Parents
Husband
Married 21 NOV 1869 Marshall County, Indiana S12809
Children with John William Wiltfong
Husband
Married 21 NOV 1869 Marshall County, Indiana S12809
Children with John William Wiltfong
Notes
Trying to determine the name of Ethel I Wiltfong's mother, and her maternal grandparents.
History of Porter County, Indiana has an article about Ethel's brother Dr. Charles O. Wiltfong:
Dr. Wiltfong is a native Hoosier, born in Plymouth, Indiana, in July 1876, to John W. and
Sarah E. (Wade) Wiltfong, who are still residents of that city.
Indiana Marriage Records has this information:
Marshall County, Indiana
Compiled by Ruth M. Slevin Part I Grooms Part II Brides
County: Marshall
Name: Elizabeth Wade
Spouse: John W. Wiltfong
Marriage Date: 21 Nov 1869
So her maiden name is likely "Sarah Elizabeth Wade"
1900 census shows Ethel I Bell, 29, in Plymouth, IN, married to Leslie R Bell, in a house with
John W Wiltfong, Sarah E Wiltfong age 49 (Ethel's parents)
Charles, Arthur, Harry, and Leah (Ethel's siblings)
This confirms the names of Ethel Wiltfongs's parents, and gives the names of her siblings.
1880 census shows Ethel, age 8, in Plymouth, IN with
J.W. Wiltfong, B.E. Wiltfong age 28 (Ethel's parents)
Charles, Arthur Wiltfong (Ethel's siblings)
Eva Wade, servant, age 17, born in Indiana, parents born in Ohio (not sure who this is yet)
This estalishes B.E. as an alias for Ethel's mother Sarah Elizabeth.
1910 census shows John W. Wiltfong and Elizabeth S Wiltfong 58, in Plymouth IN
This shows another alias, Sarah Elizabeth using "Elizabeth" as primary name.
1920 census shows Elizabeth Wiltfong age 68 in Center, Marshall County, Indiana.
Who were Sarah Elizabeth Wade's parents?
From census data and obituaries we know Sarah Elizabeth was born in Ohio, as were her parents. And she was born about 1850-1851. So we can use this to find earlier census records with her and her parents from her childhood.
Possible Family 1:
1860 census shows Sarah E Wade, age 10, born in Ohio, parents born in Ohio, in North IN with
Eli and Elizabeth wade, Sarah's parents
Mary 8, William 6, and Almira 4, Sarah's siblings
1870 census shows Sarah Wade in North, IN, age 20, with
Elizabeth wade (her mother)
Mary 18, William 16, Isabel 15, Franklin 9, Emma 9, Eva 7, James 5 (her siblings)
1850 census in Dover Ohio shows Sarah C Wade, age 6 months, with
Elias and Elizabeth wade, parents
Richard Wade - age 1 year
is this the same Sarah E Wade? With a younger sister Eva in 1870?
The age is a bit off, and it's a different town, though nearby.
But it shows her at home with mother and sibilings in 1870, the year after she married John W. Wiltfong. That seems odd, unless he went off to war or seek fortune and left her at home after the wedding.
The 1880 census also shows a Eva Wade, age 17, born in Indiana, parents born in Ohio, in the Wiltfong home, listed as a servant.
This must be a relative of Sarah Elizabeth's. Her younger sister? A cousin?
Possible Family 2:
1880 census also shows Eva A. Wade in North, IN, age 17, born in Indiana, parents born in Ohio, with
William Wade, Sarah Wade (her parents)
Charles 23, Mary A age 20, Ellen Wade 16 (her siblings)
Is this the same Eva who was a servant in the Wiltfong home, double-counted? If she is Sarah Elizabeth's younger sister, then William and Sarah are Sarah Elizabeth's parents.
1870 shows "Emley Wade" in North, IN, age 8 with
William Wade, Sarah Wade (her parents)
James 21, Henrietta 17, Charles, 13, Mary 10 (her siblings)
Sarah E doesn't appear in this family.
1860 shows in North, IN
Wm and Sarah Wade (parents)
John William 18, Sirenena 17, Rebecca 14, James 12, Elizabeth 9 (born Ohio, parents born Ohio), Henrietta 6, Charles W 3, Abigail 6 (siblings)
"Elizabeth" here is the right age for Sarah Elizabeth. But where was she in 1870 in this family?
1850 shows in Dover Ohio
William and Sarah Wade parents
John W 8, Serina 6, Rebecca 3, James M 1
Either tree seems possible, the dates and birth states fit. Could there really have been two different Eva and Elizabeth Wades,
born at the same time and in the same town? Or are these the same people appearing in multiple households?
Two public family trees show that Sarah Elizabeth is from Family 2, and none that I found show her from Family 1. But Family 1 seems more likely - In 1860 it specifically says "Sarah E Wade". The argument for Family 2 rests largely on assuming Eva is Sarah Elizabeth's sister rather than a cousin, and assuming "Elizabeth" is "Sarah Elizabeth" while excusing her absence in 1870.
Without more information, it's impossible to conclude which family was Sarah Elizabeth's, and who are her parents.
According to the Hogan Family Tree by janethogan65 on ancestry.com, Elias Wade 1818- married Elizabeth or Mary R Hough 1828 (family 1), and Elias' brother William Wade 1820- married Sarah Lacey? 1821. So family 1 and family 2 looks to have been brothers, both of them children of William Wade 1772 and Mary Bash 1787-1850. This tree shows Elias had no children, and William had Eva A 1862-, Elizabeth 1851-, as well as Mary A, Charles W, Henriette, Abagail, James, Rebecca, Sirenena, and John William - 10 children in all with the last being Eva A in 1862.
Jones-Hamlin Family Tree by CarrieSenetka on ancestry.com shows Eli Wade and private had three children: Sarah C b 1849, Belle M b 1855, and Eva L b 1863. This looks like family #1.
Master_Hamlin AutoBackup_AutoBackup tree by DrewPeters1 on ancestry.com shows Eli Wade m. Elizabeth Jefferson, had three children Sarah Catherine 1849-1909, Belle M 1855-1906, Eva L 1863-1938. With lots more info on the descendants of each of those three children. This matches well with family #1, with sufficient detail to convince me that family 1's Sarah is not my ancestor - so it must be family 2. And yes, there were two Sarah and Eva Wades in the same town and approximately the same ages.
S12809 Indiana Marriage Records 1836-1888
S18304 Vidette-Messenger, Valpar
S18198 Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, Indiana
S18305 History of Indiana: Containing a History of Indiana and Biographical Sketches of Governors and Other Leading Men. (Google eBook)
S9756 wiltfong-randolfe-a.FTW