Dear Van Cousins All, Sharon Kelley and I have been trying to attach my G-G-grandfather, Levi Van Arsdale of Morris County, NJ and my Great-Grandfather, Nathaniel Horton Van Arsdale to one of the known Van lines for ages! :-} Levi was born ca 1800, married twice: 1) Abigail Goble in 1824 with whom he had a son, Abner G. After Abigail's death, he married 2) Ann(a) Eliza Horton in 1833. Grandpa Nathaniel is their son, born 1838. He married Margaretta Sanford in NJ in 1862 and by 1864 the family which then included Aunt Mary, was in Harrison County, Iowa where they remained until their deaths. Anyway, in puzzling over how to find the clue we need, I was going through my files when I turned up Grandpa Nathaniel's death certificate. BINGO! We have known since I got his death certificate about 15 years ago that he died of diabetes, but I suddenly got the idea that, since this cruel disease is hereditary, maybe it would be the missing piece to the puzzle. Although, as far as we know diabetes skipped his three daughters, the horrible disease has hit hard in his Tate grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It took my father last September. So...my thought is, does anyone else have diabetes in their Van line? If you do, it might mean that Levi and his descendents come from your line. (Of course, it COULD be from the Horton side of the family, instead...or the first Simon could have passed it on to All of us!) Well, that's my idea. I look forward to hearing what the rest of you think. Happy Ancestor Hunting! Marsha Tate mtate@libby.rbls.lib.il.us