My original query dated 12 May asked it there was any truth to the story "In 1856, Dr. John T. Demarest, minister of the Pascack Reformed Church, came home to find his wife and nine children brutally murdered." Arlene Goff sent the 1850, 1860, and 1870 census records proving John T Demarest had three children. John Terhune Demarest married (1) Anna Louise Sullivan and they had three children. Anna died 17 May 1856, buried Pascack Churchyard and John married (2) Jane Elizabeth Polhemus 9 June 1857. As of this writing, no proof has been found for any part of the story. I found several records of murders with people connected to the Pascack Church and cemetery in the 'Diary of Lizzie Ann Campbell', pub. in the Archivist, a quarterly publication of the Genealogical Society of Bergen County, NJ. I wonder if this is how the murder story began. Were these murders conflated into a story that grew better with every retelling. 13 Oct 1867. Uncle William and Aunt Caty were murdered with their own axe in their bed, and were not found until Wed morning. 17 Oct 1867. Uncle William and Aunt Caty (Haty) were buried. 18 Oct 1869. Piet Stokems was found murdered in the field. The squire came and chose the jurie and they were in session all the afternoon and then they adjourned until in the morning. Suspicion rests very hard on young Dave Acker. 20 Dec 1869. Mr. Dave Eckerson got his sentence for twenty years to the states prison at hard labor. Justice was swift in those days. In two days, the body was found, jury was seated and sentence pronounced. Regards, Ethel Kay Konight ========================== Original message Subj. John T Demarest, wife and nine children murdered? In a message dated 5/12/2008 ETHEL KK writes: Many moons ago, I went on a tour of the Pascack Reformed Church and Cemetery, located at 65 Pascack Road, Park Ridge, Bergen County, NJ. and during a tour of the cemetery, the guide told a story about the Rev. Demarest coming home in 1856 and finding his wife and nine children murdered. I forgot about this story until last week when this story is repeated in a local paper The Pascack Valley Community Life on 7 May 2008 with quotes by Carl Weil, the church historian. "In 1854, Dr. John T. Demarest became the first full-time minister of the Pascack Reformed Church, Weil says, barely audible. And in 1856, Demarest came home to find his wife and nine children brutally murdered." In a separate article by Carl Weil he writes "In 1857, John Demarest received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Rutgers College and remained at Pascack until 1867. He died in New Brunswick, NJ on January 30, 1897 and was buried at New Prospect, NY." _http://www.pascackreformedchurch.org/history/_ (http://www.pascackreformedchurch.org/history/) I checked the Demarest Genealogy and could not find this story mentioned. I phoned Carl Weil, the church historian and he could not answer any of my questions. He did not know the name of the Reverends wife or the names of the murdered children. I mentioned that ten people murdered must have been mentioned in the local newspapers. He said someone checked and did not find the story in the newspaper. Is this a true story? What is the name of his wife? Is there any documentation for any part of this story? Is Dr. John T Demarest listed in the Demarest Genealogy? If he died on 30 Jan 1897 and buried at New Prospect, NY, is there a record of his death? Regards, Ethel Kay Konight **************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4&?NCID=aolfod00030000000002)