I'm researching my husband's family. He is the youngest of several children from the same mother, but the only child of his father. So he is the only one to carry on the family name (Shadle).

When looking at his grandfather (E Shadle), everywhere that a father's name is listed, it says W Shadle. I know that W Shadle and his mother married, and that W. died in the flu epidemic in 1918 (my husband's grandfather would have been maybe 6?)

I finally tracked down E's birth certificate. It lists the child's last name as E Shadle. However it lists the father's name as something completely different (Conjura). It also confirms he was born before W married E's mother. So I'm assuming E was born out of wedlock and that W raised him for 3-4 years until he died. I'm not sure if an actual legal adoption took place or not.

So here's my question: For the purpose of genealogy, who should I be researching? Should I be trying to find information on the bio father? Or should I research W, since that is the family name of my husband? I should mention that both men are a bit of a dead-end (no clue who W's real father is as he may also have been born out of wedlock, and Conjura disappears completely) so it might all be a moot point. But I'd appreciate opinions on what I'm "supposed" to do (for lack of a better word).