>From Jackie Weeden to Gene Hardy Whaley-- Your messages have been delivered and pondered upon. I am so sorry you have had the computer problem. You are wise to start at the bottom of your line and work your way up. So thus you need to determine the parents of James Ratliff, your great grandfather. As you said, you need his parents and siblings. We discussed your line previously this summer and found you had some breaks in it. At that time you indicated that Edward Whaley and Elizabeth Caldwell were the parents of James Ratliff, and evidently you still believe that. The census records do show that an Elizabeth/Lizzie was the mother of James Ratliff, but Elizabeth Whaleys are a dime a dozen, you know. I do not believe that Edward Whaley and Elizabeth Caldwell were the parents of James Ratliff for the following reasons: There were three marriages in 1803 in Greene Co GA: Betsy Whaley and Warren West Edward Whaley and Elizabeth Caldwell James Adolphus Whaley and Nancy Lake Anyway, if Elizabeth Caldwell were 20 years old, or in that area when she married in 1803, she would be almost 60 in 1840 when James Ratliff was born. The 1860 and 1870 censuses in Quitman Co AL show an Elizabeth/Lizzie as mother of James R. and again in 1880 in Dale Co AL she was also in his household. Her ages on the three census records were 60, 70 and 80--40 years older than her son.. So she would have been born approximately 1800. That indicates that she was *not* the Elizabeth Caldwell who married Edward Whaley. That Elizabeth would have been b prior to 1800--probably in the 1790s. I have found no further record of Edward and Elizabeth Caldwell in GA or AL records. James Ratliff died in 1924 and would have been over 80 years old. I strongly suggest that you send for his death certificate and obituary. The address for the death certificate would be: Bureau of Vital Statistics Department of Public Health Montgomery, AL 36130 (They have death certificates from 1908 and up for the state of AL.) You perhaps could get an obituary by writing to: Public Library Ozark, AL 36360 Ask if they have a collection of old newspapers and if not, ask what other source they could recommend. Or maybe you could get an obituary if you would write to: AL Archives and History Dept. World War Memorial Building Montgomery, AL 36104 I would like to know what you find out, and when you determine his parents, maybe my records will enable you to go back further. Jackie