...Christy's Genes...

***Note: Links are to various records at Ancestry.com & Newspapers.com- must have paid account if you are viewing my blog- to see these. I may update to just copy/paste the info later. (in fact, I think I will do both). ***

I have learned quite a bit since 2016...but I have still have a brick wall with my second great-grandparents on my mother's father side...and closer genetic cousins are unfortunately, not responsive.

The genetic trail to the mystery ancestors:

Me: >> L.B. (mother): >> J.B. (grandfather): >> D.T.: (great-grandmother): >> Barbara Louise (or Louisa) Snyder b. 1871-ish, Maryland (second great grandmother): >> Lewis Snyder (Schyder on census) b. 1834 in Germany (third great-grandfather) and immigrated to the United States in 1837. I had found Barabara's name with her husband's (John Thomas Tillman) when I sent away for her daughter's (D.T.) social security application. Now, I am not sure if the actual surname was Schyder or Snyder or some other variation...but back to my notes.

I have emailed several of these cousins to consider that the census record (1880 NY) they used to get their information does not match up (and I give them the proof <*see below*>) but I am met with silence. I am not sure if people are offended that I point this out or what...but ....wouldn't you want to know if that whole branch of people you just added is ACTUALLY your family or not? I feel like people just want to add as many people as possible to their trees rather than making sure it's accurate. I am also tired of seeing wrong information attached to my more immediate family- especially since I had been around these relatives and know where they were and weren't at the time of these records they are attaching! As examples:

-My maternal grandmother: someone listed a 1990's public directory record for her in Hershey, PA. (The record they are using). It is not my grandmother's record- we were living in WV at that time, not PA. She had lived in PA (not Hershey) for some of her younger years---and the name is the same, along with the middle initial. However, in my research, I found that other woman with the same first and last name has a different middle name in the Hershey area...yes, same initials, but completely different person.

Proof: SS Death Index This Grace Garman's middle name is Elizabeth and she was born in 1916. My grandmother had a different middle name and was born in 1932. This Grace also died in 1993 ...my Grace passed in 2018.

Another one:

-One of her sons-one of my uncle's of course- is listed in someone's family tree as being married to a girl in Michigan sometime in the 80's. This tree owner added my whole family to theirs... However:

To my knowledge, he never lived in or traveled to MI. The record they used was during a time he lived in MD and I was around then... so I know he wasn't in MI.
Using the record they had attached, their relative was about 13/14 years old while my uncle was probably in his 30's at the time. This was in the 1980's, not the 1880's.

I wish researchers would not blindly copy this information because it ends up as "hints" to me and others... further propagating the wrong info for our trees. Frustrating! Anyway, I will stop ranting...(to myself)... back to my notes...

DNA has not completely closed the gap yet. I guess I was looking for a clear path but it turns out there are double cousins which complicate things. (Bayne/Baublitz) I wasn't expecting that on my Baltimore, MD branch. I do have some intriguing clues with the Snyder's- some genetic cousins who have Snyder ancestors of Harford, MD---right where they need to be... but there is a missing link between them and my Snyder family. Right now, I am mapping them out to see how they fit together with each other in hopes that I will see a common theme and be able to find that missing link. I am pretty sure that I have narrowed down who might be some additional distant grandparents on that side... just need to fill in the blanks.

Ancestry.com has now made it so you can see how people are related in your matches- which is AMAZING. This really does make things so more efficient. I can see a whole group of common cousins are actually parents and siblings of each other---which just confirms that I am related to a branch of theirs... then, I can see their trees (hopefully they have one) and narrow which side I might be on by looking for common surnames or places.

So... I do have a list of Snyder people I am working from now. None of them in NY---(according to what my cousins think is correct) BUT, they do lead back from MD to Canada...then back to PA and maybe there is a connection to Mass as well. IF I can find the missing link... it appears that one of my possible great-grandparents was an Elias Snyder who moved from PA to Canada...and then one of his descendants made it to Harford, MD. My Lewis was in Germany supposedly from 1837 back to 1834 when he was born... but other family may have already come over before him. OR, the info on the census could be completely wrong. I wonder if they transposed the number and maybe he was born in 1843 instead or if he date of arrival is wrong... Lots to consider while I sort this out.

I have tried the Leeds method (nothing useful for this line yet) and now I am trying the FANS (friends and neighbors) method as well--- I am slowly copying and pasting the complete census record for a particular area in Baltimore to a spreadsheet to see if I can capture other family that lived in the area of my target ancestors. It's a little frustrating because it's a common name... Snyder. Boo...but, I am doing this for every year that I can. 1900 done so far. I will write more about all this later--if I remember.

Maybe someday, Mr. Lewis Snyder, born 1834 in Germany...that moved to the US in 1837 according to the Baltimore MD 1900 census...I will find you, your wife and my direct descendant Barbara in a record. And no, I don't think the NY family is you! Too many discrepancies. (Addressed at the end). I do have some possibilities of them in a few random census records of Baltimore saved to my "shoebox" but I can not prove that it is them yet.

The questions I still have:

Was Barbara an only child? Where are her siblings if any? I have not found any DNA connections with any siblings she may have had... I do know that DNA does not pass down in perfect sections so not all cousins will be "picked" up but I have connections with other cousins on other branches at that level of the MRCA but not this particular branch...which means either:

None of siblings descendants have tested yet
They don't exist or any descendants have already passed
"Maybe" the ancestry sites are not picking up the DNA and matching me to them yet
I have reached out to the NY descendants of the NY Lewis/Wilhelmina Snyder to see if any of them have tested since my working theory is that my cousins are barking up the wrong tree branch...none of them have responded yet.

Who was her mother?
Who were her father, Lewis', parents.
Is Lewis a middle name or an Americanized name? He came here when he was three, supposedly. I have searched all spellings, abbreviations, flipped his name, used itials etc. That is why I am now doing the FAN method to see if I can capture someone with a close name that I haven't thought of. Or maybe he used a different last name for the census takers. (Like maybe it is Ralphsnyder originally, or another Snyder-ish name that he may have shortened as it was common then. ) Or maybe my third great-grandfather hid in a barn when census recorders came around and told them to not mention his existence? And then did that from 1850's and onward. OR, he has a whole different name. The Y test would come in handy here...BUT, there is no one to test to prove that lineage... it would have to be a son of Lewis...which we do not have yet...and then several generations down...all those sons of which one would need to test and compare to other Snyders...if there is a match to prove the surname. My lineage is from Barbara... who is XX... so no one in my direct path can prove the surname via the Y chromosome test.
Did he come here with family? Parents? I can not find him in a concrete way up until he shows up with his daughter Barbara in 1900. She always lists that she was born in MD. What was he up to all those years? I assume he was a farmer as most were in that area along Jarrettsville Pike.
When did he die and where is he buried? He could have also been cremated so I might not be able to find him via cemetery records. I will have to do more research on death records in MD.
I assume we still have family back in Germany. I have several German cousins on MyHeritage- I would like to split them between my mother's father and mother's mom's side...but not very many people in my family have tested on that site to help me split them up at this time.
And just a side note- whoever/whatever started the 1890 fire that destroyed these census records---you suck. I have a feeling, if those still existed---this would be semi-resolved.

To do:

Finish copying the census over to the spreadsheet for each year possible
Review my DNA matches for common matching surnames

Proctor/Carman, Carman/Snyder (Carrie), Davidson/Edwards, Edwards/Cuddy, Davidson/Colligan.... some common these with DNA matches all from the same area in MD...

Do blind searches with just your date of birth and see who I arrive at- which I have done several times already but they are always adding records
Add more links and copy images here for reference.
I need to bite the bullet and reach out to the Tillman's that are still in the area... see if they have any knowledge of these people.

Also, interestingly, I found Lowman's in the neighborhood while looking for the Snyders... just as a side note to review later--- I still have a mystery on my hands with one of my cousins. I am also 100% certain that her mystery ancestor was/is a Tillman (they married into the Snyder family---who married into the Baynes---which leads me to my mystery) and for whatever reason, he changed his name to Lowman. I could be wrong but I did find a distant cousin that matches us both that only has Tilghman in his branches where we would match... I haven't talked to her in awhile but every sign I see leads me back to them. Or possibly Baublitz... but that is where the double cousins thing come into play for me.

*notes on the NY Lewis Snyder*

Obituary does not mention Barbara: Obituary

Our Lewis is listed as widowed in 1900 (see linked record). If you follow the NY Lewis/Loise/Luis... he is still married to Wilhelmina in 1910. So if this is the same Lewis as ours in Baltimore, MD of 1900.... how is now married to the same woman he was married to in 1880?

1910 Census- Erie, Buffalo, NY

Our Lewis is listed with a birthday in January. The NY Lewis---if you follow the records my cousins are using... this Lewis (Ludwig) was born in April & Barbara still not mentioned.

Our Lewis was living with his daughter Barbara, in MD in 1900... I don't know why he would then be buried in NY in 1916- but I haven't found him in a 1910 census yet. Of course, I could be looking for the wrong name but he is not with Barbara in the 1910 Census.