Depending upon what record was believed, a certain relative for in the 1870s in Illinois had one of three maiden names. The relative herself had not been married multiple times and her parents had not either. Her parents had never been married and she was adopted (informally) about the age of seven. The “maiden names” given for her ended up being:

• her birth father’s surname
• her birth mother’s surname
• her adoptive parents’ surname

Never assume all those different names are wrong. They may just be clues.

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