I know that not many people take the time to read acknowledgments. I know I don't! These are the special thanks to individuals and sources behind the scenes of the grueling work of collecting, organizing, writing and editing a book.

But books don't get written without the assistance of contributors, sources, interviewees and suppliers. So, in my case there was:

William Adnon Vernon of Greensboro, South Carolina, founder of "Vernon Vignettes", who supplied me with the Vignettes which enabled me to piece together my patrilineal descent, not to mention sending along crucial contact addresses to write to.

Jane Vernon Drotts of Richland, Washington and G. R. Vernon of Oregon, who clarified family relationships; Harold Dixon of Nelsonville, Ohio, who put me in touch with various Vernon family members and guided me to the resting places of ancestors; Gene and Jerrie Lonberger, who shared family history and put me in touch with Ernest and Lucile Vernon, who in turn put me in touch with their William Isaac Vernon family, and introduced me to fourth generation James Robert Vernon; cousin Julia Woodruff, who expanded on James Robert's daughters (one of whom was Harold Dixon's mother) and provided many photos of ancestors for reproduction; Gloria June Vernon Stancik, who gave me history and photos of my dad, James William Vernon; Gloria Jean Price, hard-working mother and genealogist, who provided reams of documented data, and photos, and contacts on Dad's mother Effie Dudley Vernon's "Dudley clan". It was Gloria Jean who started me on my collection of family and ancestor photos.

And, the mayor of Mannington, West Virginia, who put me in touch with local historian, Reverend Arthur Prichard of Mannington (who passed away in 1990). Reverend Prichard provided me with the address of Donna's first-cousin-once-removed, Nellie Talkington. Nellie is Dallie Davis's cousin on his mother's side, the only remaining kin of Dallie's maternal family (Nellie is 80 at this writing); and Mrs. Mildred Prichard for her permission to use photos from her late husband's book, An Appalachian Legacy: Mannington Life and Spirit. This allowed me to illustrate Dallie Davis's environmental origins.

And, there is Nellie Leonard. who put me in touch with the Corbins, my two sisters' family; Virginia Corbin Call, who shared both her family's history and photos, and who gave me some insight into her late sister-in-law, Donna Lenora. And I dare not forget the special folks in Clinton, Ohio, and especially, Christine Hauck of Barberton, Ohio, who helped me find my sister, Patty Ann. And, that very special record keeper at the Dan Street Juvenile Center in Akron, Ohio, who located for me the microfilm record of my father's Child Neglect Warrant issued in the early 1940s', tying him to Donna and me, and thus confirming his identification. And there were so many more!

But very key to my efforts was the contribution of James E. Van Cise, a colleague of my wife Abbie. Jim, the son of Joseph Edgar Van Cise, Jr. and June Sonnedecker, grandson of Joseph Edgar Van Cise and Catherine Carney, great-grandson of George B. Van Cise and Emma Rockyfellow of New York, became interested in his own genealogy through his contact with Abbie. It was due to his ready and generous contribution of time, talent and expert care as a photographer that I was able to get reproductions of all my photo collection...and he saved me a couple of thousand dollars in the bargain!

Let me not forget to thank and acknowledge the many, many contributions od family history made by members of the Slaughter, Meadows, Bosley, Corbin, Lonberger, Dixon, Woodruff, Beatty-Lackey, Ramsey, Grooms, and Vernon and their satellite families, who, in many cases, also gave of their time and finance.

Finally, in the writing of this book let me speak loudly and lovingly of my gratitude to my wife, Abigail Reynolds Howard-Vernon, without whose coming into my life as the companion of my highest standards, this effort would not have been considered, much less researched, discussed, self psychoanalyzed and, finally, written.

She is the lifemate I spent seven wandering years searching for (after my tumultuous marriage to the mother of my five children collapsed). Abbie bore me no blood offspring, but she gave birth to the inspirations of my desire to commemorate Donna's life. Abbie searched with me, and for me, gave me ideas, food for thought, sounded out my occasional brilliance, bore up attentively under my monotonous reminisces, salved my melancholy, supported me in body as well as soul while I worked full time on this project; and encouraged me during the occasional everyday disasters which befell her. She made certain I had paper, typewriter ribbons, travel provisions and Scotch...plenty ofScotch...although I know she'd rather have given up some years than to see me drink so much.