I hit the Search button on Ancestry.com, and up came an 1860 Census for Ohio. I looked over the page, but there are a few discrepancies with the information stated in the census. So what to do? Is this my Eli Nelson? How do I work through the information?
On line 20, N Nelson is listed. However I need E Nelson not N Nelson. Who is listed with him? Matilda who is a 27 year old female, Roena a 5 year old female, and Mills a 5 year old male.
Facts as I know them: My Eli Nelson has a wife named Matilda who would have been 27 at the time of this census. Eli had a daughter names Rowena/Roena who would have been 5 at this time, Eli had a son named Miles about age 3 at this time.
Right below N Nelson is a N Vonschriltz, 66 year old male. I believe this was actually my 4th great-grandmother Eli's mother Nancy Nelson Vonschriltz. Nancy would have been 66 or 67 at the time of this census. Listed with N Vonschriltz is L Nelson 36 year old female who was likely Nancy's daughter-Eli's sister Lucinda Nelson who would have been 36 at the time of this census. I don't have Lucinda as ever being married so her living with her mother at age 36 would have been normal, I believe. Under L Nelson is E Rifee 16 year old male. Nancy's daughter Mary Nelson married Andrew Rife and had a son named Eli Rife who would have been 16 in 1860.
Given the info in this census I believe they are my Eli Nelson and Nancy Vonschriltz. This helps me narrow down Nancy's death period as I didn't have anything on her past 1850. I will continue to research this document. I have looked several pages before and after. There are other Nelsons and Vonschriltzs in the the area at that time. Ultimately I would like to know when Nancy died and where she is buried.
