I signed up to be a volunteer for Yellowstone County via Random Acts Gen. Kindness to repay others for helping me in the past. I've had many wonderful experiences helping others. About two weeks ago a lady from Iowa requesting a lookup of a relative who they lost contact with in 1947. I off handedly mentioned I sure was having trouble finding a relative who was suppose to be buried in Creston, Iowa. A day or two later she excitedly emailed me, FOUND HAWKINS!!! She said she had never found so much information for anyone in the first 10 minutes of searching. Its seems my ancester, John R. Hawkins, lived in Creston, Iowa but died across the state in Mt Pleasant Iowa at the home of his father, Eli Hawkins, whom I had never hoped to find! I only knew he got married in Ohio in 1842 and disappeared a few years later. My husband and I had just spent the last two summers in the Iowa heat and humidity stromping through cemeteries, visiting funeral homes and looking through court house records to only come up empty handed!!! In addition this wonderful lady found unbelievable obits for three of my ancesters, including one of a female ancestor who died in 1877. As anyone knows researching family lines -- to find an obit for 1877 is in itself a miracle, but one for a female line is almost unheard of. Another obit was a huge 3 column obit. All three filled with wonderful information I never knew. My new friend in Iowa and I feel we were led to each other. Even though I haven't been able to find anything on her family in Yellowstone County, I have been able to talk to her relative's ex-neighbors in Stillwater County and have extended my search for her family state-wide. Hey, what are friends for?