Birth father of Blanche Potter?

Question

I have tried for years to figure out who is the biological father of my Grandmother, but have had ZERO luck.  Her maiden name is Potter according to a marriage license.  She supposedly had 2 birth certificates with different birth dates.  One in 1928 (I believe) and another in the early 30s.  (Both state she was born in Jamestown, Fentress County, Tennessee.)  Family story goes as such:  She was born out of wedlock to Joyce A. Potter.  I was told her father was a Cherokee Indian, but a Great Aunt raised her.  Now, I have heard Cyntha (Syntha) Potter was the one who raised her early on.  By the age of 12, Joyce had married Richard "Dick" A. Leuger and Blanche took on his last name, but not legally.  Blanche married Milton V. Schultz, my Grandfather and had her 1st of 9 children in 1947.  I have been told she had him at the age of 14...which would put her birth year at 1933.  They divorced on Feb. 7, 1969 and she married my Step-Grandfather on Feb. 14, 1969.  She later divorced him but remained with him until her death in 2009.  If anyone can help, I would be forever grateful.  If you need more info, please let me know.

Comments

Melissa, people always need locations to search.  Blanche's obit says she was born in Jamestown, Tennessee and died in Bryan, Texas.

"United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKL3-ZGMB : accessed 1 March 2019), Blanche Or Rickie Schaper, Texas, United States, 18 Aug 2009; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Galveston County Daily News, The, born-digital text.

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So sorry!  Yes, her birth certificates said Jamestown, Fentress, Tennessee.  She did go by the name Rickie.  What you have posted is her information.  I have found that, and actually have a copy of it from her funeral.  I just can't seem to find out information on her father.

Answer 1

Early '30s birthdate is definitely incorrect.  Here she is with her great-grandmother, mother, and uncle in 1930, age 2:

"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPWT-9C2 : accessed 1 March 2019), Blanch Potter in household of Syntha Potter, Jamestown, Fentress, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1, sheet 4B, line 79, family 82, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2247; FHL microfilm 2,341,981.

Joyce, Richard, and Blanche Leugers, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1940.  Consistent birth info Tennessee 1928.

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KWPZ-C5Q : 15 March 2018), Blanche Leugers in household of Richard Leugers, Ward 5, Cincinnati City, Cincinnati City, Hamilton, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 91-60, sheet 6B, line 54, family 127, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3189.

No closer to finding her father, though.

Comments

So then the birth certificate for 1928 would be correct.  

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SSDI says 14 Sep 1927:

"United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JGRK-Z5S : 20 May 2014), Blanche Schaper, 15 Aug 2009; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

Have you seen, or can you get, the 1928 birth certificate?  From what you've said, I'm guessing it doesn't name her father.

Maybe you can get her Texas death certificate.  It's too recent to be available online.  It probably won't name her father, either, but it pays to check.

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I, myself, have not physically seen either of them.  I have called the Aunt who had them, and she states that she does not have them.  Family secret, perhaps, lol.  I have tried to find out via Jamestown records, but cannot find anything online that would allow me to get a copy of it or anything like that.  

Another story I have been told, which I do not believe, was that since her father was Indian, that the government sealed the records because it was a social misstep to not only have a child out of wedlock then, but with an Indian.  I have never heard of such a thing and have never come across anything like that in my research.

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$15 from Tennessee Vital Records:

https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/vital-records/genealogy-research.html

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I have not done that because I am not sure that I have enough information for them to look it up.  They want full father's name, if known, full mother's name, if no father's name is given, and the date of birth.  Since I didn't know which certificate would have had the right birthday, I couldn't.  I will try this using the 1928 birthday.

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Thanks for the star, Melissa!    Good luck with your search!

Answer 2

gourge m potter

Comments

I am trying to check on this.  Thank you!