GATHERING STONES by Various Stone Cousins: A Family History of Wiley Stone & Candace Buckner

WILEY & CANDACE STONE are the roots from which our individual family trees sprout. As our nation grew, so did our family and its stories. Along with family sheets and photos are stories of Wiley being orphaned by age five and over a hundred years later his descendants crossing the plains between Arkansas and Oregon. Through wars epidemics, the loss of lives, and braving the hardships of frontier life, they survived. One of his sons, William Pitchford Stone, lived to be nearly one-hundred years old, and his life was celebrated by the entire community at his graveside, decades after he was deceased. Another family member, Willard Stone, became a world-renowned artist and sculptor, with his works being exhibited in the Smithsonian Institute at our nation's capital. Farmers, spinners (and we have photos of Mary Etta Stone with her spinning wheel), preachers, vagabonds, and even a tinsmithy--their occupations and interests were as varied as the places they lived. Even if you're of no relation to the family, there's a treasure trove of history within these pages. We have maps of our country at various stages of its growth. There are photos of modes of travel, from steamships to conestoga wagons. Interested in the American Civil War? We've included photocopies of one Confederate soldier's admission record as a wounded soldier, plus his pardon by the Union after the battle of Vicksburg. Want to know what clothing was worn during various decades? We have that, too, including a Native American dress, soldier's uniforms, and ladies' under garments. What started as individual genealogy searches ended in a concise, descriptive, sometimes humorous and often tragic compilation of history and family. We hope you join us in our journeys.