Mollie Best overall source of info, if you haven't found it, is the SF genealogy site: http://www.sfo.com/~timandpamwolf/sfrancty.htm next best -- and best for California as a whole -- is the NORCAL index: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~yvonne/NORCAL%20index/toc.shtml First step is to deal with the very annoying pop-up adds at the otherwise free vital search site. You'll have to give your name and e-mail address to get on, but you'll get access to all the Williams dying in California in the 1929 to 39 time period (scanned sheets). I couldn't spot our Katherine offhand, but if she died in SF she should be listed there (but it might be recorded as Kate, Katie, etc or with a C.) http://www.vitalsearch-ca.com/gen/ca/_vitals/cadeathm.htm Once you've got the death date, send an e-mail to the SFPL (see the SF genealogy site for details) and they'll check for an obit which, if you're really lucky, will have surviving relatives -- sometimes a brother or sister. If not, try getting a copy of the death cert (see if someone on the site will transcribe it for you, otherwise it's a matter of ordering it and a long wait), which may have parents or siblings' names. It may (or may not) also have where she was born. If not, hopefully you know her maiden name (Higgins?) and about when she came to California. There were a number of California births with mother maiden name Higgins and child Williams. See http://vitals.rootsweb.com/ca/birth/search.cgi A copy of the birth certificate (or transcription) once you've identified it would give you the address, which might translate to a church, which might give you a marriage (in California). SF genealogy site tells you how to contact the Catholic archives. I'd call to see if they know which parish that address is in, and if they have the records. If she was married there, they'd also have the marriage record, which might or might not have her father's name (and his). The National Archives branches all have the census tapes for 1900, 1910, 1920, with an index, also on microfilm, by State. Also, 1880 for folks with kids under 20 (were there older siblings?). If she was married by 1900, look for her on it under her married name. If not, under her maiden name (or both if you don't know). Marriage records for New York should be indexed by then. If she was married in SF, however, any civil marriage records would have been lost in the earthquake. That makes it hit or miss on the church, unless where her children were baptised. If all else fails, the obit should have the funeral home and the death cert both the funeral home and cemetary. You can call the funeral home for what they have (clippings, pallbearers ?). I've found birthdates and places on headstones when nothing else works. If she left a will or died with property (surviving her husband) there may be a probate file in SF. Gets to be a puzzle. Good luck. Carol Nash Message text written by INTERNET:CASANFRA-L@rootsweb.com >From: EmLGee@aol.com To: CASANFRA-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <113.831045d.2932a48f@aol.com> Subject: [CASANFRA] HIGGINS/WILLIAMS death info Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I'm a bit stuck & not sure how to begin. My maternal grandmother died in 1934 in San Francisco. How do I go about obtaining additional information? I have only death year & no family members to help me out. She was Catholic. She was Katherine Lucille Higgins Williams, b. 1876 in New York & died 1934 in San Francisco. What's my first step? Thanks - Mollie <