Solving a Genealogy Puzzle Part 4: Finding Rachel

Please read Solving a Genealogy Puzzle: Finding Rachel Parts 1, 2 and 3 before continuing with this last article on my quest to find Rachel.

I hope I've put together a compelling case for the parents of Rachel Ann Van Slyke being James H. Van Slyke of Pennsylvania and Sarah Ann McCready.  As well I suggest that James Franklin Van Slyke and William M. Van Slyke were Rachel's brothers.

What evidence have I found to support my theory?

BIRTH PLACE OF PARENTS OF WILLIAM, RACHEL & JAMES

Year	William	Rachel	James
1880 Father	blank	blank	PA
1880 Mother	blank	blank	PA
1900 Father	PA	unknown	PA
1900 Mother	OH	MO	MO
1910 Father	no census	unknown	PA
1910 Mother	no census	unknown	blank
1920 Father	no census	USA	PA
1920 Mother	no census	OH	MO
1930 Father	no census	PA	PA
1930 Mother	no census	MO	USA

Realizing that we do not know who provided information to the census taker, we can still see that these individuals fairly consistently show their father's birth place as Pennsylvania. The mother's varies from Missouri to Ohio.

NAMING PATTERNS OF CHILDREN

William M. Van Slyke	Rachel Ann Bridges	James Franklin Van Slyke
* Mary Ann (his mother's middle name was Ann) * Rachel E. (his sister's name) * Lola A. * James (his father's and brother's name) * David	* Richard * James (her father's and brother's name) * Timothy * Almond Robert * Harley Clyde * Willie D. (her brother's name) * Wesley?	* Sarah M. (his mother's name) * Maud * Bessie * James (his father's name) * John D. * William E. (his brother's name) * Anna * Ruth May * Thomas * Ruby

Realizing that there may be other children born to these individuals, we can still see that the name James is consistently used, possibly in honour of their father, and the names Sarah or Ann used, possibly after their mother. As well, James death certificate provides his mother's name as Ann McCready.


GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS OF WILLIAM, RACHEL & JAMES

Year	William	Rachel	James
1850	possibly Bates Co	unknown, possibly not born yet	not born
1860	Prairie, Chariton	Jackson, Jasper	not found
1870	possibly Benton Co	Grand River, Henry	Grand River,Henry
1880	Windsor, Henry	Windsor, Henry	Tebo, Henry
1900	Oklahoma but in 1890 was in Bates Co MO	Windsor, Henry	Jefferson, Johnson
1910	dead	Windsor, Henry	Green Ridge, Pettis
1920	dead	Windsor, Henry	Windsor, Henry
1930	dead	Windsor, Henry	El Dorado, Cedar but 1937 died in Bates Co

FAMILY LEGENDS

 I  found the following family story about James Frank Van Slyke born Missouri:

This story comes from my dad, Louis Van Slyke.  He said his grandfather, James Frank Van Slyke, was about 8 years old one winter during the War of Northern Aggression.  He lived with his mother, his father had run off.  Some union soldiers were camped near their farm, it was cold.  James' mother was a Union sympathizer and baked biscuits for the union officers.  She sent Frank to the Union camp with the biscuits.  James didn't have an overcoat, so he was in his shirtsleeves in the cold.  One of the officers asked him, "Where's your coat, boy?"  James said he didn't have a coat.  The union officer took off his greatcoat and gave it to the boy.  James thought it was the best coat in the world.  He could walk through the snow-covered woods and didn't feel the cold at all.  He kept that coat until it just wore out. Later, James lived with anyone that would let him go to school.  He would do chores as required and go to school.