies of whatever I have to anyone interested. I would also gladly receive anything related to this family that anyone would care to share. I'm posting this message in as many boards and lists as I can find to help, get a corrected version of this info as widely dispersed as possible. David Strain ddstrain@aol.com