The earliest Andrist family found so far was located in Switzerland and migrated to the United States in the 1800s. While some Andrist families have been able to trace their lines to a David Andrist in Switzerland, we are still trying to find the parents of my wife's grand father. We have learned that there were two peaks in the Alps named after the Andrist family. Translated into English, one peak is called the "wild Andrist" and the second is called the "tame Andrist."

We have been very successful with our Burris line either. Again, we ran into a block trying to locate my wife's paternal great grand father. We do know Daniel Burris was born in Indiana, lived most of his adult life in Arkansas and died at Troy Grove, Illinois. Daniel had a brother, Charlie, that also lived near Troy Grove and plowed his gardens with an elephant he had bought from a circus.

The Andrist Family

1.   William Andrews (Willie) Andrist, b. 1 November 1980.  Dis-
      appeared from Stamps, Arkansas, 1920, without a trace.
    +Sebie Burris, b. 7 September 1901, Stamps, Lafayette, Arkansas;
      d. 25 October 1919.
    2.  Isaac Daniel Andrist, b. 23 September 1919, Stamps, Lafayette,
          Arkansas; m. 19 February 1947, Winnsboro, Louisiana; 
          d. 30 April 1997, El Dorado, Union, Arkansas.  The 1920
          census show his given name to be Willie.
        +Mary Virginia Betsch, b. 17 May 1925, Camden, Ouachita, 
          Arkansas; d. 23 September 1976, Magnolia, Columbia, Arkansas

The Burris Family

1.  Charlie Burris, d. Troy Grove, Illinois.
1.  Daniel Burris, b. 1860, Indiana; d. 1948, Troy Grove, Illinois.
    +Harriet Vaden, b. 1863, Texas; d. in Mt. Holly, Union, Arkasas.
    2. Sebie Burris.  See Andrist Family.
       +Willie Andrist.
    2. Charley Allen Burris, b. 1894, Stamps, Lafayette, Arkansas;
         died at Stamps.
       +Ruth Handmark.
    2. Ethley Alvin Burris, b. 30 May 1900, Stamps, Lafayette, 
         Arkansas; m. 28 February 1927, Sherman, Arkansas; d. 1 April
         1959, Stamps, Lafayette, Arkansas.
       +Maggie Lee Riddle.
    2. Isaac Clifton Burris, b. 1904, Stamps, Lafayette, Arkansas;
         d. Stamps, Lafayette, Arkansas.
       +Grace Riddle.
    
    

Who were Willie Andrist's parents and where were they from?  Willie
appeared in Stamps, Arkansas around 1911.  We have not been able to
find his parents or any siblings he may have had.

What happened to Willie Andrist?  He disappeared from Stamps, Arkansas
in 1920.  Shortly after his wife's death, he apparently left his son
with his father-in-law and left.  One Burris family member told us,
prior to her death, that Willie went to Texas and was killed.  This
same person later told us that no one knew what happened to him.  We
have checked with the Texas Bureau of Vital Statistics and they have
no record of a Willie Andrist.

Who were Daniel and Charlie Burris' parents and did they have any
siblings?  According to a family member, they were born in Indiana,
but we have no records of them being in Indiana.