PLEASE READ UPDATE NOTE AT BOTTOM: I know, there has to be a zillion John HOWARD families...... I consider myself a pretty good researcher (35+ years), I consider the 2 professional researchers good so why can't we find my family????? Here is my problem..... My Daddy, Paul R. HOWARD b 1906 in Lafayette Co, Ms to Edward Paul HOWARD b 1872 Tn and Molly Narcissa RUBY b 1872 Lafayette Co, Ms E. P. (as he was called or Ed) was the ? only child of John HOWARD and Mary/Margaret ?CURLEE? , this couple was suppose to have died in 1878/79 in Shelby County, Tn. during the Yellow Fever Epic... John HOWARD was from "MIDDLE TN"....that is all my Pappy HOWARD (Edward Paul) ever said..... The only thing that I have proven in all these years is this..... John had a brother named William (Will)(I have a picture of him) HOWARD that married Amelia HUNGERFORD 1858 in Shelby County, Tn. They lived in and around the surrounding counties of Shelby, Tipton, Haywood, etc..... I do know there were more brothers and sisters ..... When Pappy HOWARD's mother & daddy died he went to live with his Granddaddy HOWARD in "MIDDLE TN"....he talked about an Aunt Maggie also.... His grandfather died when he was around 12/13 years old....this should be in the area of 1880-1888 give or take..... at that time he "struck out on his own".....his words..... There was mention that his grandfather went to La before the Civil War but lost everything during the war and came back to "MIDDLE TN"..... I don't even know a name for his grandfather..... My Daddy remembers that he heard the name of DORKAS and thinks that was his grandmother's maiden name (wife of unknown grandfather of Edward Paul).... My Daddy died in 1992 still wondering about his family..... I want to know about my family.....I welcome all help.....happy to share what I have......Paula Howard THOMPSON..... UPDATE:......You know someone has written to me suggesting that instead of "MIDDLE TN" it could have been Middleton or some town with a similar name......such as Middleburg, Middle Fork, Middle Settlement, Middleton, Midland or some name like this......now why have I never thought of that......pj