LET'S SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF WHAT HAPPENED TO MARGARET JANE AND HER HUSBAND! OR... at least, finding records with information on their death, guardianship proceedings for their minor children, probate records, and ultimately their burial records would be lovely.

You might be excited hoping to find burial information. I'm so sorry that this will be a letdown, but I'm hoping that by using findagrave, it will highlight this issue to more family researchers. I know that there are MANY relatives trying to find more information on this couple.

Margaret Jane lists Ohio and Pennsylvania as her birthplace. Her parents are George Appleman and Margaret Cox.

She marries Henry Blackston in Morgan County, OH in 1839. On the 1840 and 1850 census reports, she is living in Morgan County. On the 1860 census, they are living as a family in Jackson, Vinton County OH - no record of them from then on.

Family lore has it that the family might have tried to move out West, and that perhaps tragedy struck on the trip.

The ONLY guardianship proceedings I can find is for their daughter Sarah Blackston, in the Pickaway County probate records. Guardianship is granted to Levi Appleman, Margaret Jane's brother, in August of 1871. Sarah is working as a domestic servant in Jackson on the 1870 census for William & Matilda Landman.

Thomas Blackston, my great great grandfather, has Henry and Jane listed as his parents on his death certificate. He was born 1867. His death certificate also lists that he was born in Illinois. The informant is Simon Tatman, who would be his nephew if the information is correct. Either way, the Tatmans and Blackstons have MANY connections. Maybe Margaret Jane died in childbirth? She would be up in years if she indeed was Thomas's mother. This also opens up the possibility of other children between their youngest child documented on the census reports (Martha) and Thomas.

Please help solve the mystery if you can. Many trees on ancestry.com have Henry and Jane's deaths listed as c. 1865 but with no supporting documentation. I have searched probate records online. Vinton County does not have anything online past 1864.