Why start a Do Over or Work Over? Mistakes!!! Read EVERY document. How much was missed or misinterpreted because I did not completely glean every paper. My example: Lester Daniel CAPPS born 1878 in Iowa and died 1947 in South Dakota.
If only census records were searched, Lester would have had one or maybe two wives and two children. Without looking closer, possibly his children would be linked to the wrong wife. Let us start working back as we do in genealogy. US census for 1940 has Lester and Kathryn only. US census for 1930 has son, Chauncy and his wife Joan. Lester's wife is Mabel. In the 1920 US census, Lester, Mabel and two children Edna and Chauncy. In the 1910 US census, Lester, Stella and two children Edna and Chauncy. Remember, the census enumerator asks about the relationship to the head of the household, not to each other.
Let us look further, again starting from the most recent and working backward. On 29 October 1836, Lester married Kathryn Krudwig Nichols. This was his fourth marriage and her second marriage. WOW! Three more marriage records to find! Thanks to Ancestry this task has been completed. On 26 November 1930, Lester married Emma Wood, number three. On 9 October 1915, Lester married Mabel Hall, number two. Mabel is listed as divorced; Lester is listed as widower. About 1901, Lester married Stella Mae Mitchell, number one. according to the 1910 US census, Stella and Lester had two children, Edna and Chauncy. Stella Mae Mitchell is the mother of Edna and Chauncy. If I had stopped with the 1920 and 1930 census, I would have guessed wrong, assuming Mabel as their mother. This accounts for the four wives. So far, I have not found any other children for Lester.
What is my connection to Lester? Lester Daniel CAPPS is brother-in-law of my first cousin twice removed. This is on my paternal ELSNER line. For my tree, see Roots Digger family tree on Ancestry.
How come I am chasing this far out? Lester's wife may be a DNA match. Also, I have found newspaper articles on other family members that have given me clues.
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