My brick wall!!!
Looking for information about my Grandpa William
Francis (Parsons) Capps born 1896 or 1898 and
his brother Walter (Parsons) Capps born 1893.
I have William's death certificate which says
John and Elizabeth (Regan) Capps were his parents.
On his delayed birth certificate, dated in the
1950's, they are listed also as his parents.
I also have his draft record for World War I in which
he is listed as William Francis Capps.
But when I checked his Baptism records in 1905
I found out he was William Francis Parsons being
raised by a Mrs Elizabeth Capps and her oldest son
George Capps was his godfather.
I have Elizabeth (Regan) Capps family genealogy
back to Massachusetts. Her mother and father was
Michael and Catherine Regan. They than moved to
Cincinnati Ohio where in 1860 census they are all
listed. The Regans than moved to Evansville Indiana
and that is where I find John and Elizabeth (Regan) Capps
5 of their children's baptism in the Catholic Church Records.
My grandpa William's record was not there.
The next place I find them is in the 1900 census
in St. Louis Mo living with her brother John Regan.
No William was listed and I thought that was strange
at the time. I am sure he was not living with them in 1900
as he was baptized in 1905. I am sure being good
Catholics they had William and Walter baptized as soon
as they took them into their home.
I have checked the 1900 census both in Missouri
and Indiana for a Walter Parsons age 7 (birth 1893)
and a William Parsons age 2 or 4 (birth 1886 or 1889)
together and didn't have any luck.
I did, some time ago, the genealogy of John Capps family.
I can go back to Henry and Anna (Fly) Capps in
Weaky County Tennessee in the early 1800's.
Their son W N Capps had a son John Capps and he
was my grandpa William's adopted father.
I decided to go back and revisit Capps's genealogy.
The only clue I have is that back in Tennessee census
in 1860. John and his family, W N and Sarah Capps are
living on a farm and right below his family, on the census
is a Parsons family.
My thought is that the wife and mother of this Parson's
is a sister of Johns's father W N Capps
If so than John Capps and one of the Parson's boys were
cousins and just maybe took in his kids when he died.
I thought I would throw this out to the Capps group just in
case someone has information about the Capps family from
Tenessee.
Nancy Mettes
nancy.mettes(a)damartravel.com