My GG-Grandfather was James Smiley born abt/bef 1838/1840 in Ireland emigrated to America before 1865..I have been unable to find an immigration record for him, This was in the time of the Potato Famines in Ireland and maybe that is why I cannot find a record. I do not know if he came alone or with family????? I know his approximant year of Birth and location of birth from the 1880 NY Census records. He married Sarah Ann Parker sometime before 1868 and the birth of their first (known) child. Sarah Ann Parker was born 3 Mar 1838 in England, I also do not know when or with whom she may have emigrated to America...Although I do believe that one of her sons may have married a PARKER cousin..more on that later Sarah Ann Parker was married first to William Wood and he died in the Civil war, they had one son...Joseph Wood and he was only a baby when his dad was killed...SO Joseph was raised by James Smiley, the 2nd husband of Sarah Parker. James & Sarah had 3 more children.. 1. Samuel Smiley 4 Aug 1868 born OH or NY ? died 25 Mar 1950, CA, married Louise WUST/WUEST on 10 Dec 1887 in Oneida Co, NY. They had 3 children (William "Bill", Eunice "Susie", and Alice).all moved with their parents to Santa Barbara Co, CA. in the 1920s (Louise was the daughter of John (Johannes) Wust & his wife Augusta, the family immigrated to NY in 1884 from GERMANY, on the "Bohemia." 2. Mary Elizabeth Smiley abt 1871 NY, - 30 Aug 1898 Village of Ilion, German Flatts, Herkimer Co, NY married Joseph ZELIE, they had one son Anson J Zelie (there could have been more children??) and Anson married Carrie N Backer of Herkimer Co, NY. Joseph S Zelie and M Elizabeth Zelie are both buried in the Village of Ilion Cemetery...If anyone has taken photos of their headstones, I would TRULY love a copy by email. Also I would like to know HOW to contact the person/persons that manage the Village Cemetery, to see if I can obtain copies of the funeral records of Joseph and Mary Elizabeth (Smiley) Zelie. 3. James Henry Smiley 27 Nov 1878, NY, died 7 Dec 1968, Village of Ilion, Herkimer Co, NY...he married Mary S PARKER (could she have been related to his mother???) (Mary's parents were George Parker & Ellen Landon) Mary died 1971 and she was back in Oneida Co, NY after the death of her husband James Henry Smiley. Both James Henry and Mary were buried in Crown Hill Memorial Park Cemetery, Hartford, Oneida Co, NY. Now for a very strange fact...My GG-Grandfather, James Smiley's name was recorded in the Family Bible of my Great Grandfather (Samuel Smiley) and his wife, Louise Wust/Wuest as ROBERT SMILEY.but the census records show Sarah Ann Smiley & her children living with JAMES SMILEY, not Robert.so could his name have been James Robert or Robert James SMILEY..I lean towards the latter as My Great Grandmother was of German descent, very set in what was the CORRECT way to do things. If his name was Robert James, and he went by James, she STILL would have recorded his Christian NAME...not a middle name in the family bible. I have given a bunch of information in hopes that someone may recognize one of the children and/or their spouses..possibly a name and location may be what is recognized..I have HIT a major STONE wall with the family of James Smiley...I need to know more about him and his wife both before I can begin to research either one's family in Ireland or England. One other item of note, while researching the SURNAME SMILEY on the Herkimer County site, I can across an ANSON SMILEY that served in the Civil War..Maybe he was the father of my James Smiley, James' daughter, Mary Elizabeth (Smiley) Zelie named her only son, Anson..could this have been in honor of her grandfather????? SO MANY Questions????? Any help or suggestions MOST WELCOME. Carrie Bias Hoffert