Submitted by:
Gail Denkers
(gdenkers@tstonramp.com).
Almost ALL on my mother's side are from Athens Co. and Meigs Co. CALEB MERRITT and JOSHUA WOOD are both my 5th great grandfathers. (Both of which settled there in the Ohio Valley from Pennsylvania.) ZYLPHA GRAHAM is my 3rd great grandmother born in Meigs Co. abt 1813 in Meigs Co.
One specific question that has plagued me for a long time is trying to find out the name of the FATHER of my great grandfather, GEORGE MC COLLINS. Shouldn't be that hard since it's not so far back, right? Here's the deal, and if you could possibly shed any light on it or give me any clues of where to search, I would greatly appreciate it.
He was born 15 April 1870 in Rockbridge, Hocking Co., Ohio. Very possibly his birth name was GEORGE PETERS, since all indications are that he was illegitimate. His mother, ANNA MARGARET PETERS born 4 Dec. 1858 in Washington Co., Ohio, gave birth to him at the age of 12. GEORGE's death certificate names father as "unknown." My mother says he never spoke of his birth parents, but always referred to the family that raised him after the age of about 8, the McCOLLINS', as his family. I know he worked as a water boy for the coal miners when he was 8 years old. ANNA MARGARET PETERS worked in an orphanage as an adult and would take GEORGE with her to the orphanage. The story is told that one day she told GEORGE, "Always remember that this is your brother and sister." A strange thing to say to a person. Why wouldn't he know his own brother and sister? I have recently found parents of ANNA MARGARET PETERS and with that information another family. Another husband of ANNA's and children she gave birth to after the age of 30. Two of her 5 children are named PEARL and RAY. Years later when GEORGE married NANCY LAVINA McKIBBEN and had children, two of their children were named PEARL and RAY. (?)
Anyway, ANNA's parents names are CHARLES FREDERICK PETERS, born in Germany, and MARY HENRY born in WASHINGTON Co., OHIO, in 1824. Her parents ROBERT HENRY and ELIZABETH were both born about 1800, I don't know where or anything else about them.
Like I said I would like other information on other ancestors beside my Great Grandpa George, but this is my most perplexing problem. No one has ever found a birth certificate, but we have only searched in the past for a GEORGE McCOLLINS, not PETERS. Perhaps that might say his father's name.
Now, to add to your list of births, deaths, and marriages in Meigs Co.
HEPSABO WOOD-born 12 May 1851, Meigs Co.
ZYLPHA GRAHAM-born abt 1813, Alexander Twp., Meigs Co.
WILLIAM WOOD & ZYLPHA GRAHAM- married 11 March 1830, Alexander Twp., Meigs Co.
WILLIAM WOOD-born 23 June 1803, Meigs Co. died-28 Feb. 1864, Meigs Co.
ANGELINE WOOD-born 1836, Meigs Co.
ANNA WOOD-born 1839, Meigs Co.
WARREN JOSEPHUS COOK & CLARISSA WOOD-married 21 August 1856, Meigs Co.
JOHN McKIBBEN & ANNA WOOD-married abt 1860, Meigs Co.
DAVID GRAHAM & ANNA ROBINETTE-married in 1814, Alexander Twp., Meigs Co.
ANNA ROBINETTE-born abt 1795, Alexander Twp., Meigs Co
JOHN WOOD & ELIZABETH ANN MERRITT-married before 1808 in Meigs Co
CALEB MERRITT-died Jan 1832 Alexander Twp., Meigs Co.
UNITY MERRITT-died 22 May 1826, Meigs Co
JOSHUA WOOD & MARY OGDIN-married 1817 in Columbia Twp., Meigs Co.