Hi Chuck. Eileen and Norman left today for an Alaskan cruise so... I thought I would fill you in on my day today, Saturday, which was spent on the phone all day, almost. Fortunately I have free weekend minutes unlimited, on my cell phone. I started looking this morning on the internet, via switchboard.com, for members of the family of Miles. My first call went to Stanley Dodge who lives on Ille Au Haught, Maine. That is not the way to spell it but close enough. I got his wife, Dorathea Dodge, who told me that Stanley was the son of Stanley who was the brother of Miles Harris Dodge. Her husband, Stanley, died in 2001. She told me that there had been another brother named IVAN, whose name I noticed that you had found in the 1900 census. She really did not know much else. She seemed perfectly willing to talk and answer any questions that she could. I was surprised since she didn't know me from Adam! I gave her my name and phone number and told her why I was making the call. She gave me the name of an Elizabeth Fayles...which surname she spelled. She said the Elizabeth was the daughter of Charles, the brother of Miles and that Elizabeth's daughter did all that genealogy stuff. She told me that the Fayles had some kind of small store in Friendly, Maine, and she did not know if it was still operating. After I was done with her, ............. I went on switchboard.com again and looked for 'Fayles' in Friendly. No luck there, so I looked for Dodge in Friendly. I got 3 hits. The first one was a Richard, I believe, and I called that number and got a message machine so I left a message...rather long I am afraid, trying to explain what I was about. Then I called the next one who was Robert, I believe. It turns out that he is the son of one of our DFA members, Phil Dodge of Machias, Maine. He knew nothing about the other Dodges in that town...didn't know them...etc. which surprised me as I would think that Friendly would be a small town...but...oh well... However, he DID tell me that the name Fayles, actually was FALES and that the store was in Cushing, Maine! Aha! Every little bit moves us ahead an inch does it not? So, I looked for the name FALES in Cushing...alas, no hits. So light bulb went on...a seldom thing to happen inside MY head! I went to the business search of switchboard, and looked for businesses in Cushing, with the name FALES. Aha! The 2nd one down was the store complete with phone number, Fales A S & Son...so I called the store. I cannot remember the mans name....I think it may have been Charlie but would not want to bank on that! I found out from him, that his grandmother, Elizabeth Dodge Fales, son of Charles Dodge who was the brother of Miles, was dead, but her daughter, his mother, Elaine, lived next door to the store and he gave me the address and the phone number. He also said he wanted to tell me a little story. Charles Dodge, Miles brother, was also in WWI and was in the same vicinity as the group that Miles was in. He went over to see Miles, and found out that Miles had been killed about a week before. So sad!...I said as much to the man on the phone, and he said 'yes, but then good in a way because he found that out.' ( I am wondering if perhaps he meant that Charles even identified the body since it seems that Miles was buried about 10 days before he was buried! SO that adds a bit more of interest to this whole story. He also gave me his e-mail address...really cute... 'fishin@midcoast.com' Guess that tells us what HE likes to do. Next, I called his mother next door. Sadly, she did not know anything much either. She really was not a genealogist or at least had nothing on the Dodges. BUT.........she DID tell me that James L. Dodge, the father of Miles, lived in Wiscassett and died there and she is quite sure that he is buried in the Birchpoint cemetery. Aha! Another bit of info we did not have. This then lead to a call to who else, but Sandra Tibbetts, our DFA researcher in Maine - when she has the time that is. Her parents live in Wiscassett and the next time she goes to visit them, she will take her digital camera with her and go to Wiscassett Cemeteries. When she does this, she takes ALL Dodge stones and gets them to me. While on the phone with her, (Eileen had asked for her help with this whenever she had the time) she told me that she had done a little bit. She found that in 1920, the James L. Dodge family lived in Bucksport and Margery was still unmarried, age 26, and living at home. She was a teacher. Then somehow, she found out that later, Margie had married Clifford Monto (at least it sounded to me like that was the last name!) She also told me that John Edward Dodge, the g. grandfather of Miles, went by the name Edward and she did find his marriage record under that name. Another bit of info that is important. Every little bit.... While I was discussing with her, this family, I was looking also at the data on line as Norman sent me a mystery update last night with this info in it. I noticed that Jason Dodge, the grandfather of Miles, died and is buried in China in the China Cemetery, Maine. I said to Sandra, 'hmmm...I am quite sure we have a member in China, ME. I don't know whether to call him and ask him if he can go to the cemeteries there and take photos'. She encouraged me to do that. I also told her about the new military area on our web site and she told me that both her father and grandfather were in WWII so she is going to send me the particulars so I can add their names. By this time, it was almost 3 pm. After I hung up, I immediately called our member in China and he wrote down all the info and said he would be HAPPY to help in this way and he DID have a camera and he WOULD take pictures and would go to all the cemeteries in China as there is more then one. He also told me that in the Newcastle area, there are 2 ancient cemeteries. One is in a woods sort of and one is at the back edge of a field. He has a map and when he can he will get there. He told me that his line is through Clarence Spraul Dodge and we have his line in our John Branch data base. He is in hopes that he will find that his g.g.g grandfather, Edward Dodge's burial place in one of those two ancient cemeteries. I am in hopes that while he peruses China cemeteries, he will find more information on this family of Miles. When I was done with him, I HAD to call Ginger! and tell her of the bits and pieces I had found. While I was on the phone, I happened to mention how I wondered why her grandmother's mother did not keep in touch with her father's family but that I thought that perhaps Miles had met her when in New York, and that perhaps he never even told her about his family. No one I talked to knew that Miles had a daughter! Ginger told me that Miles and the grandmother's mother were not married and that the grandmother was born when her mother was only about 17...certainly not any older. Also, the grandmother grew up thinking that her mother was actually her sister and that her grandparents were her own parents. When she grew up and went to work, I guess she had to get a birth certificate, and found out then that the one she thought was a sister, was her mother, and that her father was Miles. H. Dodge. The grandmother is not found in any of the census's and that is because she was hidden when the census taker came, I guess. Ginger said that her grandmother also hid her children when the census person came and that even her own mother, did this at least once, because Ginger's father said, 'What ARE you doing' and her mother said..something like, 'hiding the children' and he straightened her out so that was the end of hiding! So, I wish I could say that 'mystery solved' but no, I can't ...however some more bits and pieces and family lore have been added to the story. I have given the grandmother a years membership in DFA and if she likes it when it is renewal time, Ginger will renew. Of course, the grandmother has to be 90! She lives in Florida. Actually, even tho it has taken awhile to write this, it is good I did because I want some about this (not the illegitimate part of course) in the next news letter the end of July, and I could never remember all the steps! Barb -- Barbara V. Dodge Dodge Family Association 9556 Garrison Court Westminster, CO 80021 Tel: 303-237-4947 Cell: 303-929-8206 http://www.dodgefamily.org