Evelyn Bayna wrote: > I just got back from a successful trip to NM, photographing > gravestones and gathering photos and papers from relatives. One of > the papers I found was a "final account" for an estate for May READ. > She had acquired quite a sum of worth for 1961 and the list of heirs > was over 32. My husband's grandfather, a paternal cousin, received > 1/4th 1/6th of 1/2 estate. I contacted the probate office for Cook > Co. , IL and they say the file is 400 pages. That would cost about > $125 to have copied. I have the "final account" that states page > 240 on the first page and lists assets and heirs. There are no > addresses for heirs or genealogical evidence on these pages. My > question, does anyone know what I would ask for that would show how > the heirs are related? The woman in the office was quite helpful > and she is going to look through the file over the next couple of > days, but I only asked her to look for addresses. I didn't know > what else to ask for. Would there be a chart or family tree? What > would a genealogist submit for a probate heir search as results that > might be in this file. I would think it would be a great find to > further my research if this estate already paid someone to do a > search back for all these cousins. One thing to ask is whether Illinois distributes intestates per stirpes or per capita and either way, ask if it counts those who predeceased her. (Then, ask a lawyer for the specific differences; I _think_ I understand what our lawyer said, but when I write it down, it doesn't make sense. (g) ) Cheryl singhals@erols.com