Hello BURKE cousins! Since BURKE is one of the most common Irish surnames in the USA, and the common/oft-repeated given names, it's amazing that we can ever trace our ancestors! There are two factors that help me to identify that a "found" BURKE is in fact mine: l) street address: This has confirmed my ancestors more than any other factor. 2) family clusters: We rely on this, especially with census records. Searching for the most unusual given name, often lead us to the family unit. Yesterday at the NYC Municipal Archives I found the DC of my orphaned grandfather's father and the BC of his only older sibling, who never went to the orphanage. Voila! It was the street addresses on each that confirmed these BURKEs are mine! I am so grateful to the NYC metro area's German Genealogy Group (http://www.GermanGenealogyGroup.com) and Italian Genealogy Group (italiangen.org) for their diligent and tedious hours transcribing vital records. These led me to my ancestors. I am also grateful that my folks are still alive and cognizant to appreciate what these certificates tell. Now, with my g-grandfather's actual burial date, I await the interment list from Calvary Cemetery, Queens NYC, possibly "home" to more deceased than any other. So, BURKE cousins, don't give up, give in, or forget what you're after. I know you'll find it. Barb ************************************** AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com.