If anyone has any leads on how to search for information on a death that occurred in Alachua County sometime between 1878 and 1887, I'd love to talk to you. I have exhausted all census, deed and probate information. He is not listed in the Florida Combined Death Index for that period. If he left a will, it's not indexed in clerk's on-line information. Also I searched all the on-line cemetery sites I can find.

I will be in Gainesville for one day in September, and plan to search newspapers at Smathers and the Headquarters public library in Gainesville. Thanks, Sara

Sara,
Could your relative possibly died in a section of Alachua County that may now be under the jurisdiction of another?

Since you were in Gainesville you may have found what you needed but I can get you a little closer to his death date if you didn't. In Nov 1880 40 acres of land was sold from James to Edward Thwaite. Edward died intestate and the first mention of Keziah as a widow that I have found is on a document where Keziah is selling 10 of the 40 acres to her son, William B. Thwaite, dated 19 Aug 1887. She is listed as, "Kissiah Thwaite widow of Edward E. Thwaite." I'm still looking for the death date, too.