Re: William Collins/Magdalena Ihli

I am not related, just addicted to genealogy.

1900 Peoria, Hughes Co., SC
Magdalena Ebbert 5/1866 Germany immigrated 1872
William T. Collins 6/1888 b. DC (f)DC (m) Germany
James L. Ebbert 6/1896 Nev 9f) Nev (m) Ger
Joseph H. Ebbert 4/1899 SC (f) Nev (m) Ger

In 1910 Hughes co., SD
William Collins 21 b. DC (f) Maryland (m) germany

In 1920 Hughes Co., SD
William H. Collins 31 b. DC (f) DC (m) Germany

William H. Collins died 1923, buried at Riverside Cemetery, Pierre, Hughes co., SD

William's wife, Dorothy Zigler remarried to a Kenneth O'Dell and they moved to California.Dorothy 2/25/1892 SD d. 10/26/1940 Sacramento, CA (f) Zigler (m) Long.It does not appear that Dorothy and husband, Kenneth C. O'Dell had any children.William is shown with them in the 1930 Hughes Co., SD census and the 1940 Sacramento co., Ca census.

Since William (the son) was born 1888 his father would have been just 18 at the time of his birth.If his father was born in 1870, his wife would have been 16 years his senior, not likely - though possible.

1880 DC
William Collins 66 Ireland blacksmith
Mary 52 Ireland
Nannie 23 DC
Morris 22 DC
Kate 19 DC
John 18 DC printing office
WILLIAM 17 DC apprentice to coachmaker
Mary 15 DC
Aloysius 10 DC
Joseph 8 DC
THIS WILLIAM WOULD HAVE BEEN 24 IN 1888

OR

1880 DC
James Collins 40 DC
Frances 37 DC
WILLIAM 19 DC
Bessie 11 DC
Eva 9 DC
James 6 DC
Blanche 4 DC
Edward 6 months DC
THIS WILLIAM WOULD HAVE BEEN 27 IN 1888

There are a number of William Collins born in DC either much earlier or commencing 1873 forward.There were 2 william collins not shown above b in 1861 but one in Virginia and one in New York.Given the responses of DC as his father's place of birth I went solely with those shown of an appropriate age.I could not find a death record for William Collins (the father) in South Dakota.According to your posting William and Magdalina married 14 months after William was born.Is it possible that William Collins, Sr. was in fact an adoptive father?Perhaps she had been married before, father dies, she remarried and William adopted the child.

WWI Draft Registration
William H. Collins b. 6/17/1888 Washington, DC, residing in Mentor, SD, farmer, tall, medium build, blue eyes, red hair, not bald, 6/5/1917

Since we know William H. Collins died in 1923, a letter to the Hughes County Clerk may produce a death certificate with information you may not have.Also a search of the death records for Hughes County may give you the date William, Sr. died and perhaps his actual age.

I hope some of the above is of help.