In my post a year ago, My Nash Connections, I mentioned my 3rd great-grandparents – Alexander and Elsy Nash. Elsy’s maiden name has been reported to be Winninger or Winger – and several variations of those names. With my Ancestry subscription that came with my new Family Tree Maker software, I thought I’d do some more digging.
Clicking the “leaf” next to Alexander’s name brought up seven different records. The very first one was the Pennsylvania (PA) Minesinger Family Tree. It listed Alexander’s wife as Elsie Minesinger. Well, it was a start. I had to start checking that information out and see what documentation I could find before believing that Minesinger was the maiden name I’d been looking for.
There were no source citations listed for their marriage and the citations listed for Elsie’s birth and residence came from a census after her marriage to Alexander. Still nothing that answered any questions. Elsie’s parents were listed as Joseph Minesinger and Christina. Since Christina had been Alexander and Elsie’s daughter’s name, and the reason my grandmother’s middle name was Christena, I thought it was a clue. However, I also knew that whoever put together that information, could have just deduced the woman’s name was Christina.
Since most of Alexander and Elsy’s children were born in Henry County, Indiana, I knew that the couple had moved there from Pennsylvania. Looking to see if there were any other Minesinger families in the Henry County area – perhaps a purported sibling of Elsy, I found John Minesinger living two doors away from Alexander and Elsy in the 1850 US Census for Henry County. In the 1860 Census, they are shown right next to each other and again 2 doors away in the 1870 Census. There is also a “Christean Minesinger” buried in Lebanon Baptist Cemetery – which is where Alexander, Elsy and three of their children are buried.
It’s not enough information for documentation that Minesinger is the Elsy’s maiden name – but it’s more than I had a year ago. I will continue to search for other records – church, christening, etc. until I am satisfied that I am on the right track.
All My Branches Genealogy 