From roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com Tue Aug 22 13:16:36 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.65.34]) by admin.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k7MJGajb010844; Tue, 22 Aug 2006 13:16:36 -0600 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l.rootsweb.com [66.43.16.22]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k7MJGZJq011912 for ; Tue, 22 Aug 2006 13:16:35 -0600 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l [127.0.0.1]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with ESMTP id k7MGaVFI013083 for ; Tue, 22 Aug 2006 12:36:31 -0400 Received: (from roots-in@localhost) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.8/Submit) id k7MGaVS0013082 for roots-approved@rootsweb.com; Tue, 22 Aug 2006 12:36:31 -0400 Received: from lists5.rootsweb.com (lists5.rootsweb.com [66.43.27.41]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with SMTP id k7MGDWFI012945 for ; Tue, 22 Aug 2006 12:13:32 -0400 Received: (from slist@localhost) by lists5.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) id k7MIrPGv021454 for roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com; Tue, 22 Aug 2006 12:53:25 -0600 X-Envelope-From: hornbeck@s-hornbeck.com Tue Aug 22 12:53:25 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.65.34]) by admin.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k7MIrPjb021445 for ; Tue, 22 Aug 2006 12:53:25 -0600 Received: from smtp103.plus.mail.mud.yahoo.com (smtp103.plus.mail.mud.yahoo.com [68.142.206.236]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with SMTP id k7MIrJsk029340 for ; Tue, 22 Aug 2006 12:53:25 -0600 Received: (qmail 71728 invoked from network); 22 Aug 2006 18:53:15 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO Shirley.s-hornbeck.com) (shirleyhornbeck@sbcglobal.net@69.233.113.109 with login) by smtp103.plus.mail.mud.yahoo.com with SMTP; 22 Aug 2006 18:53:15 -0000 Message-Id: <6.2.3.4.2.20060822115301.0260e008@pop.mail.yahoo.com> X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 6.2.3.4 Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2006 11:53:06 -0700 To: RooTS-L@rootsweb.com From: Shirley Hornbeck Cc: hornbeck@s-hornbeck.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed X-Spam-Score: 1.31 (*) BAYES_00,FORGED_RCVD_HELO X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.65.34 X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.65.34 Sender: roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com Subject: [ROOTS-L] This and That Vital Records USING VITAL RECORDS: Birth certificates and death certificates and other vital records contain valuable information, but they are sometimes expensive to obtain. Before you decide not to order them, keep in mind that they sometimes contain additional information that corroborates or conflicts with your present information, such as surname spellings or different dates. Each state maintains vital records and decides where to keep them. Death certificates may be in the possession of the county but the state may also have a copy. Sometimes counties transfer their records elsewhere, possibly to the state archives. Therefore you have to know where to look for the records. Ancestry's Redbook as well as Everton's Handybook for Genealogists list every state and where to find records as well as when the county was formed and the years for which records are available. You may also find that information on the Web if you do some searching for the state's web page. A start at the county in which the event took place should be your first step. A call or a letter to the proper office will usually tell you whether they have the type of record you are looking for and the cost to copy it for you. If they don't have it, they may be able to tell you where to obtain it. Cost could vary depending on whether you need a certified copy or a non-certified copy. Generally, for your research, a non-certified copy will suffice but for legal matters, you may need a certified copy. They both contain the same information. Keep in mind, that a great deal of records were lost during the Civil War due to fire. The Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 has an inexpensive and helpful booklet "Where to Write for Vital Records" . When you request your records, be sure to provide complete information. Give the full name, and any other names that the record might be under. If you are not sure of the date, give the closest approximation you can provide - or a range of years. Delayed birth certificates are common if the person was born prior to the date of keeping records. They were sometimes obtained by the individual so they could obtain other forms of identification such as a passport or to obtain Social Security. Sometimes recent birth records may not be available to you unless you can prove a relationship to the deceased person. Some states will not provide a birth record at all unless you prove the relationship. If it is your parent, a copy of your own birth record will help. Consider using census records to prove your relationship - or a death certificate if you have one - or an obit. The reasons for these rules, which vary from state to state, is that birth certificates can be used to obtain a new identity by obtaining driver's licenses, passports, etc. Keep in mind when obtaining death certificates, they are only as good as the person's knowledge who gives the information. A child or a sibling would probably be more aware of the facts than a neighbor or a friend who may not know all the facts. Marriage licenses are sometimes the only proof of a marriage - but keep in mind, the marriage may or may not have taken place. Sometimes you can find a church record to confirm that the marriage occurred. More and more records are being transcribed, published in books and/or placed on the web but remember, in transcribing them - they are subject to errors on the part of the transcriber. More Tips on my This and That page, see below URL.