New school and Scout records
Carole and Jerri growing up
Read the childhood story and see Aunt Carole’s 1976 portrait and Robin’s graduation-day photograph.
Read the findings and sources →FURTHER RESEARCH · REVIEWED OCTOBER 29, 2026
There is more to discover.
The unanswered questions have a plan. These are the most promising ways to fill gaps, test family connections and find new stories across all three collections.
Research tools
NEW RESEARCH · OCTOBER 29, 2026
What the latest records changed.
Original pages, corrected readings and more precise next steps. Open questions remain labeled.
Strong voyage candidate
The Becker glove trade
A passenger group and Germania Avenue household fit well, with a five-year age conflict still to resolve.
Read the findings and sources →Printed abstracts received
The widow and the seven heirs
The inspected 1794 account gives names and shares while preserving the wife-name problem.
Read the findings and sources →Named portrait received
Edward’s 1964 yearbook page
Edward Louis Waguespack’s senior portrait from Odessa High School joins the family collection.
Read the findings and sources →New historical records · E190–E198
Northrop, Camp Carson and three California sisters
A 1945 statement supports Nova’s Northrop employment; 1944 notices place Dan and Vera at Camp Carson; 1967 newspapers name three Wood daughters in California. Dates, identities and open questions remain qualified.
Read the findings and sources →Four family memorial cards · October 27, 2026
Names, dates and new family clues
Ilario’s age challenges the recorded birthday. Carmelina has a Haledon household and daughter Nellie; Linda has a Jersey City death-index match. Unproved connections stay labeled, with original photographs beside enhanced display copies.
Read the findings and sources →New · October 26 · original 1950 census pages
Robin’s family at home and at work
Explicit Minero–Becker relationships, a previously unlisted son, separate John and Louis households, bus driving and a probable jewelry business bring the family into focus. Identities and uncertain fields stay qualified.
Read the findings and sources →New · October 26 · targeted ancestry challenge
Stronger evidence, and weak links exposed
An original Freeman will names son Aaron. Perkins and Grimes dates conflict; Smalley’s apparent contradiction is better explained by a likely printing error. No replacement parentage or whole-tree certification.
Read the findings and sources →Donna’s connected branch · E126–E140
Darsey, Gettys and Farr: the names join
Official marriage indexes strongly identify Donna Kay Darsey as Donna Kay Farr. Her recorded path connects Dan and Vera to Teena and Eric. Birth evidence, adoption and status after September 2025 remain open; community matches stay qualified.
Read the findings and sources →Son’s testimony and final case decision read
Henry’s chronology is changing
William names Henry and Sarah. The 1905 administrative refusal is now documented; Henry’s parents remain unproved.
Read the findings and sources →Additional estate records requested
Two executors, one open question
The Benjamin father–son question remains open. A correct inventory and additional estate papers are still needed.
Read the findings and sources →Original household and directories read
A family at the saloon address
The 1880 census confirms Henry Schubiger’s household at 308 West 37th Street, saloon occupation and Swiss birthplace. Directories add Arnold and a widow Lena. Birth certificates and a 1902 Mina marriage lead are the next tests of the family connections.
Read the findings and sources →Official index image inspected
An exact Minero certificate target
Ilario and John Minero share June 1955 state file 24401, with death in Jersey City and residence in North Bergen. This likely name cross-reference is a strong candidate; the certificate must confirm the family identity, exact date and birthplace.
Read the findings and sources →Conflicting accounts and search limits recorded
Clement’s conflicting accounts
Gladys’s later obituary and an SSA-derived parent entry add conflicting name and migration details. A 66-page 1910 Lockport browse found no confident household match. The contemporary 1926 newspaper remains the stronger chronology source; draft, census and civil records are next.
Read the findings and sources →9
Ancestry questions
6
Story & image leads
3
Family collections
Each open question has a next step. The plans below show where the research stands and the records needed to move it forward. Some sources have precise locators; others need an identity match or an archive copy before we can assess them.
The most useful next records
Schubiger certificates and the newly identified Minero death file provide precise retrieval targets. The Benjamin legal papers target the central father–son question. Clement’s civil records could resolve several conflicts at once. The order favors precise record locators and opportunities to clarify several connected facts.
01 · Best first retrieval
Robin’s familyConnect the Schubiger generations
Was Florence’s father the son of the Manhattan saloon keeper?
Current stage: Minnie census and Emil funeral register read; birth certificates still needed
- What we already have
- The Manhattan household, directories and probable Minnie census match are on hand. Emil’s original funeral register leaves both parents unknown.
- Next step
- Read Henry Schuhbieger’s Manhattan birth certificate 313978, June 17, 1881, and Emil W. Schubiger’s certificate 371052, July 5, 1883. Compare parents, maiden surname and address. Also retrieve the 1902 Mina Schubiger / Johann Scheelz or Schulz church marriage, image 9692, from St. John’s Second German Lutheran Church in Newark.
- What it could reveal
- The birth certificates could connect the generations; Mina’s marriage offers a separate route to the proposed Lena Kuhn identity.
- What remains uncertain
- The certificates and church register remain unread. The 1880 Schubiger relationship cells are blank, Arnold’s relationship is unknown, and Lena’s identity is provisional. Directory edition years are not exact event dates. Retain Emil’s July 4 versus July 5 conflict.
Read the current storyBilliards on West 37th StreetFlorence’s New Jersey family
Source trail: RB.SCHUBIGER.CENSUS1880 · RB.SCHUBIGER.DIR1889 · RB.SCHUBIGER.DIR1890 · RB.NYC.BIRTHINDEX · RB.MINA.MARR1902
02 · Central parentage question
Wood & DarseyTest the Benjamin father–son relationship
Were Benjamin Sr. and Jr. really father and son?
Current stage: Replacement inventory and additional estate scans requested
- What we already have
- The original recorded will names both Benjamin Wade Hampton and Amos Love as executors and protects granddaughter Rachel’s legacy through a conditional trust. Original 1850 Arkansas pages place Benjamin, Martha, Caroline and David near John R. and Wm. Y. The Sr.–Jr. father–son link remains unproved.
- Next step
- Await the newly requested William, Young and Barlow papers and the correct Benjamin Sr. inventory. The custodian has acknowledged the requests; no delivery date is promised.
- What it could reveal
- Named heirs, guardians and trustees may connect the Georgia estates to the Arkansas family and answer the parentage question.
- What remains uncertain
- The older packet’s inventory includes a duplicate image; the missing original still needs replacement. No father–son relationship is established.
Read the current storyWere Benjamin Darsey Sr. and Jr. really father and son?Two roads, one family
Source trail: BD.WILL1820 · BD.LAURENS.LOOSE · BD.BOND1810 · BD.CENSUS1850.ORIGINAL
03 · Name and migration conflicts
WaguespackResolve Clement’s name and vital details
Was the older Clement’s middle name Joseph, Edward or Edwards?
Current stage: Obituary conflicts documented; civil records needed
- What we already have
- The 1926 newspaper calls him Clement Edwards, age 44, and places him in Marfa before his death. Gladys’s later obituary uses Clement J. and gives a conflicting migration sequence. An SSA-derived entry for the younger Clement names his father Edward. A 66-page browse of the 1910 Lockport district found no confident household match.
- Next step
- Find the older Clement’s 1918 draft card and 1920 household using wife Eugenie/Eugenia and the children to distinguish namesakes. Retrieve the Presidio County death record around May 26, 1926, and the 1908 Orleans marriage, volume 30 page 574, state record 147552. Verify the underlying SSA parent entry and audit faint 1910 pages or other likely locations.
- What it could reveal
- Signed and civil records could resolve his name, age, parents and the family’s Lockport–China–Marfa chronology.
- What remains uncertain
- The later obituary and SSA transcription do not override the contemporary newspaper. The SSA original is unread; the 1910 browse was limited and does not prove absence. The May 26 death date is inferred from the newspaper. Keep father and son distinct.
Read the current storyClement of MarfaEdward’s school photo and the Marfa years
Source trail: LA1908STATE · MARFA19260529 · CLEMENTGEDCOMPARE · GLADYS.PUBLISHER · CLEMENT.SSA.LEAD
04 · Chronology before parentage
Wood & DarseyFind Henry Wood’s age, home and parents
Which Henry is ours—and where was his Buncombe home?
Current stage: Original 1840, 1850 and 1860 censuses read
- What we already have
- Henry is 44 in 1850 and 53 in 1860, correcting the copied 59. The original 1840 Taney page groups him with Aron Freeman, Iry Freeman and Samuel Wood; the 1850 Ozark neighborhood continues that association. Circa 1806 is a working birth estimate. His parents and exact Buncombe homesite remain unproved.
- Next step
- Read the 1870 and 1880 censuses and the 1898 death notice. Follow the Missouri group through deeds and court records, including Henry’s reported Indian Creek patent lead. Retrieve the Freeman/Candler chain: 1803 deed book 9, pages 48–49; 1827 entry 2440; and 1834–1839 grants. Test each proposed father independently in probate and deeds.
- What it could reveal
- A stronger lifetime chronology can distinguish namesakes, while a tract description or explicit relationship may answer the remaining home and parentage questions.
- What remains uncertain
- Census association does not prove kinship or adjoining property. The second adult male in Henry’s 1840 household is unnamed. Turkey Creek/Sandy Mush remains a lead; distinguish the Aaron P. Freeman candidates and the older Henry associated with Scotts Creek.
Read the current storyHenry Wood: where he lived, and who his parents wereTwo roads, one family
Source trail: HW.CENSUS1830 · HW.CENSUS1840.ORIGINAL · HW.CENSUS1850.ORIGINAL · HW.FREEMAN1850.ORIGINAL · HW.CENSUS1860.ORIGINAL · HW.FREEMAN1827 · HW.GRANTINDEX
05 · An overseas bridge
Robin’s familyConnect John Swantek to the right Polish family
Do the Polish parish entries belong to Robin’s immigrant ancestor?
Current stage: American identity evidence needed
- What we already have
- The 1865 Polish wedding is verified in an original register. The American-to-Polish parentage bridge is not. A same-name child born in 1872 died in 1873, while the 1875 entry has conflicting grandparent names. The younger John J., Florence, Carole and Jerrilyn are now explicitly together in the original 1950 Kenilworth census; he drove a bus and reported WWII service.
- Next step
- Locate John Swantek Sr.’s American marriage, death or naturalization record naming parents and birthplace. Correlate spouse Katherine, occupation, addresses and household members before choosing a Polish birth entry. Florence’s 1939 marriage certificate is a separate useful checkpoint for the nearer generation.
- What it could reveal
- A sound identity match could extend the Polish branch with original parish records and a specific village story.
- What remains uncertain
- Matching names and approximate birth years are insufficient. The child who died in 1873 cannot be the adult immigrant. Preserve the grandparent-name conflicts. The younger John’s reported service and parental Austria/Germany birthplaces do not establish the older European lineage or full middle name.
Read the current storyMaking a living, making a homeA Polish wedding, on the page
Source trail: RB.SWIATEK.M1865 · RB.SWIATEK.B1872 · RB.SWIATEK.B1875 · RB.FLORENCE.MARRIAGE1939 · RB.SWANTEK.CENSUS1950
06 · An immigration story
Robin’s familyFind Ilario Minero’s hometown and voyage
Where in Italy did the Minero family come from, and how did they arrive?
Current stage: 1950 household and 1955 death-index images read; birthplace still open
- What we already have
- The official 1955 index lists Ilario Minero and John Minero against the same state file, 24401, for a June death in Jersey City and North Bergen residence. A name cross-reference is likely, but the certificate must confirm identity. His Italian hometown and voyage remain unresolved. The 1950 census explicitly names Louis F. as a son and reports Ilario, Desolina and Louis naturalized; Louis was born in Italy around 1909–1910 by age. The family-held memorial card supplies June 11, 1955 and age 75; the inherited February 1879 birthday conflicts.
- Next step
- Retrieve New Jersey death certificate 1955/24401 through Vital Statistics, the custodian for 1951 onward, checking current access requirements first. Compare spouse, parents, birthplace and informant. If it matches the family, use those details to find the 1942 draft card or naturalization, then a passenger manifest and Italian civil record. Locate naturalization petitions for the older couple and Louis; compare the exact 1940 John/Louis census page before accepting the inherited Italian birthplace for John.
- What it could reveal
- One precisely identified certificate could establish the American identity needed to choose the correct hometown and immigration records.
- What remains uncertain
- The certificate is unread. The index gives neither age nor spouse, birthplace or exact death day, and does not prove an alias. Keep the older man distinct from son John Louis. Mezzana Mortigliengo, the November 1910 arrival and conflicting 1879 birthdays remain leads. The separate 1950 John/Clara household is best treated as distinct from Louis F.; citizenship answers do not supply a court or date. The Archives also holds 1951–1965 death microfilm for in-person research; that does not mean an online certificate was obtained.
Read the current storyMaking a living, making a homeFollowing the Minero clues
Source trail: RB.MINERO.DEATH1955 · RB.NJ.LOCALITYCODES · RB.MINERO.TREELEAD · RB.MINERO.MEZZANA · BECKER_GEDCOM · RB.MINERO.CENSUS1950 · RB.JOHNMINERO.CENSUS1950
07 · Large payoff, harder retrieval
WaguespackUntangle early Louis’s household and ancestry
Who was Louis’s wife, when did he die, and were Joseph and Barbe his parents?
Current stage: Colonial originals still needed
- What we already have
- A copied January 1794 partition account is not a death-day record, and the widow’s name conflicts with the inherited wife assignment. Joseph and Barbe are documented, but their parentage of Louis is unproved.
- Next step
- Retrieve every sheet of the St. Charles partition: January 8 petition and January 12, 1794, partition, Conrad page 242, act 1201. Compare the widow and heirs with earlier acts. Separately seek Joseph’s circa 1741–1742 estate or tutorship and Barbe’s later minors’ settlement for a record naming Louis.
- What it could reveal
- The later packet could clarify wife, children and death chronology; the earlier estate trail could supply the missing ancestral connection.
- What remains uncertain
- The 1794 packet alone is not promised to prove Louis’s parents. Existing bounded calendar and index searches have not found the missing link. Medieval surname occurrences cannot fill it.
Read the current storyThe recorded Waguespack lineLouis in the Louisiana records
Story lead · Wartime work
Wood & DarseyFind Nova in the aircraft-factory records
What did Nova build during World War II?
Current stage: Contemporary employment support; job title and distinction unproved
- What we already have
- The June 1945 Northrop statement names N W CARY and department 11. The obituary supplies the jig-builder and first-woman claims.
- Next step
- Find department 11’s 1945 classification and a dated employee record; inspect wartime newsletters and the appropriately limited company directory.
- What it could reveal
- A named contemporary employee item, department note or identified photograph could document her skilled wartime work and clarify the scope of the obituary’s claim.
- What remains uncertain
- The statement gives no job title or hire/quit date. Postwar OCR negatives and a supervisory directory cannot exclude production employment.
Read the current storyA household, a factory, a farmTwo roads, one family
Source trail: NOVA01 · NOVA07 · NOVA.INVENTORY · NOVA.COLEMAN · NOVA.PAY1945 · NOVA.NEWS1946.OCR · NOVA.NEWS1949.OCR
Story lead · A boxer behind the wheel
Robin’s familyPut Wendel’s boxing career in the newspapers
Where did the chauffeur and boxer fight?
Current stage: Occupation verified; boxing event needed
- What we already have
- The original 1934 directory calls H. Wendel Schubiger a chauffeur and pugilist. A probable 1940 continuation has different initials. No named bout, ring name or boxing photograph is established.
- Next step
- Correlate the Eleanor/address household first, then search contemporary Newark/Irvington sports pages and boxing notices for a named bout, opponent, club or alias tied to that man.
- What it could reveal
- A matched bout report or photograph could turn a brief occupational listing into a memorable family story.
- What remains uncertain
- Do not infer a championship or professional status from “pugilist,” combine different Henrys, or assign the younger 1957 namesake to the older man.
Read the current storyA chauffeur and a boxer
Source trail: RB.SCHUBIGER.DIR1934 · RB.SCHUBIGER.DIR1940
Image lead · Names behind the faces
All family collectionsGive the family photographs stronger captions
Who is pictured, and when and where was each photograph taken?
Current stage: Family identifications and originals needed
- What we already have
- Several displayed portraits and group photographs have inherited family labels rather than independently confirmed names, dates or occasions. The Harding School group photograph has no individually identified child in the current research.
- Next step
- Compare original prints, inscriptions and dated copies with family recollections. Record who identifies each person, how they know, and any uncertainty. For the 1950 school photograph, seek a labeled original or a reliable family identification before pointing to a particular child.
- What it could reveal
- Better captions, additional original photographs and personal memories could make the archive more recognizable and useful to the family.
- What remains uncertain
- A school notice naming someone does not prove they appear in its photograph. Preserve original images and distinguish family attribution from independent identification.
Read the current storyTwo roads, one familyA household, a factory, a farm
Source trail: STORY.TEENA.FAMILY.PHOTO · STORY.DAN.NOVA.PHOTO · RB.SWANTEK.SCHOOL1950.JUN
11 · A precise marriage-file target
Wood & DarseyDocument Donna’s early life
What can the original records add to the Darsey / Gettys / Farr name chain?
Current stage: Marriage indexes matched; original images and birth evidence still needed
- What we already have
- The 1968 state and county indexes join Donna’s names and Michael Henry Farr. The preserved tree supplies the birth assertion and Dan family link. Vera’s later Gettys marriage gives family context. A September 2025 obituary is the latest strong dated family notice obtained.
- Next step
- Retrieve Harris County file 359301: application film 440190893 and license film 440190894. Then seek a matched birth record and 1950 household, and compare the inherited divorce date/place with the trial proceedings.
- What it could reveal
- The originals could strengthen the identity and early-life chronology, while a separately documented adoption would clarify the Gettys surname history.
- What remains uncertain
- Application link disabled and license viewer login required; neither scan was read. Exact birth, adoption, schooling, descendants and status after September 2025 remain unresolved. Committee and donor records retain their identity qualifications.
Read the current storyDonna Kay: three names, one familyTwo roads, one family
Source trail: DONNA.GED2026 · DONNA.DARSEY1946 · DONNA.MARR1968 · DONNA.HARRIS.MARR1968 · DONNA.HAROLD2004 · DONNA.BLANCHE2025
12 · Test consequential ancestry links
WaguespackResolve the Perkins, Smalley, Freeman and Grimes questions
Which recorded dates and parent assignments survive an original-record check?
Current stage: Selected original and printed sources checked; replacement parentage unproved
- What we already have
- Perkins parent dates are incompatible as recorded. Freeman’s will names son Aaron. Smalley’s archival index favors 1747 over a printed 1737. Grimes dates conflict, and the markers were reportedly modern.
- Next step
- Read Louisa Will Book 4 pp. 97–99 and Deed Book L pp. 85/87; East Jersey Liber E:66 and packet 1885–1890L; Chowan’s 1776/1777 will and 1762 Juniper Swamp deeds; Duplin Book 2 pp. 59–61/80–84 and Book 3B pp. 256–258.
- What it could reveal
- Originals can distinguish copied errors, same-name people and real intergenerational links.
- What remains uncertain
- 995 counts profile IDs, including alternative parent families. Source agreement and graph dependence do not certify the full pedigree. No replacement parents or tree changes are accepted.
Read the current storyTesting the recorded family treeHenry Wood: where he lived, and who his parents were
Source trail: AR.PERKINS.DOUGLAS · AR.PERKINS.LOUISA · AR.SMALLEY.INDEX · AR.SMALLEY.GUIDE · AR.FREEMAN.WILL1782 · AR.GRIMES.DEEDS
13 · A precise obituary target
Robin’s familyFollow Emil from Manhattan to the poultry farm
Where was Emil’s farm, and which relatives did his obituary name?
Current stage: Death index read; obituary itself still needed
- What we already have
- The funeral-home account describes a retired poultry farmer; the December 1950 state index separates Glen Gardner death from Lebanon Township residence.
- Next step
- Retrieve the Easton Express, December 6, 1950, page 21, followed by New Jersey death certificate 46026, the funeral register and Locust Grove burial register.
- What it could reveal
- Named survivors and a farm address could connect this later life to the Manhattan family and a documented place.
- What remains uncertain
- Obituary, certificate, funeral register, burial and farm address remain unread. July 4/5 birth conflict and inherited family relationship remain qualified.
Read the current storyMaking a living, making a homeBilliards on West 37th Street
Source trail: RB.EMIL.EASTON.INDEX1950 · RB.EMIL.DEATH1950 · RB.EMIL.FUNERAL1950
New · Family keepsakes
Robin’s familyIdentify Carlo, Carmelina and Linda’s family connections
How do the three additional people remembered on the cards connect to Robin’s family?
Current stage: Original cards and two matching state-index rows inspected
- What we already have
- Carlo’s card gives February 19, 1942 and Bosetti, Union City. Carmelina’s November 23, 1960 card has a strong state-index match and a Haledon census candidate with daughter Nellie. Linda’s December 4, 1964 card has a strong Jersey City index match.
- Next step
- Compare death certificates 1960/51288 and 1964/59449, relatives in contemporary obituaries and the exact Haledon and Becker households. Search Carlo’s name/date in death and funeral records. Keep Linda/Melinda as a hypothesis until relatives and chronology join them.
- What it could reveal
- Named spouses, children, parents and informants could connect the keepsakes to the tree or establish a distinct branch.
- What remains uncertain
- A shared surname, a nearby census household or a matching month does not prove kinship. No live tree was changed and no record was ordered.
Read the current storyFour small cards, four lives rememberedFollowing the Minero clues
Source trail: RB.CARD.CARLO1942 · RB.CARD.CARMELINA1960 · RB.CARD.LINDA1964 · RB.CARMELINA.DEATH1960 · RB.LINDA.DEATH1964
Wood family · California
Wood & DarseyFollow the Wood sisters’ California records
Which dated marriage and residence records connect the 1967 names to the later memorial identities?
Current stage: 1967 daughters named; earlier residence and surname bridges open
- What we already have
- Original 1967 notices name Ethel Boisclair, Lucille Blasingame/Blassingame and Nena Bradley, alongside Nova Dorsey.
- Next step
- Obtain original marriage and residence records; establish wartime surnames and locations before assuming a shared California chronology.
- What it could reveal
- A dated family identity and migration trail that distinguishes the sisters’ later names from their wartime lives.
- What remains uncertain
- 1967 residence and later burial do not establish wartime residence. The contributed thirteen-child roster remains a candidate.
Read the current storyA household, a factory, a farm
Source trail: NOVA.WOOD.OBIT1967.SUDAN · NOVA.WOOD.OBIT1967.BAILEY · NOVA.SISTER.LUCILLE.MEMORIAL
No plans match. Clear the search or choose another family.
How the next discovery becomes part of the archive
- Obtain the actual record or image, preserving its source and full context.
- Check that it concerns the right person; compare names, dates, relatives and places.
- Update the relevant story with what the record supports, keeping disagreements visible.
Original photographs, inscriptions and family identifications can help too. Attribution stays with the image or memory, and uncertain identifications stay labeled.
The maintained research queue and branch investigations guide this public summary. The review date above applies to these plans; it does not mean every source in the archive was rechecked that day.
CHECKED OCTOBER 29, 2026
Records we’re chasing
Requested, located and received mean different things. This is the recent request batch; a reply alone does not establish a family relationship.
Received
Two Jersey Journal obituaries
Ilario’s children and Spike Becker’s family and work are now in their existing stories.
Received
Yearbook and printed-estate pages
Carole’s 1976 and Edward’s 1964 yearbook portraits are in the collection; Conrad’s abstracts retain the widow-name conflict.
Located; copy pending
Davis and Eva’s marriage
The clerk supplied the register locator and date. We have not inspected a license or return.
Promised; not received
Teena’s school photos
Muleshoe reports finding photographs and is gathering them. No photograph arrived in that reply.
Acknowledged; scanning pending
Laurens estate papers
Additional and replacement scans are promised as staff time allows; there is no completion date.
Retrieval pending
Dan Darsey’s probate
The off-site file has not yet been inspected; contents and copy costs remain unknown.
Ordering route supplied
Donna and Michael’s marriage
The county supplied an electronic-copy route; application and returned license still need review.
Further exhibits needed
Wood and Bennight applications
All published jacket pages and two cards were reviewed; six indexed supporting Wood instruments remain to retrieve.
Holdings checked
Marfa school and motor-company photos
The checked yearbooks begin in 1948. The 1974 photo still has no left-to-right identification.