My research for my elusive ancestor, Andrew Russell, b. KY about 1795, father of my great grandmother, Mary Ann Russell, b. 1832, St. Louis, MO has taken me to Andrew Russell died 1835, Madison Co., MO, guardianship files for daughter born between 1832 and 1837, Mary A. I am awaiting copies of the probate files. This Andrew bought 40 acres in Madison Co., IL and it is adjoined by 40 acres of Jane Russell. St. Louis and Madison Co., IL seem to have very fluid borders in that Madison Co. is just across the river to St. Louis, etc. There were numerous Russells in both locations. Many of the land purchases in Madison Co. were made from people described in the records as living in St. Louis. I am interested in any and all Russells in St. Louis and Madison Co., IL. Anyone else out there searching Russells in this area? I am doing a thorough census search of the area and will begin posting census data to this list. I post data to this list because it will then be stored and searchable later to others. Good idea to all who are holding data. Please share with list. Russells, being very numerous and from diverse origins, can be a very difficult surname to deal with. Sharing data helps to untangle the enormous mess. One practice I have in research is that I create a file just for a certain surname I am working on in my genealogical program. I put in everybody and every scrap of information I find on a surname in a location I am researching. Later on I can often find relationships and with a few key strokes individuals and couples are directed to families. This blanket approach has proven very useful. When I first began genealogy years ago I doggedly searched and recorded only direct ancestors only to realize in time the importance of searching all the lines and connections. Often the collateral lines will have data one needs for figuring out the ancestor line. Tom --