Hello List! I'm looking for information on Severin Schwartz/Swartz who was in McLean Co. IL approx. 1860s-1890s. I know he was a Civil War soldier and in 1883 was listed as a veteran collecting benefits of $12.00 for injuries. I am trying to determine if he might be the father of our John S. Schwartz, b. 1851 in Chicago. The only information I have on parents of John S. Schwartz comes from his marriage certificate in Adams Co., Wis when he married in 1874. Parents were listed there as Steven and Mary Schwartz who were born in Germany. Various census records indicate parents born in Germany. Family lore says John was a wheelwright from Chicago and he was often called Severin John Schwartz. I have been searching for Steven/Stephen Schwartz/Swartz (and various spellings) for some time with no luck. Only this week found the Severin Swartz/Schwartz listed in various Illinois documents and began to wonder if there might be a connection. Anyone have a connection? Or further clues I can follow? Thanks! Linda Schwartz http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~schwartz/