This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: pickinguptwigs Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.florida.counties.hillsborough/3325.1.1.1.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: The problem with "assuming" birth locations hinders your goal to discover more about your ancestors. I'm sure you, as well as I and perhaps other researchers trying to help, have spent time pouring over the 1860 census at Ochlocknee looking for your family. Now we know to "widen the net". To obtain a death certificate, you need to know when and where a person died. Different states had varying legal requirements as to when and where these records were mandatory to be recorded and filed. Cemetery indexes can be consulted (if they exist) and this is helpful if you find your ancestor because most cemetery markers or burial records will provide a date (approximate or exact) of the death. You can then check for a published obituary and a death certificate. Some older death certificates are online now but it just depends on the location and date. If a Civil War widow received a pension based upon her husband's service, the file would most likely be in his name. Unfortunately, you don't have the husband's name yet. Finding Mary in the 1860 census with her husband is a key piece of information. You might check for any Georgia Civil War soldier by the name of Womble/Wamble since the censuses record his childrens' birthplaces as Georgia or nearby neighboring states. There can't be that many so the next step would be to see if you can safely eliminate some of them by searching for them in the 1870 census to see if they belonged to other families rather than yours. HOWEVER, keep an open mind - the husband of Mary may have deserted her; or divorced and married someone else. Do you know where Marshall was born? His death certificate may state his birth location and his parents' names (including his mother's MAIDEN name) if known to the informant. And Marshall's children's birth certificates or death certificates may record where Marshall was born. My most important words of advice are to work your way backward by building on what you have already proven; and when posting a query - it is helpful to include the information you know and your sources, and also which sources have already been checked. It takes a lot longer and involves a great deal of thought, but it helps others to help you and it's worth it in the long run. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.