Frances M. Goehler

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Permalink Reply by Myss Story on February 23, 2011 at 7:39pm

Hi Mary Beth,

In the 1910 census I found a Frances M. Goehler b. abt 1893 in Pennsylvania. Age 17 working as an operator in a hosiery mill.

You suggested that she changed her name professionally which certainly is possible. The mostly likely explanation is that Frances was married, and so her surname changed. Other possibility is that her name is misspelled, which happens in all kinds of records. For example in a different person of the surname Goehler, it was transcribed on Ancestry census as 'Gochler". And--that's worth pursuing, maybe a brother or a cousin. Maybe she used a nickname, like Fanny or Fannie, or Fran. We don't know what M of her middle initial is for, but maybe she used that instead.

Where to start? In 1910 Frances was living with her sister's family. I went to the preceeding page of the census, as she is listed as a sister in law. Anna (b. 1885) is married to Harry J Miller, Jr. They have a son John R. Miller. So Anna must be her sister. With Frances is another sister in law to the head of the household named Eleanor I. Goehler, born in 1886 in New Jersey and is the middle sister. Anna is the oldest, Frances the youngest. So you could track those people. Likewise in the 1920 census, it's possible Frances was related to the head of house, or his wife, or the other boarders.  I'd check those out.

 

A quick surf through Genealogybank. com newspaper archive didn't turn up any articles, nor did IMDB.com, the internet movie database. It's still possible she's in either with name variations. Pennsylvania records might turn up a marriage. Hope that gives you some working hints.

Myss Storry

Permalink Reply by Mary Beth on February 24, 2011 at 9:47am

Thank you for the help Myss Story.