EXCELLENT -- thank you so much, Dorothy! This branch of my Kirkendall kin has been very challenging -- thanks to you I now have Free Thomas' birth and death dates, and burial location for him and his mother. I guess the old family information was correct after all, if very non-specific.

I do not recognize Emma Ellmaker Beaumister's name. I found her in the 1880 census, at Spencer Creek, daughter of Byron and Martha Ellmaker. Byron was a blacksmith, born in Pennsylvania (or possibly Iowa - the censuses are not consistent on this). I find her listed in the 1900 census, Elmira, living near a brother Enos Ellmaker. She is listed as "d" (divorced), 3 children born, all still living, but I only see two sons living with her. I find her listed in the 1910 census at Zumwalt, with the two sons. Her son Herman, age 26, is shown as widowed. She indicated she was the mother of 3 children, all still living. After I found the second wife of Free Thomas (see below) I don't see any family relationship with the Beaumisters -- Emma's birth location and parental profile is different from Caroline K. Thomas. The only remaining possibility being some relationship with the deceased young wife of Herman, but I can't think what it could have been.*

* Caroline K. Coyle/Thomas was born in Pennsylvania 1854. Byron Ellmaker was born there abt. 1841 -- but I found the Ellmakers in 1860 at Richardson, Lane Co., and Caroline was not from this family.

Free Thomas was previously married to a Jenny and had at least 2 children with her, back in Nebraska and Colorado. I found Free Thomas in the 1910 census, married to Caroline K. Thomas for 7 years, with 3 stepchildren. I found the widowed Mrs. Thomas in the 1920 census living at Portland. She was first married to a Coyle, apparently in the early 1880s. I found her widowed in the 1900 census in Denver, with 4 children. The first two were born in Wyoming and the last two in Colorado. The deceased Mr. Coyle was born in Canada.

I really appreciate your help -- if you turn up anything further, please let me know, and thank you. Further genealogy and some images are on my web site:

www.landofthebuckeye.net

Don Boyd