In a message dated 5/23/0 4:00:58 PM, you wrote: <<I recently sent my form in to the Vital Records, State of Mississippi. Apparently the people there are not interested in genealogy. I sent them the $10.00 money order, but since I did not have the exact year or month which my John Wool died they refused to help me. I guess what I am asking is, what is the life expectancy for a person born in 1878? I will . have to make a wild guess as the year he died and hope that some kind soul will help me there. What is making this so important is the fact, John's entire family vanished after 1910 in Desha Co. I just found John in the 1920 Mississippi census living in Bolivar County, Mound City,Miss. Does anyone have any ideas How I could get help from these people in Mississippi?Thank you very much for reading this and for any help you might be able to give me. Thanks Mary Ann >> Mary Ann, Don't know where you live, but Mississippi is notorious for not helping -- I tried to get a copy of my parents' marriage certificate (I have seen the original - I knew the county and year they were married) and was informed they did not have a record of the marriage. This I knew to be in error. About the only way I know to obtain information from them is to go to the county/state archives in person (or hire a professional). I have tried to obtaIn copies of death certificates and was informed no such record existed. So I no longer make donations to the State of Mississippi. Good hunting. Mary in Texas