I recently received a message from Find a Grave that a memorial page was transferred to me.  It is a memorial page for my 5x great-grandfather, Jonathan Miller (1777-1858) that I had requested the transfer of last year.  I was pleasantly surprised that I now had another Miller ancestor under my Find a Grave wing. As I began looking back through the Miller generations on Find a Grave, I went one generation back to John Miller’s page, Jonathan’s father.  I noticed that John’s brother, Jacob Miller didn’t seem right: 

Courtesy of Find a Grave® 

What tipped me off right away were the dates of birth and death.  First, I know for a fact that Jacob was born in 1728.  I have the actual birth record-see the last entry: 

Recorded in the Evangelische Kirche Neipperg (OA. Brackensheim). Kirchenbuch, 1647-1925 FHL Film No. 1184764. 

The record of Johan Jacob Mueller’s birth and baptism was confirmed by the Rev. Jacob Stoever’s records, along with Jacob’s siblings: 

Taken from Notes and Queries Historical, Biographical and Genealogical Relating to the Interior Pennsylvania by William Henry Egle, Annual Vol. 1899. 

Here are other life event records for my Jacob Mueller. 

Here is the marriage record for my Jacob Mueller: 

Here is the birth record for Jacob Mueller and Anna Maria Lang’s first-born son: 

I have not found any record of my Jacob Mueller’s death or where he is buried. 

The information provided on the memorial page of the Jacob Miller that is linked to my Miller family does not align with the records provided above. Here is the information provided on the memorial page in question: 

Courtesy of Find a Grave® 

As you can see, none of the information lines up with the life of my 6x great-uncle Johan Jacob Mueller. My Jacob Mueller, born in 1728, came with his parents Jacob Mueller and Charlotte (Loechner) Mueller to America in 1732 on board the ship, the Pink Johnson. 

I have contacted the person that manages the Jacob Miller page that is in question.  That person asked for records that confirm that their Jacob Miller is not the correct one linked to my family.  I have provided those records to them and they replied that they received them and would do some research.  I have not heard back from them.  As most genealogists and researchers know, there were many, many Johan Jacob Muellers, Jacob Millers, Johannes Muellers; etc. that immigrated to, settled and lived in Pennsylvania. 

These ongoing issues are prevalent across many different web sites, Find a Grave included.  There are many reasons why people “hitch their wagon” to families that aren’t really theirs.  Family folklore and “approved” family histories are some of the reasons, and although enticing, they cannot in any way be used as primary record sources.  Approved DAR/SAR applications are another enticing source that many families use as proof of an ancestor. These applications are at best a secondary record source and even if the information given is correctly referenced, these are not primary record sources. 

I also found the following information very informative: 

USING DAR APPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH – from a portion of Cheryl Singhal’s post to the now defunct FidoNet National Genealogical Echo, 5 April 1993.  

“Before I go into that explanation, however, let me stress that I have picked up this information over the course of 15 years of membership and a year’s worth of application procedures.  I hold no official position in NSDAR, and my comments should be considered “informed opinion.”  All questions should be directed to the Registrar of the Chapter you wish to join.  The paragraphs below, marked with a [bullet] at the beginning, summarize my main points. 

•  Any DAR application submitted before 1976 should be treated as inconclusive.  Any DAR application accepted before 1976 is no longer acceptable “proof” on a new application and should not be cited as “proof” in any other context.
•  Any DAR application submitted after 1990 may be regarded in the same light as the Rock of Gibraltar.  Each fact stated has been backed up with primary evidence, including the marriage of the applicant. (Essentially stating that each piece of information provided on the application must be backed up with primary record sources). 

•  The many-volumed Lineage Books have not been con­sidered reliable sources for over 15 years and DAR does not accept them as sufficient citation/proof on any line. (Note-statement made in 1993). 
•  The exceptions to the above mainly consist of a genea­logical anomaly . . . the information contained on pre-1976 applications were proven by the standards in force when the application was submitted.  The fact that those standards are no longer acceptable is, in some limited contexts, irrelevant.” 

I’ve contacted the DAR regarding the gap between the 1976 and 1990 applications and how the DAR treats them.  I am still awaiting a reply. 

Sourced from https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~bbunce77/genealogy/DARApps.html 

A page from Wikitree reiterates the first and second bulleted comments above as well as other informative comments regarding DAR and SAR application acceptance: 

https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/91388/are-dar-and-sar-applications-reliable-sources

If these types of applications are something you use for your research, you will also need to investigate what the DAR and SAR accept as proof of ancestry. 

I look at any of these types of resources as steppingstones to the truth, whether it’s by proving these steppingstones as factual or otherwise. 

A representation of this one flawed link in Find a Grave are the multiple family trees on Ancestry, FamilySearch and other web pages that have Jacob Miller (1722-1782) linked to my Miller family. 

Please remember that all of our ancestors deserve to have their place in the history of this world recorded.  By placing them in relationships with incorrect families takes away from the legacy that others may be attempting to leave behind for their future generations. 

Sources: 

Notes and Queries – Historical, Biographical and Genealogical Relating Chiefly to Interior Pennsylvania – Edited by William Henry Engle, Annual Vol. 1899  

Rootsweb 

WikiTree 

DAR.org 

Find a Grave® 

Featured Image – Christ Little Tulpehocken Church Cemetery courtesy of Romaine Stauffer

Acknowledgements: 

Romaine Stauffer – Find a Grave contributor and manager of Johannes Mueller (1733-1796) page

Carmen Merritt – Find a Grave contributor and manager of Johann Jacob Mueller (1697-1772) page

Cheryl, my wife, continues to support and love me. Thank you!