having a birth year of 1866....good place to start is 1870 or 1880 census because he should be with his parents.....do you know any of his siblings? here is 1880 with the only John Cunningham in wise county...the age doesn't match exactily but the census taker could have guessed........I don't have access to the 1870 census at home..if you can find John as a 4 or so year old in 1870 there might be earlier siblings which will give you something to look for in 1860.....do you know Joe Cunningham's birth state from the death certificate? 1880 Census Place: Precinct 5, Wise, Texas Source: FHL Film 1255333 National Archives Film T9-1333 Page 215A Relation Sex Marr Race Age Birthplace J. H. CUNNINGHAM Self M W W 43 TN Occ: Farmer Fa: TN Mo: TN W. D. CUNNINGHAM Son M S W 22 TX Occ: Croper Fa: TN Mo: TN J. H. CUNNINGHAM Son M S W 20 TX Occ: Working On Farm Fa: TN Mo: TN M. E. CUNNINGHAM Dau F S W 16 TX Occ: Keeping House Fa: TN Mo: TN T. E. CUNNINGHAM Dau F S W 13 TX Occ: At Home Fa: TN Mo: TN John CUNNINGHAM Son M S W 11 TX Occ: Works On Farm Fa: TN Mo: TN Allice CUNNINGHAM Dau F S W 10 TX Occ: At Home Fa: TN Mo: TN Fam CUNNINGHAM Dau F S W 7 TX Occ: At Home Fa: TN Mo: TN another possibility....if they moved from Wise County 1880 Census Place: Precinct 1, Eastland, Texas Source: FHL Film 1255300 National Archives Film T9-1300 Page 295B Relation Sex Marr Race Age Birthplace J. C. CUNNINGHAM Self M W W 42 AL Occ: Works R. R. Fa: TN Mo: TN Lizzy J. CUNNINGHAM Dau F S W 22 AR Occ: Keeps House Fa: AL Mo: AR Francis CUNNINGHAM Dau F S W 18 TX Occ: Keeps House Fa: AL Mo: AR Jonney CUNNINGHAM Son M S W 14 TX Occ: Works R. R. Fa: AL Mo: AR Sallie CUNNINGHAM Dau F S W 12 TX Occ: House Work Fa: AL Mo: AR Orrie CUNNINGHAM Dau F S W 10 TX Fa: AL Mo: AR another possibility... 1880 Census Place: Travis, Texas Source: FHL Film 1255329 National Archives Film T9-1329 Page 113B Relation Sex Marr Race Age Birthplace John A. KEITH Self M S W 29 MO Occ: Keep Boarding House Fa: MO Mo: TN John CUNNINGHAM Other M S W 15 TX Occ: Laborer On R.R. Fa: MO Mo: MO William HOGAN Other M M W 28 CA Occ: Laborer On R.R. Fa: MD Mo: IRE James COOK Other M S W 36 IRE Occ: Laborer On R.R. Fa: IRE Mo: IRE Joseph CONNER Other M S W 49 IRE Occ: Carpenter Fa: IRE Mo: IRE have you found other census yet?....working backward from 1930 with what you know....you can sometimes prove by the names in the household and you also will find out the likely places of their parents birth state...and work one census at a time back..... Richard Hollis Cypress, Texas Forwarded Message: Subj: {not a subscriber} Joe Cunningham Date: 8/20/2004 5:43:15 PM Central Standard Time From: _RalphCunningham@goldbank.com_ (mailto:RalphCunningham@goldbank.com) To: _txwise-l@rootsweb.com_ (mailto:txwise-l@rootsweb.com) Sent from the Internet _(Details)_ (aolmsg://02ca7628/inethdr/2) I am doing geneology work for my family. I have a copy of my great-grandfathers death certificate and it lists his place of birth as Wise County, Texas and his father's name as Joe Cunningham (My great-great grandfather). My great grandfather (John Calvin Cunningham) was born Septermber 7, 1866. That's all I know. Can you give me any leads or suggestions on how to proceed?