I am the last known male adult of my fathers family, My Grandfather, Clayton Burleigh Arthur b.December 16th 1879 was supposedly from Clearfield Pa. I have no knowledge of my grandfathers exsistance prior to 1906 when the first records here in Washington State have him registered as a National Guard Volunteer during World War I. Other records show some about where his parents were from, Father from Pa, Mother from Ohio but that is where it ends.
I have written to and spoken with many people and reseachers to no avail mostly due to the lack of records in reference to the time of his birth and things that happened with national records i.e 1880 Census record distroyed in a fire and basement flood.
Grandpa had a sister who servived his death in 1951, Her name was Mazie Belle Arthur Miller, married to Silas Miller of Salix Pa in Cambria County but...having tried to connect through my great Aunts family comes to a dead end. I was able to meet a cousin five times removed of the Varner Family ( Dean Varner )who is related to my Great Aunt through one of her daughters but to this date there is no new discoveries.
I have since then sent a request by letter to the Pennsulvania Office of Open Records to request any information they might have concerning Marrages, Land Doc's Will's and the like...and still it.s a wait and see.
Supposedly there is Arthur family in Texas, but untill I flesh out where Clayton came from and where his parents lived and I can follow our family history this is where I will be.
My wife and I, we have been married 28 years were blessed late in our relationship with a son in 1998. I am doing this for him and as equally for me. We deserve to know our Heritage.
The path is long, scattered with the past and a belief in the future.