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Hi,
My great-great grandfather was named "Leonard Schilling". He had two children Leonard (b. 5/19/1863) and Annie (b. 9/6/1859). The mother was named Rose (or Rosa) Maurer. Rose (b. 12/26/1841, d. 1881 in Reading, PA) was from Baden Germany.
It is not known for certain if Rose Maurer was ever married to a 'Leonard Schilling', as no official document has been found and it appears to have been a subject of speculation for several generations. The first official record of Rose Maurer was found in the 1880 US census, which lists her as the wife of Zsipperaen (Cyprian) Kuster. Rose's son, Leonard Schilling, was raised as a Kuster and used the Kuster surname until adulthood. Several family members claimed that, at some point after Rose's death in 1881, Leonard was told by Cyprian that he was not his biological son, but further research suggests that he might have known at an earlier date.
After his mother's death, Leonard remained with Cyprian Kuster, who moved to New Jersey. Through 1885, Leonard was listed as a Kuster in New Jersey and in Reading directories when he returned to that city. In the 1887 and later directories, his name appears as Leonard Schilling. As an adult, Leonard listed Leonard Schilling as his father on all official documents, but it is not known if he actually ever found his biological father or had proof that Schilling was his surname.
He changed his given name to Lenhart for a period of at least six years in the late 1890's, as noted in city directories, then it reappears as Leonard. He had a sister named Annie. She used the Schilling (Shilling) name as early as 1876, as documented in marriage records. Unfortunately, official documents prior to 1880 have been difficult to find. It is suspected that, since Leonard and Annie were born in Brooklyn, New York, the records were lost in a fire that destroyed many local government documents of the time.
What is known and documented is that Rose Maurer was Leonard's mother. He was raised by Cyprian Kuster. All of Leonard Schilling's children and subsequent descendants were legally named Schilling. Since Leonard listed his father as "Leonard Schilling" on all official documents, we will honor his memory by including the elder Leonard in our family tree unless we discover documentation to prove otherwise.
That's the story. Any ideas on how I can move forward?
Thanks,
David Schilling
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