Gloria, you are such a treasure-trove of information. I am saving your Fort Valley posts so I can study them more later. So many familiar names. Right now I am mainly interested in Clems and Ritenours. My mother always said there were three different families of Clems in the Fort with her father John A G Clem's family being one. I didn't into genealogy until later in life, and have not researched her family much. I do know that her grandfather was Daniel Burner Clem. Today, I was skimming the new Fort Valley book, and came upon Johann Dietrich "Teeter" Clem/Klemm. I see where the Cross Roads community was named Detrick after him. Also, he served in the Revolutionary War. I am wondering if he is my ancestor, and if anyone on this forum knows more connections of the Clem families of Fort Valley. I'm just taking a quick break at my pc, and didn't mean to get into family history today since tomorrow is Christmas. It makes me think of George Bower's sermon last Sunday. He was telling about Jesus's family tree back through David and beyond. Then he said that it would be good to make Jesus the head of our family trees. I'm with George. The new Fort Valley book is such a broad history, and I get lost in it. Our farm was fairly isolated in the lower end of the Fort near Elizabeth Furnace, and we didn't keep up with the hub of activity around the Cross Roads so much, except, for going to church and visiting relatives. I see the Fort from a different vantage point, and need to broaden my horizon. Hoping to relax and read more after the holidays. The trouble is that I just keep falling asleep in that comfortable recliner. Dreaming of a good old homespun Christmas here with family altogether. The menu is planned, and Billy Bob has been helping me today. I fixed liver pudding and buckwheat cakes for lunch. Tomorrow I will fry some scrapple along with so many other delicious foods we eat only at Christmas. Wish you all could stop by, and have one of the ice box cookies with black walnuts made over my mom's Fort Valley recipe. Praying that everyone has a very Merry Christmas and Happy Healthy New Year. Nancy Grandstaff Shrum Woodstock, VA ----- Original Message ----- From: <vashenan-request@rootsweb.com> To: <vashenan@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, December 24, 2010 3:01 AM Subject: VASHENAN Digest, Vol 5, Issue 155