This violin was made by my great-great uncle by marriage. John Ericson was married to my great-great Aunt Tillie Sturm who was a science teacher in Indiana Schools. She was born and raised in Southern IL. They married later in life and didn't have children together but I think John might have had children from a previous marriage. Aunt Tillie self-published an autobiography in 1980, the year she died at the age of 90. John died around the early 1970s but I can't remember exactly when. Might have been late 60s. I was born in 66 so I don't have memories of him but my older sister does. We have a photograph of him in his studio trying to teach her violin. Would you be interested in a copy of this if we can dig it up? When I find my copy of Tillie's book, I can give you more info including his parent's names and birth dates, places etc. He was a very interesting person. Nobody in my immediate family knows how many violins he made. Pieces of unfinished violins and his tools and forms and frames remained in the garage at Aunt Tillie's home until she died and we don't know what happened to that stuff either. You can email my mother, who knew him better than I, at carrot53@aol.com. Hope this helps. Stephanie Wells