In a message dated 11/14/97 11:57:09 PM, rn99@kingman.com wrote: <<So far as I can determine, Catherine Cook was of German descent (Koch) and the Shofners were definitely of German descent. A number of Cooks had strong social and real estate connections with the Shofner family. In the 1790 census for Orange County, NC, the Shofners and a number of Cook families were living in close proximity. Another Shofner son, I believe it was Frederick, married Christina Cook. So I think my Cook line was of German descent.>> Robert, I think that you are perhaps very right in your research; the book that Miss Stockard did not list a reference for her data, she apparently conducted her research in an interview form, perhaps questioning family members about the family traditions that had been passed down. It is when we see a family record like this without those refereces used, that we wish that someone would have told them that unsubstantiated statements leave the researcher to go back over the same path again to attempt to prove what has been written. But isn't it interesting that whoever she interviewed had selected an English derivation as opposed to a Germanic one. Continuing the memory aspect of family or local history, I remember one man named Cook who was was nicknamed, "Bushy" because of the very full beard that he wore during the late 40's and 50's when I was growing up in Alamance County. The story was told of him that he had a son to go off to war during World War II, and he had vowed never to shave again until his son returned home. As I remember it, his son never returned from the war, and "Bushy" continued to allow his beard to grow. John Fox Winston-Salem, NC ==== NCORANGE Mailing List ==== Larry Noah - lrnoah@bigfoot.com - Listowner - NCORANGE mailing list Orange Co, NC USGenWeb site is at http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncorange USGenWeb Orange Co, NC Archives site is at http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/nc/orangnc.htm