I have Most Wanted this for 10 years. The problem being, that we do not know the given name of our missing Perkins. He was born in TN, probably around 1849. He married Martha J. Messer and they had one son John Thomas, b. 1867 in Ironton, Mo. I think I remember one of our late uncles saying his father [John T.] was an only son of an only son. Maybe he is someone's cousin ???? Dorothy