Genealogy and What it Can Mean To A Person

Since 1940, my grandmother and I (well, she began in 1940, I took over in 1994) have been searching for her birth parents family.  The story we have been given is that her father was a drunk, her mother was at younger than him, and she was unable to care for the kids on her own, so she gave grandma and her brother up.  At one time I had the actual birth certificate and record that she had from the orphanage.  Fortunately I had typed them up and saved them in a safe spot before the actual documents were accidently thrown away.
About ten years ago, I was playing on Ancestry.com and found a tree that mentioned my grandmother, and her two brothers, and her parents names.  I was in shock, I literally could not even see straight.  I was able to contact one of her father's nephews and he informed me that her father had been disowned from the family, because of the things he did.
For these past ten years, I have been doing more digging, and have found out way more than I ever thought I could imagine. (though I still haven't found out what happened to her parents after she and her brother was given up).  I have found out that her father had been previously married, and had several kids with this woman.  He apparently abandoned her, moved to Minnesota, and then married grandma's mom.  I have found out when his mother died, I have found his mother's side of the family back a few generations.  I was able to find her mother's family back quite a few generations.
Her fathers family is Canadian French, her mothers side is Scottish and German.
But I think the most interesting fact I have learned, is that her father's first wife was black.  First time I read the census sheets and saw that, I thought I was reading it wrong.  Nope, I read the census sheets, I read any documents on her family that I could.  Now, don't get me wrong, I don't have any problems with this fact what so ever.  I just understand that studying black history, and digging into black genealogy is going to be TOUGH.
I did find out, that sometimes in the papers it says black, sometimes mulatto, and then further on (such as in 1910 it would say black or mulatto) in 1940, their paperwork was saying white.    Now at the time that I spoke to my grandmother's cousin, I did not know about this fact, so I did not ask the question of "was your family so light, that they could pass for white?"
Okay, I know a lot of people would think I would be rude for asking it that way, but you have to understand, I state a question or comment straight on.  I don't hide me or who I am.
 So now that I have given the back ground, lets dig into this family!

Henryetta Blanche Jackson
daughter of William Henry Jackson and Blanche Shirley
born 21 June 1923 Glen Lake, Mn
died 11 June 2008 Shelbina, Mo
married Charles George Heyen on Nov 1947 in Oakford, Ill
Son of Thomas Gerd Heyen and Betty Florence Boehm
born 26 Nov 1914 Humboldt, Ne
died 25 Dec 2001 Carthage, Mo
They had 4 children


Robert Humphey Jackson
son of William Henry Jackson and Blanche Shirley
born 26 July 1922 Glen Lake, Mn
died 13 Sep 1989 Alexandria, Mn
married Alice Lauretta Buse
daughter of
born 8 May 1918 Millerville, Mn
died 17 Aug 1999 Alexandria, Mn
I know they had about 3 or 4 boys, one of them dying in 1985.
Soon after my grandmother handed me the paperwork she had, and I started working on the family and searching for them, I found out that her brother Robert had died in 1989.  But I was able to get her in touch with Alice.  They spoke often until Alice's death in 1999.

Leonard Jackson
son of William Henry Jackson and Blanche Shirley
born 1923 Glen Lake, Mn
died 2 Nov 1924 Hopkins, Mn

Natalie Jackson
daughter of William Henry Jackson and Blanche Shirley
born 1925 St Paul, Mn
This is all we know about her.  It was found out that Blanche had dropped Henryetta and Robert off at an orphanage, and then went to a home for unwed mother's, then giving birth to Natalie and giving her up for adoption too.

William Henry Jackson
son of Paul Jackson and Katie LaGrave
born 1877 or 1878 in Chateaugay, NY
died unknown
married Laura Wheeler
daughter of Russel Wheeler and Philomena
born 1876 NY
died uknown
married Blanche Genevieve Haines (Blanche Shirley) 1920 Hopkins, MN
daughter of Albert Haines and Ella Dell
born 1901 Wisconsin
died uknown

Okay, when I spoke to grandma's cousin, he said that William always went by Henry, and that he had left his first wife, married Blanche in 1920, and then they lost track of him after that.
I have Henry and Laura in 1910 census and 1915 census.  After that, Henry is on only four other documents, marriage record with Blanche in 1920, Henryetta's birth cert, Leonards death record and Henryetta's orphanage record.
Blanche was born 1910 in Wisconsin, her parents were Albert Haines and Ella Dell.  Blanche is in the 1905 census with her parents, under the name Jennie Haines, then she is in the 1910 census with her mother and stepfather, Oscar Shirley, she is using the name Genevieve Shirley.  Then in 1920 census she is using the name Blanche Shirley.  Then in her marriage record, she uses the name Jennie Haines.  In her children's birth certificates she uses Blanche Shirley, and in the orphanage records she uses Blanche Shirley.  I have known her as Blanche Shirley the majority of my life, so that is what I am use to calling her. When Blanche was filling out the orphanage record for Henryetta, she put down that Henry was from Chaugne, NY.  It took me years to  find out that it was actually Chateaugay, NY.  On grandma's birth cert it says that Henry was 28, but on the orphanage record it says he was born 1878.  It confused the crap out of me what his true age was, until I finally found his family. I have been unable to find either a marriage cert or divorce record for Henry and Laura.

1880 census for Henry

Name:	Henry Jackson
Age:	2
Birth Date:	Abt 1878
Birthplace:	New York
Home in 1880:	Chateaugay, Franklin, New York, USA
Dwelling Number:	45
Race:	White
Gender:	Male
Relation to Head of House:	Son
Marital status:	Single
Father's name:	Paul Jackson
Father's Birthplace:	New York
Mother's name:	Katie Jackson
Mother's Birthplace:	Canada
Neighbors:
Household Members:	Name Age Paul Jackson 24 Katie Jackson 22 Henry Jackson 2 Minnie Jackson 9/12

1910 Census for Henry

Name:	Henry Jackson
Age in 1910:	30
Birth Year:	abt 1880
Birthplace:	New York
Home in 1910:	Clinton, Clinton, New York
Race:	White
Gender:	Male
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Marital status:	Married
Spouse's name:	Laura Jackson
Father's Birthplace:	New York
Mother's Birthplace:	New York
Native Tongue:	English
Occupation:	Farm Laborer
Industry:	Works Out
Employer, Employee or Other:	Wage Earner
Home Owned or Rented:	Rent
Farm or House:	House
Able to Read:	Yes
Able to Write:	Yes
Years Married:	10
Out of Work:	N
Number of weeks out of work:	0
Neighbors:
Household Members:	Name Age Henry Jackson 30 Laura Jackson 28 Lizzie Jackson 8 Beatrice Jackson 5 Orlinda Jackson 4 Walter Jackson 2

1915 Census for Henry

Name:	Henry Jackson
Birth Year:	abt 1877
Birth Place:	United States
Age:	38
Gender:	Male
Residence Place:	Chateaugay, Franklin
Relationship:	Head
Color or Race:	White
Assembly District:	01
House Number:	St
Line Number:	12
Page Number:	11
Household Members:	Name Age Henry Jackson 38 Laura Jackson 39 A Katie Jackson 9 Walter Jackson 7 William H Jackson 5

1905 Census for Blanche

Name:	Jennie Haines
Gender:	Female
Race:	White
Marital status:	Single
Age:	4
Birth Year:	abt 1901
Birth Place:	Wisconsin
Residence Date:	1 Jun 1905
Residence Place:	Dovre, Barron, Wisconsin, USA
Relationship:	Daughter
Father:	Albert Haines
Mother:	Ella Haines
Line:	17
Neighbors:
Household Members:	Name Age Albert Haines 38 Ella Haines 24 Jennie Haines 4

Name:	Genevieve Shirley
Age in 1910:	8
Birth Year:	abt 1902
Birthplace:	Wisconsin
Home in 1910:	Ladysmith Ward 2, Rusk, Wisconsin
Street:	Sixth St W
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Step Daughter
Marital status:	Single
Father's Birthplace:	Michigan
Mother's name:	Ella Shirley
Mother's Birthplace:	Wisconsin
Attended School:	Yes
Neighbors:
Household Members:	Name Age Oscar Shirley 35 Ella Shirley 28 Elsie Shirley 10 Goldie Shirley 5 Genevieve Shirley 8 George Dell 43

In about 1913 Blanche was taken to the Sparta State School.  From the census between 1905 and 1910, we see that her father most likely died.  And then by 1913 her mother had died.  I have been unable to find proof of these "facts". 

Name:	Blanche Shirley
Age:	20
Birth Year:	abt 1900
Birthplace:	Wisconsin
Home in 1920:	Sparta Ward 1, Monroe, Wisconsin
Street:	E. Montgomery St
Residence Date:	1920
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Servant
Marital status:	Single
Father's Birthplace:	USA
Mother's Birthplace:	USA
Able to Speak English:	no
Industry:	State School
Employment Field:	Wage or Salary
Able to Read:	Yes
Able to Write:	Yes

I use to have a copy of William and Blanche's marriage record, but unable to find it now.

Name

Leonard Jackson

Death Date

2 Nov 1924

Death Place

Hennepin

Death Registration Year

1924

Grandmas Birth Record

Henryetta Blanch Jackson (Baby Girl is scratched out and Henryetta Blanch is written in) 
born: June 23, 1921 
Reg district number 2517
no in Reg book: 38
father: Wm Henry Jackson
Mother: Blanche G Shirley
Residence: Hopkins RFD
Race: White
Father born: 1893 (written, typed is age 28)
Mother born: May 1901 (written, typed is age 20) Wi
Occupation: Common Laborer, Housewife
Dr: Hugh C Avery
Dated June 23, 1921
Address Excelsior
Registrar: WS Frear
Dated: June 24, 1921 
Address: Hopkins

Her orphanage records are like this:
Owatonna State Public School
number 7418
Name: Henrietta Jackson
Date Admitted: Jan 24, 1925
Residence Minneapolis, Mn
County: Hennepin
Date of birth: June 23, 1921
By Order of Court: Juvenile-Hennepin Co
BirthPlace: Glen Lake Mn
Judge: PW Guilford
Sex Female
Colour: White
Petitioners: AL Bean
Address: Minneapolis, Mn
Cause of dependency: father deserted
Contributory Causes: Mother unable to support child
Church: Protestant
Physical condition on admittance: Good
Family character habits, physical and mental conditions: Father-brutal to mother-drinking man
Conjugal relations: Married Sept 18, 1920, at Hopkins Mn, by Lutheran minister, separated
Father: William Henry Jackson
Born 47 years old, Chaugne Ny
Address: Unknown
Mother: Blanche Shirley Jackson
Born: May 1901 Island Lake Russ Co Wi
Mother works occupation unknown
Brothers: one Brother; Robert number 7419
Descriptive Notes: This child together with younger brother Robert number 7419 was brought to the school by Mrs. Esther K Lee, C.P.S, Minneapolis. The father was very brutal to the mother- pounded her and drove her out of the house and then deserted-indictment out for him for desertion. He is Irish Catholic. The mother was a State School girl from Wi, having been sent there when she was 13 years old by her maternal grandmother. She has been working at different places, has improved a great deal in her health since leaving the father, but does not feel able to support the two children. She is Methodist. Lived at Glen Lake for a number of years. Children both have been vaccinated recently. Placed- Feb 3, 1925. Mar2 1925-Mother inquires about children informed. Adress 1531 22nd Ave No Mpls. April 13, 1925, Mother inquires, informed. Adress 1471 W Como Ave., St Paul.

Como Ave was the home for unwed mothers, this is where she gave Natalie up.  We do not know anything after this.