An Impassioned Plea!

I'm frustrated and I need help. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I have been searching for the parents of my great-great grandparents, Thomas Dudley and Iva Lettitia Tankersley Dudley for several years. I have chosen to pursue Lettitia's parents, guessing that researching a less common surname might make my odds better. And, if I can find Lettitia's parents' names, maybe it will make it easier to find Thomas' parents. Although I continue my own research, I am also hoping that someone out there will someday read this blog post and contact me!

Iva Lettitia Tankersley was born around 1811 in Virginia. She married Thomas Dudley on 11/17/1830 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Marriages of Pittsylvania County, Virginia 1806 - 1830 by K. B. Williams lists her name as "Malitia Tankersly." The marriage bond was posted by Nicholas Dillard, a teacher in Pittsylvania County. Soon after their marriage, Lettitia and Thomas moved to Ohio, settling in Clark Township, Clinton County, Ohio.

She and Thomas had 11 children, Absalom (born 1833), Robert (1835), Campbell (1838), William (1841), John (1844), Jane (1846), twins Jesse and Berryman (1848), Mary Ann (1850), Lewis (1853), and one whose name I can't find. Thomas had died by 1870. In 1880, Lettitia was living with her daughter Mary Ann and her husband, Jeremiah Himes. I found a family tree online which indicates that Lettitia died in 1891, but didn't provide a source or contact information for the compiler.

So, if you know the names of Lettitia's or Thomas' parents (or any other information about them), please leave a comment. I'm desperate!

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