1st Edition of the Carnival of Genealogical Societies Posted!

The 1st edition of the Carnival of Genealogical Societies has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

"Collaboration.

Does your society collaborate with other societies?

(genealogical, historical, lineage, etc.)

Or groups? (local library, family history center)

Why or why not?

What works or needs improvement?"

Enjoy!

Google Analytics Report For February 2010

Well, another month has gone by, and that means that it is time for another Google Analytics report! Here are the results for February 2010:

The top ten countries, in number of visits, are:

1. United States - 277 visits
2. Canada - 41 visits
3. Poland - 11 visits
4. United Kingdom - 11 visits
5. Russia - 7 visits
6. Germany - 4 visits
7. Australia - 4 visits
8. India - 2 visits
9. Japan - 2 visits
10. Pakistan - 2 visits

The top ten states in the United States, in number of visits, are:

1. Indiana - 46 visits
2. California - 24 visits
3. New York - 23 visits
4. Illinois - 17 visits
5. Georgia - 16 visits
6. Michigan - 13 visits
7. Wisconsin - 11 visits
8. Ohio - 10 visits
9. Florida - 9 visits
10. Oregon - 8 visits

The top ten articles, in number of views, are:

1. 26th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy - 57 views
2. 2009 iGene Awards: The Best of the Best of Jessica's Genejournal -29 views
3. 89th Carnival of Genealogy Posted! - 20 views
4. Looking For My German Ancestors, Part 8 - 17 views
5. A New Carnival! - 17 views
6. Another New Genealogy Carnival! - 15 views
7. What I've Been Up To Since Mid-December ... - 13 views
8. February 2010 Issue of the Shades Of The Departed Magazine Posted! - 13 views
9. Don't Forget! Submissions Due Thursday! - 11 views
10. 25th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy - 9 views

Well, that is it for this month's report. I just want to say to my readers, "Thank you for reading!" Stay tuned for next month's report, and enjoy!

Another Award!

Last month, Amanda of A Tale of Two Ancestors left a comment notifying me that she had nominated me for the Happy 101 award. I wasn't able to post my response until now, and I just want to say, "Thank you Amanda for the award!"

For this award, I have to list ten things that make me happy. Here are my ten things, in no particular order:

1. My faith
2. My family
3. My friends
4. My two dogs, Ben and Casey
5. Completing a paper/school work
6. Genealogy research
7. Historical research
8. Listening to Christian music
9. Writing posts for this blog
10. Doing something creative, like drawing or writing a story

Well, those are my ten things. For this award, I'm supposed to nominate ten other people, but since it has been so long since I was nominated for the award, I don't remember who received or didn't receive this award. So, instead of nominating anyone, here is what I'll do: If you haven't received this award yet and are reading this post, consider yourself tagged. Enjoy!

That Reminds Me ... The Archives and Regional History Library at Western Michigan University

I happened to notice Harold's post on the Archives and Regional History Library at Western Michigan University earlier this week, but I hadn't had a chance to write anything about the library until now.

As I mentioned in my comment to Harold's article, Western Michigan's Archives and Regional History Library holds documents and records relating to the Southwestern part of Michigan. So, if you have ancestors from the region of Michigan, it might be a place to look into to see if there are any records that might assist you in your research. Since I have ancestors from Saint Joseph County, I definitely want to go there to do research, although I haven't had a chance to do so yet. I hope I am able to go there one of these days.

You can look at their catalog here to see if there are any records you may be interested in, and the archives is located in the older section of Western's campus. You can read more about the archives here. Enjoy!

26th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy

Welcome to the 26th edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy! The topic for this edition was a carousel - the articles could be on any topic. Several articles were submitted, and here are the articles for this edition:

First off, we have an article from T. Casteel of Tangled Trees. In The Village Church of Segenthau, Casteel gives a brief overview of the Catholic Church in Segenthau, Romania.

Next, we have an article from John Frank of Ancestry Chronicles. In The Soviet Takeover of Hungary: a Tale of Tragedy, he writes about the forced removal of ethnic Germans from their homes in Eastern Europe after World War Two.

Next, we have an article from Al Wierzba of Polish-American Genealogy Research. In Waiting For The Mail - Parish CD's, he writes about ordering parish records from a contact in Poland.

Next, we have an article from Antra of Discovering Latvian Roots. In Myths About Latvian Research, Antra writes about a few common myths in Latvian genealogy research and the reality behind those myths.

Next, we have an article from Diane Rogers of CanadaGenealogy or 'Jane's Your Aunt'. In Immigrants in Canada's West - 1898 - Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy, she transcribes a newspaper article that gives immigration statistics for Western Canada in the year 1898.

Next, we have an article from Zenon of Polish Origins. In Polish Genealogy Databases, Zenon provides a link for Polish genealogy databases that can be searched online.

Last, but not least, we have an article from Jessica Oswalt of Jessica's Genejournal. In Looking For My German Ancestors, Part 8, she writes about her discovery of a Declaration of Intent for one of her ancestors.

Well, that is it for this edition. The topic for the next edition is on "'The Village of my Ancestor'. Each article should deal with any known history of any location that one ancestor may have lived. It could be history of a town or area in the U.S. or an European Village," and will be hosted by Al of Polish-American Genealogy Research. The deadline for submissions will be March 19th, and the edition will be published on March 22nd. You can submit your articles here. Enjoy!

Another New Genealogy Carnival!

Another genealogy carnival has been started, and this carnival is the Carnival of African-American Genealogy. The topic for the first edition will be on "Restore My Name - Slave Records and Genealogy Research," and you can read more about it here. Enjoy!

90th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 90th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

"A Tribute to Women! March is women's history month and a great time to honor the women on our family trees.This is will be the 4th annual edition on this topic so we're going to change it up just a bit to keep it fresh... Write a biography about a woman on your family tree starting with a timeline of their life. The timeline can be a separate post that you link to from your biography (which can itself be a series of articles) but please just submit one post to the COG. If you haven't written from a timeline before you may find it a great learning/research experience! Since this topic will likely require more research and writing time you'll have a full month till the deadline. There will be no March 1st edition of the COG. The deadline for submissions will be March 15th. Thirty submissions will be accepted."

Enjoy!

20th Edition of the Smile For The Camera Carnival Posted!

The 20th edition of the Smile For The Camera Carnival has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

"'Give Their Face A Place.' March is Women's History month and you are asked to picture women back into history. The unknown, known and unsung women who are often the foundation of our family history. Give their face a place. The interpretation is yours. Admission is free with every photograph!"

Enjoy!

Looking For My German Ancestors, Part 8

In my previous post, I promised I would continue writing about my Kees ancestors' connection to Cleveland, Ohio; however, I discovered a naturalization record during my time off in December that I want to discuss in this post.

While I was at the Archives of Michigan doing research for my thesis, I happened to spot the naturalization index for Saginaw County, and I thought I would check and see if my ancestor, Fred Klippel, had applied to become a naturalized citizen in Saginaw County, Michigan. What led me to believe that my ancestor might have applied for citizenship?

Well, a few months prior to my visit, I discovered that Footnote.com had digitized federal naturalization records for the Eastern district of Ohio, which includes Cleveland, and found the naturalization record of Fred's son, Adolph. In Adolph's application for naturalization, he mentioned that he was told by a family friend (I think?) that his father had become a citizen in 1874, and thus, Adolph believed he could legally vote. The only problem was that Adolph did not know where his father's naturalization certificate went, and thus, had his voting privileges challenged in 1916. Interestingly, Adolph did not apply for naturalization until 1919, and I wonder if he waited until World War One was over before he tried to apply.

Obviously, the information in Adolph's naturalization records intrigued me. I had wondered if Fred had applied for naturalization during his lifetime, but after viewing the Naturalization Indexes for Cuyahoga County put online by the Cuyahoga County GenWeb, I concluded that he hadn't applied for naturalization in Cuyahoga. (Of course, I was making the assumption that those indexes online were complete, and that may or may not have been the case.) Adolph's naturalization record was the first clue I had that Fred did apply. The only problem was that in 1874, Fred was still living in Cleveland, and I hadn't found a naturalization record for him as I stated before. Of course, Adolph could have got the year wrong, but at the time, I couldn't do any follow up on the lead as I was busy with school work.

By the time I visited the Archives of Michigan for other research, I had pretty much forgotten about the naturalization records. I just happened to spot the index for the Saginaw County Naturalization Records while I was looking for one of the volumes of the Michigan Pioneer Collection, and I just decided on the spur of the moment to look and see if I could find my ancestor. I found his name listed, and with the archivist's help, I discovered the record was for Fred Klippel's Declaration of Intent. The record was dated September 22, 1884, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to look and see if there were any more papers because the Archives was starting to shut down at that point. I had noticed that there was additional mention of a Fred with a last name spelled similar to Klippel, but I didn't have a chance to follow that lead. It may be my ancestor with his surname misspelled, but I'll have to wait until my next visit to the archives.

So, why is this naturalization record important? Well, for one, it narrows down my time frame of when Fred died. As you may or may not remember, the date of Fred's death has been a mystery for me since his death does not show up in Saginaw County's death records. (I haven't been able to find a possible match, through searching FamilySearch's Michigan vital records, in other Michigan counties either. I've only been able to find Amelia's death record.) The only information that I had been able to uncover as to a possible time of death were from two Saginaw directories. In the 1882 directory, Fred is listed as a baker, and thus, was still alive at the time of the book's publishing. The next available directory, though, wasn't published until 1887, and in that directory only Fred's wife, Amelia, is listed. Since Fred wasn't listed under the baker's occupation as he was for the 1882 directory, I concluded that he had died by 1887. My time frame for time of death was now between 1882 and 1887. I hadn't been able to narrow down the time frame any further as Saginaw County's records in the Michigan State Census of 1884 appears to not have survived. Thus, this naturalization record that gives an application date of September 1884 indicates that my ancestor was still alive by that date. (I should note also that my ancestor, Fred Klippel, is the only Fred Klippel living in Saginaw during this time period that I am aware of.) So, now I have a time frame for death between September 23, 1884 and 1887. I haven't had a chance to check for any deaths mentioned in Saginaw's newspapers yet, so I might be able to come up with a death date, but at least I have a much narrower time frame to search for a record of his death. If he did survive to become a naturalized citizen, then I will have an even narrower time frame of death. Of course, I still need to do further research to determine his exact date of death.

In my next article, I will continue writing about Amelia's family in Cleveland, if I do not uncover any additional information on Fred's naturalization records between now and my next post. So until then, stay tuned and enjoy!

Submissions Due Today!

I just want to remind everyone that submissions for the upcoming edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy are due today. You can submit your articles here. Enjoy!

Don't Forget! Submissions Due Thursday!

I just want to remind everyone that submissions for the upcoming edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy are due on Thursday by 11:59 p.m. The topic for this carnival is a carousel, and submissions can be submitted here. If you need more, please do not hesitate to leave a comment requesting more time. Thanks!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I just want to wish everyone a safe and happy Valentine's Day! Enjoy!

February 2010 Issue of the Shades Of The Departed Magazine Posted!

The February 2010 issue of the Shades of the Departed Magazine has been posted! You can read it here. Enjoy!

A New Carnival!

Although I'm late in posting this, I still wanted to mention that a new carnival, the Carnival of Genealogy Societies, has been created! You can read more about the carnival here. The topic for the first edition will be on

"Doin' Things Right! Shine a spotlight on a specific program, project, or publication at a genealogical society and tell us why it worked. Tell an anecdote about how you benefited from a particular genealogical society service. Share a success story and be specific! The deadline for submissions is March 7, 2010."

Enjoy!

2009 iGene Awards: The Best of the Best of Jessica's Genejournal

For this upcoming edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, I have to come up with what I think were the five best posts from this blog that fit the categories of Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Documentary, Best Comedy, and Best Biography. So, here are my five picks for the articles that I believe are the closest and best fits of the categories:

For Best Picture, I have chosen Wedding Belles: A Beautiful Wedding Picture. I chose this article not only because I love the picture but also because the Google Analytics site indicated that this photograph had the largest number of views in 2009 than any other photograph posted. Obviously, this photograph was the favorite of this blog's viewers.

For Best Screenplay, I have chosen Justice and Independence: Ancestral Experiences ... . My choice for this category is a little bit of a stretch as I did not really write an article that could be turned in to a screenplay; however, I believe this article is the closest fit for this category out of all the articles I wrote in 2009 because it highlights the experiences of one of my ancestral branches with events that occurred in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. The article is really a collection of very brief stories of my ancestors' experiences, and any one of the stories could be turned into a screenplay in itself since they are filled with high drama. Well, my brief descriptions do not contain any drama themselves, the described events are dramatic in themselves.

For Best Documentary, I have chosen Trippstadt, Germany Civil Death Records, Part One: 1806-1829. I believe this article is the best fit for this category out of all the articles I wrote for 2009 as it was the only informational article that I wrote. The article is part of a series of articles that will focus upon the nineteenth century death records of Trippstadt, Germany. Although I have not written any other articles in this series since this article, I do plan to do so in the future when I have more time.

For Best Biography, I have chosen Music in the Family .... I struggled to come up with an article for this category as I did not write a biographical article in 2009, and therefore, my choice is a bit of a stretch. I actually debated over whether or not to put this article in the screenplay category, but I chose not to as the article did not deal with an event or story. This article is really a brief sketch of an aspect of a talent that some of my family members and ancestors have or had, and since the article looks at my family over a span of time, I figured this article was the closest fit to anything biographical that I had written.

For Best Comedy, I have chosen And Now For Another Episode of the "Adventures of Ben and Casey" .... Again, my choice for this category is a stretch because I did not write any articles in 2009 that would be consider funny. The only humorous aspects of this article are the title and picture of my dogs. Since pets can do funny things and it was struggle for me to photograph my two dogs sitting together, I decided that this was the closest fit for the comedy category.

Well, those are my five choices? What did you think of my choices? Do you agree with my selections, or do you believe other articles are better fits for the categories. As always, you can leave a comment with your thoughts. Enjoy!

89th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 89th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

"The Third Annual iGene Awards, The Best of The Best! It's Academy awards time... time for the Academy of Genealogy and Family History, aka AGFH, to honor their best blog posts of 2009 in the following 5 categories:

• Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in 2009. Tell us which you liked best and why.
• Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in 2009 would make the best movie? Who would you cast as your family members?
• Best Documentary - Which was the best informational article you wrote about a place, thing, or event involving your family's history in 2009?
• Best Biography - Which was the best biographical article you wrote in 2009?
• Best Comedy - Which was the best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that you shared on your blog in 2009?"

Enjoy!

Google Analytics Report For January 2010

Well, another month has gone by, and that means that it is time for another Google Analytics Report! Here are the results for January 2010:

The top ten countries, in number of visits, are:

1. United States - 361 visits
2. Canada - 43 visits
3. United Kingdom - 21 visits
4. Australia - 13 visits
5. Germany - 8 visits
6. Netherlands - 6 visits
7. Singapore - 4 visits
8. Poland - 3 visits
9. Israel - 3 visits
10. Switzerland - 3 visits

The top ten states in the United States, in number of visits, are:

1. California - 42 visits
2. Texas - 29 visits
3. Michigan - 29 visits
4. Indiana - 22 visits
5. Illinois - 21 visits
6. New York - 20 visits
7. Ohio - 17 visits
8. Florida - 16 visits
9. Washington - 14 visits
10. Georgia - 14 visits

The top ten articles, in number of views, are:

1. Surname Saturday - Can I Conclude That These Oswalts Are Related? - Part One - 30 views
2. 25th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy - 29 views
3. January Issue of the Shades Of The Departed Magazine Posted! - 19 views
4. British World War One Records Updated! - 18 views
5. Google Analytics Report For December 2009 - 17 views
6. My 2010 Genealogy Resolutions - 16 views
7. 88th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted! - 16 views
8. Update to Looking For 2010 Hosts ... - 15 views
9. Trippstadt, Germany Civil Death Records, Part One: 1806-1829 - 14 views
10. Update to the Carnival of Genealogy and Topic for the 88th Edition - 12 views

Well, that is it for this month's report. As always, I just want to say to my readers, "Thank you for reading this blog!" Enjoy and stay tuned for next month's report!

What I've Been Up To Since Mid-December ...

As you've probably noticed, I haven't posted much recently, although I've wanted to do so. (At the time of this writing, I have about 13 backlogged articles that I am trying to finish and post.) Of course, I haven't had much time because I'm a grad student.

One of the articles I wanted to post was a summary of the genealogy research that I did over Christmas break. Well, it wasn't very much, but while I was doing research for my thesis at the Library of Michigan and State Archives of Michigan, I was able to do a few quick look-ups on a couple of branches. At the Archives, I discovered that my Klippel ancestor had filed a Declaration of Intent (I'll write about this later.), and in the Library, I found the burial records for a few Saint Joseph county ancestors and relatives. Unfortunately, I did not copy the burial records down as a result of being too tired from doing research for my thesis earlier in the day. Since I know where to find the burial information, I'll make sure to copy the information on my next visit to the Library of Michigan.

So, as you can see, I did not do very much genealogical research on my time off from school. Most of the time I did research for my thesis, or read the textbooks for my upcoming classes, and since I've returned back to school, I am still researching and reading for my classes. I do not know how many posts I will be able to publish in the upcoming months because of my school work, but I do hope to post whenever I can. So, there maybe periods of time when this blog is quiet, but it will be due to being busy with school work rather than neglect. Stay tuned for future articles ...

88th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The 88th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next edition will be on

"Ode to My Family's History! This time around we'll be composing a poem that tells our family's history. It can be long or short, rhyme or not rhyme, funny or serious, illustrated or not... you choose, but make it appropriate as an introduction for a book or video on your family history. The challenge is on! The deadline for submissions is February 1st, 30 submissions accepted."

Enjoy!

Surname Saturday - Can I Conclude That These Oswalts Are Related? - Part One

I've never participated in this meme before, but I did learn about the meme from reading Randy's post. Instead of just writing about where I've researched a certain surname, I thought for my first post in this meme series I would write some more about a research problem I have. Since I will be posting on all of my research on my Oswalt ancestors up to this point, I'll have to split this Surname Saturday into two or more posts to make the reading more manageable.

I did write about my problems trying to connect Adam Oswalt to Benjamin Oswalt and William Oswalt, but I only wrote about my research in general terms. I am hoping that by writing in more specific terms will generate more of a response on whether or not those three Oswalts are related. (I am hoping that other genealogy bloggers will comment; and give advice or suggestions on whether or not I can conclude that they were relatives, or where to continue my research.) In other words, would including Benjamin and William as brothers of Adam be acceptable? Do I have enough evidence to prove a relationship? How would a professional or experienced genealogist view my research? These are all questions that I am hoping other genealogy bloggers might be able to answer or at least suggest what I should do next in my research.

As you probably already know, I am descended from the Civil War veteran, Adam Oswalt. From Adam's pension file, I learned that he was born outside of Huntingdon, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania on May 15, 1836. (I have not yet confirmed this information with any primary sources yet, but hopefully, I will uncover church records some day.) Adam did not name his parents or any other relatives, but mentioned that his parents were illiterate. (1). Census records from 1880 through 1910 indicate that he was born about 1836. For some reason, the 1870 census suggests a birth year of 1837. His marriage certificate and muster-out military papers also suggest a birth year of 1837. (I do not know if those years are a mistake, or if the earlier records are correct. Again, I am hoping church records will resolve that issue.) (2). Adam married Barbara Ann Detwiler in 1861, and his age was given as 23 years old. His parents' names are not listed in the county marriage record as they were not required at that time. (3). The first record that gives Adam's parents' names is Adam's death certificate, and the certificate lists a Benjamin Oswalt and Mary Rough as his parents. (4). As to whether or not the informant is related, I do not believe he is, although there is always the possibility. What I do know about the informant is that he worked at the Old Soldier's Home Hospital as a clerk. Where did he get the information, if he was not related? It's probably very likely that he got his information from Adam's daughter, Myrtie, as she was listed as his nearest relative in his admission papers to the home. (5).

After uncovering the names of Adam's parents, I looked for them, and found them in the 1850 Census in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Among the children living with Benjamin and Mary were a Solomon, William, Margaret, Benjamin and Nancy Oswalt. Adam does not show up in the household. (6). Of course, the absence of Adam in the 1850 census does not mean that he was not Benjamin and Mary's son, and there are probably multiple reasons as to why Adam did not show up in the census. I also found Benjamin Oswalt and Mary living in Huntingdon County in the 1860 census, but Adam is not listed in that census either. (7). To this date, I have not been able to find Adam in the 1850 or 1860 census, even though Adam stated on his admission papers that he had been living in Michigan since March of 1859. (8). There is another Adam Oswalt living in Blair County (which was once part of Huntingdon County), but that Adam is too old to be my ancestor. It is completely possible, though, that this Adam is a relative of Benjamin Oswalt. I have yet to determine whether or not that Adam is a relative, though.

While I haven't been able to find Adam in the 1850 and 1860 censuses, I do know that he was living in Pine Grove Township, Van Buren County, Michigan at the time of his marriage in 1861. (9). Whether or not Adam began living in Michigan in 1859, I have yet to determine. It is possible that tax records for those years will help me narrow down when and where he was living in Michigan at that time. Although I haven't been able to find Adam, I did find a Solomon and William Oswald living in Saint Joseph County, Michigan in the 1860 Census. Solomon was living in the household of John Heinback in Park Township, while William was living with a Daniel and Margaret Black in Fabius Township. (10). The odd thing about Solomon was his age. He was still in his twenties in this census like he was in the 1850 census. Oddly enough, the age given was about the same age as Adam would have been. Could Adam have been living in the same household as Solomon but missed or mixed up? (11). All I can do is speculate until I go through the tax records of Saint Joseph County for those years. Of course, I do know Adam lived in Saint Joseph County after his marriage in 1861.

As for the Solomon Oswalt who was living in Park Township at the time of the 1860 census, he was not living there in the 1870 census, nor was I able to find a Solomon Oswalt that fit the previous censuses in Pennsylvania. (There is a Solomon Oswalt in Pennsylvania in the 1870 census, but that Solomon does not appear to fit the Solomon Oswalt in the 1850 Census.) (12). Originally I believed that he had died in Saint Joseph County after the 1860 census, but after looking at the Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania newspapers and Civil War records for Pennsylvania, it appears that Solomon returned to Huntingdon County. How was I able to determine that fact? Well, the newspaper, Huntingdon Journal, carried a marriage notice for a Solomon Oswalt who married a Mary Morningstar on February 14, 1861, and since the only Solomon Oswalt around the Huntingdon County area was the Solomon connected to Benjamin and Mary Oswalt, I think it is safe to assume that it is him. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Archives has a Civil War Veteran's index file, and it lists a Solomon Oswalt who served in September of 1862. This Solomon enlisted at Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, and I suspect that Solomon is Benjamin and Mary's son. (13). In 1869, a Mrs. Mary Oswalt is listed as marrying a Jno. Westbrook in a marriage announcement, which suggested to me that Solomon had died some time before the newspaper published the announcement and that his widow had remarried. To confirm my theory, I searched the 1870 census for a John Westbrook living in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania with a wife named Mary, and I found the couple. Included in the household were two children: William and Ann Oswalt. (14). Of course, my connection to these children and Solomon are tenuous, and I still have to confirm the relationship with some other form of documentation. Additionally, I only have the 1850 census to connect Solomon to Benjamin and Mary Oswalt.

Benjamin Oswalt (the father) died sometime before 28 September 1861 when his widow, Mary, renounced her right to administer his estate. She requested that their son, John, take care of his estate, but unfortunately, only John's relationship is stated in the will book. (15). When I looked at the Orphan Court's records to see if any further documentation might list Benjamin's heirs, I did not have luck. The court records only mention that the estate had been assessed and that the administration of it had been approved by the Orphan's Court. (16). Short of finding any other court records, I'll probably have to look for church records, but at the moment, I am not sure as to what my Oswalt ancestors religious beliefs were.

In the next post, I'll continue with my research into this Oswalt family by analyzing the information I have on William and Benjamin Oswalt. If I have rambled too much, I apologize for any confusion.

So, what do you think so far? Do I have enough information to conclude that Adam and Solomon are brothers? Any advise or suggestions are welcome. Thanks.
____________________________________________________________________
Sources

(Some of the citations are not complete due to the fact that I do not have all of the documents in front of me at this time. I am relying upon my memory at the time of this writing.)

1. "1907 Statement." Civil War Pension File of Adam Oswalt.
2. U.S. Federal Censuses of 1870, 1880, 1900 and 1910. (For the first three censuses, Adam is living in Saint Joseph County, Michigan. For the 1910 census, Adam Oswalt is living in Kent County, Michigan.)
3. "Marriage of Adam Oswald to Barbary Ann Detweiler." Saint Joseph County, Michigan Marriage Records. Book C, page 307.
4. "Death record of Adam Oswalt." Kent County, Michigan Death Records. His death certificate can also be viewed online at http://seekingmichigan.org/.
5. "Admission papers of Adam Oswalt to the Michigan Old Soldier's Home." Microfilm at the Grand Rapids Public Library. Admission number 5205.
6. U. S. 1850 Federal Census, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, Walker Township, household of Benjamin Oswalt.
7. U. S. 1860 Federal Census, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, Juanita Township, household of Benjamin Oswald.
8. See record in source number 5. Page 2.
9. See record in source number 3.
10. U. S. 1860 Federal Census, Saint Joseph County, Michigan, Park and Fabius Townships, households of John Heinback (sic) and Daniel Black.
11. See record in source number 10 for Park Township.
12. U.S. 1870 Federal Census for Saint Joseph County, Michigan and Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania.
13. "Marriage of Solomon Oswalt to Mary M. Morningstar." Huntingdon Journal. 20 February 1861. http://digitalnewspapers.libraries.psu.edu/Default/Skins/civilwar/Client.asp?skin=civilwar&AppName=2&AW=1257601112239; "Solomon Oswald." Civil War Veterans' Card File, 1861-1866. Pennsylvania State Archives. Between Oswald, John P. and Otis, Ora L. Item 17. http://www.digitalarchives.state.pa.us/archive.asp?view=ArchiveItems&ArchiveID=17&FID=1350300&LID=1350349&FL=O&Page=1.
    
14. "Marriage of Jno A. Westbrook (sic) to Mary M. Oswalt." Huntingdon Globe. 3 March 1869.http://digitalnewspapers.libraries.psu.edu/Default/Skins/civilwar/Client.asp?skin=civilwar&AppName=2&AW=1257601112239; U. S. 1870 Federal Census, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, Township, household of John Westbrook.
15. "Administrative letters for the estate of Benjamin Oswald." Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania Wills, 1787-1918, Wills v. 5-6. FHL US/CAN Film 854233. Will Book 6, page 142.
    
16. "November 1861 Session." Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania Orphan's Court Dockets, 1788-1866. Volume I, FHL US/Can Film 900592. Page 59 (?).