Genealogy is an ongoing process. This page shows open research questions, their current status, and the next steps needed to resolve them. MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH (2026): DNA analysis (Barklee's phased genome + 23andMe DNA Relatives) identifies Catherine's biological maternal line as the French-Canadian Laliberté family — anglicized from "Burque dit LaLiberté" and indexed as "Liberty" in New York records — of Clinton County, NY (the Rouses Point / Champlain corridor along the Québec border) and Québec (Lawrenceville) / Lebanon, NH, consistent with mtDNA haplogroup H and ~24.8% French autosomal ancestry. This supersedes earlier speculative leads; the Reid/Pittman/Thomas/Wade DNA matches are on the paternal King/Sanders side, not Catherine's. Her exact biological parents remain pending New York's pre-adoption birth certificate. Individual living DNA matches are withheld for privacy.
Research update · September 9, 2026
New marriage, census and alumni records identify a Westfield Sanders family. The connection between that family and Barklee’s father remains unproven.
Barklee’s father, Clarence D. Sanders Jr., was born June 11, 1952 in Ocala, Florida, died December 27, 2025 in Cortland, New York, and was married to Catherine Sanders. His death certificate names his father Clarence D. Sanders Sr. and mother Gloria A. King. It does not identify his father’s dates or birthplace.
The Westfield/Chicago man is a candidate for that father. His newly identified parents must not yet be presented as Barklee’s great-grandparents. The tree marks that connection as hypothetical.
Birmingham Public Library replied September 9 that it holds no Westfield High School yearbooks. Its alumni-group referral led to these records. Earlier claims that BPL had a digitized Westfield set have been withdrawn.
Historical-record index · image access restricted
Clarence Sanders and Lucile Johnson married November 21, 1953 in Bessemer. The index names his parents John Sanders and Roxie Lee Hutcherson. The original is restricted to a FamilySearch center or affiliate library; indexed spellings remain subject to image verification.
Read source: 1953 marriage names parentsOriginal census image inspected
Dolomite, Jefferson County, Alabama; ED 37-33, sheet 11B, lines 58–69. John, 62, and Roxie, 40, appear with Clarence, 5, and daughters Alma and Edna. The sibling cluster agrees with later alumni publications.
Read source: 1940 household: John, Roxie and ClarenceOriginal census image inspected
ED 37-60, page 23, April 7, 1950: the original lists Roxie L Sanders, 50, widowed, as head, and Clarence, 15, as her son. Edna Sanders and Alma Sims are present. The index misreads Roxie as Robie and labels the locality Kimberly; the image’s locality line is blank.
Read source: 1950 household includes Alma Sims and EdnaOriginal alumni newsletter · retrospective account
The December 2003 newsletter reports the November 21, 1953 courthouse marriage and a fiftieth-anniversary celebration in Oak Lawn. It describes Lucile as a former majorette and Clarence as the alumni chairman. Matching couple, date and place connect this account to the marriage index.
Read source: Lucile Johnson and the 1953 Bessemer weddingArchived alumni association homepage
The anniversary account names Alma and Charlie Sims as Clarence’s sister and brother-in-law. Ruby Lee and John (“June Bug”) Sanders visited the couple described as their uncle and aunt. Dwayne Anthony Gillam and Curtis Mitchell Jr. are described as nephews; their precise connection through Clarence or Lucile is not specified.
Read source: Alma Sims is named as Clarence’s sister1988 alumni report · current holdings unverified
The September 1988 newsletter, page 2, identifies Edna Sanders Smith as Alma Sims’s sister and a 1949 graduate. It reports that she deposited a 40-page Westfield school history at Miles College. This is a repository lead; no present-day catalog holding or manuscript has been acquired.
Read source: Edna Sanders Smith’s 40-page school historyDecember 2000 alumni newsletter, page 2
A memorial item calls Robert Shelton a cousin of Alma Sanders Sims and Clarence Sanders. It offers another family connection to test through civil records; the exact ancestral connection is not established.
Read source: Robert Shelton: a cousin to traceAssociation funeral announcement
The February 2025 announcement identifies Clarence Sanders as Westfield Class of 1952 and gives February 27 funeral arrangements in Chicago. This supports the school affiliation; no yearbook page has been obtained.
Read source: Class of 1952 confirmed in an alumni postFamily-submitted newspaper obituary · May 19, 2016
DeGalynn Wade Sanders’s obituary names Clarence and Lucile as parents-in-law and a Clarence Jr. with spouse Cheryl among the Chicago family. Barklee’s dad was married to Catherine Sanders. A common name alone cannot establish that these are the same man.
Read source: The Chicago Clarence Jr. identity conflictFor the complete 1953 marriage file, Jefferson County Probate Court publishes a $3 copy fee. Its Bessemer online marriage coverage begins in 1965; the 1953 record requires another access route. A county copy or a FamilySearch center visit could verify the indexed parent names. The Alabama state search costs $15. No order has been placed.
Research update · September 8, 2026
This veteran-led family-history project is seeking records of the August 24, 1968 attack on Fire Support Base Scofield, also spelled Schofield. A complete report scan confirms index entries for a personnel list, written synopsis and tape. The actual roster, synopsis and recording have not been acquired.
HQ 25th Infantry Division’s Combat After Action Report of the Battle for Tay Ninh, dated February 7, 1969, is available as a complete 41-page scan in Texas Tech item 2930702002 (VHPA General Files, collection 293, Box 07, Folder 02). The earlier 40-page scan, item 2930218005, skips printed page 39. The complete scan restores that page and its synopsis entry. The approved draft also lists the synopsis, but it belongs to the same report family and is not an independent account.
Report page 20 describes the attack at approximately 0030–0430, with nine U.S. personnel killed and 41 wounded. These are unit-level totals: the report does not independently identify Lewis King among those casualties. His documented death date remains August 24, 1968; the individual casualty and burial file is still needed to investigate the specific circumstances and releasable next-of-kin information.
Inclosure 5
The report lists a personnel roster; its full scope and names remain unexamined.
Index entry acquired · page 39Actual roster pending
Inclosure 41
Seven officers and enlisted men concerning Scofield on August 24, 1968.
Index entry acquired · page 39Synopsis text pending
Inclosure 87
Seven defenders concerning the August 24 attack; marked “copy 1 only.”
Index entry acquired · page 41Recording and tape number pending
Erik B. Villard’s official Army history, Staying the Course (2017), printed page 646, note 10 cites this report in Box 33, After Action Reports, 1965–1971, Command Historian, Headquarters USARV, Record Group 472, NARA College Park. This is a historical location citation; current holdings and the tape’s location remain unconfirmed.
The Marshall Foundation collection 150-B finding aid, printed page 16 (PDF page 19) lists a 90-page Tay Ninh after-action report in Box 13, donor Yopek. That item has not been acquired; its extra pages are not yet known to contain the interviews.
The Army Center of Military History’s Vietnam Interview Tape collection is another possible custodian. Villard’s printed page 648, note 14 cites VNIT 395, inclosure 24, for August 18 events. That is a different action from Scofield on August 24 and does not identify inclosure 87’s tape.
Four emails were sent and the CMH inquiry form was submitted. No requested records or substantive agency responses have been received from these inquiries.
Lewis King individual casualty and burial file (IDPF)
Inquiry sent; response pending
Inclosures 5, 41 and 87; associated materials and donor inventories
Inquiry sent; response pending
Report location, separated media and transfer records
Inquiry sent; response pending
Vietnam Interview Tape collection indexes and current custody
Inquiry submitted; response pending
Contents of the 90-page Tay Ninh report listed in Box 13
Inquiry sent; response pending
From DNA sequence to testable questions
A family tree describes relationships. Genotyping records selected DNA letters. AlphaGenome adds a different layer: predictions about how a DNA change could affect gene activity, RNA splicing, and other molecular processes in particular tissues. These predictions help prioritize research; they do not identify ancestors or diagnose a condition.
A dated laboratory result or a genotyping call. Keep the original source and distinguish a no-call from an absent record.
A statistical estimate of an unmeasured DNA letter. Dosage is not a laboratory confirmation, and missing coverage is not a negative result.
A model estimates a molecular effect for one exact REF-to-ALT change. A high score is not a personal probability of disease.
Google DeepMind announced Atlas on September 8, 2026: precomputed scores for more than 9 billion possible single-letter changes. Its AlphaGenome Variant Impact (AVI) score combines AlphaGenome and AlphaMissense predictions. Downloaded reference scores can be matched locally, without sending a personal genome to the model.
Read the official Atlas announcement · Explore datasets and terms
Project status: literature refresh and input validation are available. A bounded Atlas import pilot has matched downloaded reference scores to local imputed data. Individual scores remain private. This verifies the import method, not a whole-genome review or a clinical interpretation.
Developer FAQ and limitations · Independent personal-genome evaluation (2025 preprint)
PubMed snapshot retrieved 2026-09-09 (UTC): 8 of 29 matches for “AlphaGenome”. Titles are imported from PubMed. A matching paper is not an endorsement or an interpretation of anyone’s genome.
Journal of medical genetics · 2026 Aug 25 · Journal Article
Human mutation · 2026 · Journal Article
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026 Aug 12 · Journal Article, Preprint
medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026 Jul 17 · Journal Article, Preprint
Signal transduction and targeted therapy · 2026 Jul 7 · Journal Article
Briefings in bioinformatics · 2026 Jul 3 · Journal Article
Briefings in bioinformatics · 2026 Jul 3 · Journal Article, Review
Bioinformatics (Oxford, England) · 2026 Jul 1 · Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Updated September 9, 2026. Clarence D. Sanders Jr. (June 11, 1952, Ocala, Florida – December 27, 2025, Cortland, New York) was married to Catherine Sanders. His death certificate names his father Clarence D. Sanders Sr. and mother Gloria A. King, but does not give his father’s dates or birthplace. The Westfield alumni leader of Chicago remains an identity candidate, not an established match to that father. A 2016 family obituary lists a Chicago Clarence Jr. with spouse Cheryl; this conflict requires investigation. Newly recovered alumni publications identify the Westfield Clarence’s wife as Lucile Johnson, their marriage as November 21, 1953 in Bessemer, and his sister as Alma Sims. A FamilySearch marriage index agrees on the couple, date and place and names groom’s parents John Sanders and Roxie Lee Hutcherson; the original image still needs comparison. A 1950 census index places Clarence with Alma, Edna and a widowed mother indexed Robie L Sanders. These are substantial leads for the Westfield family, not yet proof of Barklee’s great-grandparents. Birmingham Public Library’s September 9 reply confirms it holds no Westfield yearbooks and refers to the alumni group. Earlier claims of no FamilySearch records and an unusable Library of Congress newspaper service are superseded: records were found, and Chronicling America migrated to loc.gov in 2025.
Next Steps
The strongest hypothesis links Gloria to Buster King and Lizzie Finley of Marion County, Florida. Same county, surname, race, and timeframe. Pattern of confirmed children: Theola (1922), Bernice (1928), infant (1933). Gloria would be (1936). HOWEVER: Gloria is absent from the 1940 Census AND 1950 Census (ED42-21, all 42 pages OCR-searched) with the Buster/Lizzie household. She is also absent from Buster's 1985 funeral record survivor list (Entry #6216), though that list is demonstrably incomplete (confirmed children Freddie and Theola are also absent). Eddie M. King (b. 1935) and Willie King (b. 1939) share the same double-absence pattern. All OCR-identified 'Gloria A.' leads in Marion County 1950 Census have been ELIMINATED (Gloria A. Glass in ED42-11 is White; Gloria A. Davis in ED42-15 is White). CUNNINGHAM FUNERAL RECORDS READ (2026-03-22): Using the UFDC Patron API (api.patron.uflib.ufl.edu), all King family funeral records were retrieved and scanned images transcribed. DEFINITIVE FINDINGS: (1) Eddie M. King's parents are 'Ounce Dunbar' (father) and 'Willie Mae Hay' (mother) -- NOT Buster/Lizzie. Eddie is from an entirely different King family. (2) Willie King's parents are 'Jewel(l) King' (father) and mother's maiden name 'Mitchell' -- NOT Buster/Lizzie. Another separate King family. (3) Clifford C. King's father is 'Ivory Lee Walker' and mother 'Mae Grownes' -- NOT Buster/Lizzie. Informant described as 'half-sister.' (4) Sam King's 1968 funeral record CONFIRMS Buster as his son (listed in survivors). Sam was age 89, born ~1879 in Georgia. (5) Buster King was age 89 at death (1985), born ~1895-1896. Father: Jack King. Mother: Martha Johnson. (6) Buster's confirmed survivors: daughters Bernice King Daily (Ocala) and Beulah C. Davis (Tampa). Gloria NOT listed but list is incomplete. The hypothesis remains WEAKENED but NOT DISPROVEN. Eddie, Willie, and Clifford are DEFINITIVELY ELIMINATED as Buster/Lizzie children. PROBE 2026-08-24: FamilySearch (signed in) Florida Deaths 1877-1939 lists Ebo King + Lizzie Finley as parents of a child King (fits the 1933 infant). NUMIDENT Gloria King b.1936 Florida principal: 5 fuzzy hits, none Gloria / none 9 Oct 1936.
Next Steps
Catherine was adopted and raised as Catherine Mary Sullivan (full name confirmed on Barklee's certified birth certificate and Clarence Jr.'s certified death certificate); 'Sullivan' is her adoptive family's surname, not her biological birth name. Estimated birth year ~1955-1965 (based on Clarence Jr. born 1952 and Barklee born 1994). DNA BREAKTHROUGH (2026): Analysis of Barklee's phased whole genome and 23andMe DNA Relatives identifies Catherine's biological MATERNAL line as the French-Canadian LALIBERTÉ family — anglicized from 'Burque dit LaLiberté' and indexed as 'LIBERTY' in New York records — of Clinton County, NY (the Rouses Point / Champlain corridor along the Québec border), with roots in Québec (Lawrenceville) and Lebanon, New Hampshire. This is consistent with her mtDNA haplogroup H and ~24.8% French autosomal ancestry. This finding SUPERSEDES earlier speculative leads: an Irish 'Sullivan' birth-surname hypothesis; a Cortland-County Wallace/Reid/Pittman + Thomas/Wade DNA cluster; and a Long Island Raynor/Wood/Kelchburg line. The live DNA shows the Reid/Pittman/Thomas/Wade matches are on the PATERNAL King/Sanders side, NOT Catherine's, while the Laliberté cluster is her maternal line. STILL OPEN: Catherine's exact biological PARENTS' given names. New York's original (pre-adoption) birth certificate — unsealed statewide since January 1, 2020 — would name both biological parents directly and is the single highest-payoff step. Individual living DNA-match relatives are withheld here for privacy.
Next Steps
The genealogical chain connecting Charles King (1870 Census, Camp Izard) to Gloria King (born 1936) has been partially traced: Charles King (1870) to James King (1870, 1880, 1900) to Samuel Z. King (1880-1910) to Ebo 'Buster' King (1900 Census as child 'Ebo'). Gaps remain in the 1920 and 1930 censuses. Camp Izard was a U.S. Army fort (est. Feb 27, 1836) during the Second Seminole War, built along the Withlacoochee River approximately 20 miles SW of Ocala. Named for 1st Lt. James F. Izard, killed in combat with Seminole forces. After emancipation in 1865, the site became a freedmen settlement. The 1870 Census captured two Black King families there. The domestic slave trade route suggests Charles King's ancestors arrived via Charleston SC (48% of direct arrivals to mainland NA), then moved through the domestic trade to Alabama, South Carolina, and finally Florida. Y-DNA haplogroup E1b1a traces the deep paternal origin to the Nigeria-Cameroon border (~5,800 years ago, Bantu homeland). Barklee's chromosome painting data confirms: Copy 2 is 94.7% Sub-Saharan African. PROBE 2026-08-24: FamilySearch givenName=Ebo surname=King (signed in) returned 1900 Ocala (parents Samuel Z King, Martha King, sibling Beaulah), 1910 Kendrick Marion (parent Zachariah King), WWI draft b. 23 Apr 1896 Ocala, 1950 Marion FL. No 1920 or 1930 census hit in those results. Florida Death Index 1933 Ebo King Marion fits the infant, not Buster's 1985 death.
Next Steps
SP4 Lewis King was killed in action in Vietnam on August 24, 1968. The 3/4 Cavalry KIA Booklet records his birth as June 29, 1945, and his death as August 24, 1968. His relationship to Ebo 'Buster' King and Lizzie Finley remains unconfirmed. The existing reading of his Cunningham funeral record (UF00040361) suggests 'Lora Mae' in the mother/informant information; the father field is unclear. The booklet lists Lincoln Memorial Gardens, Ocala, while Find a Grave memorial #65839806 lists Faith Memorial Gardens. The earlier assertion that these names identify the same cemetery needs supporting cemetery or burial records. The February 7, 1969 Tay Ninh after-action report describes the August 24 Scofield attack and lists interview materials, but does not independently identify Lewis among that action’s casualties. An Army HRC inquiry for his Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) was sent September 8, 2026; response pending. Releasable casualty, burial and next-of-kin records may help resolve these questions. A DD-214 alone should not be assumed to name his parents or prove parentage.
Next Steps
The DS-11 passport application lists Barbara Just as Barklee's stepmother, but the current family tree does not yet place her. A 2019 Daryl Lynn Pace obituary places Barbara Just in a separate Pace and Douglas stepfamily cluster in Cortland, but no direct Sanders connection has been proven. RESEARCH BLITZ (2026-03-22): The Daryl Lynn Pace obituary (Cortland Standard, July 11, 2019) was re-read in full. It confirms 'her stepparents, Barbara Just and Steven Douglas of Cortland' as survivors. Daryl was born Nov 12, 1982 in Johnson City, NY; graduated Homer Central School Class of 2000; SUNY Cortland 2008. She was a firefighter for the City of Ithaca Fire Department. Daryl's mother was Rebecca Hopkins of Cincinnatus. Daryl's siblings: Anthony Pace (Solon), Jessica Bergeron (Homer), Alton Pace (Buffalo). Predeceased by brother Matthew Huff (2012). This places Barbara Just squarely in the Hopkins/Pace/Douglas family network in Cortland. The connection to the Sanders family likely runs through Clarence Jr.'s Cortland community ties, not through blood.
Next Steps
Clarence Jr.'s obituary names his stepfather David and sister Mildred as survivors. David was part of Gloria's later household. A possible identification exists from public-records research but has not been confirmed by any primary document. The candidate is a living private individual, so identifying details (name, address, date of birth, family) are withheld here for privacy. The lead remains unconfirmed pending a primary source. PROBE 2026-08-24: Wright-Beard funeral home obituary (HTTP 200) and WXHC reprint name 'his stepfather David' (given name only) with mother Gloria and sister Mildred; TributeArchive loads the same text in Chrome (curl 403). No surname on those pages.
Next Steps
Cook County Clerk · Verify jurisdiction, eligibility and current fee first
The Chicago/Westfield identity and actual place of death remain unresolved. Confirm both before ordering from Cook County. Parent fields, if completed, would be evidence to compare rather than guaranteed proof.
Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics · $5 search + $10 rush online first copy ($15); VitalChek +$7; mail $5+$1 ship
Any person 18+ may order WITHOUT cause of death. With-cause needs child/grandchild or estate interest. VitalChek 877-550-7330 or mail DH727 to PO Box 210, Jacksonville FL 32231. Names parents.
Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics · $9 first copy by mail; VitalChek first computer copy $19 + $7
Child of a deceased registrant: mark registrant deceased, attach a copy of Clarence Jr.’s death certificate, photo ID. Form DH726. Names mother (Gloria) with maiden name.
NYS DOH PAC Unit · $45 per copy
Catherine must apply as the adoptee (DOH-5299), or a lawful representative must document authority. The descendant form DOH-5300 requires a deceased adoptee, a death certificate and proof of descent; it does not apply merely because the requester is her child. Confirm birthplace and adoptive parents. NYS mail: PAC Unit, PO Box 2602, Albany NY 12220-2602. NYC births use NYC DOHMH. Sources: DOH-5299/5300 and NYS Public Health Law 4138-e.
Army Human Resources Command · Inquiry sent September 8, 2026; response pending
The casualty/burial-file inquiry has been sent. Await releasable individual records before resolving the specific death circumstances, burial location or next-of-kin questions. This is a pending inquiry, not a received file.
Cortland City Clerk · $10 per copy
Mail application, photo ID, and $10 to City Clerk, 25 Court Street, Cortland NY 13045. Certified copies of a marriage license go only to the parties (or POA). Use the genealogical-services form for a research copy if you are not a party.
Westfield alumni referral from Birmingham Public Library · No yearbook acquired; availability and cost unknown
BPL replied September 9, 2026 that it has no Westfield High School yearbooks. Its referral is the alumni group. A 2025 alumni post identifies the Westfield Clarence as Class of 1952.
This research is backed by 75 source documents across 10 categories.
1870-1950 U.S. Federal Census records from Marion County FL, Cortland County NY, and Cook County IL, including Camp Izard 1870 enslaved ancestry discovery
NYS, FL, and IL death records for key family members
Cunningham Funeral Home (Ocala, 22 King surname records 1955-2006, 7 transcribed from scanned images via UFDC Patron API), Wright-Beard (Cortland), Leak & Sons (Chicago)
Published obituaries from multiple states, including eliminated candidates and Daryl Lynn Pace (2019, Cortland, naming Barbara Just as stepparent)
Passport (DS-11), Russian visa application, USPS shipping label
23andMe family tree export, ancestry composition, chromosome painting, genotype BCF analysis
Find a Grave memorials (#65839806 Lewis King, #72557876 Lizzie Finley, #279808364 Clarence Sr.), Faith Memorial Gardens, Pinelawn Cemetery, Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, Lebanon Cemetery (Chambersburg PA)
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall records, Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery veteran records, 3/4 Cavalry KIA Booklet (3-4cav.org, Lewis King dates and listed burial; cemetery discrepancy unresolved), TogetherWeServed SP4 Lewis King profile (unit details, MOS 11D10)
Minneapolis Star Tribune (Lance Sanders interview, 2016), Facebook Westfield Alumni group (Samuel 'Sporty' Sanders Jr.), IMRRC press release (Watkins Glen, 2023), Marathon Neighborhood News (family identification), and other public records
Hypothesis analyses, eliminated candidates, research session logs, King sibling hypothesis consolidated, 2026-03-22 research blitz log (30+ searches, all 7 questions)
If you are a family member or researcher with information about any of the persons or questions listed on this site, your knowledge could help fill critical gaps. In particular: