Hi, everybody - The name, John Butler Yeats, is familiar, right? But hold on a minute! That's WILLIAM Butler Yeats, poet extraodinaire and famed Irish icon. So, who is John Butler Yeats and what the heck does he have to do with Warren County, NY? Well, that would be the FATHER of the famous poet, William Butler Yeats. Yes, John, the father (are you following this? <g>) is buried right up in Chestertown, Warren County, NY!! There was an article about said burial in the "Glens Falls Post Star" on May 27th. The grave of said Mr. Yeats lies in the Chestertown Cemetery. More specific information than that was not in the article, nor was it explained exactly why the father of the famous poet would turn up buried in Warren County, NY, while his son went on to fame and fortune in Ireland. So, we are left to speculate. The article mentions Rt. 9, although it doesn't say that the cemetery is actually ON Rt. 9. There is a Chester Rural Cemetery, which is on the right side of Rt 9 if you're going south out of the village of Chestertown. That's probably the one in question. The headstone reads, "In remembrance of John Butler Yeats of Dublin, Ireland, Painter and Writer. Born in Ireland Mar 16, 1889. Died in NY City Feb. 3, 1922". Which only serves to deepen the mystery. An Irishman, born in Dublin, dying in New York City, but buried in Chestertown? Would that the obvious questions had been answered in the article! Oh, well... Stay tuned. The town of Chestertown will hold a symposium in September of 2001 - a Yeats international symposium! The title of this gathering will be "Prodigal Father: John B. Yeats, his family and his American friends". Surely the answers will be forthcoming then! Happy Sunday, all! Susan Susan Laursen Willig: SWillig@GenExchange.org NYGenExchange State Coordinator: http://www.genexchange.org/ny/index.cfm NY Counties Available for Adoption: http://www.genexchange.org/counties.cfm?state=ny Coordinator for Washington County, NY, GenExchange: http://www.genexchange.org/ny/washington/ List Admin. for VTADDISO, E M P E Y, G A R F I E L D, IRL-PALATINE, NYWashington-Rooters, NYWarren-Rooters