A Missing Link (The NOLA Olivers)

Thru DNA connections I have two people who do not necessarily know one another, but they have the same ancestor in their trees. I haven't been able to communicate in a meaningful way with either cousin about their trees, so I don't know how much information/people in the trees is first hand knowledge of people they actually know.

Ancestry indicates that they are both 4th - 6th cousins, which means at a minimum a 3rd great grandparent is our connection.

The surname I find in both, well, all three trees actually, because of mine, is Oliver. I have a second great grandmother named Oliver. I do know, though, that she came from Ireland in the mid-1800s. And that is about all I know. I know some of her descendants, of course. :)

I have another DNA connected person (different branch, but I know where she fits) who I know has put some wrong information in her tree. I have told her about the error, but she has not made the change. So, with that tidbit, I know to approach other people's public trees with caution.

I am trying to piece this man's life together and see if I can get further back. I have found his parents - lucky for me - but I still haven't jumped over the pond to Ireland.

And I can't get further back. Also, is his mother Ella or Ellen? A search in the Orleans Parish Marriage records comes up with nothing for a William and Ella/Ellen. (That doesn't mean anything, of course...) But I haven't been able to find anything about them. I suppose I might conclude that they - William and Ella - do not live in New Orleans. Why would I think they do? Perhaps Joseph Mack Oliver moved to New Orleans from elsewhere and then settled and married here. Maybe he is the first of my branch of Olivers to live in NOLA.

WAIT! As I write this I remember that one census indicated that Joseph Mack Oliver was born in Texas. If that were true - all other census indicate that he was born in Louisiana - then perhaps William and Ella/Ellen are in Texas and I am searching entirely in the wrong state. Though it does appear that William was a witness to the wedding, which would bring him back to NOLA. Though he might have traveled for the joyous occasion.

But, we also have an obituary which indicates that Joseph Mack Oliver had a sister and half brother... a sister he calls Lita and a half brother he calls Peter Tatum. We see Peter in some of the census documents living with Joseph or his children. I guess I need to get back to writing that life story and see what I can tease out.

And, am I jumping to conclusions on the name of the father? Maybe that is not shorthand for William. Maybe it is another name entirely.

I am getting discouraged enough to start entering all the Oliver marriages before a certain date in to Ancestry to see what pops up. Silly and a huge waste of time, isn't it? But that is what I am thinking. I should just finish writing the story of Joseph Mack Oliver and see what trails I determine and explore those.