Correcting Mistakes in the FamilySearch Tree
Do you work with the FamilySearch tree? If so, have you ever hesitated to correct information for a distant cousin?
I often avoid making changes to distant relatives, hoping that their closer family members will handle any necessary updates. Instead, I typically leave a note suggesting the correction. However, while researching the descendants of Matthew Martin Bland of Platte County, Missouri, I encountered a situation I couldn’t ignore.
The FamilySearch tree listed Evelyn B. Duncan, daughter of Benjamin H. Duncan and Ethel Mae Baker, as having died in 2013 and being buried in Virginia. The source for this information was a BillionGraves record for an Evelyn B. Duncan born in 1915 and married to Charles H. Duncan. While the tombstone image might suggest a match, something didn’t feel right.
Upon further investigation, I found a conflicting Find a Grave record. Unlike the BillionGraves entry, this one linked Evelyn to Camden Point Cemetery, where both of her parents are buried. This raised an important question: Which record was correct?
Thankfully, additional sources provided clarity.
- A January 21, 1956 obituary from The Kansas City Star for Mrs. Evelyn Allen confirmed her father was Ben H. Duncan, aligning with the Find a Grave record.
- A search on Ancestry revealed a Missouri Death Certificate that further supported the 1956 death date and listed her parents as Ben H. Duncan and Ethel M. Baker.
With multiple sources confirming the 1956 death date, I’m now updating the FamilySearch tree. I’ll remove the incorrect BillionGraves source, add the obituary and death certificate, and correct Evelyn’s burial location.
This experience is a reminder of the importance of verifying records and cross-referencing sources—especially when errors can lead future researchers down the wrong path. Have you ever encountered a similar situation in the FamilySearch tree?