I've got a good deal on the Luna/Looney family. I am related thru the Rowland family. It is at this point, that I may solve a problem, that exists, in both the Luna family history and the Rowland. On August 17, 2000, I was able to spend a short time in the Ripley Library. While there I was able to look at a number of census records. In the 1900 Census of Benton County I found the following, in house hold number 32; Luna, Mary Head of Household WF, b. Oct. 1810, age 89, a widow, TN IRE VA The above means that, Mary Luna, was born in TN, her father in Ireland and her mother in VA. Seeing that Mary was born in 1810, I had to figure out just who her late husband could be. After reviewing the Luna family history written by Marjorie Luna Johnson in the “Heritage of Tippah County Mississippi”, Vol. I, I found that James Luna (Looney), the son of Peter Looney, was married to Mary (maiden name unknown). James Looney was shown to have been buried near Belfast, Tennessee. His grave marker shows says he was born in 1785 and died in 1872, no mention was made for the birth or death of his wife Mary. Could this be the Mary found here? Now, from a family chart found among the papers of Troy Craig, it shows the date of birth of John Smith Luna, who was the son of James and Mary Looney, as 1807, and his death as 1885, his wife, Sarah Davis Currin Luna, was born in 1810 and died in 1858. James Looney, who was born in 1785, was thus old enough to father John Smith Luna in 1807. The Mary Luna found in the 1900 Benton Co., Census, was born in 1810 and was thus not old enough to be the mother of John Smith Luna. Who could she be? The 1900 Census of Benton Co., MS, continued; The Family of Mary Luna and unknown male Luna were; Note she was a widow! Luna, Mary A. WF, b. June 1834, age 65, single TN, TN, TN- a widow Luna, Arena J. WF, b. Sept. 1836, age 62, single TN, TN, TN- a widow? Luna, Susan C. WF, b. Apr. 1842, age 58, single MS, TN, TN- a widow? Is Mary A. Luna, b. June 1834, actually, the same as, Margaret A. Rowland, the daughter of William T. and Nellie Burleson Rowland? Now we are to the interesting part! Living in the same house hold were; Rowland, A. F., WF, b. Dec. 1850, age 49, a widow, MS, TN, TN and her children; Rowland, Sallie C., WF, b. Nov. 1886, age 13, MS, MS, MS Rowland, Mollie E. A., WF, b. April 1888, age 12, MS, MS, MS (Mary E.!) Well who are these people? I have put two and two together and figured out that A. F. Rowland must be, Arabella Francis (Luna) Rowland, who married William (Madison? or Matthew?) Rowland. She appears to be living with her mother and sisters?, or Aunts? And her daughters, Sallie C. Rowland and Mollie E. A. Rowland. This is just as the information, provided by Nancy Kimery, stated above, except the name “ Mollie” was just a nickname for “Mary”. Is the mother of Arabella Francis Rowland, Mary A. (Martha A. Rowland?) Luna, or is she Arena J. Luna, b. Sept. 1836? Now see some proof! The following space is reserved for your notes, etc. The 1850 Census of Tippah County gives us part of the answer. In this census is listed the family of Lunsford S. Looney, age 41, born TN (b. Abt. 1809) and his wife Mary, age 38, born in TN. (b. Abt. 1812) Among the children born of this union we find the following; Looney, Mary A., F, Age 15, born TN- born about 1834-35. Looney, Amelia J., F, Age 13, born TN- born about 1836-37. Looney, Susan., F, Age 8, born TN- born about 1841-42. Note how this matches the 1900 Census of Benton County!! Thus Amelia J. appears to be the same as “Arena J. Luna”! They all may have been old maids in 1900!! The 1850 Census from the Tippah Co., WEB Site. 37 866 866 Looney Lunsford S. 41 M Farmer 500 Tenn- born about 1809. 38 866 866 Looney Mary 38 F Tenn X 39 866 866 Looney Sarah 21 F Tenn X 40 866 866 Looney James 19 M Farmer Tenn 41 866 866 Looney Isaac 17 M Farmer Tenn X 42 866 866 Looney Mary A. 15 F Tenn X- born about 1834-35. 1 866 866 Looney Amelia J. 13 F Tenn X- born about 1836-37. 2 866 866 Looney Rainey E. 12 F Tenn X 3 866 866 Looney John 10 M Tenn X 4866 866 Looney Susan 8 F Miss X - born about 1841-42. 5 866 866 Looney Eliza S. 5 F Miss -born about 1845. Thus the date of birth for Mary A. Looney would have been 1834-35; that of Amelia J. Looney would have been 1836-37; and that of Susan Looney would have been 1841-42. Thus all three dates of birth fit the 1890 Census record, the name Arena was probably just a mistake and should have been Amelia. It does look like they were all old maids in 1900! RLH-2000 It looks like Lunsford S. Looney and his wife Mary are the parents of the above children. Maybe the middle name is also “Smith”, like his brother John Smith Looney. Maybe this means his mother was a Smith? Let us look at what we have already written about Lunsford Looney / Luna. Children of William R. and Eliza J. Rowland, continued; III. James D. Rowland, b. April 28, 1848 Ripley, MS, died 1927 in Bryan Co., TX or died August 10, 1935. He may have married Mary Norton on Dec. 22, 1867. He may have also married Mrs. Martha M. Reed on Nov. 11, 1894. These James D. or J. D. Rowland names present a very great problem for any researcher as it seems we have two J. D. Rowlands, both born about the same time to different families. Cemetery Record; Rowland, J. D., 4/28/1848, 8/10/1935, Pine Hill-15. This means he could have been married in 1867. Note, this is probably another of the J. D. Rowland problems. RLH-2001 If the above date of birth April 28, 1848, is correct, and this is the right J. D. Rowland, then he died in 1935. If the writer of the “died in Bryan Co., TX”, record is correct, then the date of birth may, with almost clear certainty, be wrong. RLH-2000. One of my great problems in this report is the name Jeff / Jefferson D. Rowland or J. D. Rowland. A son of William and Elizabeth J. Turrentine Rowland, is also reported to have been Jeff D. Rowland or J. D. Rowland. Both are about the same age, things get complicated with these names. IV. Thomas R. Rowland, b. 1847 MS, (last known child), note; one Robert Rowland married, Martha Balch Street, b. 1858, the daughter of Rhoda Balch, b. 2/14/1831, d. 12/27/1894 and Solomon P. (G.?) Street. Solomon and Rhoda were married in 1855. Is this Thomas R. Rowland the same as this 1900 Tippah Co. Census record? House 219, next door to Albert, Viola and Donald or Dwight Rowland. 1900 Census Rowland, Tom Age 51, Head of Household, farmer, a widower. B., abt. 1858-59, d. 1930. , Iva Age 24, daughter, born about 1885-86.- Ida , Vistie Age 23, daughter, born about 1886-87.- Vista , Olivie Age 18 or 19, daughter, born about 1891-93.- Olivia, m. James F. Mohundro , Mabell Age 16, daughter, born about 1893-94.- Mabel/Maybell , Broddin? Age 13, daughter, born about 1896-97.- Braddie , Annie Age 8, daughter, born about 1902.- Annie Melvina The answer is no! The widower named Tom Rowland of the Census was T. A. Rowland, the son of David Burleson Rowland. So in conclusion we have a Thomas R. Rowland and a Thomas A. Rowland, both born about the same time to different brothers. I've got a good deal more, most may be what you already have but if you send me your e-mail address I will be happy to send you what I have. Ron Hughes opuslola@aol.com