Nancy, the original German spelling was SCHÖNE; you might find it in English as SCHONE or SCHOENE. I'm sure that SHOWN is just another way it was written in English. After all, SCHÖNE, or SCHONE, would have sounded like SHOWN to an English-speaking person. As to what it "should" be, that's a matter of preference. We just have to go by what is actually entered on legal documents. After all, WILHEIT became WILHOIT because of the way some English-speaking clerk heard the name, and BROYLES or BREHEL became BRILES in NC, because of the way an English-speaking clerk heard it THERE. Don't forget that back in the "olden days" in Germany, there was really no standardized spelling for ANY surname! And, I don't think there is any standardized spelling for any surname in America today. It's just how it got written down, and whether or not a particular person or branch of a family accepted that spelling. SgtGeorge At 02/13/2002 03:55 PM Wednesday, Nancy Hatcher wrote: *********START OF ORIGINAL MESSAGE TEXT********* (snip) >My great grandfather was Reubin W. Wilhite b. March 1, 1860, married >Ida Florence Hardin. He was the son of Nathaniel Mason Wilhite b. >Nov. 19,1828 and Cassandra Shown b. Sept. 4, 1832. > >This information was given to me by an aunt, my question is the >spelling on Cassandra's name. Should it be SCHONE? Is SHOWN just >another spelling? Is anyone else researching this line? Would >appreciate any and all help. > >Thanks > >Nancy **********END OF ORIGINAL MESSAGE TEXT**********