I have been stuck at my great-grandfather Robert Patterson for 12 years. ANY leads would be greatly appreciated: Robert H. Patterson - born in North Carolina (abt 1838 - 1840). Don't know where he lived or what he did during the war. He surfaced in the 1880 census of Jackson County, Georgia married to an Elizabeth, with a two year old son believed to be named Richard Michael. He may have been married prior to this since Elizabeth was only 26 in 1880(he was 41) and given the age of his son they had probably only been married a few years. Elizabeth died in childbirth with my grandfather William Phillip Patterson in 1884, in Athens, Georgia/Clarke County. Robert remarried to Jane Mason on May 31, 1888 in Athens, Georgia. In the 1900 census, Robert indicated that he was born in North Carolina and his father in Virginia. His children (by previous wife Elizabeth are living with him) 1. Richard Michael Patterson - born May 1878 - along with his wife Katie His name is illegible in this census. The Richard comes from the 1880 census and I have added the Michael because recollections of family members are that he was called Mike. Mike (Richard) worked for the railroad and lost touch with the rest of the family since about 1910. 2. Fanny Patterson - born Dec 15, 1880 She married sometime after 1900 and is believed to have moved to Asheville, North Carolina. She has also been lost. Does anyone know if the name Fanny is a nickname for another name such as Francis? Family recollections only remember her as Fanny (also the census) 3. William Phillip Patterson - born June 1884. This is my grandfather. He worked for the railroad out of Athens, Georgia. Died in the 1930's in Tampa, Fl. His wife was Susie Mae Raborn of Greenwood, South Carolina. I have wondered if his middle name could have been "Phillips" since it was spelled with two L's and I have noted that there have been some Patterson/Phillips connections in North Carolina and Georgia. After 12 years you begin grasping at anything. Robert H. Patterson died in Athens, Georgia in 1907. I don't know what became of his second (or third) wife Jane Mason. Family recollections and stories about this family are so disjointed as to be almost useless. However the stories indicate that Robert's wife (Elizabeth, the mother of the kids I think) came from Ireland. There is also a Baltimore connection somehow, because there were some stories about trips he had taken to Baltimore and it was believed to have some family connection. This is a mess. But I would be so incredibly happy and surprised if I ever made a connection. Thanks for reading this. Patrick Patterson Tampa, Fl.