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Tuesday's Tip: Check Adjacent Counties

10/13/2014

4 Comments

 
A couple of weeks ago, FamilySearch posted on their site the images within their Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 record set. Previously, I had to check to see if an ancestor's death record had been indexed, and, if so, I had to order a copy of the image from their photoduplication service. This release of images was a big deal for me, because just about all of my and my husband's ancestors lived in and died in Ohio. I was somewhat disappointed, though, to see that death records for Darke County in western Ohio were NOT included in the record set. My husband's French Catholic ancestors settled in the northeastern part of that county, and I was looking forward to finding some of their death records.

Not one to dwell upon disappointment when there were so many OTHER county records to comb through, I decided to search through Mercer County's images for ancestors from my mother-in-law's side who settled there in the 19th century. I was searching through the entire set page-by-page, and I found a lot of ancestors whose records had not previously been indexed and whose names were indexed or transcribed so poorly that there proper names didn't show up in the search engine results. 

Suddenly, I came across the name 'Crist Magato,' who was my husband's FRENCH 4th great-grandfather through his paternal grandmother's line. Christopher never lived in Mercer County, and, according to this death record, he didn't die there either. (Click below for larger view.) The death record states that he passed away in Osgood, which is a small town located in Patterson Twp, Darke County, about a mile south of the Mercer-Darke county line. In the 1880 U.S. Census, Christopher is living in Wayne Twp, Darke County, which is directly south of Patterson Twp. He is also buried in Frenchtown, Wayne Twp, so I assume he remained there until his 1892 death.
Picture
Mercer County Death Record for Christopher Magoto, 1892
I am glad that I stumbled upon a death record for him, but now, I have more questions. Why did his death occur in Osgood, and not closer to where I assumed he was living. Maybe he was staying with a family member in his old age? I have not yet located his obituary, but that might provide some additional clues. 

And why was his death recorded in Mercer County? As I mentioned above, I searched the entire Mercer County set for our family tree surnames, and this is the only Darke County relative I have found in Mercer County records. This experiences has taught me, though, to check record sets for adjacent counties, just in case an assessor or recorder decided to jot down a death that may have happened near, but not technically within, county lines.


©2014, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder
4 Comments
Beverley
10/15/2014 11:17:50 am

Hi There, I recently started my family tree and some ancestors came to America from Poland/Lithuania and a family member is Casimir or another record Kasimir and I was wondering what nationality they are as you have a family member with that name.
This is getting interesting...the search is on :) Bev

Reply
Mary Ann Olding
11/2/2014 01:09:53 am

Emily,
My mother was Luella Magoto, born 1910 in Frenchtown, Ohio. Christopher Magoto was my gr-gr-grandfather. The trail is Luella-Joseph Peter-Julius-Christopher, and Catherine Humbert who came from Hannonville, France in 1852. I have been to Hannonville, France, to meet relatives 7-8 times, and the mayor for 20 years was Andre Humbert, who is now 80. I speak a little French.
From various family sources, I was told that Christopher, a widower, was living with his daughter Jane Magoto Jacobs just across the Darke-Mercer Line when he died in 1892. I went to the location of that farm but a 1920s house has replaced the one in which Christopher must have died. I talked to the present owners.
A Magoto Family history book was published in the 1980s. Have you seen it?
I am a professional historian and researcher, and dabble in genealogy. Where do you live?

Reply
Emily Schroeder
11/2/2014 02:00:26 am

Hi Mary Ann!

Yes! Funny you mention the Magoto book. A couple of weeks after I wrote this blog post, I went to the Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne, which is the closest location to my home that has that book. And, yes, this Mercer Co death record is mentioned and the author believes that Chris was living with Jane. Even his funeral card said Cassella on it.

My husband's line from Christopher goes, Christopher-->Jules--> Amelia Magoto Grilliot-->Bernard O. Grilliot-->Naomi Grilliot Schroeder-->Steven Schroeder-->Anthony Schroeder (my husband)
So, Chris my husband's 4th great-grandfather. My husband grew up in Sidney, Ohio and his parents and grandparents (including Naomi) still live there. I grew up in Parma, Ohio. We now live just west of Indianapolis (and I miss Ohio!)

I think it's so neat that you've been to Hannonville. I've read through a lot of Marianne Doyle's French Ancestors newsletters to get an idea of what life was like there in the 18th and 19th centuries. I have a whole European trip planned out in my head for me and my husband to hit all of his French and German ancestral villages - someday when our kids our older. (Although I'm definitely more excited about tracing his ancestry that he is!)

If you've searched around for the Magoto name on Google, you have have come across my Magoto website where I've listed info about Christopher, and the siblings of Jules and Amelia. I've download some French records on the Humbert family, but haven't found time to upload them yet. http://schroeder-tumbush.weebly.com/magotauxmagoto.html

I'm not a professional historian or genealogist. My husband and I are both meteorologists, but I've stayed home with our kids for the past 7 years, during which time I've been researching family trees to keep my brain from turning to mush. I am also now working with the Indiana Historical Society in Indianapolis, doing presentations and helping them develop a 'Genealogy for Kids' education series.

So nice to 'meet' you, though! I think I know more of my husband's distant cousins that he does!

Emily

Reply
Mary Ann Olding
11/2/2014 02:12:45 am

Emily,
I wrote some articles in the Magoto book when my name was Mary Ann Brown. I changed back to my maiden name after we divorced around 1991. I will look for your information on the Magoto and Humbert families. Marianne Doyle and I took a trip to Paris and Hannonville some 15 years ago. Last year from July-November, I went to Paris 5 times and Hanonville 2 times. Sometimes I take friends and relatives to see France. I have been to Paris 40 times on various research projects.
It's nice to know you. Let's keep in touch. I won't have much access to email during the next 2 weeks because I will be going to Cuba for the 13th time. I should be back in December.




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    Emily Kowalski Schroeder

    Emily Kowalski Schroeder

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