I finally got it! Over a year ago I started trying to reconstruct my Wilhite family history. I quickly found the massive amount of information available from way back up to the mid 1800s. I also had the information that I had gleaned from my Grandmother back in the 70s. However, finding verification as to how the two linked together was a bit of a challenge. My hypothosis based on suggestions from others and circumstantial evidence was that the line I sprang from was Michael, Adam, John, Aaron, Joseph Thornton, Eli. I tracked Eli to Morgan Co, IL which put him in the right place to be connected to my great grandfather, Eli Wilhite who was born in Virginia, Cass Co, IL (Cass was earlier part of Morgan). My guess was that my Eli was a son of Eli, grandson of Joseph Thornton, etc. Well today I finally obtained a marriage license for Eli T. Wilhite and Mary Arnold (my great grandparents). They were married in Menard Co, IL January 5, 1879. Eli's parents are given as Eli Wilhite and Elizabeth Ryman. Bingo. Now for the information that I have from my grandmother. Eli had moved with his mother and at least some of his brothers to Iowa Co, IA in 1868 some time after his father had died. He was still a young teenager. He returned to IL and married Mary Arnold, taking her back to Millersburg, IA. Then in 1884, Eli and one brother moved their families to Corwith, Hancock Co, IA and settled. That is where my grandfather Earl was born, lived and died, and where my father Orlan was born and raised. A have a good bit of information on this Iowa branch if it is helpful to anyone out there. Now I would sure like to find out a bit about the Ryman family. I only know that Elizabeth Ryman's father was Joseph. Dennis Wilhite ==== WILHITE Mailing List ==== To unsubscribe from WILHITE, send an e-mail message to: [email protected] (for individual messages) [email protected] (for Digest mode) Subject: unsubscribe In the body include only one word: unsubscribe (Turn OFF your signature file when sending this command)