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Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 1 Aug 2015 10:24PM GMT
Classification: Query
Yes, you have it. That is the one that had my interest. There's a lot of curious goings on. Seems like more than a coincidence that a Melvin James Long and Alma Shellenberger both lived in the same town for 1900-1910. There are some online family trees for Alma, but no mention of an earlier child. She could have had one and not told her husband or children. I suppose the reason that Melvin Frank Long has not been found on early records is that he was brought up under a different name. Will be interesting to see if the DNA test shows a match with anybody in these two families. I looked at the map of Altoona and compared it to addresses for the Lundys and the Shellenbergers. They did live pretty close to each other. The big mystery is; what did Frank do that was so awful that he moved all the way across the country and changed his name? There must be a serious reason.

I also see from the 1930 and 1940 census that he claims to be a WW vet, but so far I can't find his name in any military lists. He was already using Melvin James Long for his WWI draft card.

Yesterday I also found an obit (1929) for Frank's sister Merle (Lundy) Laughlin which states she has a son Robert L. Laughlin in Brea, CA. It's just another supporting bit of evidence since that is where Melvin lived. Also found that Gertrude was still in Utica for the 1930 census. Not sure when she went to Cal. There's one Gertrude Lundy (widow) from PA in LA county for 1940, but it's a different Gertrude Lundy and she had been in Pittsburgh 1930.

This situation is very interesting.

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 1 Aug 2015 10:54PM GMT
Classification: Query
alexis- - you said "the birth cert and judicial decree are not checked but it has other(Specify) and it has the the letter L and 12 numbers well I looked its up on Google( I know silly but just wanted to see what it would say" following all leads never!!! silly- . not a LOT of help yet, but it could have been the code for "doesnt have original birth cert cuz he was adopted" . look where following all leads got pascoagwood - still unproven, but so many leads! please, for your own sanity, note well where you get all your info - print copies, make time lines-dont trust it to be online when you go back searching for it sometime down the road - be an excellant record keeper, it will save you a lot of grief in the end-because i think u are going to find this family growing, you may want to get a genealogy program at some point, there are free ones. this addiction causes some of us to have thousands of names in our trees- the 3 ring binder no longer adequate

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 1 Aug 2015 10:58PM GMT
Classification: Query
I'm definitely going to have to check this out both you and pascoagwood might be on to something. Because I have tried to find them in a census together but I never can I might not be looking good enough. I know back then people married a lot but I never though of a name change. I thank everyone who has helped me in this crazy search, its amazing how I can give a little clue and I get back a lot of maybe info. I cant thank you two enough :)

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 1 Aug 2015 11:17PM GMT
Classification: Query
Wow you 2 are really on to something I'm really gonna have to bypass the SS application and save up for this DNA kit. Everything I have read that was posted could be them its amazing that this Lundy could very well be the Long but like you said if this is Frank what did he do to change his name... Thank you once again for this awesome info. :) Once I get this DNA kit I will let you guys know and hopefully all the info that has been dug up will be a put a very helpful clue :)

name changing and visiting pa

Posted: 1 Aug 2015 11:45PM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 2 Aug 2015 12:11AM GMT
melvin changed his name, but he wasnt really hiding as he was mentioned in obits and his family members moved to california- not much to keep u from changing your name back then-no drivers license, credit cards, etc- and since he was still in blair co 1910, guess it wasnt a shotgun wedding, if he is, indeed, the father. 1905-i would be surprised if alma-if this is the correct alma- shared the birth of a son at age 15-- yet, i find it curious-- melvin the younger, after his last marriage in 1965 -when fighting with his spouse would take off for pa to "visit sisters" or someone- step sisters? foster sisters? blood sisters? aunts? where is one of those gossipy neighborhood chat newspaper articles when you need one - and when did he find out his parents names - which would indicate that he was raised by family - i dont know how easy it would have been in the 60's to get original birth certs if there had been a closed adoption. curiouser and curiouser- and he was 60+ yrs old when he was escaping to pa-who was left alive of his family?

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 1 Aug 2015 11:58PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hay Google can be a good help sometimes :) Well that is a coincidence you bring that number back up, I actually emailed them last week in hopes of getting something but when I called they couldn't help me since the The Driver Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) limits the information I can get unless I'm a Private Detective and a whole list of other things. Well I gave up and forgot about the email I sent since it takes 3 days for them to reply, They emailed me with that above also the number I gave them they said -Upon review of the records with the number you provided it did not appear in our system, there was no record. So I may have been looking to much into Maryland. Also the website I used to see if the numbers could have been a MD DL was a few numbers of at the end but I was thinking well that was so long ago that may be it.

So between you and pascoagwood saying he may have been raised by another family or even adopted makes me really wonder and I may be so wrong about him being in Maryland. If this helps the number that's on the Marriage License is L-520-599-261-944. So I think it is safe to say that this number is not a DL number

An yes right now I have a folder with 3 other family names in it. So I think it is time to upgrade and move them all in their own binders. And I have learned so much from this experience that I know what I need to start doing. :)

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 2 Aug 2015 12:28AM GMT
Classification: Query
again-genealogy libraries-i.e. the genealogy floor of your local library, if u are lucky enough- and lds library have access to many sites you would have to pay for-often newspaper archives-write an outline, timeline, and questions, go prepared and bring a few bucks so u can make copies-usually 15 cents or so- it is faster and u can study them later

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 2 Aug 2015 12:29AM GMT
Classification: Query
It's been fun Alexis. I love a good mystery. This is just like a tree I worked on where a guy abandoned his family and married 6 more times, never getting a divorce. He tried to kill his last wife, but only succeeded in killing himself. Found some great newspaper articles. The descendants of his children by his first wife were SHOCKED. They were always told that he had died. Please post here when you have new info. Any little clue can be worked. I bet Melvin Frank was raised near Altoona and probably heard bits and pieces of info from his aunts and Laughlin cousins.

one more thing

Posted: 2 Aug 2015 12:32AM GMT
Classification: Query
a descendant of Melvin James Long has a tree online. I tried to post some info to her page and I sent her a private message in hopes that she would know something. She has no info posted on his parentage, so probably not, but maybe she has a picture of him that you could compare to Melvin Frank. She hasn't signed on in 6 mos so I'm not too hopeful.

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 2 Aug 2015 12:59AM GMT
Classification: Query
Yes I have one about 40mins away from me and it has help me a lot. But when I tried looking for Melvin F and Melvin J I would get them mixed up at who I am looking for. I can now say my eyes are open and I kinda have a clue at what to look for now :) so next time I go I can try all of the names you guys have found and see what I can find :) thank you for all of your help once again :)
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