Researching my blood great-grandfather who I have no information on. My grandfather, Arthur G Bates born 1911. Mother was Clara Bates (or shoeman or schuman or variant)Catt. census of 1920 has the following, I can't find any information for my grandfather's true father. My grandfathers death certificate lists Osterstuck as the father, clara (last name unknown) as the mother.

I don't know where my grandfather was born. A kind person suggested I write for the original SSN registration info. Hoping I can find something out here that someone might know. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I've hit the brick wall.

Earliest record of my grandfather:

1920 Cattaraugus/Olean War 9/District 84 William J Osterstuck 23, Clara 39 PA NY NY, Arthur G stepson 8 NY NY NY

(I'm fairly certain that Clara was 29, not 39)

Clara Schuman Bates Osterstuck is truly an elusive person! I did not find her living with Mr. Osterstuck, in Olean, in the 1930 census!

I suggest you contact the Cattaraugus County Historical Society, in Machias, NY. Their website is:

http://www.cattco.org/museum/

I did find info on where Arthur is buried, along with his wife:
Name: Arthur Bates
Birth Date: 25 July 1911
Death Date: July 1974
Residence at Death: Attica, Wyoming County, New York 14011
SSN: 071-01-7854

Interment Record for Arthur G. Bates
St. Vincent's Roman Catholic Cemetery, Village of Attica: This cemetery associated with St. Vincent’s RC Church is located on east side of Exchange Street just before Attica Correctional Facility Property.
Name: Bates, Arthur G.
Born: 1911
Died or Buried: 1974
Buried: St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery
Section: A Walk
City: Attica
County/State: Wyoming, NY
Notes: Spouse: Arlene C. Bates

Interment Record for Arlene C. Bates
Name: Bates, Arlene C.
Born: 1913
Died or Buried: 1980
Buried: St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery
Section: A Walk
City: Attica
County/State: Wyoming, NY
Notes: Spouse: Arthur G. Bates

Name: William Osterstuck
Birth Date: 01 September 1896
Death Date: January 1978
Residence at Death: Rushford, Allegany County, New York 14777
SSN: 705-03-3238

Good luck - I have one of these missing persons, too - a woman - my great-grandmother!

Anne Pratt Slatin

Just a PS:

If you can determine from Arthur's social security number just where Arthur was born, you can then request a copy of his birth certificate from the village or town clerk.

Alternately, you might request a copy of his birth certificate, now that you know when he was born, from the NYS Department of Health, in Albany, NY. That definitely would give you his mother's maiden name, as well as his father's first name.

http://www.health.state.ny.us/vital_records/birth.htm

Thanks for all the great help Anne, My grandfather is the most elusive. I simply can't find any information about him pertaining to his real father (Bates). Osterstuck was his step-father, Clara was his Mother (she was killed in 1930 via a truck accident in Buffalo, which is why no info exists for her past then) I know from census records he lived with Osterstuck for some time after his mothers death.

You mentioned trying to obtain his birth certificate via your link in Albany...sounds like a good idea. If I can find his birth certificate that would be a milestone.

Thanks again,

Art

Hello, Art!

Please try to obtain your grandfather's birth certificate - you are well past the 70 years wait period!

It is totally amazing what the NY State Health Department's Vital Records can dig up! As long as you have a name, a date of birth, and know that your person was born in NY State, you usually are rewarded!

Good luck to you!

Anne

Hi Anne,

Sent the request out last week. I hope to hear something faster than the 5 months turnaround they say the process takes.

I'll post the results here.

Regards,

Art

Good luck!

I assume you sent out the SSN query.

I wonder if you might be able to send in a request for Arthur G.'s birth certificate to NYSDOH. You have the date of his birth, and know that he was born in NY State. How many Arthur G. Bates could there be, who were born on that date with a mother named Clara?

You also could add the various counties he may have been born in, such as Cattaraugus, Erie, Wyoming, or Allegheny?

The birth certificate request would take less time than the SSN request, in my experience.

Anne

Anne,

I went for the birth certificate first. My logic was this, and please disagree if you feel I'm incorrect, my grandfather was adopted, and I'm fairly certain that any mention of the father would be have been Osterstuck, and not the bio-father.

Valid logic or no?

Good on going for the birth certificate first!

It's hard to say who might be the father listed on the birth certificate! If Clara used the name of Bates (and it wasn't her maiden name), I would wager that a Bates might show up as the father of Arthur G.

It's been my experience that adoption records are sealed only if the child has been born out of wedlock, and adopted immediately by someone other than the birth parents. In that case, the adoptive parents' names are on the new birth certificate.

This would happen if the adoption took place shortly after birth, and Arthur would have used Osterstuck from birth onwards. It's clear that Clara always was in the picture.

The fact that he is shown with the Bates name as a stepson, on the census, leads me to believe that the birth certificate will show Arthur's birth father.

Let's hope this is the case!

Anne

Thanks Anne, I agree..Clara used the name "Bates" for as long as my research shows. I was thinking that she may have even been married to Arthur's father, then he might have died or have been killed. If she was divorced, I don't see why she would have kept the Bates name. The only time I see a reference to her maiden name "SHOEMAN"(her obituary in the paper lists her as CLARA BATES-OSTERSTUCK) was her obituary in the newspaper. She was a pedestrian killed by a vehicle in 1930. It's a real headscratcher but I really hope you are right and I can see the fathers name on that paper.