Hello again, I'm really only a Texas transplant--I'm native New Yorker--mostly from Ulster County. My maternal grandmother, Reva DeMass Van Vleck, was born and lived the first 20 years of her life in Sterling Valley. Again, thank you for your wonderful contributions to this list, Marilyn In a message dated 3/1/2005 10:35:42 AM Central Standard Time, [email protected] writes: still can not get over the fact that one can instantly make contact with a person in TEXAS that has ties to a small hamlet like Sterling Valley. What a small world Amazing! bill [email protected] wrote: >In a message dated 3/1/2005 10:26:35 AM Central Standard Time, >[email protected] writes: >Photo taken Sunday > >bill > >Yes, Sunday it must have been since there are cars in the church parking lot! > Thank you for the great job you are doing. My Demass family lived a few >doors down from the church for years and we have a family reunion every year in >July that starts witih a church service in that church. Thanks again, Marilyn > >

This is a response to Marilyn in TX "My maternal grandmother, Reva DeMass Van Vleck, was born and lived the first 20 years of her life in Sterling Valley." My paternal grandmother, Izora S. Van Patten, lived in the area of Sterling Valley and Crocketts. Among her belongings that I have inherited, I found a photo that has written on it, "Van Vleck's cottage". I have no further information about the photo's origin, or who is sitting on the porch, or where the location is. I only knew was to NOT throw it out. Your message about your grandmother reminded me of the picture. (In the photo, the lady's wearing a long-hem dress, so was probably taken in the first part of the 1900's.) My roots and kinfolk are from Hannibal, Oswego Co. and northern Cayuga County, New York. (Cato, Ira, Victory, Sterling area) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To Bill, for the pictures of that area of Cayuga County, my heartfelt THANK YOU!! I have enjoyed the scenes. Seeing the area with the white snow is a special touch. Bette in GA [email protected] researching: Ackley, Tillinghast, Dyer (Jefferson & Herkimer Co NY) Palmer, Shutts, Kennedy, Knight, Lane (Oswego Co NY) Van Patten, Jewell, Bennett, Hitchcock, Rhodes (Cayuga Co NY)