Hi Richard, saw you query and wondered if you knew that there were Boyds in Mecosta Co. MI.  My MI Gross and Stropes are buried in Boyd Cem., Deerfield Twp, Mecosta Co.  Further, I have the following extract from my notes  for Orsemus Gross my Ggrandfather who fought in the civil war.  He applied for a disability pension and needed affidavits :  "He enlisted 15 June, 1861 in the 5th but pensions papers note he first served in the 34th Inf.  Discharged 15 June 1863 at Harpers Ferry.  He claimed he enlisted in the 34th Jan/Jun 1860.  Was reassigned/detailed to 5th Cav. 28 Feb. 1862.  D.S. for 31 Dec. 1861. Also noted Osmer Gross as AKA. Affidavit by M. H. Boyd, Supervisor of Deerfield Twp., aged 66 stated he was acquainted with claimants for 34 years and had been acquainted with Orsemus Gross 10 years longer.  This was dated 14 June 1901. Subtracting 44 years results in1857 and Boyd must have known Orsemus in NY/PA."  A Myron H. Boyd is listed in the index of Chapman's Portraits and Biographical Sketches, Chapman Bros., Chicago , 1883.  I have the book but the page he is given on (182) appears to be the only one missing (A heirloom copy from my Grandma with various child notes of my mother and aunts).  I have been meaning to get a copy of that page.  The Lansing Historical Library has both original texts and also have them on microfilm. I understand that our Macomb Co. Lib. Gen. Room also has the microfilms. I have been lazy I guess since I haven't gone out there to get a copy of this page. I have some interest in where Melvin was at and some other signers of affidavits in that Orsemus left home in Otsego Co. NY at age 15 and went to work at farming and lumbering in PA.  I haven't the foggiest idea where. He then went to work on the canal.  I don't know which one but assume the Eire.  After discharge he immediately came to Michigan..

Sam

Richard, I have not as yet found a Boyd surname in my Gross line.  That doesn't mean there isn't one there as I don't have the husbands of some of the ladies. Maybe there is some clue in the missing page.  I suspect that the Boyd Cem. is on land once owned by Myron don't recall a Boyd being buried there. It was associated with the Methodist Church at one time.  Would you like a more exact location?  My De Lorme software has it in the wrong place.  Would you like a from the road picture?  I don't know that I have one for that Cemetery. but can get you one Memorial Day.   Incidentally, I went to Ancestry last night and found a Gedcom for Myron that goes back to one of the names you mentioned in your Query. I didn't look for a Gross in it though, and probably should have.  If you spot a Gross (there are various spellings of this name such as Gros, Groce, etc.).  I have them back to before the Rev. War. and they came from Britain.  There is a claim by one researcher that it was La Gross and Le Gross way back and might indicate they were one of William the Conqueror's gang.   I haven't really got into that yet as I haven't had the time to put in all the material I have on the US ones. I have piles and piles of material. Our whole DR is now filled with files, bookcases, cabinets, etc. and there isn't one bare top surface except for the computer desk itself which I try my best to keep clear. I have found the searching to be so much more fun than entering the data that I am inclined to keep looking for more information on those off the direct line which I have all the way back to England.

Another Orsemus?  Good Grief!!!  Do you know the location in NY of the uncle Myron? or of Myron Holly?  Maybe in PA? How about Orsemus Boyd?  Maybe I better check the Census Index's for them.  Also I wonder if Myron was in the same unit of the Civil War. You mentioned that your Orsemus went off to fight Indians.   Henry Stope, my grandfather, buried at Boyd, was with Sherman. My Grandmother Ella Gross Strope was his second wife and considerably younger.  My Aunt Dorothy was born when Grandpa was about 70 and grandma was about 50! At the close of the war he was sent to Louisville Ky and his unit was to go West to fight Indians.  The army changed its mind and discharged his unit.

By the way, other signers of affidavits for my Orsemus were A.C. Ellsworth, age 62, and knew him for 50 years, and Cheney O. Pemberton, aged 60, and knew him for 40 years and had worked with him and was a neighbor before he went into the army.  I give you these names as they also must have known Myron Holly Boyd and might be related.