>Hello family, I'm new at this so I really hope someone out there can help me >find my family. I want to find the parents & grandparents of Harriet Amanda >Bray. >Harriet Amanda Bray >b. 26 Jan 1842 in Maine >d. 17 Jul 1929 in Lakeview, Oregon >Married in 1859 in Iowa >Burr Beebe >b. 27 Jun 1838 in Michigan >We need her father and we think his name is Denis or Darias Bray and his >wife was Mary. That is all I know. If you know these name Please help me >and write. >Sincerely with much Thanks >Donna DeGraw [email protected] Donna, Do you know where, in Maine, she was born?? I would suggest that you look in the census index for Maine in, say, 1850. There may also be a Maine State census, which would probably take place in 1845 and 1855 (state censuses usually take place between federal census years). Indexes for these would contain her name and would refer you to the actual census schedules. These schedules will show the parents' names. I would assume that you have looked at the obituary for her, which would have appeared in the Lakeview paper. It is almost certain to include information such as her town of birth, parents' names and much other valuable biographical data. If I were you, this would be one of the first items I would track down. Lakeview is the county seat of Lake County, Oregon, and will certainly have had a newspaper in 1938. Lake County was formed from Jackson and Grant counties around 1870, so you will probably find the obit in Lakeview; you will probably find the marriage record there, as well, though there is an outside chance that you may have to look in the county records for Jackson County for the marriage record. You can also search birth indexes for the state of Maine. If you can pinpoint the place of birth, you can obtain a certified copy of the birth certificate, which will probably include both the name and the birthplace of the parents. In addition, you can search the Iowa marriages indexes for 1859 to find this couple. It is more than possible that you will find this marriage. Then you can go to the county records department (by phone, letter, etc.) to get a copy of the marriage certificate, which often mentions the name and place of origin for the parents. It would also be profitable, once you've pinpointed the birth and/or marriage dates and locations, to search the local newspapers for announcements of marriage and/or birth. There are other avenues of inquiry, but these are the likeliest; try them. You may not be close to a library that contains these resources, but you can use the Mormon Church's "Family History Center" in your area; they will contain most, if not all, of these resources on microfilm or microfiche. Regards, Byron C. Bray [email protected]