> HI MY NAME IS DANIELLE HOFF THAT IS NOT MY MAIDEN NAME IT IS > DANIELLE CHARLOTTE SHANNON. MY MOTHER DID NOT PUT MY DAD'S NAME ON > MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE BECAUSE THEY WHERE MESSED UP ON LET US SAY > STUFF AT THE TIME. I WAS TOLD HE HAD HE HAD BEEN DISCHARGED FROM > THE VIETNAM WAR AND HIS MOTHER'S NAME IS, I THINK RUTH LA POINTE. > HIS FAMILY IS FROM CHICAPEE, MASS. THE OTHER THING I'VE BEEN TOLD > IS THAT HE'S HALF BLACKFOOT INDIAN. I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT HE DIED > OF A HEROIN OVERDOSE IN AN ALLEY IN SAN RAFAEL OVER TEN YAERS AGO. > BUT, I DONT KNOW IF HE WAS PICKED UP AS A JOHN DOE AND BURIED. HIS > NAME WAS, DANIEL GLEANIS THE LAST NAME I'M NOT SURE OF THE SPELLING > > DAMNEDHELL@aol.com You need to systematically look for information about your Dad's family: 1. Get his correct name.............. does your Mother or someone else in the family know how it is spelled? 2. Do you have access to his social security number? If yes, request his Social Security Application to get his date of birth and parents. For your information, rootsweb.com has the California Death index online (free) and the social security death index............. http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi http://vitals.rootsweb.com/ca/death/search.cgi 3. If you know 'for a fact' how and when he died, look for a death certificate. 4. Once you know his parents names, start looking for marriage records and census................. Doing genealogy research is a process, that involves finding one piece at a time................. few of us are lucky enough to have had it done for us prior to our own research; and often what you'll find 'already done' is full of errors. When I started, all I had was my grandmother's Bible, but I am systematically assembling the family: piece by piece. It's almost like looking for four leaf clovers as a kid, and how happy you are when you find some in the field. Once you get started, feel free to ask questions on this list. People will be glad to answer questions. "Glee" <gleemc@earthlink.net>