March 20, 2008 - Nancy Shay Marriage Certificate/Jane Shay Peal Marriage Certificate

I've attached 3 marriage certificates from Scott County:

1) Nancy S Shay to Thomas Owan (Owens) - 9/26/1880

2) Mrs. Rebecca Jane Shay to Mr. Joseph E. Rutledge - 28 Jan 1872

3) Mrs. Rebecca Jane Shay to Stephen Peal 26 Jan 1879

Also, I've attached a couple of Census reports from Potter County that list a Nancy and Thomas Owens In Potter County in 1910, 1920 and 1930.

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Nancy Shay that married Thomas Owens has to be the same Nancy that is the sister of our Jane Shay Heath. That would explain how Jane came to live in Potter County. I don't think the 1880 census of John & Nancy Owens are related because the birthplaces do not match up with Thomas and Nancy that appear in later census in Potter County. Also Jane's sister Nancy was still living with with the Withow/Peals in Sandywoods in Jun 1880 census, 3 months before a marriage to Thomas Owens would have taken place.

This Joseph Rutledge who married Rebecca Peal is a mystery. I didn't realize Rebecca was married 3 times. I don't think they had any children that survived if they had any together. Rebecca's death certificate from 1947 lists her widowed twice. We know that Rebecca was widowed from James Shay but has to be divorced from either Joseph Ruthledge or Stephen Peal.

The 1900 census says 4 children were born to Rebecca but 2 children were deceased. The surviving two children are accounted for.

I also find interesting is that the Nancy Owens wife of Thomas Owens in Potter County seems to have been born in Missouri with a father born in New York? and a mother born in Kentucky. This once again makes Nancy a fit to Jane's sister but leaves an interesting question to ponder. Was James Shay born in Ohio or New York. Obviously there might be a New York connection in there somewhere but also the Shay family that was living in Sweden Township in Potter County in the late 1800's were all from New York.

I have seen the that on many occasions the census listed my great grandmother Emeline's mother as having been born in Pennsylvania when she was born in New York. We always need to take census with a grain of salt.

Next job is to look into the descendants of Thomas & Nancy Shay Owens. They probably still have descendants living in Potter County to this day. Perhaps someone may have info or may know more about the Native American branch. Thanks for the info.