G2G: Dealing with Catharine Elizabeth Kauffman b. 1833, Pennsylvania

Question

I try to ask clearly defined questions which will lead to a single clear answer.  This is not one of them.

I have several partial DNA matches on other sites whose trees lead back to Catharine Elizabeth Kauffman (1834-1895), born in York County, Pennsylvania, wife of Joseph Funk.  She would be the mother of Ida Funk (1862-1907) and maternal grandmother of Joseph Russell Runk (1833-1941).  Funk and Runk are apparently two different families, by the way.

A branch of my tree led to Elizabeth Kauffman, born 1833 in Pennsylvania.  She is the daughter of Daniel B. Kauffman (1802-1870).

I want these to be the same person, but of course that is a very bad reason for assuming that it is true.  I have not yet created a profile for either.  The profiles they would connect to are already less than perfectly sourced and Elizabeth Kauffman's identity would be quite uncertain.

I suppose I have two questions.  First, are there any good sources I am missing?  I have mainly searched on FamilySearch and Ancestry.com.  I also have a PDF of A genealogy and history of the Kauffman-Coffman families of North America, 1584 to 1937.  Page 240 shows Daniel B. Kauffman and Eliza Wilson.with 3 children, including Elizabeth Kauffman (1833-).  No spouse or children are listed for any of them.

Second question:  Should I make one profile or two, or just leave this alone in the absence of better sources?

Thank you!

Answer 1

I checked Newspapers.com hoping for useful death notices, but didn't find anything that helps. Daniel Kauffman's death notice is very minimal (but does give a place of death). The only notice I could find for Catherine Elizabeth Funk in 1895 is for an Elizabeth Funk, allegedly the wife of Daniel Funk (not Joseph Funk).

Daniel Kauffman, death notice, York Democratic Press, Friday, 6 May 1870, p.3, col.1; image copy, Newspapers (https://www.newspapers.com/image/774107440/ : accessed 9 March 2022).

'Died'

'In Siddonsburg, Monaghan township, Daniel Kauffman, Esq., aged about 67 years.'

Elizabeth Funk, death notice, The Sentinel (Carlisle, Pennsylvania), Saturday, 19 January 1895, p.3, col.3; image copy, Newspapers (https://www.newspapers.com/image/344009450/ : accessed 9 March 2022).

'MECHANICSBURG, Jan 19.

'Mrs. Elizabeth Funk, wife of Daniel Funk, died at her home on East Locust street on Thursday, aged 61 years. Her funeral will be held to-day from her late home. Interment in the graveyard at Mt. Pleasant, York Pa.'

Comments

Thank you.  I have the Daniel Kauffman information to his profile.  I'll keep the Elizabeth Funk reference for future use.