Pat, thanks for the information about the Smith and Thomas families. It gives me new leads to consider. And thanks also for all the help you give genealogists, I see your name here and there helping people. I have been able to trace my Cottens back a few generations with the help of another Cotten researcher, and I have everything from Abigale to the present. Unfortunately, a VERY unexperienced person has grafted my great grandfather onto a Cotten tree, and gave him a whole set of new children, etc. and posted it on the internet. What a mess! I know it is false, because I was raised living about 2 or 3 miles from my great grandfather, and he died while I was in my twenties. I have written a story about my Cottens and posted it on the Henderson County Genweb site at:Robert & Mary Frasure Cotten, Henderson Co., TX url: http://www.rootsweb.com/~txhender/bios/rmfcotten.htm Thanks again for your reply. Betty Owens

Betty I can understand how you feel about the new family for your GGrandfather . I have been there with my Samuel Washington Lindley family. Someone wanted in the DAR so the just fit him into a family that had a Samuel Lindley & was easy to just slide our Samuel Washington into this family. I finally spent several yrs. researching the family of the other Samuel Lindley & was able to get most of it straight. They have people in the DAR with the wrong line. Our Samuel Washington Lindley's Grandfather was John Pyle & his father John Lindley both fought in the REV. WAR but not so easy to prove as the Samuel Lindley line that went to William Lindley. Get your proof together on your line & ask the post be removed that you have the proof it is wrong. Also consider that it may be a man with the same name that is almost the same age. This causes much confusion. I will keep my eye open for your Smith / Thomas connection. I have found some amazing connections between families that came to LCT with the help of lots of Limestone Co. genealogists. Some of this group has worked together since the early 1990s. Maybe Barbara Thomas is not real busy & can jump in & help you. I will always believe that these groups of people that came to Limestone Co knew each other in the areas they came from. Pat Oates At 01:52 PM 12/5/2004 -0500, you wrote: >Pat, thanks for the information about the Smith and Thomas families. It gives >me new leads to consider. And thanks also for all the help you give >genealogists, I see your name here and there helping people. > I have been able to trace my Cottens back a few generations with the help >of another Cotten researcher, and I have everything from Abigale to the >present. Unfortunately, a VERY unexperienced person has grafted my great grandfather >onto a Cotten tree, and gave him a whole set of new children, etc. and posted >it on the internet. What a mess! I know it is false, because I was raised >living about 2 or 3 miles from my great grandfather, and he died while I was in >my twenties. >I have written a story about my Cottens and posted it on the Henderson County >Genweb site at:Robert & Mary Frasure Cotten, Henderson Co., TX > url: http://www.rootsweb.com/~txhender/bios/rmfcotten.htm >Thanks again for your reply. >Betty Owens >