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Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:50PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Long and Shellenberger
Hi I might be posting on the wrong board but I just wanted to know if anyone happens to have any ideas that can help me search for my moms dad and his family. I have been going to Family Search to try to find info on them and I can never find them its very frustrating. I don't have a subscription to Ancestry yet but I do plan on getting one , just trying to get more info before I do. So I have been stuck on my moms dad side since I started in middle school 2008 and I still cant find nothing on them. I have 3 birth years for Melvin Frank Long, 1) on his Marriage License I have Dec 27 1906 born in Pennsylvania. 2) On the Death Certificate I have Dec 27 1904 also the Middle name its a E Not and F for Frank. 3) I have his SS Card and when I went to the SS death index on family search it says he was born Dec 17 1905. Then when it comes to his Parents on his Marriage License his Parents names are Melvin James Long and the mom is Alma Shellenberger both born in Pennsylvania. I have no clue if he has any siblings or if they had other marriages I do know on the marriage License Melvin Frank was married 2 times before he married my grandmother. Other then that I get a big headache looking for them it seems like a wild goose chase. So any help or if someone tells me its a lost cause I'll even take that. Thank you for reading my crazy post

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:55PM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 14 Jul 2015 12:38AM GMT
until we get a moment to help you, and before this post gets moved to the surname board "long' i suggest u copy and paste to the pennsylvania state board , as people who monitor that board would have better ideas on where to look for records. also, if u live anywhere near a latter day saints (the people who bring u family search) center or a library big enough to have a genealogy room, they usually have ancestry for free and often other subscriptions as well, sometimes even to newspaper archives which are very helpful. as to the birth date, unless he was hiding something, he may not have known the exact date- or it may be an honest mistake, as they are close. (same with the "e' and "f" )the date on the death cert was given , of course, not by him, and people do forget or were mis informed
it would be really helpful to know his wifes name-your moms mother-? where they wed, where they lived, where they died, and when. thanks

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 14 Jul 2015 12:12AM GMT
Classification: Query
Thank you for reading and responding . I have no clue who the other wives are, It was just checked marked that the 2nd one died before he married my grandmother. My Grandmother name is Patricia Ann Swanson she passed away in 2003 so I was to young to ask her anything. I just get some info from my mom and she doesn't know much about him at all. Also he was about 60 when he married my grandmother she was 27. Also what my mom has told me both sides of the family didn't like each other. That's all I know :(

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 14 Jul 2015 12:52AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 14 Jul 2015 1:25AM GMT
what year did he marry patricia, what state did they live in, die in? its possible we could find some obits, news articles. another thought- maybe he was an orphan and really didnt know his birth date.
this is he? soc sec death indexAge: 67 Given Name: Melvin Surname: Long
Birth Date: 17 Dec 1905
State: Maryland Event Date: Jun 1972
did he die in maryland? where? do u know where he is buried? did his soc sec or marriage license say what state HE was born in?

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 14 Jul 2015 2:33AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 14 Jul 2015 2:48AM GMT
He married my grandma I believe May 1 1965 but on the Marriage License the Application date was April 24 1965. She lived in Indiana.

And yes that's what I found for Melvin the SS# matched for him and he died in New Port Richey, Florida on June 3 1972 the SS# matched also on the death Certificate.

On everything I have it says he was born in Pennsylvania. What my mom did know that my grandma didn't know his real name she thought it was Jim because that's what he went by I think not really sure and also what my mom said her mother donated his body to science. My mom doesn't really remember him he left when she was baby and only saw him a few times. My mom said he did have sisters don't know there names but when ever her mom and dad had a fight he would go to Pennsylvania with his family

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 14 Jul 2015 8:24AM GMT
Classification: Query
good clues. i will keep looking, but u are right- a man of mystery, havent found anything definite yet!

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 14 Jul 2015 3:09PM GMT
Classification: Query
:) I know I definitely need to get a membership for Ancestry, I have been just going to the family search just trying to at least find some hints so when I do get something I can go to Ancestry. What you said he is a man of mystery I can never find him and his parents on any census. It could be possible he didn't live in Penn but I have no clue , I just wonder why he ended up in Florida.

Also for his mom Alma Im not sure if that is her first name it may be middle because I know some people go by their middle name. I do appreciate your help so very much I have literally hit a brick wall.

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 22 Jul 2015 2:02PM GMT
Classification: Query
Since he died in New Port Richey, Fl then he is probably the Melvin F with wife Annabelle shown in the city directory in the late 1950s. That same couple is shown on city directories for Gary, Indiana in the early and mid 1950s. Maybe Annabelle was his second wife. It could be helpful to find her death record/obit which would probably be in one of those cities. Do you know if your Melvin F had any children with his first two wives? There aren't too many Alma Shellenbergers out there. I find it curious that there is a Melvin James Long (married in California 1920) who was born in Altoona, PA c1889 (per his draft card) and that there was an Alma Shellenberger born around the same time in the same town. Possibly they could have been teenage parents and maybe were never even married. I'm still looking around. Will post here if anything comes up.

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 22 Jul 2015 2:05PM GMT
Classification: Query
I forgot to mention that a DNA test might help link you to paternal relatives. I have a relative who did not know his father except that the person was likely Native American. With a DNA test he was matched with cousins who turned out to be Native American. He knows that they must be paternal relatives.

Re: Searching for Moms father and his Parents ??

Posted: 23 Jul 2015 6:51PM GMT
Classification: Query
I never thought about looking into that, I think since I have tried to find something on him forever I was just focused on looking for him and his parents together. The 1950 might be a good start for me since I don't know who is first wife is and this Annabelle might be a clue for me, I think you might be on to something :). On the Marriage application the 2nd wife did die not sure when but my grandma married him in 1965 so this Annabelle could be his 2nd wife. As for kids Im not sure my mom said her mom was told by her dad that he had a daughter but she died in a bridge collapse so im kinda at a loss for knowing if he had more kids.


You must be reading my mind Im at a point if I cant find anything on my moms dad I was going to do a DNA test for her to see what I can find.

I really do appreciate your help. Like I have said Im at this brick wall and I only have little info on him so any help or ideas on where to look I will take any help :) thank you so much. I now have a little clue maybe on where to look
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