After a lot of examination, I determined that it would be better to remove the entire roof frame rather than attempt to repair the existing frame.  The old roof rafters were 2x4's spanning 19', heavily bowed under the weight of 4 layers of comp shingles. Although the old attic space held 2 bedrooms and a half bath, the lack of insulation made it an unbearable space to inhabit.  One bedroom ceiling was just 7' tall, the bathroom was difficult to maneuver in and the stairway was very narrow and steep.

This picture shows the rear of the house with the new roof.  Building a new roof had a number of advantages. First, I added 4x6 top plates to the existing walls, giving me a solid, uniform base to start from. I used a builder's level to set the 4x6's. The combination of raising the plate level and changing the roof pitch increased the head room inside the house just enough to make the rooms work.  I used 2 x 10 rafters for the added strength and to allow for proper insulation.  I added decorative tails to the 2x10's like the original house had.  I chose to rip 2" off the top of the rafter tails leaving an 8" exposed tail and  thus creating a spot for the gutters - you can have both!