You finally order and receive the death certificate for your direct ancestor! You eagerly look for the name of his or her mother. She is recorded as ‘unknown’ !
Copy of death certificate from digital files, Posten-Richards Family Tree.
Information for a death certificate is given by a member of the deceased’s family. These informants do always have all of the information requested. So, where do you go from here? The answer may be in collateral research, which focuses on those who aren’t your direct ancestors, also known as siblings, in-laws and other members of your extended family.
Start with census records for your direct ancestor, especially those from 1850 on. Beginning in 1850, census records listed the names of household members. However, relationship to the head of family was not recorded until 1880. Scenario: the first name of an older woman is listed in the same household as your direct ancestor in one of these later census records. The woman is old enough to have been your direct ancestor’s mother. Later, you get the death certificate for a sibling of your direct ancestor. This death certificate lists only the mother’s maiden name! But, you now have two clues – a first name and a possible maiden name. Follow those leads to confirm both given and maiden names of your direct ancestor’s mother!
This post details a recent session with a goal to discover if Phoebe Bertyman/ Brutzman/ Bowman is the sister of my paternal great-great grandfather, James D. Posten (1829-1914). James’ death certificate[1] lists his parents as Thomas Postens and Esther Brown. A newspaper story about a Posten family union [2] described James as ‘the youngest son’. Collateral research and indirect evidence are the models
The search began with an 1850 census record for Phebe Bertyman in Monroe county, Pennyslvania. [3] Thomas Porton [Postens], age 68, is listed first, followed by Jonathan, age 30, James, age 19, Phebe [Phoebe] Bertyman, age 27, Esther, age 14, and Alexander, age 10.
1850 U.S. census, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Hamilton Township, p. 17B (stamped), dwelling 220, family 220, Phebe Bertyman [Brutzman]; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : Accessed 16 Aug 2010 and 3 May 2017); citing National Archivesand Records Administration microfilm M432, roll 798.
New goal: Prove above facts through census and other records. Specific plan:
- Search census records in Monroe county, Pennsylvania from 1860 through 1900 for Esther, Philip, and Phoebe, using Ancestry, Family Search and/or American Ancestors databases. If unsuccessful, try name variations first, then surrounding counties.
- Repeat search strategy for marriage records. Note: 1900 census usually lists how many years person has been married.
- Enter information to Research Logs and Roots Magic family trees.
Results: Census: 1900: Philip Lee and wife, Esther , found in Monroe County, Pennsylvania with children and 84 y/o Phoebe Bowman, mother-in-law.[5] An online tree cited a county history book with information about Philip and Esther. That book was found online [6] with this entry: “In 1853, he [Philip S. Lee] married Miss Esther Brutzman, born about 1836, daughter of Lewis and Phoebe (Posten) Brutzman.”
Analysis of evidence: Found Esther’s birth year (1836; same as suggested by 1850 census) and marriage year (1853). Philip and Esther were living in Stroudsburg, Monroe county, Pennsylvania in 1900. Unexpected findings:
- Confirmed Phoebe Posten Brutzman as Esther’s mother (as suggested by 1850 census).
- Confirmed Phoebe’s maiden name as Posten (as suspected from 1850 census).
- Suggests Phoebe was born about 1816 rather than 1823 (as suggested by 1850 census). Phoebe’s birth year of 1816 is more consistent with her being about age 20 when Esther was born. Although, Phoebe could have had a child when she (Phoebe) was only 13 or 14 years old. Discovering Phoebe’s age at Esther’s birth was not a research goal for this session but is still important and was entered on Research Log . A later research session found 60-year-old Phoebe Bowman working as a servant in 1880. [7]
- Change of surname suggests that Phoebe married a man with surname of Bowman between 1850 and 1880.
Summary: Primary goal of discovering whether Phoebe was daughter of Thomas and sister of James was not met. However, serendipitous findings confirm these facts: Phoebe’s maiden name of Posten, Phoebe as mother of Esther, Lewis Brutzman as father of Esther and husband of Phoebe. [8] Philip and Esther were living in Monroe county in 1900. The county history provided additional information and the search for additional documents continues. Marriage year for Philip & Esther (about 1853) and birth year for Esther (about 1836)[9], [10] are considered as proven. It is likely that Phebe/ Phoebe Bertyman, living with Thomas and James in 1850, is James’ sister. No further information about Lewis Brutzman was found during this search.
To-do list
o Continue search for Philip and Esther in 1860, 1870, 1880.
o Confirm death dates for Philip and Esther.
o Prove Lewis Brutzman birth & death dates, marriage date for Lewis Brutzman and Phoebe Posten.
o Identify Phoebe’s 2nd husband: Unknown Bowman, birth & death dates, estimated marriage year.
o Confirm Phoebe’s death date & location (after 1900; probably Monroe county, PA; possibly listed under surname of Bowman).
o Confirm names of Phoebe’s parents. Indirect evidence may provide this information.
REFLECTION:
As I completed the tasks of data entry to my genealogy program, I finally remembered to pull the paper files on this family. I had done similar searches in 2015 and 2016! The file included copies of census records and handwritten notes but no systematic documentation or analysis. 
Big sigh!!! I ran out of steam about midnight and completed tasks of entering data, sources, and media to genealogy program the next day. But, I did enter information to research logs before I went to bed.
[1] Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Health, death certificate 118955 (1914), James D. Posten, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Death Unit, New Castle.
[2] “Posten Family Reunion,” The Wilkes-Barre Record, 11 September 1908; online images, Newspapers.com (http://www.newspapers.com : accessed & printed 18 August 2017).
[3] 1850 U.S. census, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Hamilton Township, p. 17B (stamped), dwelling 220, family 220, Phebe Bertyman [Brutzman]; digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : Accessed 16 Aug 2010 and 3 May 2017); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M432, roll 798.
[4] “Public Member Trees,” database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 May 2017, “Lee’s” family tree by rickleedoe, profile for Phoebe Postens Brutzman (1815 – ?), no sources given for this person, last update unknown.
[5] 1900 U.S. census, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Stroud Township, Enumeration District [ED] 139, p. 6 (penned), 202A (stamped), dwelling 116, family 126, Phoebe M. Bowman: digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 May 2017); citing National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C. microfilm publication T623, roll 1442.
[6] Commemorative Biographical Record of Northeastern Pennsylvania including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and many of the early settled families. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1900), 150; digital images, WayBackMachine (http://www.archive.org : accessed 5 May 2017).
[7] 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Monroe county, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Stroudsburg, enumeration district (ED) 228, p. 14B (penned), dwelling 118, family 118, Pheoba Bowman; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed, printed, downloaded 21 August 2017); citing National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C. microfilm publication T9, Roll 1157.
[8] Commemorative Biographical Record of Northeastern Pennsylvania including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, 150.
[9] 1900 U.S. census, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, pop. Sch. Stroud Township, p. 6 (penned), 202A (stamped), dwelling 116, family 126, Esther Lee.
[10] Commemorative Biographical Record of Northeastern Pennsylvania including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, 150.
Posting Family Roots 
I don’t know if you’re still reading this but perhaps I can help you. There was a website, now defunct, at OleyValley.net run by Kay Ervine for her Brotzman-family genealogy. I have some notes on my computer that say Lewis Brutzman (b. ABT 1813 in Monroe county). Lewis was the son of Johannes “John” Brutzman and Susanna Meyers. He married had at least three issue.
1. Pvt. David Brotzman aka Bretzman (d. 22 JAN 1879 and interned at Rose Valley Cemetery of Cogan Station in Lycoming county).
2. Esther A Brutzman (b. DEC 1836).
3. Alexander Brutzman (b. 13 NOV 1838).
I do not have Kay Ervine’s source material, as like I said, the site no longer exists (this was some years ago).
Your post made me curious so I looked into this family unit further. David was in D Co. 67th PA Vol., and is listed in FindAGrave. Possibly, he is listed in the 1870 Census as residing in Pennsylvania as “David Bretzman” with wife Mary C and a dau. Martha A. FindAGrave oddly enough has one Martha A Mosteller nee Bretzman b. 4 JUL 1868 d. 19 FEB 1924 interned at Wildwood Cemetery of Williamsport. This is probably the Martha A Bretzman in the 1870 census, given the same middle initial, rarity of the surname (and its name spelling variations), and Williamsport being the same county (Lycoming). Bretzman is a known spelling used by Pvt. David Brotzman, per Kay Ervine’s research.
Lewis Brutzman, as you’re aware, is not found in the 1850 census (or any census that I could find) but going by the dates of his children and the fact that Phoebe is residing with the Posten family in the 1850 Census, I’d say he died BET 1838/1850.
Esther and Alexander are found on FindAGrave with their spouses.
LikeLike
Sarah, Thanks for the additional information. Phoebe’s presumed father, Thomas Posten, is my paternal great-great- grandfather. I haven’t looked at this info much after writing that post because I decided to work more on maternal family in 2018. I added your note to my files. The Brotzman family history shows Lewis and Phoebe with 5 children but no Esther or Alexander. I outlined that information in the next post, “How many children did Phoebe Posten and Ludwig Brotzman have?” Interesting side note– my mom also has an ancestor who shows up as both Ludwig and Louis. Are you related to this family? Other names in Dad’s family– Posten, Fulkerson, Richards, LaCoe. Thanks again– Susan
LikeLike
Pingback: Friday's Family History Finds | Empty Branches on the Family Tree