Thelma Reeder persists in claiming that Luke Dilley was not a son of John or Christian of the Lawrence Co., OH clan of Dilleys. Yet Luke lived in Lawrence Co. all his adult life along with Abner and James. Thelma's contacts in Lawrence Co. claim that Luke was a cousin of the other three Barney, James, and Abner, and that Luke was born in PA with a James as his father. I cannot find a James Dilley old enough to be the father of Luke, certainly the James in the Lawrence Co. family was not old enough for that parentage. 

The census records for three decades in the 1800s are conflicting on the birth states of these three Dilley brothers, all of whom were born around 1812 to 1815 which was just about the time that the family moved to Lawrence CO., OH from Nicholas Co., W. VA. 

James was the oldest of the three brothers born close to each other Barney was born much earlier around 1801). James was born about 1812 to 1814 in OH according to census records, but in 1860 he was listed as born in VA. He was certainly not born in 1802 as one report has him in a family list. 

Luke was the next oldest b about 1813 to 1815, and he listed his birthplace as VA in 1850, but OH in 1860 and 1870. Abner was apparently the youngest of these three Dilleys b about 1814 to 1819, and he was born in OH b~ all three census records. 

One must remember that Luke and Abner applied for land grants the same day, and that they both lived in Lawrence Co., OH for the rest of their adult lives after marriage, but not close together. 

Barney and James appeared in the 1830 census ages 20 to 30 Years; and Abner and James appeared in the 1840 census still 20 to 30 years of age, but Barney was 30 to 40 Years of age then. Luke did not appear in these two censuses in Lawrence Co., OH. 

Barney was married in 1830 with two young boys in the <5 years category. James was married in 1830 but had no children, and he was probably under 20 years of age in 1830 with a very young wife, despite his category in 1830. All three had children in 1840 but Abner only in the <5 years category.