Lucy, I would be delighted to help you start your research, if you'd like....I just wish we lived close, for it's such fun to introduce people to the 'wonderful world' of genealogy! So, let me know, personally, if you decide to proceed and I'll gladly do what I can. (The only problem is that there is no real continuity between states, as to where records are warehoused, so you have to start from scratch with each new state you had folks in...finding out what is where, what is available, when various records were first started, etc.....different in every state. As my Dad would have said "we'll be cookin' with gas" if they lived in Pa, Ohio, VA, WV!!! Those I know well! (luckily for me, my folks didn't go further west than the Ohio river, so it's not been hard for me to do local research everywhere they lived.)

I saw someone had a posting topic of how great husbands are.....well, mine IS great....he will take me anywhere to research and never minds how long I poke around in libraries...he just reads his book or takes a nap (you knolw men - they can nap anywhere!!). However, his feminine 'side' was not dealt any 'pushy broad' tendencies, so he's big on sitting in the car. The day we found Berry Plain we were driving north of Fredericksburg on a county road and passed a sign that pointed to Dogue. I yelled "STOP THE CAR".....luckily for all concerned he is fairly use to this sort of thing. So we backed up and turned.....(I had remembered reading - somewhere - that Berry Plain had something to do with Dogue...so, we were off.) He asked what I expected to find and I said "who knows?". I planned to stop at a post office or fire department and ask...those are places, especially in small towns or rural areas, where people know EVERYTHING!. However, a few miles along the road there was a sign that said Berry Plain 1721.....and, the dreaded NO Trespassing sign. I said "drive in". He, of course, waited in the car while I went to the door (I have plenty of pushy broad genes). The lady of the house answered my knock and I introduced myself, told her that my family had built the house and asked her permission to take some pics of the exterior. She said sure, and came out and joined me....we talked as I snapped, and as I was clean, reasonably well dressed and had my hair combed, I reckon she figured I wasn't 'casing' the joint, and asked us in...(I had to go get my husband who was still in the car....what a woose). The owner and her husband LOVE the house, and it is in wonderful shape, as the photo shows....and, furnished with beautiful period antiques, so it's possible to imagine it might have been something like this when my family lived there! I'll tell you, to stand on the original random width floors, touch the newel post and gorgeous paneling, as my family had done so very long ago, was an experience like no other. It was, literally, a thrill....the owner also showed me the original paperwork the Berrys had 'generated'...

repairs. estimates for work, etc. Yikes! When I got home I sent her copies of everything I had on the Berrys, to add to her 'collection'...and, we've corresponded off and on ever since. I always say that experiences like this are our 'reward' for doing all that research in dusty books and dusty libraries!!! This is a FABULOUS avocation, and this is only one of the experiences of this ilk that I've had!