robertmackayclan

I believe the possibility exists that the tombstone year for Mary Belle Entsminger's grave is wrong for about 10 years.

http://maverick.tuscaroras.com/entsminger/charlesashby/

Need to look for more documents on this. Basically I believe she is the daughter of Samuel T. Entsminger & Cornelia Agnor.

I have heard before wrong information recorded on grave makers. Have you visited the actual grave for yourself?. To rule out a compiler abtracting the wrong information posted on line or in a book.

I think her birth might be late enough to be included on birth registry and check that information against her ages recorded on various census, marriage record and her death certificate.

I am backed up with ordering my film through State of VA to Fairfax Public Library, so I do not know then I will be able to start ordering Death Certificates. The actual documents only offered on film down to 1939. The index just go down to 1954. I have no idea if birth years are given on the index.

You might just end up with various different birth years for her, like your Rachel E. Smith. Her death certificate I think I should be able to get.

I have been there and I also have a photo of it up on the website.

http://maverick.tuscaroras.com/inpic/en ... rlesashby/

In his genealogy record the entry for his marriage has him at being 26 and her being 24 which is 10 years younger than the grave inscription gives. This weekend I hope to find her obituary in our library.

I will have to order the death certificate at some point.

If she was born in 1886 then Samuel T. Entsminger would be her father as indicated on marriage record. If born in 1876 he would be too young.

Found on the Rockbridge Census for 1900 and 1920 Shenandoah Co. VA two different birth dates for a Mary B. Agnor/Entsminger

1900: 20 Jun Buffalo Twp Rockbridge Co. VA: Samuel S. Agnor Jan 1833 widower, his son Millard May 1856 single, his two granddaughters: Mary B. Aug 1877 22, Elizabeth Aug 1883 16.

I can't seem to find her for the 1910 census and check on Ancestry.com and Heritage Quest

1920 Strasburg, Shenandoah Co. VA 12 Jan: Charles A. Entsminger 34, his wife Mary B. 33.

Found Ancestry.com a researcher Lucas-Celmmer-Hite has placed in their computer bank the same information as you have posted.

Mary Bell (Agnor) Entsminger born 26 Dec 1876, died 27 Feb 1947.

By all means get a copy of her death record, however, you are depending on the person giving the information that they really knew when and where she was born and the names of her parents.

I would trust the birth registry for Rockbridge Co. VA over census, cemtery stone or death record.

I'm hoping to find a copy of her obit. in the NV Daily when I visit the archives as well as a few others this weekend. Eventually I hope to find some info. on her birth in Rockbridge Co. VA.

Found on the Rockbridge Census for 1900 and 1920 Shenandoah Co. VA two different birth dates for a Mary B. Agnor/Entsminger

1900: 20 Jun Buffalo Twp Rockbridge Co. VA: Samuel S. Agnor Jan 1833 widower, his son Millard May 1856 single, his two granddaughters: Mary B. Aug 1877 22, Elizabeth Aug 1883 16.

I can't seem to find her for the 1910 census and check on Ancestry.com and Heritage Quest

1920 Strasburg, Shenandoah Co. VA 12 Jan: Charles A. Entsminger 34, his wife Mary B. 33.

Found Ancestry.com a researcher Lucas-Celmmer-Hite has placed in their computer bank the same information as you have posted.

Mary Bell (Agnor) Entsminger born 26 Dec 1876, died 27 Feb 1947.

By all means get a copy of her death record, however, you are depending on the person giving the information that they really knew when and where she was born and the names of her parents.

I would trust the birth registry for Rockbridge Co. VA over census, cemtery stone or death record.

I do not think your Mary Belle Agnor was alive in 1880. So that would mean the birth date on the grave marker is not correct. How the mistake was made, most likely you will never find out.

Found the same household in 1880:

Samuel S. Agnor 48, Elizabeth 41, Millard 23, Corelia 18, Nannie VA 11.

No Mary B. Agnor should be 4 years of age.

There was a Samuel P. age 18 living in the household of James Agnor 52, wife Cornelia 50. Said Samuel P. not married as of 1880.

The first one could be that Grandpa Ashby was mixed up when they chiseled the dates into the stone or whomever put the stone up did so after Grandpa Ashby died and that individual had the date entered incorrectly.

I'm leaning toward the 2nd possibility and I think I know who did it.

Still hoping to find her obit. this weekend.

I do not think your Mary Belle Agnor was alive in 1880. So that would mean the birth date on the grave marker is not correct. How the mistake was made, most likely you will never find out.

Found the same household in 1880:

Samuel S. Agnor 48, Elizabeth 41, Millard 23, Corelia 18, Nannie VA 11.

No Mary B. Agnor should be 4 years of age.

There was a Samuel P. age 18 living in the household of James Agnor 52, wife Cornelia 50. Said Samuel P. not married as of 1880.

I have the obit for Mary Belle Entsminger and am getting ready to add it to the website.

It was dated Friday 28 Feb 1947 and lists her age at death at 70 yrs, two months & 1 day. This would put her birthdate at 1876.

Would like to see any census records of Samuel T. Entsminger & Cornelia Agnor.

Our public library might have compiled birth & death registries which cover the years you want. In any case, you should be able to order the film through inter-library loan. I would "trust" that source above the information on the grave marker.

If she had siblings, then you could check their ages through the various census.

My grandfather Roy D. Hopgood had his "army birth date" and his actual birth year. He joined the army at 16 which was not legal so he added two years to his age. And he kept his "army birth date" on all his legal documents. Census (except for the first census he was alive), marriage & death record all have his age two years more than actual birth year. He lived his whole life in fear the Government would find out the truth--that he gave incorrect information on offical documents and could be denied his pensions.

If future researchers used his "army birth date" then he would have been born before his parents married !! There are researchers who have posted in various computers bank the "army birth date" as his real birth year. I do not know what they are doing with his parents marriage date.

It could be for some reason she subtracted years from her actual birth year.

Want to see census data for Samuel T. & Cornelia Entsminger. Also I probably should check to see if there was any listing for a S.T. & Nelia Agnor which I doubt.

Believe that Samuel T. & Cornelia Entsminger are the same couple ****.T. & Nelia Agnor and for some reason their children would switch names.