Gene Notes

Some random and some not-so-random thoughts on family history.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

TOO-TOO THURSDAY - Less Is More!

So I have regaled you with the ridiculous results I've gotten on Ancestry.com when searching for my Carter line. One of the daughters of Edwin Carter & Ann Paul was Marion who married Jesse P. Alexander. Jesse died in 1896 and Marion died in 1905. So where is Marion in 1900?

Last week I was trying to be a little more specific in my search by putting in the year +/- 5. It got me anyone but the John E. Carter I was looking for.

this week, I decided I was going to find the elusive Marion Carter Alexander, and decided the 'less is more' approach is what I wanted. Well, it worked, but not in the way I expected. I put in Mari?n and born in Virginia and no birth year and searched Missouri.

This is what I got. You will need to click on the image to see for yourself, but I came up with Marian Walter born in Virginia in 1837. Close enough, I thought to warrant a look.

I clicked on the link and I had her. I think I will blame this on whomever transcribed this onto the census sheet or maybe even the census taker, Alfred, whatsisname!


Yes, the names are reversed. For everyone else on the page it is last name, first name. Not so for Walter G. Alexander. He is actually recorded as Walter G. Alexander. Except he is indexed as G. Alexander Walter, making his mother Marian Walter and not Alexander.

Now if I could just find her daughter Ella!


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