Since I do not live in Koscusko Co., but rather on the West Coast, I am
obviously not a local volunteer. But I was able to get a tremendous amount of
information for you, from online resources. It's been quite a detective story:
Francis MARION (that was his his middle name) Shoemaker was born in Dec 1854
in Indiana. I got this date from the 1900 census.
I learned his middle name from the 1860 census, because he is listed as
"Marion". (Palestine P.O., Seward Twp., Kosciusko Co., IN, images 17-18 at
Ancestry.com)
I still am unsure his parents' names, but I believe his grandparents were
Thomas and Elizabeth Shoemaker, both from Pennsylvania. This couple probably had
most of their children in Ohio before moving to Indiana.
I am guessing (and it's a good guess) that Francis' father was a William
Shoemaker, probably the son of Thomas. William was 35 in the 1850 census for
Franklin Twp., Kosciusko Co., Indiana (image 3 of 29 at
Ancestry.com). There is a
Harriet Shoemaker in this large, extended family household, and she may have
been Francis' mother, because by the 1870 census for Pierceton, Seward Twp.,
Kosciusko Co (Image 3 of 34), she seems to have assumed a parental role in
Francis' life.
In 1870, Francis had the following brothers and sisters: Emma, 12; Rebecca,
6; Mary E.,3; and William R.,1. So Francis' father had very likely died
around 1858-59.
Francis M. Shoemaker married one Cora PINNEY on 17 August 1880, in Kosciusko
Co. (Indiana marriage records, online).
You are right, there were 3 children before she died--- Arthur L., b. Sept.
1882; Curtis G., b. July 1884, and Tressie M. b. March 1888 (this from the
1900 census of Fairmont Twp., Grant Co., Indiana, ED# 32 Sheet 7-B, Image 14 of
33 at
Ancestry.com).
Francis remarried one Grace Little on 7 March 1896 in Grant County. By the
1900 census, there were 2 more children--Wayne, b. May 1897; and Waldo, b. May
1899.
I did not check the 1910, 1920 or 1930 censes. Francis may have died in
Grant County. However, nearly all U.S. males born around 1880-1900 had to register
for the Draft in World War I (1917-18).
Therefore, I input Francis' children's names into the WWI Draft
Registrations, and these are the exact birth dates I came up with:
Arthur Leroy Shoemaker: 18 Sept. 1882 (registered in Grant Co., IN)
Curtis Shoemaker: 7 July 1885 (registered in Wabash Co., IN)
Wayne Shoemaker: No data. May have died before 1917.
Waldo Leverne Shoemaker: 15 May 1899 (registered in Delaware Co., IN).
Remember, these guys were now adults and some moved out of Grant and Kosciusko
counties.
With the Social Security Death Index, I only found one--Waldo--who shows up.
He died 27 Feb. 1999 in Warren Twp., Huntington Co., IN. The others may have
died before the Social Security system was operating (1936 to present), or
they may have been working in professions, such as government or the military,
where there was no Social Security coverage until very recently.
There are many other online resources, but I hope this helps! In addition,
perhaps some local Kosciusko and Grant Co. volunteers can locate some cemetery
records for you.
Cheers,
---Bob in Napa Valley (whose cousins came from Kosciusko Co.)
In a message dated 7/26/2006 11:44:40 AM Pacific Standard Time,
threeshoes(a)tc3net.com writes:
I am looking for any information on the ancestry of Francis M. Shoemaker who
was born about 1854 and died about 1930. He had three children Tressie,
Arthur and Curtis.
His first wife died when Curtis was 5 years old and he was born in 1885. I'm
looking for the name and ancestry of his first wife. I'd also like to find
information on who his second wife was and when she died.
Thanks in advance.