Hi all, since the Personal Property Tax Lists received a lot of comment,
I thought that I would try to stir up a little interest in another
rarely used source. That is the Federal Mortality Index. In the early
years this was taken at the same time as the population census with the
question being asked "Did anyone that was in the household die within
the last year?" Sometimes you get lucky when viewing the Federal
Mortality Index.
    In January of 1870, my g grandfather William Edward Heflin lost his
wife Eliza in Culpeper Co., VA and it was reported in the Federal
Mortality Index for 1870.
    In March of 1880, my grandfather William Thomas Heflin lost his
first wife Roberta Jane Colvin and 3 of their 4 children (all within 3
weeks of each other) in Culpeper Co., VA to scarlet fever and this also
was reported in the Federal Mortality Index for 1880.
    Since, William Edward Heflin had small children at the time of
Eliza's death I started looking for a second marriage by looking for all
of the William Heflin's in the census records for all of the Counties of
Virginia. Lo and behold I found William Edward Heflin in the 1880 census
for Pittsylvania Co. married to an Adaline. I knew it was my William
Edward because my grandfather William Thomas Heflin (36) is listed in
the Pittsylvania Co., VA Population Census along with his son John (4)
living with his father William Edward Heflin and Adaline Martin and
Maria, Josie, and Samuel the children of William Edward and Eliza.
William Thomas Heflin and lost his wife and 3 of their 4 children to
scarlet fever in Culpeper Co., VA in 1870. Maria and Josie married in
Pittsylvania giving me other sources to research. My g grandfather and
and grandfather were logger's and I assume that this is what drew them
to Pittsylvania where the fall line is nearby.

    I thought that I would share this with you to encourage you not to
overlook anything, even if there is only a 1% chance of success.
Regards, Phyllis

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