For those interested in genealogy, this is a continuation of
my earlier post on vital records.
Birth Records – Usually contain the infant’s name, and if not the whole name, it may read Girl Or Boy and the last name. It usually lists the Date and Place of Birth. You may also find a birth notice in a local paper. However, increasingly, many newspapers no longer include birth information.
In case you cannot find a birth record, the Birth may not have been recorded. This is not as unusual as you might expect, as some states started their birth records later than others.
The Person you’re researching may have been adopted and each state has different regulations regarding their records. If this is the case you may want to check with the vital records office in the state you believe the person was born to see if they may be able to make a suggestion on what to do. (For some more background on the subject, you may be interested in Katarina Wegar’s
Adoption, Identity, and Kinship: The Battle Over Sealed Birth Records, which is available at Snell Library.)
Name changes– If the person had a name change you may need to look up the name in the court house which may give you the person’s birth name and place of birth.
Marriage Records– These should contain the marriage Date, Bride and Groom names, Ages and sometimes their parents’ names and where the marriage took place. The name of the person who performed the ceremony may also be included. You may want to check the newspaper for an announcement of marriage or a wedding photo. Snell Library has a large
collection of newspapers, which can aid you in your search.
Death Records– usually contain the Date of death, the name of the deceased, Place of death , Cause of death, Place of burial or cremation. Death notices are sometimes published in newspapers and it is always a good idea to check the local newspaper where the person was born or died. In case a person was born in Europe, perhaps, and then came to the United States you may find a death notice in 2 papers.
The person who placed the death notice may want to let family or friends know in the birth country as well as in the country of death. Always a good thing to check both places as the notices may not be the same.
Divorce records – Usually these can be found in the Court House. If you do not know the date or place of marriage you may find it in the divorce record and look at both as there should be one for each member of the couple. Interestingly, the information may not be the same.
These records may also inform you if there was a minor child at the time of the divorce.
