Do you conduct descendancy research? If so, do you use the FamilySearch tree or other genealogical platforms as your starting point? I’ve been researching the descendants of my 4th great-grandmother, Sarah Smith, through her first husband, Alexander Duggins. I often rely on the FamilySearch tree to structure a family before documenting it.
Recently, I encountered a dilemma while researching Victor Duggins, Sarah’s great-grandson. According to the FamilySearch tree, Victor had four children:
- Leroy Ellsworth Duggins(1905-1951)
- Eva Nola Duggins(1907-1997)
- Lloyd Elmer Duggins (1908-1962)
- Alma Leona Duggins (1911-1987)
The 1910 census for Preble county, Ohio shows Victor with his first wife, Jennie, and their children.
However, by the 1920 census, Victor is listed with his second wife, and only three children—Leroy, Eva, and Lloyd—are mentioned.
Alma, who would have been about nine years old, is conspicuously absent from the 1920 record, raising questions about the accuracy of the tree.
To resolve this discrepancy, additional records are essential to confirm Alma’s relationship with her parents or siblings. Jennie’s 1912 obituary states that she was the mother of four children, suggesting Alma, born in 1911, could indeed belong to this family despite her absence in the 1920 census.
The body of Mrs. Jennie Duggins, wife of Lurton Duggins, of Sugar Valley, who died of tuberculosis at the home of her mother, Mrs. Lou Burkett, in Baldwin, Mich., arrived in Eaton Sunday. The funeral was held Sunday afternoon at the Christian church, conducted by the Rev. H. A. Smith, of Dayton, and the burial was made in Mound Hill cemetery. Mrs. Duggins is survived by four small children, besides her husband and many other relatives.
Alma’s obituary names Eva Doty as a sister.
Alma Leona Doty
MILTON — Alma Leona Doty, 76, 108 E. Walnut St., died Thursday afternoon at her home of an apparent heart attack.
She was a native of Eaton, Ohio, and had lived in the Bentonville area for more than 25 years. She had lived in Avon Park, Fla., for several years, spending the summers in the Milton area. She was a retired store clerk, having worked in the Danner Variety Store in Cambridge City, in the late 1950s and early ’60s. She was a member of the Christian Church and the Grange, both at Avon Park, and was a volunteer at Walker Memorial Hospital there. She was the widow of Robert B. Doty.
Survivors include three sons, Joe E., and Fred A., both of R.R. 1, Cambridge City, and Thomas H. of Mount Pulaski, Ill.; one sister, Eva Nola Doty of Lakeland, Fla.; 19 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren.
Funeral service for Alma Leona Doty will be at 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, at Howard & Son Capitol Hill Chapel at Cambridge City, with the Rev. Thomas Waters of Milton Christian Church officiating. Burial will be in Fairmount Cemetery, Camden, Ohio. Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.
This establishes a connection between Alma and her sister, Eva, but does not provide a link between Alma and her brothers, Leroy and Lloyd. Fortunately, Leroy’s obituary offers a clearer picture by naming all of his siblings, which helps solidify the connection between Alma and her brothers.
Leroy E. Duggins
EATON. — Leroy E. Duggins, 46-year-old auto mechanic, died in Richmond Sunday night after an illness of one day. He resided at 213 North Walnut street here.
Survivors include the widow, Edith; his father Victor of Troy; two daughters, Mrs. Regina Overholts and Mrs. Janice Worley, both of Eaton; two sons, Everett and Maurice of Eaton; two sisters, Mrs. Eva Weldy of St. Petersburg, Fla., and Mrs. Alma Doty of Cambridge City; one brother, Lloyd of Troy, Ohio, and one grandchild.
Funeral services for Mr. Duggins will be held at Barnes funeral home Thursday at 2 p.m. Burial will be in Mound Hill cemetery.
Friends may call at the funeral home after Wednesday noon.
According to the census records, Victor Duggins is shown with only three children: Leroy, Eva, and Lloyd. However, I was able to find multiple obituaries that confirm Alma’s connection to her siblings. While my research is not yet exhaustive, this case highlights the importance of consulting a variety of records when documenting a family, rather than relying on just a few sources.