------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- From: "Robert Albert" <Robert_Albert_Jr@prodigy.net> To: <Schimmel@northlink.com> Subject: Rainwater Researcher News Bob,  After my long absence, I would like to let you and others know -- if you will post portions of this email -- about the final two issues of the Rainwater newsletter. 1998 was a year of many things for me. Job duties became too much and that combined with some personal losses forced me into a retreat from publishing the quarterly issue of the Rainwater newsletter. For those who were past members of our little research "association" and have unfinished paid subscription fees, I will be sending out two issues this year most likely in late spring and early fall. I am interested to hear from those still inteerested in receiving a Rainwater family newsleter, therefore there will be a post card questionaire in one of the "last" two issues to obtain opinions. There are a group of very nice Rainwater descendants out there who appreciated my efforts and wish me to continue, but I fear they are the smaller of the two groups.  I think that the Rainwater newsgroup on RootsWeb is a wonderful resource and I cannot thank you enough for putting forth this effort, but it has made it even more obvious (to me) that there are some people who want data, but hesitate to share theirs, one of the major problems I faced trying to print the newsletter. It became nearly a one-person effort. Also, I am frankly tired of seemingly being the only voice to try to keep the masses on track with their data. Maybe it is just me. Maybe I am the one who has everything wrong, but when people list things like: James, son of John and Mary Fussell who married Catherine or Catherine Ann Regan or Ann Regan -- a linkage which I have not ever seen proved by her name being on a document of James -- nuff said. Sure would like to see some solid proof. Please, someone post it so we all can be edified. Maybe we all are getting too serious about what started out as a pasttime hobby? Another problem is we all need to check our databases for the invalid lineage of: " John/Mary Fussell Rainwater had a son William, who was my ggggfather... " Considerable documentation exists indicating this particular William was an IDIOT. Will, the idiot, was a ggggfather of yours ???? You once told me, Bob, you had more than 60 documented Rainwaters in your database with the given name of 'William'. Our ancestors sure wore that name out didn't they :) , but it does show how careful research must be documented back to the correct ancestor William. If the records have been lost in a particular descendant's line, so sorry. Most all the cousins will try to help someone in that pickle, but guessing does not make good (or valid) lineage charts. Oh well, as you can tell, I am still my old frustrated self <G>. Nevertheless, I am alive and fairly well (some have asked, and I thank those for their concern). I am sitting back and reading everyone's postings, but since their are well over 100 subscribers to the electronic list, many who were not subscribers to the old printed newsletter, I am also interested in their ideas and responses to receiving a postal mail-sent reseach vehicle. Hope all is well with you and your wife and look forward to getting the next two issues of the newsletter out. Would appreciate your feedback too. Be honest with me. I look forward to constructive comments. Sincerely,  Robert Albert, Jr.