My Drake family originated in New York. The farthest back that I know is of Hiram Drake born 1804 in the state of New York, died August 21, 1882 in Sterling Township, Macomb County, Michigan from Consumption of the Lungs. Hiram married either Antha Bennet or Cindirrilla Wolf (not sure at this point), and had two sons, Winfield and William. Winfield was my great, great grandfather and he married Louise Stead in 1874. Louise Stead's grandparents were Joseph and Mary Stead, who were responsible for founding the city of Utica shortly after they moved to the area around 1820 from Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Winfield and Louise had 5 children. They were: Meriden, Martin, William, Effie (or Ellie), and LuLu. Martin was my great-grandfather. He moved from Lower Michigan (the mitten) to Upper Michigan sometime around 1900 because he married my great grandmother, Eva Dessellier there in 1904. They had around 10 children, not all of them making it through infancy. Their son, Clinton Joseph Drake was my grandfather that passed away two years before I was born. One of their other sons, my Uncle Ben, is still alive and one of my favorite people on the face of this earth. Let me know if we have any connection.