George Detrick Gushard ¹

George married Mary Elizabeth Lightfoot, daughter of Solomon S. Lightfoot and Sarah Irvin, about 1855. (Mary Elizabeth Lightfoot was born on 10 September 1834 in Pennsylvania,^{1 2 3 4} died on 24 February 1910 in Mansfield, OH ^{1 4 5} and was buried on 26 February 1910 in Mansfield Cemetery, Mansfield, OH ^{1 4 5}.). The cause of her death was Myocarditis.

  Marriage Notes:

The entry of a husband with the surname of Gushard is based solely on the reports of a very few other researchers that show this as a marriage. Unfortunately none provide any source citations. No marriage date or location has been provided and no other information about his full name, birth date or birth location.

But there is a problem with the marriage date between Mary and <?> Gushard. Mary was enumerated as living with her parents for the 1860 US Census. She supposedly married Gushard in about 1855 and gave birth to a son named George Henry Gushard in 1856. It would have been possible for her to have left her baby with the father or other relatives and to have moved back with her parents in 1860 thereby appearing with them for that census.

She then supposedly was remarried later that same census year of 1860 to James Oliver Alexander on 8 Nov 1860. I have been unable to find any source documents to support either marriage. The only documentation on any of this comes from a GEDCOM from Shirley Walter which provided no source citations for any of the names or dates.

There are two census records which show Mary Alexander living with a husband, James C (or J. or O.) Alexander in 1870 and 1880 as well as the 1890 Special Schedule of Surviving Soldiers, Sailors, and Widows. Both the 1870 and 1880 US Census records show the alleged son George Gushard living with the married couple. The 1870 US Census record in Mifflin Township, Richland County, Ohio for James Alexandria and wife Mary. Living with them is a 14 year old George Gushet. The only problem is that Mary's age is off by 5 years too young, which is not all that unusual for women to understate their age during those times. The 1880 record listed George as a boarder. Apparently the couple had moved to Richland County, Ohio sometime between 1860 and 1870 but those two census records there in Ohio show their birth locations to be in Pennsylvania as well as the birth location for the alleged son, George. Surprisingly the 1880 US Census also shows an "adopted son" Arthur Leibfeitz living with them.

The 1900 US Census for Mary's sister, Sarah, shows an Arthur Gushard living with Sarah and her husband and the relationship was noted as "Nephew". I'm sure it was meant to be a nephew to Sarah and not to her husband. Arthur was actually a son of George Gushard who was born to Mary in 1856 so technically Arthur was not even a nephew.

These two census records at least this makes it somewhat probable that Mary had a relationship with a Gushard/Gushet which resulted in the birth of a son, George Gushard, whose name also appears on her death certificate.

The two census records which tie Mary Lightfoot to James Alexander plus the 1890 Special Schedule of Surviving Widows make a strong case that Mary was indeed married to James Alexander. The inclusion of the name George on two of their census records makes a somewhat strong case that Mary Lightfoot was either married to or had a relationship with a partner named Gushard.
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