Thank you for your reply. I have been doing this for a year and there is no doubt we all descend from Jesse in my mind. I am afraid that I may not find our line because there may have been some kind of estrangement between Nelson and his father.
It is a fascinating family , and I feel like I know whole families and their histories pretty well. Good luck with your research ,De Forest cousin. Oh , there are quite a few DeFries and DeFrees and other similar variations in the Knoxville area.
Michele De Forest Bolinger