Thank you Allan. The first place I went to look for this Alva was to the Whitney Archives. He may not mean a thing for my genealogy but Any Alva is worth a try. The Alva, son of Joseph and Mary (Woods) Whitney, I have looked into--that Alva died young and unmarried, although he lived longer than 12 years, as he was 12 in the Revolutionary War Pension Files. My Alva was supposed to have been born in Delaware County, NY. Settled in Binghamton, Broome Co., NY and was a blacksmith; then moved to Cerro Gordo Co., Iowa by 1860. I have it that his wife died 1883, so it would be later that he could have been in Plover, Pocahontas Co., Iowa. Considering his age would be over 70 by Plovertime, doesn't mean he couldn't have taken another wife for one reason or another?!! I have found several Whitneys named Alva or Alvah and it appears both sexes use either spelling. In fact, today I found a female Alva. Well, my search continues for my Alva L. Whitney, Shirley