I'm going to share some info that MIGHT be helpful concerning Catharine Amarella Wilson's parents. I'm just throwing this out with the hope that someone might be able to find conclusive evidence that these documents either do or don't apply to Catharine's parents. I know this has been one of those stumbling blocks in tracing our family roots.

First, it is the unofficial position of the family that Catharine's parents were Thomas Wilson and Mary Chesta or Christy. As far as I know there is no documents to substantiate that. Perhaps this info was passed down verbally, from generation to generation. Any thoughts on that?

What we do know is that Frank Michael Smith and Catherine Amarella Wilson were married in Monroeville, Allen Co, IN on 11/4/1869 (Early Marriages of Allen County, Indiana, 1849-1874, Vol. II, compiled by Josephine Crabill Ehle, published by Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter N.S.D.A.R., Fort Wayne, Indiana) and with the date substantiated by the Marriage Records in the Schmidt Family Bible (Henry William Smith Bible) p. 1 “Family Record, Marriages: Frank M. Schmitt & Catharine A. Schmitt, Nov. 4th, 1869”

In the 1870 Census of Monroeville, Allen Co, IN:
Wilson, Mary, age 51, b. in PA
---------, Martha D., age 11, b. in OH
---------, William L., age 9, b. in OH
---------, Nancy C., age 7, b. in OH

If we accept that this is Catharine (Wilson) Schmidt's mother and children, we might posit from this that Thomas died between 1862 and 1870 (since he is missing from census and youngest child was born 1862-1863), perhaps a civil war casualty, that daughters Mary, Catharine, Allethea, Sabina have left the nest, that perhaps Mary, Thomas's widow moved to Monroeville after his death to live near a grown child

In the 1860 Census of Crawford Twp, Coshocton Co, OH:
Wilson, Thomas, age 42, farm laborer, b. in OH
---------, Mary, age 39, b. in PA
---------, Cath., age 13, b. in OH
---------, Allethea, age 12, b. in OH
---------, Sabina, age 10, b. in OH
---------, Martha, age 1, b. in OH
---------, Mary, age 17, Domestic, b. in OH

In the 1850 Census of White Eyes Twp, Coshocton Co, OH:
Wilson, Thomas, age 32, laborer, b. in OH
---------, Mary, age 28, b. in PA
---------, Harvey, age 10, b. in OH
---------, Mary Ann, age 8, b. in OH
---------, Catharine, age 4, b. in OH
---------, Ann, age 3, b. in OH
---------, Olivia, age 11/12, b. in OH

Next I present documents that may provide insight into the marriage of Thomas and Mary Wilson.
Since I found them living in Coshocton Co, OH in 1850, with a child 10 years old, I assumed they may have been married there around 1839. I was unable to find a marriage record in Coshocton Co, but after seeing a family tree that suggested that they were Thomas Wilson and Mary Christy married in Holmes Co in 1846 I got thinking. What if Harvey and Mary Ann were children from a previous marriage? Nothing from the info I had would argue against that possibility. Also, Holmes County is just to the north of Coshocton Co. So I looked for other marriage records for Thomas Wilson prior to 1846. I found:
Holmes Co, OH: Thomas Wilson married Margaret Jane McCaughey, 3/5/1840
Holmes Co, OH: Thomas Wilson married Sarah Jane Boyd, 4/3/1841
Holmes Co, OH: Thomas Wilson married Mary Christy, 3/5/1846

Could it be that Thomas was married twice, or even three times, and that our ancestor, Mary Chesta/Christy was step-mother to Thomas's first 2 children?

Interestingly, there is an 1840 Census, Holmes Co, OH that has a Thomas Wilson, age 20-30 and a female age 15-20, with no other children. Possibly, our Thomas's first wife?
Also an 1840 Census record in Coshocton Co, OH for a Henry Christy with daughters the right age for one of them to have been Mary.

If you want to look at the documents I can email a copy to you as I keep a digital copy of all the records I find.

Next time I'll delve into the little bit I've learned about two of Catharine (Wilson) Smith's sisters that may also help in putting the Wilson pieces together.