Patti Heyer wrote: <snip> > James W. Hyer married Adelaide L. Cooper. James was an officer in the > Freeholder's Association and also a member of O.U.A.M. (Organized United > Auto Mechanics ??) He died suddenly on April 11, 1898, at the age of 42. > (which would have made his birth date 1856 or 1857) <snip> Re: O.U.A.M. I think it extremely unlikely that this had anything to do with auto mechanics. Before 1900 there were very few automobiles, most of which were of an experimental nature. They would not have been any auto repair shops to speak of, let alone organized unions. The assenbly line had yet to be invented so they couldn't have been production workers either. Jeff Owens