I'm searching for an obituary, or other information, on Thomas L. Titus. He was probably living in Lincoln Township, Wright County, Iowa at the time of his death. He is listed in the 1895 Iowa state census for Lincoln Township as Thomas Tittus, age 81, with second wife, Jane, daughter, Elsie, son George, and Alfred McCarty (probably his stepson). Thomas and first wife, Sarah, lived in Grundy County Iowa during the 1870's. He was buried in Grundy. Thomas was born in PA circa 1814. Thomas is a brick wall and I'm hoping to find more detailed information as to his birthplace, siblings or parents.

marigoldcastle, have you already gone back to the 1860 and 1850 censuses to try to locate TL Titus and wife Sarah, based on age and birthplace?

I've found a very good match in the 1860 census, IL, Whiteside County, Clyde Township, page 1.

Family 453
Titus F L 45 abt 1815 Male Pennsylvania
Titus Sarah 43 abt 1817 Female Pennsylvania
Titus George 24 abt 1836 Male Ohio
Cooper Sarah 22 abt 1838 Female Ohio
Titus Luretta 17 abt 1843 Female Ohio
Titus Elmore 15 abt 1845 Male Ohio
Titus Robin 12 abt 1848 Male
Titus Artensa 10 abt 1850 Female Ohio
Titus Alice 3 abt 1857 Female Illinois

In 1850, this family was in OH, Morrow County, Franklin Township:

Family 1911
Thomas L. TITUS, 35, Carpenter, 900, PA
Sarah, 33, PA
George O. COOPER, 14, OH
Sarah L. COOPER, 12, OH
Luzetta Titus, 7, OH
Elmore Y. TITUS, 6, OH
Rollin/Robbin B. TITUS, 2, OH

It appears that George and Sarah "Jr." may be children of Sarah by a previous marriage to someone named COOPER.

Note that the 1850 census indexing at ancestry gives this family's surname as PETERS, but on the census page it is clearly Titus.

Searching the index for the surname Titus in Morrow County, OH, in 1850, there is a 75-year-old William Titus who was born in Pennsylvania (c1775), and a 32-year-old Harlan D. TITUS, also born in Pennsylvania--of the right age to be a brother to Thomas L.

Elmore Titus is buried in Iowa and served in the Civil War; perhaps his pension papers would provide some leads as to his father's birthplace. (Co. E, 46th Illinois Infantry. Filed as an invalid c1890 from OK; widow filing 1922 from Iowa.)

TITUS Elmore Y. 07 Jun 1843 02 Mar 1922 Conrad Conrad Grundy GAR Marker

Do you already have a death record for Thomas? It might indicate his birthplace and parents' names.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your kindness is doing that research. I do have the census info for Thomas Titus from 1850 down to 1895 (he dided in 1898). Also his marriage record to Sarah Beatty Cooper (who, yes, as you suspected, had been married before and had two Cooper children). I have an obit for Elmore Titus, as well as an obit for Lucetta Titus, both children of Thomas Titus. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to locate a death record or obit for Thomas Titus (his gravestone transcription records only his name and birth and death dates - and the latter was incorrectly transcribed by the WPA). None of the records found so far give any clues to Thomas' birthplace in PA, or his parentage.

However, you did find a potential clue in William Titus and Harlan. Thank you so much. I will do some digging and see what I can come up with on William and Harlan.