John W. Martin 1835-1902

In the prior post I shared, about Johann Leonard Wampler and two of his eight children, John W. Martin makes his appearance into the family tree's branches.

He first appears in the 1840 US census for his grandfather's household. However, 1840 censuses only listed - by name - the head of the household (and sometimes not always by their name but in some instances as Widow [Surname] which there are a few of those in the 1840 census, if curious). John W. Martin is listed with the tally mark for "Males under the age of 10" line.

Birth year remains consistently listed, in later census reports, to being 1835. Location of his birth flips back and forth between Indiana and Illinois. But I am getting ahead of myself...

I have not located any records of Ann(a) Catherine Wampler's first marriage outside of what is shared in an obit someone shared on her FindAGrave Memorial page. From the obit we get the following information about the marriage:
·   She remained in the Illinois/Indiana area after her parents decided to return to Preble county, Ohio,
·   It may been a short marriage that ended due to the death of John W. Martin's father, John Martin, from cholera in Louisiana. The obit's wording is unclear if he died prior or after their son's birth. The marriage may have taken place between 1832 to early 1835 time frame,
·   Due to the death of the elder John Martin, Ann(a) Catherine returned to her parents' home in Preble county, Ohio.

John W. Martin's own paper trail shares that his parent's marriage was possibly interracial. In census reports, John W. Martin's father is listed to been born in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and "unknown".

His mother's parents and oldest brother went from Preble county, Ohio to Wabash county, Indiana around 1847/48. He and his mother are listed, with the surname of Wampler, on the 1850 US census of his Uncle William Wampler along with another nephew of his uncle (and his mother) named William M. Wampler. In the 1850 US Census he is marked as Mulatto.

In the 1860 and 1880 US Censuses, where he is living in his mother's home, he is listed as White. 1870 US Census he is listed as White and to be living next to his mother's residence/farm. Then in the 1900 US Census he is listed as Black, as he is also listed on his 1902 Indiana death certificate.

John W. Martin appears to have married only once. His wife, whose Find A Grave memorial page shares a headstone cared with the name Mary M., died in July of 1883 at the age of 24. According to my personal research, the head stone is incorrect about her name. John W. Martin is mentioned in the North Manchester Journal as to marrying Helena Fultz in February of 1883. A later notice, in the same newspaper in August of 1883, shares an "in memory of" advertisement placed by a social organization for Lena Martin who died July 25, 1883 and left a husband, John Martin, and a child. She is buried in the family cemetery of John W. Martin's stepfather's family. I have not come across a copy of the marriage record, they are said to have married in Canada. We see Lena Fultz in the 1880 US Census as she is listed in Ann(a) Catherine's household as "servant". When we get to John and Lena's child, further in the post, it helps further piece things together that John's wife was Helena "Lena" Fultz.

Mrs. John Martin died yesterday morning leaving a babe but a few days old. Funeral at the house to-day at 10 o'clock. Services by the Rev. E. D. Smith.
The Journal North Manchester IN - 26 Jul 1883 Page 3

The "babe" mentioned in the death notice is John W. Martin's daughter, Lena Martin, who appears with him in the 1900 US Census. It is after that census Lena Martin becomes a bit of a mystery.

13 May 1902 John W. Martin passes away, from brain fever, in a Wabash county poor farm. He has two Find A Grave Memorial pages, one that says he is buried on the grounds of the county poor farm is not correct as his death certificate shares his body to be buried in the North Manchester area - which leans to the Find A Grave Memorial for him being buried in the Swank (family) cemetery, nest to his wife and in with other family members, being the right one. An Ervin Thompson was the informant for John W's death certificate, which may be why the parents are listed as "unknown". What is curious is that neither of John's half-brothers (Daniel D. Swank and Jacob L. Swank), any of their children nor his own daughter listed as the informant - but somehow the county poor farm and/or the informant got the information on where the body was to be buried. I have not located a death notice, or obit, for John W. Martin to be able to see if his daughter is mentioned in it.

So, from this point on, it is speculation only on if the Lena Martin listed in two marriage records for Marion county, Indiana is John W. Martin's daughter who was born in Wabash county, Indiana in 1883. A Lena Martin marries a Wilson in Marion county in 1903 - she lists her father to being John W. Martin and mother's maiden name to being Foltz. Her birth year is listed as 1882. In the second marriage record, before 1910, Lena Martin (that name) lists she is a widow and that her father was John W. [Surname not listed] and her mother's maiden name was Felts. I come across a Richard Shaw in the 1920 census for marion county, Indiana - he is listed as a boarder and being widowed, I don't see him nor Lena in the 1910 census.

What we do know, thanks to his mother's obit and his paper trail, is that John W. Martin is a descendant of Johannes Christian Wampfler and, his wife, Anna Tritten; their son Christian Wampler and, his wife, Justina Magdalena Cristillus; their son, Johannes [John] Wampler and his wife, Dorothea Hiller; their son, Johann Leonard Wampler and his wife, Ann(a) Mary (Maria) Martin; and their daughter, Ann(a) Catherine Wampler.

Johann Leonard Wampler and two of his eight children

From one of Roy H. Wampler's book, which appears to be the same information, for the most part, on the Wampler/Wampfler database website, I started off on "what can I find" quest with this:

"85 v. Joh. Leonard WAMPLER b 3 Dec. 1782, York Co., PA; d 31 Jan. 1857. mar. ca. 1806, Ann Mary MARTIN b 25 Feb. 1784, Frederick Co., MD; d 17 May 1874; daughter of Matthias MARTIN (1745-1815) and Anna Barbara (TROXELL) MARTIN (d 13 Sep. 1823 (or 1825) aged 73 years 5 days) of Frederick County, MD.[44,50,72,74,75,76]

In 1810 Leonard Wampler and family lived in Germany Twp., Adams Co., PA; in 1819-1820 they lived in Baltimore, MD. The Baltimore City diectory of 1819 lists Leonard Wampler, tanner, corner of Saratoga and Pearl. In 1840 he and his family lived in Gratis Twp., Preble Co., OH. He and three of his sons were taxpayers in Preble Co. OH, between 1838 and 1846, but their whereabouts afterwards are unknown. [77,78,79,80,165]

Issue :
1) William WAMPLER baptized 14 June 1807, Christ Reformed Church, Littlestown, Adams County, PA; d 1861.
2) Joshua WAMPLER b 1808, Adams Co., PA; d 1865.
3) John M. WAMPLER (twin) b 1810, Littlestown, PA; d 1886.
4) Lewis WAMPLER (twin) b 1810, Littlestown, PA.
5) Ann Catherine WAMPLER b 1813, Mechanicstown (now Thurmont) , MD; d 1888;
mar. SWANK.
6) Maria Magdalena WAMPLER b 1815, Mechanicstown, MD; d 1838.
7) Savilla WAMPLER b 1819, Baltimore, MD; d 1833
8) James WAMPLER b 1823, Millerstown, Adams Co. , PA.
mar. 1846 Catherine LUDY b 1823, OH; d 1887, Lincoln, NE.
Res.: 1847-60; Dayton, OH; 1867-71: Peru, IN.
Had at least 9 children (born 1847 to 1867)"
-- Source: A Wampler family history: with allied families of Kemper, Zumbrum, Angel, Craumer, Mayer and Ruhlman : descendants of William Wampler (1813-1886), together with ancestors of William J. Wampler (1838-1906) and his second wife, Mary S. Kemper (1855-1936) ; 1999 by Roy H. Wampler

Not a lot to work with, but definitely enough to help kick start a search to find more about this couple and/or their children. A fun genealogical endeavor on my side, even if Johann Leonard Wampler descends from Johannes Christian Wampfler and Anna Tritten's side and my genealogical ties to this family stems from the Hans Peter Wampfler and Anna Lung's side of things.

Records I can find for this family is the 1800, 1810, 1820 and 1840 US Census reports Leonard Wampler is listed as head of household. I also found William Wampler's christening record, his name is listed as Wilhelm, along with christening records for Joshua, Ann(a) Catherine, Maria Magdalena, and Savilla (name transcribed at Sybilla).

The above records show the family moved around a bit as they go from Adams county, Pennsylvania to Frederick county, Maryland then to Baltimore before going back to Adams county, Pennsylvania. Between 1820 and 1840 they go to Ohio as by the 1840 census they are listed in Gratis, Preble county, Ohio. Which, so far, what I am coming across matches up to what Roy H. Wampler shared in his book.

[jc3-3] Johann Leonard, WAMPLER
  b. 3Dec1782, York County PA
  d. 31Jan1857
  m. Anna Mary MARTIN (25Feb1784-17May1874)
  n. Anna born Fredrick Co MD; parents Mathias Martin and Barbary TROXTEL
  sc. {bsw-j} 3p13 (1891 report of John Calvin Wampler)
l. [he0-8]Johann->[jc1-2]Christian->[jc2-1]John=>
-- Source: Wampler/Wampfler Database

I located Leonard and his wife, Ann, listed in the household of their son, William Wampler, in Wabash county, Indiana for the 1850 US census. Also listed in William's household is Ann C. Wampler (b. 1813 Maryland), John W. Wampler (b. 1835 Indiana) and William M. Wampler (b. 1843 Ohio).

Did William Wampler marry? It doesn't appear that he did, nor have any children in what I have managed to locate about him. Which matches up to Roy H. Wampler's and the Wampler/Wampfler Database site's information for William.

[jc4-1] William, WAMPLER
&nsbp; b. 14Mar1807, Littlesetown, Adams County PA
&nsbp; d. 2Aug1861
l. [he0-8]Johann->[jc1-2]Christian->[jc2-1]John->[jc3-3]Johann=>
-- Source: Wampler/Wampfler Database

The 1850 census taker, although correct in majority of the information listed for the family, listed 2 family members with the incorrect surname, which is revealed when seeing the obit for one of Leonard Wampler's daughters that someone shared on her FindAGrave memorial page ... and her obit shares a bit more about her parents, as well as herself, which helps to put some things into place.

SWANK, Mrs. Ann Catharine         March 29, 1888
After a long and painful illness Mrs. Ann Catharine Swank departed this life at her home the 25th inst. The subject of this notice was the daughter of Leonard and Anna May Wampler, born in Mechanicstown, Frederick County, Maryland, May 2nd, 1813. When five years old her parents moved to the city of Baltimore, remaining hter three years, thence again to Adams County, Pennsylvania, and in 1828 emigrated to the state of Ohio, finally settled down in Preble County, near Winchester. Her parents being in straightened circumstances Catharine in company with the Rev. Joseph Wampler and family emigrated to Easton, Illinois, not far west of Terre Haute, and set up in the millinery business. She then united with the Presbyterian Church (being a child of the Covenant). Shortly after that she became the wife of Captain John Martin who was plying a steamer between the above city and New Orleans. In his last trip he was taken with Asiatic Cholera and died at the latter city. John W. Martin ws the fruit of that marriage. After the death of her husband she disposed of her goods, received her dismission from the church and returned to Preble County, Ohio, the home of her parents, where she again entered the church on presentation of her certificate. After the lapse of years the family moved to Wabash County, Indiana. About the year 1848 or 49. In 1851 Catharine became the wife of Daniel Swank, Sr., who died in 1860, she bore him three sons, Viz: Daniel D. and William H. and Jacob L. The second of whom died in early childhood. She entered the Lutheran Church some 20 years ago, remained an active member and a liberal contributor to the end of her useful life. Mrs. Swank during the last six months which she bore with wonderful christian fortitude till the messenger of death, like an angel of mercy came to her relief. Funeral at the Lutheran church, Tuesday noon, burial at the Swank Cemetery. Sermon preached Rev. C. W. Maggart.
Find A Grave Ann Catharine Wampler Swank's Memorial Page
; Obituary image shared by Find A Grave contributor: OPP Sheryl

Per Ann(a) Catherine Wampler's obit, in the 1830s her parents and some of their children (as in Ann(a) Catherine at least) moved briefly to Illinois, and where they weren't far from Terre Haute, Vigo, Indiana area. It was during this move that Ann(a) Catherine Wampler is said to marry a John Martin. Sometimes around the time of her marriage, her parents moved (back?) to Preble county, Ohio area. After her parents moved to Ohio, Ann(a) Catherine's first husband passed away and, per the obit, she sold her belongings and took her son (the John W. listed with the 1835 birth year) and was residing in her parents' home by the time of the 1840 census. Leonard Wampler's 1840 census appears to back that bit of information up:

Males Under 5: 1     [ <== John W. Martin, b. 1835 ]
Males 20 & under 30: 1     [ <== John M, Lewis or James Wampler? ]
Males 30 & under 40: 1     [ <== William Wampler, b. 1807 ]
Males 50 & under 60: 1     [ <== Johann Leonard Wampler ]
Females 20 & under 30: 1   [ <== Ann(a) Catherine Wampler Martin, b. 1813 ]
Females 50 & under 60: 1   [ <== Ann Mary Martin Wampler ] -- Source: 1840 US Census for the household of Leonard Wampler in Gratis, Preble, Ohio

The daughter's obit shared that around 1847 to 1849, her parents, older brother, her and her son, John W. Martin, went to Wabash county, Indiana and they are present in that area for the 1850 US Census. Ann(a) Catherine is the Ann C. Wampler listed in William's household and I've already established that John W. is her son from a prior marriage, the census taker just listed everyone with the same surname.

In 1851, Ann(a) Catherine marries for a second time a Daniel Swank, which that marriage is noted in Roy H. Wampler's book and on the database website, although the database shared skeptical wording. Ann(a) Catherine had three sons with her second husband: Daniel D, William Henry (who passed away about the age of 5), and Jacob L. Swank. Daniel Swank [Sr.] passed away in 1860.

[jc4-5] Ann Catherine Swank, WAMPLER
  b. 2May1813, Mechanick Town MD
  d. Mar1888
  m. SWANK (?)
  n. not clear if SWANK is married name or given name
l. [he0-8]Johann->[jc1-2]Christian->[jc2-1]John->[jc3-3]Johann=>
-- Source: Wampler/Wampfler Database

[Johann] Leonard Wampler passes away 31 January 1857 and is buried in his daughter's second husband's family cemetery in Wabash county, Indiana. William Wampler passes away 2 August 1861 and is also buried in his sister's second husband's family cemetery. This contradicts with many online trees, on FamilySearch, WikiTree, Ancestry, MyHeritage and et al, that list Leonard Wampler passing away in Gratis Township, Preble county, Ohio; however the information from Find A Grave more closely matches with the paper trail of Leonard Wampler.

Ann Martin Wampler is stated, in Roy H. Wampler's book and the Wampler/Wampfler database, to passing away in 1874. I cannot find her in the 1860 (she may been in her son's, William, household as she is not listed with Catherine or with another son, who resided in Cass county, Indiana, in 1860) nor the 1870 US census (as of this point in time). The FindAGrave's memorial page for her husband hints she is buried wih him in the same cemetery and is in an unmarked grave.

Ann(a) Catherine Wampler Martin Swank passes away in March of 1888 in Wabash county and is buried in the same cemetery (her grave is said to also be unmarked).

Sandford Palmer Theory Revisited

In a previous post about Sandford Palmer, in relation to a theory that he is a relative of Blaney Palmer, Sr., I listed Robert Sandford Palmer [Sr.] to having two wives, Mary Ann Davies and Mary Catherine Reeves.

I was wrong. The elder Palmer did not have two wives.

I have come across an entry, for Sandford Palmer, on page 492 in The County Families of the United Kingdom by Edward Walford published in 1882. The entry was for Sandford Palmer born in 1803 (the blank Christening record I mentioned in the previous posting that many want to ascribe to being for a William Palmer) and he is listed to being the one who married Mary Catherine Reeves in 1826 and his father is listed to having married Mary Ann Davies.

In FamilySearch.org family trees section, someone has linked (or merged) Blaney Palmer Sr. and his brother, John Palmer, to being linked to William Palmer and Jane Martin (daughter of John Martin and Jane Craig), who married in Mallow Parish, and then linked (or merged) the same William Palmer to being a twin of Sandford Palmer who was born in 1803. The only citation used to link William Palmer to Sandford Palmer and Mary Ann Davies is the 15 Jun 1803 Christening record that does not list the child's name on it, only that is for a male child of the couple ... and the certificate does not mention twin males either.

And somehow in the process William Palmer has also gained a middle name of James. Which may been done as a way to link William to being the James and Jane [Morton] Palmer who had a son, named John, in 1822 in County Antrim.

I am still not sold on the connection that William (James) Palmer is the twin brother to Sandford Palmer (b. 1803) therefore the son of [Robert] Sandford Palmer [Sr.] and Mary Ann Davies due to it appears to be some hammering of square pegs into round holes to force things to "fall into place" or "fit".

I am not saying that William Palmer, who married Jane Martin, may have not been somehow related to Sandford Palmer - just that it may not been as a son or brother. James Palmer, in County Antrim, may been a totally different Palmer who happened to have a wife named Jane whose maiden name was "close to" Martin. Jane's age is not listed on the christening record for a son, named John, born in 1822 and we know the Jane, who married William Palmer in Mallow Parish in Cork, was born in 1805 due to her Christening record. And if James Palmer is not William Palmer, who married Jane Martin in Mallow Parish, and William was born to another Palmer branch (so not a twin brother of Sandford Palmer) then all the force fittings to try to make the pieces fit is not leading us anywhere - let alone figuring out Blaney and John Palmer's lineage.

Yes, the theory is interesting. However, on FamilySearch's family tree, it is not presented as a theory that has not been proven [as in no notations shared to share it is a theory and not proven to being fact], but now listed as a "fact" in a way that others will copy and carry on to have others copy while thinking "research has been done to confirm this". I, however, would like more than a blank Christening record pulling double duty for two different people to even give William Palmer a birth year thought of 1803, let alone being the son of Sandford Palmer and Mary Ann Davies. I also think, even the church was conserving on paper for the Christening record, that there would been a notation the record itself was for a pair of twins somewhere on it (to have it count for more than 1 child). However, right now, it appears that he name line was possibly left blank due to the male child being christened was a Junior (named after his birth father) and the person, writing the record, may have not felt necessary, on their side, to list the child's name due to the male child being a Junior.

It is about as bad as some family trees that list a James Palmer, whose wife may or may not be named Jane, being Blaney and John's parents and that same James listed to having two sons named John who were born within 2 years of each other (with the same wife, who is either a Hannah or a Sarah) ... and no explanation nor citations of how Blaney and his brother are linked to the James Palmer. With the latter, it may be due to latching on to a "naming of children" theory (where sons often named their 1st or 2nd son and/or daughter after their parents or grandparents) and some people erroneously think that Blaney and John Palmer each had a son named James due to the 1860 US Census where the census taker mistakenly listed Blaney's daughter, Jane, as a male named James. However some folks like to point that Blaney's 1st born 'son' was named James and John's 2nd son was named James therefore both men named a son after their father, who was therefore also a James. The census error, for Blaney's 1860 US Census, is revealed in the 1870 and 1880 US Census reports that list Jane with the same birth info originally ascribed to a "James" in Blaney's 1860 US Census. So Jane is the James Palmer listed in 1860 US Census and that makes Blaney's 1st born son being John P. and his 2nd born son was Blaney Jr. Looking at naming thoughts on John's side, the 1st born son was named after his wife's grandfather, David L., and his 2nd born son, per family lore, James Sylvanus, was named after the captain of the ship he came to America on ... his other two sons was named William Sherman and Robert Martin Palmer. Blaney's daughters were named, in order, Mary Elizabeth, Jane [middle name unknown], Mariah [middle name unknown], Eliza Ann[a], and Isabel[le]. John's daughter was named Sarah I. [unknown what the I was an initial for].

I suppose one could look at John's younger two sons and point to one named William and Robert and then Robert having Martin as a middle name then Blaney's 2nd daughter being named Jane as a way to then point to the Mallow Parish marriage record for a William Palmer and a Jane Craig to go "A-ha! Blaney and John were the children of William Palmer and Jane Martin!" I would like something more to help support it than a spreading of names across the two brothers' children [and none repeated across the two brothers].

In summation, I have not nixed the idea that William Palmer, who married a Jane Martin, may been related somehow to Robert Sandford Palmer. I am merely not convinced William Palmer was a son of Robert Sandford Palmer [Sr] and Mary Ann Davies, therefore William not being a brother to Jonathan Tanner, Simon Davies, Sandford Robert [Jr], Henrietta, or Mary Ann Palmer - let alone a twin to Sandford [Jr]. There is, so far, no proof found that William and Jane [Martin] Palmer was Blaney and John's parents. I am also not convinced a James Palmer who married a Jane, Hannah, or Sarah [spousal thoughts is dependent which James is listed on an online tree] was Blaney and John's father either due to "naming thoughts", which was already proven to being a flawed theory from the get-go ... and John Palmer, who came to America and settled in Ripley County, Indiana with Samantha Gray as his wife, was born closer to 1825. Blaney Sr. is said to been born in 1822 but the 1822 Christening record is for a child named John and I don't know how it could been for Blaney either (who was born in September and the record is for a December Christening). Therefore I still have Blaney and John's parents technically listed as Unknown - with William and Jane Martin listed, in notations, as "a theory only" due to when they married, but even the time frame of when they married may not help lead them to being Blaney and John's parents.

Sandford Palmer Theory

NOTATION from Carol A. Wells-Perlaky:
In 2018 I revisited this theory about [Robert] Sandford Palmer as relation to Blaney and John Palmer to clear up a bit of misinformation I inadvertently shared about the elder Palmer's marriages and to also share other thoughts about theory itself since I originally shared this post. This 2016 blog post was edited include the link to the more recent revisitation of the theory's blog posting. I also included links to the posts about Blaney and John Palmer. Otherwise nothing was changed in the original post's textual contents below.

---

I have come across online sources, or family trees, sharing the theory that a son of a Sandford Palmer was the father of Blaney and John Palmer. This son is sometimes listed with the name of William Palmer.

The theory went that Sandford Palmer and his wife, Mary, had a child (born around 1803) named William who married a Jane Martin, born in Mallow Parish, County Down and the daughter of James Martin and Jane Craig. William and Jane were said to been the parents of Blaney Palmer Sr. and, or, John Palmer.

On FamilySearch I located a christening/birth record for a male child born to Sandford Palmer and his first wife, Mary Ann. However the certificate did not list the child's name, only date and gender the only information shared about the child. Although tantalizing, after 3 or so years, I've determined (to my satisfaction) the theory doesn't seem to connect with Blaney or John Palmer. At least, it does not connect to them where Sandford R. Palmer would been their grandfather with how the theory is presented.

Sandford Robert Palmer married twice, within Mallow Parish/County Cork. He married Mary Ann Davis/Davies, daughter of Robert Davis/Davies, in 1796 in Waterford, Mallow Parish in County Cork. The blank name, for the one male child, appears would been a Sandford Palmer (Junior). Mary Ann Davis/Davies Palmer also had Elizabeth Mary Ann, Henrietta Ann, Simon Davies, and Jonathan Tanner Palmer. Elizabeth was Reverend Philip Townsend's second wife and they did not have children. Henrietta is said to married a Jonathan Warburton, I have not found children for this marriage before concluding this may been the wrong Palmer family/branch. Simon Davies died in County Cork in 1879 and unknown if he or Jonathan Tanner Palmer married or had children.

With his second wife, Mary Catherine who was the daughter of Edward Hoare Reeves that he married in 1826, they had a son named Robert Sandford Palmer - after both Sandford (Senior) and his father. So the Sandford name appeared to been passed along to a son with each wife - and none of his sons appear to have been named, nor went by, William either as his second son, in this marriage, was Carlton Reeves Palmer and they supposedly had a daughter named Dorothea.

In a small article about Sandford, after his death, it mentioned Sandford Jr and Robert Sandford in the same article - having it appear that the Sandford name had been passed along to two different male children of the same father.

So pursuing this theory, albeit an interesting Palmer family, served to only lead me right back to where I started: no idea on who were the parents of Blaney or John Palmer - or if they had any other siblings.

If any portion of this theory may hold a lead, or some water, it may be Jonathan Tanner Palmer since I did not come across marriage, let alone any children, attributed to him. Which leads to the second possible parentage theory of a John Palmer and his wife, Jane who is sometimes given the maiden name of Morton or Martin, who had a son (also named John) during the month of December, in 1822, in County Antrim ... could this John Palmer be Jonathan Tanner Palmer, son of Sandford R Palmer? Possibly, but I have to consider that it appears majority of Sandford's children either remained in County Cork/Mallow Parish area (as I can only place Jonathan Tanner due to birth/christening record but nothing beyond that) or went to Australia. Also, John and Jane are relatively common first name thoughts.

Sprankle Snyder, Elizabeth Allen, Martha Christina Sabin, Elizabeth Kyler, Lydia Wyne, and children

Sprankle Snyder was born 1831 in Ohio to Samuel Benton Snyder and Elizabeth Sprankle. He married four times during the course of his life. This gets confusing as some people know about two or maybe three of his marriages and, oddly, vice versa.

What may not help, with the confusion, is The Ziegler Family Record, in 1906, listed him as "a Mr. Snyder of California" and then in family trees, for his fourth marriage, mispelt(?) as Spangle, Sprangle, or Spangler - as exampled in the 1990 edition of The Ziegler Family Record by Floyd R. Mason. In contrast when it comes to Ohio, Missouri, and Nebraska biographical sketches, shared about his parents or other family members, plus in a news clippings about one of his marriages, on census reports, and voter registration his first name was spelt Sprankle. I will be using the spelling of Sprankle since that, from his own hand or side, is what appears most often in the paper trail, while saying that if you happen to be researching this gentleman 0 then know in advance to try the variety of spellings shared for his first name.

Elizabeth Allen (Aug 1821), daughter of Rial Easter Allen (1791-1865) and Margaret Moore Evins (1784-1843), became Sprankle Snyder's first wife. She was ten years older than him at the time of their 1853 marriage in Missouri. This confuses people at first, thinking the bride's birth year is wrong, but it has been verified that the birth years are correct. Elizabeth passed away in Aug 1872. There were no children.

In April of 1875 Sprankle Snyder married Martha Christina Sabin (1844 - Ohio) in Andrew County, Missouri. Christina passed away June 3, 1883 in Longmount, Bloulder County, Colorado. No children from this marriage.

July 4, 1883 Sprankle Snyder married Elizabeth (Lizzie) Keyler (Kyler) in Andrew County, Missouri. From this marriage there were three sons: Lee Roy (1884 Missouri), Samuel C. (1886 Missouri), and Myrl Bird (1887 Missouri). Some sources have Lizzie Kyler passing away in 1910 but may have been 1888-1889 when Sprankle became a widower for a third time.

Sprankle Snyder shows up Piatt County, Illinois marriage records when he marries Lydia Wyne in Dec 1889. Lydia was the daughter of John C. Wyne and Elizabeth Ziegler who had moved from Rockingham County, Virginia to Cerro Gordo, Piatt County, Illinois with some of their other children. This was Lydia Wyne's first marriage.

Sprankle and Lydia, and Sprankle's sons, show up in 1900 US Census living in Los Angeles County, California. Sprankle was a fruit farmer. He passed away before the 1910 US Census as Lydia is listed as Head of Household. Sprankle's sons do not appear within the household but Ruth Frances (1898 California), Edna (1902 Missouri), and Elsie (1898 USA) are listed as Adopted Daughters and all three have the last name of Snyder. These three girls do not appear in the 1920 Los Angeles County, California US Censusl Lydia is listed Head of Household with another adopted daughter, Catherine Snyder (1911 California). In 1930 US Census Lydia Wyne Snyder is still in Los Angeles County, California and has two lodgers listed living in her household. Lydia Snyder passed away October 20, 1935.

Sprankle Snyder and Lydia Wyne are listed as the parents of Ruth Frances Snyder when she marries George D. Martin (1888) in September 1913.

.

Lee Roy Snyder immigrated to British Columbia, Canada in 1906. He passed away April 30 1957 from an accidental poisoning. Lee Roy married Flora McKeeknie according to his death certificate. Uncertain on if they had any children.

Samuel C. Snyder appears in 1910 US Census as to residing in Redlands, San Bernadino County, California. In 1920 he appears back in Los Angeles County, California with his wife, Laura E., and her brother, Forrest Edwards. Samuel and Laura Snyder are still in Los Angeles County, California when the 1930 US Census was taken. It does not appear that Samuel C. Snyder had children.

Myrl Bird Snyder tried to get himself exempted from the Ventura, California draft for World War I claiming poor eyesight and "slightly nervousness". In 1917 he is a private in Company H 103rd Infantry in Venture, California and was discharged March 10 1918. In 1926 Myrl is in Sawtelle, California where he is in a hospital for soldiers. He passed Aug 13 1948 and is buried in Los Angeles National Cemetery. It appears that Myrl Bird Snyder never married.