What Became of John Schiltz?
John N. Schiltz, a third great-granduncle, was a bit of a "man of mystery" to my cousin Mary Ann, who I met last year on a research trip to New York and Canada. (Mary Ann and I share 4th great-grandparents, Peter Schiltz and Anna Marie Cailteux; John was their son.) Mary Ann knew that John had served in the Civil War, and wondered what transpired in his life afterwards. Never one to shrink from a mystery, I researched John after I returned from my trip and uncovered his Civil War service as well as his life after the war. I wrote about John for Historical Wyoming , the quarterly of the Office of the Wyoming County Historian in New York. The article was just published in their Spring issue. Thanks to Wyoming County Historian Kevin Proper, who graciously permitted me to reprint "What Became of John Schiltz," here. If you are a Schiltz relation and have anything to add to this story, do reach out at ngcintx@gmail.com. Note : Historical Wyoming's style does...
A friend who was helping me translate birth records in Slovak explained the legitimate/illegitimate notation in church records. He said it refers to the father’s membership in the church. If the father did not attend or was not himself baptized, the child was recorded as illegitimate. That notation should not be interpreted as a child not recognized or living without a father. The parents may be in a civil marriage. I thought I’d pass that on in case it helps you in the future. 😊
ReplyDeleteHello "Unknown!" Hope you are well. Thanks for reading and responding with your info. I had not heard this, although I had heard that illegitimate might also mean the father had passed away. Makes me wonder why they did that. I appreciate the tip, it will come in handy in future.
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