52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #24 ~ Barbara Zaugg

Written for Amy Johnson Crow's Challenge 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. (click on the icon in the sidebar for details at Amy's blog) 

And now we come to the last child of Jacob Zaugg and Anna Stetler as listed in the Zaugg book.

First just the facts:

Name: (Anna) Barbara Zaugg

Born: 07 May 1843, Eggiwil, Bern, Switzerland

Married: 03 Jan 1867 to David Shifferly, Wayne County, Ohio

Died:22 Feb 1914, Wayne County, Ohio [Find A Grave memorial]











Barbara and David will have 10 children as listed in the Zaugg book.  I have been able to find 10 children thoughout the various census records and Wayne County birth records although I have to admit that they tend to have wildly varying names.  In the 1900 census Barbara is listed as having given birth to 10 children and having 10 now living.  The family is really fairly straight forward and I can easily find Barbara and her husband in every census that I should always living and farming in Wayne County, Ohio.  It's just that with 10 children this would be another black hole of research on a collateral line and I'm not going to go there. (and I really need to write that on the blackboard 100 times.)

At this point I'll just close with Barbara's death certificate.  And finally, here is a child who get the names of his mother's parents correct in spite of the fact that his grandfather died before he was born and his grandmother died when he was about four.  Much better than several of his older cousins were able to do for their Zaugg parents.

 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #23 ~ Peter Zaugg

Written for Amy Johnson Crow's Challenge 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. (click on the icon in the sidebar for details at Amy's blog)


First just the facts:

Name: Peter Zaugg
Born: 22 Aug 1839, Eggiwil, Bern, Switzerland
Married: 15 Apr 1862 to Mary Catherine Sorgen, Wayne County, Ohio and then to Louise Wable (?) sometime after 1864 possibly in Adams County, Indiana
Died: 25 Apr 1926 Wayne County, Ohio



Here are the few things I know about Peter:

• He arrived with the rest of his family on 30 May 1853 at Castle Garden. 
• By 1860 he is living with his parents in Salt Creek Twp, Wayne County, Ohio. 
• A few years later he marries Mary Catherine Sorgen, also in Wayne County, Ohio.

Here is the theory I currently have about what happens after that:

Shortly after his marriage he moved to Indiana, most probably Adams County, where his oldest sister, Lizzie, and an older brother, Daniel, were already living. Their first child, Mary, is born there and his wife dies shortly thereafter. He then marries a widow (?) named Louise Kohler nee Wable who has three children. At some point prior to 1869, when Aldine/Aline is born, they have return to Ohio. As listed in the 1880 census their children are:  Aline 11, Peter 7, Ida 5, Alfred 3, Albert 1.  The Zaugg book lists another daughter, Louisa.  It's possible she was born between Aline and Peter.

 I believe that Mary, Peter’s first child would have come with them back to Ohio because by 1880 I find a couple that matches the information in the Zaugg book – a Mary and Robert Shanklin. Peter divorces Louise sometime prior to the 1900 census when Peter is living with his brother Frederick. Of interest are several other families listed on the same census pages living close by. They are mostly Zaugg relatives and include the Mary & Robert Shanklin that I believe to be Peter’s daughter and son-in-law. 

Louisa moves back to Indiana with her 3 children from her first marriage as well as the children from her marriage to Peter. In the 1900 census I find her in Adams County with the following Zaugg children: Peter, 22, Ida 20, Alfred 19 and "Alla" (son) 15.  (The ages seem out of whack, but the other children from her first marriage are there as well and line up better.)  I find Peter in the 1910 census living with his sister Barbara and her husband David Shifferly. And finally, I believe he died in 25 Apr 1926 as this death record fits with everything else I know about Peter.
 

Here are just a few of the problems and/or inconsistencies with this theory.

• In 1880 Mary’s birthplace is listed as Ohio. However in 1900, 1910 & 1920 it is listed as Indiana. It is possible that her husband provided the information in 1880 and just didn’t know. That would be especially true if Mary lived in Ohio for most of her life. 
• The census listings for this Mary & Robert Shanklin don’t match any of the children in the Zaugg book. This is not a deal breaker as there are other notable mistakes in the book. However I’ve yet to find a family that is totally wrong. 
• Mary’s parents are always listed as being from Germany rather than Switzerland. This seems an odd “mistake” to make living in a community that was so filled with Swiss immigrants. My only thought here is that, again, Robert gave the information and I don’t see that he was Swiss or German. Maybe all he knew was that his in-laws spoke German.

This brings me to my issue. Here is yet another black hole of research that is not in my direct line, Peter being my my 3rd great grand uncle. I KNOW I should just back away slowly and then turn and run. However when I look at the theory and the issues there are just so many things I could look for – and most probably find – that would clear up some of the weak parts of the theory.  But I really need to move on - at least for right now.

At this point I’m going to finish with the children in the original family – one more to go – and then go back to my direct ancestor, Jacob. My plan will be to circle back around and work on validating/sourcing/citing/generally cleaning up everything related my direct line from me back to Jacob. I think I will also put together at least a semblance of a research plan for the other children based on what holes I turned up in my blog posts. That way as I’m working on my direct line if I’m trawling through say Wayne County marriage records I can quickly see if there are others I need and grab them while I’m at it.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!  (until I spot that first shiny object on Ancestry...)

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

I know it’s Monday and Randy’s post is called SATURDAY Night Genealogy Fun, but hey, what’s to say that Monday nights can’t be fun as well?? Not only is it not Saturday, but instead of doing a bucket list, I’m going to do an already bucketed list. Back in 2010 I wrote a post titled, A Bucket List or a Bucketed List?  If you care to read the introduction to that post, I explain why I like the concept of the already bucketed list better. 

So, while I'm cheating in more ways than one, here is Randy's original instructions for us:

Here is your assignment if you choose to play along (cue the Mission Impossible music, please!): 

Knowing that a "Bucket List" is a wish list of things to do before death:

1) What is on your Genealogy Bucket List? What research locations do you want to visit? Are there genea-people that you want to meet and share with? What do you want to accomplish with your genealogy research? List a minimum of three items - more if you want! 

2) Tell us about it in a blog post of your own (please give me a link in Comments), a comment to this post in Comments, a status line or comment on Facebook, or a Google+ Stream post. 

Think big! Have fun! Life is short - do genealogy first!

Already Bucketed Genealogy List 

Trip to Scotland ~ May, 2007 
My father’s paternal line is 100% Scottish. Both of his paternal grandparents were born in Scotland although they met and married here in the US. For me trips to the ancestral homelands are not about research as much as seeing the places where my ancestors lived. I was able to visit churches they attended and see places they would have seen. Because it wasn’t just a genealogy trip we also visited castles and, of course, saw Loch Ness and did other tourist things – just basically soaking up the Scottish atmosphere.  I can see myself visiting there for a more extended time in the future.

Attend Jamboree ~ June, 2011 
After several years of watching Facebook post and tweets and blog postings by friends, and being

 green with envy, I finally got the opportunity to attend Jamboree in 2011. It was fabulous daah-lings! This was the first time that I got to meet a large number of people who previously were only my friends on Facebook. I felt like I’d know them forever. I was so busy that I only managed one blog post about it. The title, SCGS Jamboree 2011 ~ More Fun Than Christmas!, pretty much sums up my feelings.  I fully intend to go back some day but other things keep getting in the way. For instance this year my oldest niece felt it was more important for me to be at her wedding than to attend Jamboree. I can’t imagine why. But someday I WILL return so maybe this should go on my wish list as well as here.



Attend an FGS conference ~ 2011 in Springfield and 2013 in Ft. Wayne
I had such a fantastic time both years. I feel that FGS really offers things that are beyond just the basics so I learned a lot both years. Both times were also about meeting “old” friends that I’d just never actually met in person. Last year was extra special because I ended up going for the whole week so I could research at the Allen County Public library. I hitched a ride over with Susan Clark so it was genealogy from the minute I got in the car until we got home – wonderful!



Trip to Germany ~ June 2012
This trip was focused on my mother’s side of the family. Both her father and mother have German roots and both families came from the northern part of Germany. We spent time there in all the tiny little places that those ancestors called home.  On her mother's side the trail even led us into Denmark.  I was fortunate enough to have my mom, my sister and my youngest niece along so we also did tourist-y things in the south of Germany.  I'd go back in a heart beat.

Trip to Salt Lake City ~ January, 2013 & January, 2014 [and plans for January, 2015]
What genealogist doesn’t have at least one trip to SLC on their bucket list?? I had wanted to go for years and finally managed it by attending SLIG in 2013. After taking Paula Stuart-Warren’s great class I was hooked and came back the next year and am registered for this year as well. Learning and spending time in the library – a genealogy dream-come-true.

These are just a few of the highlights of my “already bucketed” list. This list could be so much longer.  In the end I managed to obeyed ONE of Randy’s parameters -  to list at least three things.

If I had to put things on a bucket/wish list here's what I'd add:

Trip to Switzerland ~ Oh wait, that’s on horizon this September! It’s a tour based around a particular Swiss surname in my family - Zaugg. [I’m sure friends and family are tired of the Zauggs at this point, but I’m trying to stay focused enough to sort out a few mysteries with them] My other Swiss ancestors were from the same area so it’s going to be awesome.

Attend an NGS conference ~ Fortunately for me the NGS people are thoughtfully conspiring to make this happen in 2015 by holding the conference in my own backyard – St. Charles, MO. I have my hotel reservations so it’s a go as far as I’m concerned.

And finally, I’ll steal from Randy’s list almost word for word ~ Attend every national and regional genealogy conference held during one calendar year. In the process, visit every major regional and national genealogy repository in the same year.

Wow, wouldn’t that be something! Maybe I’ll set aside a special fund and start saving so that when I retire this could be my first year’s activity. We’ll see. 

But regardless of whether I ever get to do that last item, I’m sure that each year my “already bucketed list” will keep growing with the things I’m fortunate enough to be able to do, the ancestral sites I’ll see and most of all the great genea-friends that I’ll meet.