Thomas Danicki wrote: > > Hello > > I've just had my first experience trying to learn more about distant > relatives by requesting their birth certificates from the Commonwealth > of Pennsylvania's Dept. of Health. My efforts were unsuccessful (and > frustrating!) because I did not (and still do not) know their precise > dates of birth. After this disappointing experience, it makes me wonder > if there is really any point in trying the birth certificate route? If > I knew all of the information about the person requested on > Pennsylvania's "Application For ... > Copy Of Birth Or Death Record", I don't see why I would want the birth > certificate. It seems to me that if a governmental unit wanted to > facilitate retrieval of vital records, the records would be filed > alphabetically, not by "date of event". > > Has anyone here had any positive experiences via the birth (or death) > certificate route? > Does anyone know if Pennsylvania's filing system is typical of most > other states? I can truly appreciate the value of "protecting a > person's privacy" -- but then why pretend (mislead, really) that such > vital records are of genealogical value? > > -- > > Thomas J. Danicki danickit@concentric.net, Rochester Hills, Mich. 48306 > U.S.A. > > "...you've got that stunned Brian-Wilson-is-a-god look on your face!" > - Bruce Johnston, per _Endless Summer Quarterly_ I got the ones that I sent for. I think that you have to know the year that they were born or died(after 1906 only). My dad born in 1913 did not have a birth certificate, but he got a baptism certificate from the church for his Social Security. I don't remember the reason I used to get them? I don't know if I said it was for genealogy or not. John Kubla