Shopher Mystery

Okay, on Delilah Weaver that married Frederick Shopher.

Since I had fallen off the gen tree for about a year, I was going through my files (surprised?) and noticed something I didn't notice before. I guess it slipped pass me because of the spelling since I copied it all when I first started out doing genealogy. I knew at that time to try Shofer and Shoffer, but didn't know how variant the spelling is until now. It's sure worth it to go back through your files now and then.

Anyway I have the following copied from the 1850 Tennessee:

Shoftner, Hezekiah 26, Emily 23, Sarah 2, Delilah 2 1/2, Delilah 63

Yeah, I know, Delilah age 63 stuck out to me too...lol.. The pattern of naming children fits perfect here as far as the first daughter being named after the wife's mother and the second daughter being named after the husband's mother. (Not that I know the name of Emily's mother, but the second daughter is Delilah). After all the last place we find Frederick is 1850 Hardeman and she's not on there, at least in his household.

Okay, note to self, let's see if we can find Hezekiah in the 1860 census, and if he has a son by then see if his first son is a Frederick. Because the pattern for naming boys was the opposite the first named after the husband's father and the second after the wife's father.
This census puts Hezekiah born about 1824, even though Frederick & Delilah married 1825. But that doesn't really mean anything. His age in 1860 could be different to make him fit.
Oh and this was 1850 Bedford Tennessee they were in, so if this is our Delilah, werer they divorced or was she just visiting another son while the census was taken. Probably divorced or Fred would have added her to his family and she would have shown up twice...I've seen that happen before.

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