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From: "Patricia Hobson" <>
Subject: Tales of a name change
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2006 01:05:20 -0400
References: <000101c65732$913c3060$0a00a8c0@ELEANOR>


With Eleanor's recent posting of the "disappearing" family, I wanted to tell
my tale of disappearing relatives & how some of them finally showed up.

I was trying hard to trace my gr-gr-grandmother Catherine Johnson & her
daughter Maggie. Catherine had married a Wash Johnson in 1863, & I had
papers which recorded Maggie's birthdate in 1864. Strangely, the only
family member I can find on the 1870 census is Catherine-- living next door
to her mother & working as a seamstress. When I checked the 1880 census, I
was stumped---where were they? I knew Maggie had lived until 1920.
When researching another line, I came across my answer--- well, part of it.
In 1871, Catherine Johnson, listed as a widow, had married a David Kirtley.
I looked up the 1880 census for Kirtley & found that Catherine had died in
1879 & was therefore on the 1880 Mortality census, and found that Maggie (&
a younger brother named William) were listed as Kirtley children. A school
census later confirmed that information, and I was able to get funeral home
records that gave additional information.
A few things remain unresolved. I've never found a death record for Wash
Johnson (aka George Washington Johnson) that I could be sure was the correct
one. And I've never found Maggie and William on the 1870 census. I suspect
they were staying with aunts or uncles, but I've never been able to find the
correct combination of names & ages. And finally, I have no idea which
William Johnson (of the seemingly four per square mile) was my gr-gr-uncle,
& what happened to him.

I guess the moral of the tale is 1. Never give up & 2. Work every collateral
line in the hopes of turning up clues & 3. Check records that might be off
the beaten path.
Good luck in all your searches!
Pat


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