How to find a specific person when it is a common name

+4 votes
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I thought I had found my great grandmother but i think it is crossing over with other people with the same names records and I can not find her parents names. Well i think i did but then other records show them not having her as a child. I feel like it is a big loop, I only found one official record a census with her and her husband's name but not my grandmother's name or her parents name. My great grandmother's name was listed as Maggie E Johnson married Willie D Shaw. I was told her middle name was Eveline but there is only one record with that listed. Maggie Johnson was a very popular name. My Grandmother was born in Madison, Florida it said but again no record of Maggie Shaw there. So I might be tracing back the wrong line of ancestors. I have my maternal line going back to a Lovina Mariah Green Collar. Any suggestions on where else to look to find Maggie Johnson's parents?
WikiTree profile: Maggie Shaw
in Genealogy Help by Christine Lindblade G2G1 (1.2k points)
Hi Christine,

I have been trying to trace back on a line of Browns, with the same luck you are having. Have you tried searching obituaries? Some contain ancestors and descendants and might help connect relations. You might find the name of a relative you can search for and that might take you somewhere interesting.

Is Florida the only location you have? Where were Maggie and Willie married?
If you haven't done so already, ask all your relatives who might have been living at the time she died, if they remember when and/or where she died and/or where she was buried. They might even know her parents names. If you can discover where she was buried you should be able to discover when she was buried. Once you have a when and a where you can look for an obituary and a death certificate. The death certificate may have her parents listed.

Christine, I share your frustration with some of my own ancestors.  I thought I'd take a look, but just want to make sure (since you say there are so many) that a record I found is the same one you believe has the right family on it.  Is this the one that you found that you think has your family on it?  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R6Z-LND?cc=1488411 

"United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNY1-WG6 : accessed 17 November 2017), Willie Shaw, MacEdonia, Madison, Florida, United States; citing ED 113, sheet 5B, line 63, family 104, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 225; FHL microfilm 1,820,225.

Willie Shaw Head M 29 Georgia

Maggie E Shaw Wife F 28 Florida

James W Shaw Son M 8 Florida

Nathan N Shaw Son M 6 Florida

Katie Adell Shaw Daughter F 3 Florida

Clifford Lee Shaw Daughter F 1 Florida


If not, can you point us to the record you think has your actual family members on it?

Reba

Hi Kristina I did try the obituaries but they didnt mention kids names or grandchildren only siblings. I even researched the siblings trying to find a match. No marriage record, just that they were married. I am guessing Florida or Georgia.
Hello Anne, My parents have passed on now and my Grandparents. The rest of the family is sure her name was Maggie but again is that short for Margaret? No one really knew, and the name is so popular it is hard to figure out which Willie (short for william?) and Which Maggie shaw.

Hi Reba here is what i found in census records. Yes Reba that record you have there is a list of her family members Katie adell shaw is my  Grandmother.

Year: 1920; Census Place: Macedonia, Madison, Florida; Roll: T625_225; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 113

Florida Death Index, 1877-1998

One is a census of her in madison and the other is a death record but nothing else recorded

1 Answer

+2 votes
 
Best answer

I think the 1920 census record I found is the same one you had located previously  I did find the marriage record for Willie and Maggie.  I know this doesn't get you to Maggie's parents, but it's another puzzle piece.  (Here is the link: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9KJ-3HNC?i=168&cc=2397260    

Citation:

"Florida, County Marriages, 1830-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9KJ-3HNC?cc=2397260&wc=Q69K-6DP%3A1590045992 : accessed 17 November 2017), 007621858 > image 169 of 689; State Archive, Tallahassee and clerk of courts, various counties.

Does the death record have a location on it?  I notice you have "location unknown" next to her death date on her profile, but it's likely that the location is listed somewhere on the record.  That might help us find her grave.  

 
If you add these sources and information to her profile, it will help everyone who is interested to add useful facts as they are located -- and also prevent someone from coming along and adding information about the WRONG person to your grandmother's profile.
 
Oh, I do think "Maggie" was usually short for Margaret.
Reba
by R. Greenup G2G6 Mach 7 (70.5k points)
selected by Christine Lindblade
The Death record said Levy Florida but didnt go into details. There were so many margaret shaw and Margaret Johnson too. The only files i found that link to her all say Maggie . Ill add these to her profile thank you for that tip.
Yes that has their marriage date as well Thank you so much for that it is a new piece of the puzzle!!
I am so excited that marriage date lead me to a death record and it had her father's name listed as Jim Johnson, but unknown mother. Thank you so much again. It opened the door and I found what I was looking for. Something that said a parent's name.
Christine,

I am so glad that marriage record led you to her father's name!  Hopefully all of the pieces will begin to come together for you now.

Now I suppose I should stop avoiding my own brick walls....

Reba
Yea it is frustrating when you hit that dead end, Good luck and thank you again!!

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