Dear Folks, Peggy and I had decided that the best time for her to bring Valerie over to my house to meet me would be 2:30 this afternoon. Sure enough there was Peggy and Valerie and also Valerie's mother and her brother Steve. We settled right down to my kitchen table and questions and answers tripped over each other regarding their Clapsaddle and Quade families. I had my records on the table and Valerie had hers. I gave my copy machine a good workout and Valerie was thrilled to death to get such information. I even dug out the transcription I had made (and indexed) regarding the school records of Zittle's Corner School (School District 3) that showed the attendance of many of the children of both the Clapsaddle and Quade families from 1842 to 1861. You might say that it blew her mind! In fact she was amazed regarding Christopher Clapsaddle's attendance record. He started school in 1842 and he was still a student in 1859--17 years! But that's the way it went with farm kids who couldn't spend much time in book learning during the year when they had more important farm chores to do. BTW, that also included the farm girls. There were just as many laughs around the table as there were serious genealogy discussions. The three of them have such a great sense of humor. The subject of my retiring from the Navy after 30 years came up and Valerie told me that she had retired from the Air Force after 20 years. I seem to recall that she joined the Air Force in 1979 and when I asked her what she retired at she said she was a Master Sergeant, pay grade E-7. I then told her that I had retired as Chief Petty Officer, also pay grade E-7. Valerie and I really wanted to compare notes on our military careers but both of us knew that we better stick to the subject of genealogy. After two hours of fun and frolic and genealogy, they needed to leave so that Peggy could take them around to the cemeteries where their ancestors are buried. But before they left, Valerie make out checks to the Town of Porter Historical Society and to the Ransomville History Museum. I was amazed that she wrote out both checks in the amount of $45.00 each! That was so generous. After they left at 4:30 Peggy took them to the Tower Cemetery, Oakland Rural (Hosmer) Cemetery and North Ridge Cemetery to find the tomb stones of ancestors and family members. Peggy said that nothing could stop them in spite of the near 90 degree heat and humidity. Peggy said when she left them around 7:00, they were utterly amazed and thrilled with what they learned and saw about their ancestors in the Town of Porter. Both Peggy and I felt good about what we had managed to put together for them this weekend. Not only that but it turned out to be a lot of fun. vee