I've just spent my break looking and reading your emails - you were definitely on the right trail. I can't begin to thank you enough for your diligence and research on James M Shay.
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This past year has really taught me a lot about researching genealogy. Using family oral history as well as logic and geography really made fleshing out the details of James Monroe Shay's life fun.
Several times I got thrown down the wrong path trying to connect James with the right family. There were 3 other James Shays born between 1835-1838 that I suspected could be him. The James Shay from Ohio first made sense when I saw that the 1870 & 1880 census for his daughters listed their father as born in Ohio. I also looked at the James Shay from Western PA. Also the James Shay from Newburgh, NY also could fit.
But there were always questions that lingered for me about Jane Shay's line. My great grandfather claimed to have native american in his background, he said he had ancestors that went out west to California and he said that he had 3 family members who fought in the Civil War. One of these men was shot in the face. Also I was puzzeled why Jane Shay left Scott Co., MO after 1880 to arrive in Potter Co., PA by 1885. I always thought that there must have been a connection.
You helped me put everything together when you discovered Nancy Shay's marriage record to Thomas Owens and you ordered James Shay's pension records. The pension records gave us most of our info about James. When I looked into all the Shays near Potter County in the 1800's and in Allegany & Livingston County...Silas Shay stood out and was hard to connect. After you received Silas Shay's pension records...it seemed very probable that Silas and James were brothers linking them as sons of Peter Shay Jr. I am happy that JK has been able to confirm that James Monroe Shay was a son of Peter.
I have fleshed out most of the oral history my great grandfather George Heath gave. I have a strong feeling that Stavina, mother of James is probably the Native American since she came from out West in the 1820's. I hope J can confirm this or has something about this subject. We are almost there.
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