Hi, yes, I'm still here! Since that time however I found the family of Charles Hunter. Still don't have all of the questions answered about his early life, etc. Would love to hear from you. My email is beckywilson@usa.net if you want to email me directly. I think a year or two after I posted that query, I did find his parents. They are William Hunter and Emily/Emilia Nixon. They came to Van Buren Co., IA around 1851 or so. Wm. Hunter died shortly after that. The family was broken up (making it hard for descendants to trace). If you can shed any light on the family or other connections, it would be appreciated. I am now working on finding the family of William Hunter (father of Charles). Hope to hear from you soon.