Dear Karen,

I am Benjamin Franklin Reed and Sallie Ida Wilder's great-granddaughter.

I've been casting around trying to garner what I can about the Reed/Wilder branch of my family through Benjamin Franklin Reed (b. 1858 Kemper County, Mississippi). Other than searching Ancestry.com, I have scant information. Naturally, I was delighted to see your post!

I live in Florida. Benjamin Franklin Reed's son, Alvah Benjamin Reed, Sr., moved here with his wife Ida Mae Gurganus during "the Boom" of the early 1920's after their son, Samuel Windham Reed, was born in Alabama (1922).

Because family history was an interest of mine for many years, I'd been entrusted with the family Bible, documents, and photographs. Sadly, they were destroyed in an acrimonious divorce, so I've made it a mission to reconstruct my family's history and hopefully re-assemble any documents and photos that relatives are willing to share. My mother, Louise Reed Kuehnal (b. 1927) has dimentia and can recall only so much. Like many others, finding an earldom and a family castle would be fun; however, my main purpose is to discover the personal stories and history of triumph and tragedy.

I began somewhat of a narrative (to which I plan to add more)and would be happy to send it by eMail.

I welcome any information you are willing to share and look forward to hearing from you.

Please feel free to contact me:

NancyAnne McConnell
horsephoto@bellsouth.net