Hello! My father grew up on the Crossen farm in Basom, NY. He graduated from Cornell in 1953, entered the Marines and became a fighter pilot. He met my mother in southern California. I was named after his father, John M. Crossen (1897-1978), husband to Ada Thompson Crossen (1902-93). I myself am a native southwesterner, but deeply interested in early Crossen history, both in County Down, Ireland and Genesee County, NY. At this time I'm focusing on John C. Crossen (ca. 1832-1865), husband of Mary Martin (1838-1876). I have a photo of them taken in the early 1860s. Questions: Was John C. Crossen a Civil War veteran? I see he died in 1865, age 33. His mother Mary Abernethy was buried nextto him (Corfu Cemetery). Would anyone know what he died of? I own a Civil War bayonet given me by Ada in 1978. I have long wondered whose it might be, and why it was in the barn at my father's childhood home. Anybody able to shed some light on who my Civil War family member(s) from Genesee County might be, if not John C.? Of the families in Genesee County, here are the surnames in my Crossen family tree: Abernethy, Martin, Thompson, Hess, O'Brien. My mother's side of the family was primarily from North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. Best, John F. Crossen ===== "One more shot for the honour of Down!" -Rollicking Rollo (1766-1814) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better http://health.yahoo.com