Two Gilbert Eads in Wayne County, MO?

Gilbert A. Eads was the son of Alfred Eads and Letitia Eads nee McDaniel. It appears in the course of my research that there may have been two Gilbert Eads living in Wayne County, Missouri and some researchers have gotten them mixed up. Again, I cannot stress this enough, it is very important to never base your research on "hearsay" and research something yourself.

The second Gilbert Eads I have found was named: Gilbert Elbert Eads. I have located a death certificate for this Gilbert and it has the following information:

• Gilbert Elbert Eads lived at Route #1, Piedmont, Missouri
• Wifes name: Martha Eads
• Born 1 March, 1871
• 69 yrs, 10 mos, 17 days of age at time of death
• Lists his fathers name as: Gilbert Elbert Eads (Should be Alfred Eads)
• Mothers name listed as Unknown
• Informant: Asa Eads of Piedmont (Nephew to Gilbert)
• Died 17 January, 1941
• Cause of Death: Carcinomatosis of Peritoneal Cavity,Lite of primary cause unknown, diagnosis made at Desloge Hospital, St. Louis, Mo. Contributed by: Terminal Pneumonia
• Buried at New Liberty Cemetery in Wayne County, Missouri.

I have found a Civil War pension record for one Gilbert A. Eads aka Albertson Gilbert. I am unsure if this is the same Gilbert that is the focus of this post (Son of Alfred & Letitia) It is worth making mention of this finding though at this point until I have ruled it out.  The record is dated 5 April, 1892. Company G 16, Wis. Inf. I assume that to be Wisconsin?

United States, Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N4P8-53B : accessed 17 Mar 2013), Gilbert A. Ead, 1892.

 There is a story circulating online that one Gilbert Eads was shot to death over a girlfriend. I think that we have proved it could not have been Gilbert Elbert Eads at this point. Although people are purporting it to have been none other than Gilbert Elbert Eads!

Now, to make matters worse, I have found the following in a 2009 Ancestry Tree File by Priscilla Brewen Wade:

Ms. Wade shows Gilbert Elbert Eads to have been the son of our Alfred Eads and Letitia McDaniel and that he married one: Martha Eads who was the daughter of James Newton Eads and Martha Jane Eads nee Allen. James Newton was the son of my Great, Great, Great Grandfather John Eads and his wife Louisa Jane Eads nee Lackey.

She states a marraige date for the couple as:7 December, 1892 in Wayne County, Missouri. Ms. Wade has the following children listed for the couple:

•   James N. Eads
•   Arthur Lee Eads
•   Ollie E Eads
•   Roy E. Eads
•   Bessie R. Eads
•   Ray Eads
•   Robert Eads
•   Dollie J. Eads

 If the information she has it true then we must conclude the following information concerning Gilbert Elbert Eads:

1. The  Death Certificate for Gilbert Elbert Eads to have incorrectly listed his Fathers Name. 
2. The Census that lists the son of Alfred Eads and Letitia McDaniel to have been wrong when it listed their child as being one: Gilbert A. Eads.
3. The story floating around online that Gilbert was shot to be incorrect as well! 
4. The Gilbert Albertson Eads whose Civil War Pension record I found to not have anything to do with this family at all, at this point in time. It could be someone else entirely. 

Gilbert Eads is listed on the 1940 Census for Wayne, Missouri, St. Francois Twp. He is living with his wife Martha which backs up Ms. Wades claim that they were a couple.

• Gill E. Eads age 66, born Missouri
• Martha J. Eads, age 63, born Missouri

  "United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K7WR-K4H : accessed 17 Mar 2013), Gill E Eads, St. Francois Township, Wayne, Wayne, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 112-12, sheet 6A, family 113, NARA digital publication T627, roll 2163. 

More to come soon!