Gramps - User contributions [en]

Death certificate

2008-04-10T16:33:04Z

Digimars: New page: A death certificate is a record of an individual's death. It can include some valuable information such as a person's full name (if not previously known) along with the names of the child...

A death certificate is a record of an individual's death. It can include some valuable information such as a person's full name (if not previously known) along with the names of the child's parents, including the mother's maiden name.

=== United States Death Certificates ===
In the United States, a death certificate can come in two forms: official and unofficial. Copies can be obtained from the state office of vital records or the county's department of health that the person died in.

The unofficial death certificate is usually a computer printout of some of the data contained in an official death certificate. It will most likely contain the person's full name, full names of their parents (including mother's maiden name, if known), along with the county and state within which the person died. Some regions may also include the funeral home and place of interment.

An official death certificate is a legal copy of a person's death record. One important difference of this version as opposed to the unofficial copy is that it will often include the cause of death. In most US states this is often considered sensitive information and is often only granted to members of the family along with their descendants. The official copy can contain the same information as the unofficial copy along with who reported the death, what an autopsy has revealed (if one was done), and time of death. It can also state if the deceased was a veteran along with their social security number. An official death certificate is most often an exact copy of the original that is on file, printed on official government letterhead with the governing body's embossed seal or signed by an officiating person. These are very helpful to someone who is trying to keep track of ancestral medical information, since a lot of diseases and conditions can be hereditary.

Obtaining an unofficial copy of a death certificate commonly involves a small fee. An official copy will normally require a slightly higher fee, along with proof that the requester is a descendant of the individual on the death record. This can be done through a copy of a valid photo ID along with signed official request forms, depending on the governing body that holds the official record.

== External Links and sources ==
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_certificate Wikipedia article on Death Certificates]

[http://www.doh.state.fl.us/planning_eval/vital_statistics/deaths.htm Requesting death certificates from the state of Florida]
[[Category:Sources]]

Sources

2008-04-10T16:08:13Z

Digimars: /* Official documents */

{{languages|sources}}

Sources play a key role in [[genealogy]].

[[Category:Sources]]

==Definition==
A source is a text (sometimes oral presentation, audio recording, video recording) from which (genealogical) information is derived.

Scientifically, one will make 3 distinctions:
#Primary source : text which is a firsthand written evidence of history, made at the time of the [[event]] by someone who has seen it happen. Eg: diaries, certificates, newspapers, ...
#Secondary source : Written accounts of history based upon the evidence from primary sources and other secondary sources, offering commentary and analysis. Eg: history books, genealogical publications,...
#Tertiary source : selection and compilation of primary and secondary sources. Eg: library catalogue, bibliographies, ...

== Most important genealogical sources ==

=== Official documents ===
* [[Birth certificate]]s
* Still births
* Marriage certificates
* Divorces
* [[Death certificate]]s
* Official name changes
* Naturalization records

=== Religious documents ===
* [[Baptism record]]s
* Marriage records
* Burial records

=== Legal documents ===
* Court cases
* Notary documents
* Probate records

=== Migration ===

* Passenger lists
* Record of landing

=== Residences ===
* [[Census]] records
* Property documents
* Phone books
* City directories

=== Final resting places ===
* Cemetery list of interments
* War graves

=== Military ===
* Enlistment lists
* [[Draft lottery|Draft lottery documents]]
* Medals
* MIA - Missing in Action
* Deserters
* Pension applications

=== Personal Documents ===
* Diaries
* Correspondence
* Household bills

== Other Possible Sources ==
* Bibles
* Stories
* Publications
* Photos
* Employment information
* Medical records
* DNA
* Voter registration records
* Genealogical society records
* Oral recordings

Birth certificate

2008-04-10T15:44:08Z

Digimars: /* ''Special Note on Birth Certificates'' */

A birth certificate is a record of an individual's birth. It can include some valuable information such as a person's full name (if not previously known) along with the names of the child's parents.

=== United States Birth Certificates ===
In the United States, a birth certificate can be obtained either through the state's vital records office or the health department for the county where the person was born. However, the range of dates from which a state or county keeps or records birth certificates vary. For example, in the state of Alabama birth certificates were not kept on file until the year 1908 whereas Henry county Indiana keeps birth records on file from the year 1882 and onwards.

Oftentimes a county or state will offer a birth certificate in two forms: a genealogical copy or certified copy.

Genealogical copies are usually just computer printouts with most of the information that a certified copy contains, such as the person's day of birth, names of their parents, the doctor who delivered them and the county within which they were born. These can usually be obtained for a small fee, usually no more than a couple of dollars.

A certified birth certificate is an official record of a person's birth. This is usually printed up on official, watermarked paper that a government office uses for legal purposes. It will often contain the imprinted seal of the governing body. These are most often exact copies of the original record that is on file, sometimes they are computer printouts of the same information on certified legal paper. A certified birth certificate's fee for a copy can vary from state to state. The range can be anywhere from a few dollars up to twenty. Also, most governing institutions require some form of official proof of identification of the requester for this type of certificate. Some states require a copy of a driver's license or photo ID to obtain a legal copy of a birth certificate.

A reason as to why a certified copy would be desirable over a genealogical copy of a birth certificate would be if someone needed a legal document to prove their ancestry in a court or legal proceeding of some type. This can be a tool for when an inheritance needs to be distributed and legal proof of parentage would be needed.

==== ''Special Note on Birth Certificates'' ====
Bear in mind that sometimes names can be misspelled on a birth certificate. For example, you could receive a birth certificate on an individual whose father's name was spelled 'Lewis'. You may also have a death certificate and an obituary on the same individual that has the father's name spelled as 'Louis'. It is a good idea to have more than one primary source to cross reference individual's names.

== External Links and sources ==
[http://www.myindianagenealogy.com/in_county/hry.htm Henry county Indiana Genealogy resource page]

[http://ph.state.al.us/Chs/VitalRecords/Birth/BIRTH.HTML Alabama Birth Certificates]

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_certificate Wikipedia article on Birth Certificates]

[[Category:Sources]]

Birth certificate

2008-04-10T15:22:53Z

Digimars:

A birth certificate is a record of an individual's birth. It can include some valuable information such as a person's full name (if not previously known) along with the names of the child's parents.

=== United States Birth Certificates ===
In the United States, a birth certificate can be obtained either through the state's vital records office or the health department for the county where the person was born. However, the range of dates from which a state or county keeps or records birth certificates vary. For example, in the state of Alabama birth certificates were not kept on file until the year 1908 whereas Henry county Indiana keeps birth records on file from the year 1882 and onwards.

Oftentimes a county or state will offer a birth certificate in two forms: a genealogical copy or certified copy.

Genealogical copies are usually just computer printouts with most of the information that a certified copy contains, such as the person's day of birth, names of their parents, the doctor who delivered them and the county within which they were born. These can usually be obtained for a small fee, usually no more than a couple of dollars.

A certified birth certificate is an official record of a person's birth. This is usually printed up on official, watermarked paper that a government office uses for legal purposes. It will often contain the imprinted seal of the governing body. These are most often exact copies of the original record that is on file, sometimes they are computer printouts of the same information on certified legal paper. A certified birth certificate's fee for a copy can vary from state to state. The range can be anywhere from a few dollars up to twenty. Also, most governing institutions require some form of official proof of identification of the requester for this type of certificate. Some states require a copy of a driver's license or photo ID to obtain a legal copy of a birth certificate.

A reason as to why a certified copy would be desirable over a genealogical copy of a birth certificate would be if someone needed a legal document to prove their ancestry in a court or legal proceeding of some type. This can be a tool for when an inheritance needs to be distributed and legal proof of parentage would be needed.

==== ''Special Note on Birth Certificates'' ====
Bear in mind that sometimes names can be misspelled on a birth certificate. For example, you could receive a birth certificate on an individual whose father's name was spelled 'Lewis', where you will have a death certificate and an obituary on the same individual that has the father's name spelled as 'Louis'. It is a good idea to have more than one primary source to cross reference individual's names.

== External Links and sources ==
[http://www.myindianagenealogy.com/in_county/hry.htm Henry county Indiana Genealogy resource page]

[http://ph.state.al.us/Chs/VitalRecords/Birth/BIRTH.HTML Alabama Birth Certificates]

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_certificate Wikipedia article on Birth Certificates]

[[Category:Sources]]