![]() |
![]() |
|
|
Coming to our Census Column published: 22 May 2008 By: Shirley Gage Hodges Biography & Archived Articles ![]() I had always heard the story of my grandmother, Mandana Wisner. She married my grandfather, Jasper Gage, in 1885 and they had four children. They were divorced and she then married Wellington William "Bill" Taylor. I had heard stories that she had been married at least once and perhaps twice before she married my grandfather. She was 24 years old when she married my grandfather. I had searched for marriage and divorce records for years with no luck. When one of my father's older sisters died her daughter-in-law found this note in her belongings. On a note written by her daughter, and my aunt, Ethel Gage Burgess was the following: "Dana Wisner, - Bodine, - Van Forsen, Gage, Taylor. This is my mother's married names." One day while I was searching census records I decided to try a long shot. I went to the 1880 USA census on line and I put in her name, Mandana. I included her birth year and looked in Ohio. You can imagine my delight when I found four pages of ladies named Mandana. She was the second entry on the first page. The spelling of the last name was different and I only have his initials but it gives me a place to start looking for records that may solve part of this problem. When you are facing a problem always try and determine if there is a way that census records might be able to help you. You may be amazed. Bibliography of Census Resources:
Shirley Hodges, biography & genealogy lectures; email: genealogyshirl@hotmail.com Editor's Note: Shirley Hodges is the author of the popular Guide to United States Census, 1790-1930 Browse the resources at GlobalGenealogy.com:
Printed & Digital Books Genealogy, Vital Records & History Listed By Country or Topic
|
|
|