Dear Friends: I would like the advice of any of the more experienced rooters on the matter of finding some sort of record of the death of my ggg grandfather, Joseph Phillips, Sr. He emigrated to the US in 1828 and purchased land in Berne Twp in 1929 and in subsequent years. He appears in the 1830, 40 & 50 censuses, but not in the 1860 so far as I have searched. Land record indexes indicate that he and his wife sold some land in 1853, 58 & 59, and he alone in 1865, which would suggest that he was still living in 1860. The Wills & Estates index was recently checked and he does not appear in it. My questions: If he owned land when he died, should there have been some sort of estate record even if he didn't leave a will? If he was selling off his land every few years, does that suggest to anyone that he might have been ridding himself of land he was too old to farm and perhaps owned none when he died? What other source might I check if he died before 1867 and I can't get access to the St.. Mary parish records for that period? Any thoughts on how to proceed with this would be appreciated. Sheila Rider