Sorry, Alice, but you didn't ask me to identify the subject. What you said was this: <<Your story was amusing, Mac, and as Sherry points out, every family seems to have "a character" who stands out from the rest. We don't mind a funny story now and then, but, in the future, please identify it as such by putting "OFF TOPIC" or "FAMILY STORIES". By doing so, you give those that aren't interested the opportunity to use their Delete key. Now let's get back to genealogy.>> You allowed a question, allowed other answers, then told me that MY answer was "OFF TOPIC," and then went on to tell the following about your OWN family: <<At the age of about 18 my g-grandfather came to Jefferson County in 1850 with his Uncle to "seek his fortune" in lumbering. A year later his mother died in the Yellow Fever epidemic that was raging in Philadelphia, and his father (my g-g-grandfather) moved the rest of his family to Jefferson County to be near to his older son.>> Don't you see something wrong with this? And, I repeat, there are rarely any messages to this list and I think it was a good idea to stimulate some conversation. Don't you? OF COURSE obituaries are important! Offering the information in one is fine but 18 separate e-mails in one day from one person? Don't you see something wrong with that? Alice, take a minute and think this over. Mac