Sasha, No, that doesn't really fit into the time frame.....I don't think. My John, the elder, was born in 1823 and his daughter Lucinda was born in 1855. Census says he was born in PA, but it could have been what is now WV because those lines wavered for a while. If you see how they can fit, I sure would like to have you tell me how. I feel there must be a connection, because of the given names and tradition, but I just can't find it. I can find no paper trail on John, born 1823, after he went to OH other than the census, and he is mentioned in a legal paper where he and his wife, Deborah Jordan, sued her father's estate in 1859. I can't even decide if she's his first or second wife. Lots of complications regarding that in his son John Isaac's paper trail. I've been to Licking Co. and researched, but found nothing about John, only a record of his oldest son when he and his wife inherited property from her father, and luckily it was after the courthouse burned down, so those records didn't burn. I've been the gen. library there and researched with a lot of help through all the old church records and newspaper records, but didn't get to the public library. I don't think John, the elder, ever owned property until he got to IN, a little before 1900, and I'm not even sure he owned any there. I know he either owned property or loaned money for property to his son, John Isaac, but the deed records in IN are really a mess and I haven't figured out yet if John the elder ever lived on property he owned. I just know that his wife forgave the loan on property to John Isaac's wife when John Isaac was killed in an accident. There was no will, and the probate records were given to my ggm, who died in 1928. She had some money to leave to her two sons, so she must have done a lot with the little money she got out of the sale of that land. I know who bought it from her, but can't find out the previous owner's name to see if it belonged to John, the elder. I tried to trace the land, but the deed is all messed up and I can't make head or tails of it. I don't know if that land had a house on it or not. I couldn't get a soul to help me in the Vigo Co. courthouse, no matter how hard I pleaded. They were more interested in sitting and eating and gossiping than helping me, so I finally gave up. All I asked for was a little direction to where I could find more complete records, and I was totally ignored. So then I went to the county engineers office to see what maps I could find that fit the description of the land and a young kid was there who didn't know beans about the maps and where they were located and finally gave me some papers that didn't pertain to what I was looking for at all. That sure was a wasted day. Their library is a great place to do research, but they don't have those records that I needed from the courthouse. ANYBODY, please help us straighten out this line, all the way, so I can rule it in or out of my research. There was also a William Vanasdal, who spelled his name the same, in Licking Co., but I have been unable to learn anything about him other than that he lived there. I've tried to get his death record, but have been unable to get it. He died in either 1900 or 1905 (have records in books showing both of those dates). There may have been two Williams, or there may have been only one and the records have not been transcribed properly. One William died in the county infirmary, according to the records I have found in books. If I could just learn who the father of John, born in 1823, I think I could go sailing with all of the Van data I have collected, but I can't find his parents anywhere, nor can I find his death record even though I know he died after 1901 and was in Vigo Co., IN in 1900. I have decided, after much searching of cemetery records in Vigo Co. and the surrounding counties, that he left that area after 1900, when he was 77. Maybe somebody knows where he and his wife went? I know some of you have read this family history several times, but maybe somebody new to the list or somebody who has collected more info since my last posting, can make the puzzle fit. Barb

I THOUGHT I remembered your John as having been born later - this Preble Co. family is pretty well documented, and as I say - I know this family, because a cousin is a Van Arsdall descended from this Preble Co. family, and his wife lives just about 1/4 mile from me. We have compared notes many times and because it's her husband's Vans, we've been able to document the family down to the present generations. Some day you'll find the answer - I also have a relative I've searched and searched for and just can't tie him in. Sasha