This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/2YB.2ACI/2069.1.1.2.1 Message Board Post: Yes!! you filled in a few more holes. We think that Bert's mother died in child birth or around that time her name Francis Cathrinne Stewart. the Step-mother Cora had another child matthew. when Erastus died in some kind of explosion [ boiler?] Cora put Bert in the poor house. some how the stewarts [grandparents] found out and went and got him and raised him. I was under the impression Bert was very small [younger than 6] we do not know much about his Chaney family as he was raised by the Stewart's but also don't seem to know anything about Stewarts. do know Cora changed Mathews name to Cheney and later he went by van Buren but did not claim the name Chaney. Just looked at date for Erastus death it is 1878-80 so he must have been involved in the boiler explosion too or one right after that. thank you so much Deborah Starr