On 8 February 1940, Laurence Mentor Phillips married Gale Delilah Ashton in Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan.  Lawrence was my third cousin, twice removed.  James Andrew Phillips and Mary Jeneavieve Lee welcomed Laurence into this world on 10 August 1913. It may seem that I have run a bit off the beaten path to pull up these particular family members today.  But, I am extremely grateful to their son, Gary Lee Phillips, my fourth cousin, once removed, whom I have only met via email for setting me on a great journey in tracking my Lee ancestors.  It was about 20 years ago, in the beginning of online research when I found a gedcom posting by Gary on a genealogy web site that had Horatio Lee, the same name as my great great great grandfather.  Gary had both birth and death information.  I had Horatio’s death date and age at death from his tombstone.  Quick calculation showed these to be the SAME.  We started to exchange emails.  Gary dropped a major surprise on me – he had the family Bible from Horatio’s parents – William and Mary Lee!!! (note:  William and Mary Summers Lee are buried in Quaker Cemetery, Farmington, Oakland County, Michigan – tombstones were a subject of a previous blog entry)

And then the Lee family just took off for me.   So, that is why I honor the marriage of what might appear to be such remote relatives.   Gary is a descendant of Horatio’s brother, Harvey.