(I apologize to those of you who are going to get this more than once because of mailing list....please, email the Governor about this bill so we can keep information flowing for our genealogy......) Very good, I emailed the Governor, myself with about the same request... i'm more than 4,000 miles away...I appreciate the ability to be able to have access to any and all information and not have to wait 100 years for it.... I encourage everyone to do so....to show how important this is please, email Governor@WVGov.org or call 1-888-438-2731 joannie MLarson101@aol.com wrote: >Dear Governor Wise, > >I have been researching my family for many years and become more fascinated >with this passion with each discovery I make. My father's family have been in >what is now West Virginia since before the Revolutionary War and I have at >least seven or eight generations buried in Upshur, Lewis, Doddridge, Harrison and >Ritchie counties. > >I am asking you to please refuse to sign House Bill 4330 which would prohibit >the public from searching the birth and death records of your state. I >wouldn't even be able to find my own father's birth record or my grandmother's >death record. It is vital that we have the ability to find out what illnesses and >medical problems were responsible for the deaths of our direct ancestors -- >diabetitis, cardiac problems, glaucoma, carcinoma and aortic aneurysms are all >genetically linked and can occur from one generation to another. It is >imperitive that we have that knowledge for our own safety and medical health as well >as that of our children and their children. > >My search from my own genetic roots has given me such pleasure in the state >of West Virginia, that I have recently purchased my great-grandparents home in >Upshur county and will be living there periodically throughout the year. It >had >been a dream of mine to own that home filled with wonderful memories of my >grandmother and her family and my dream has come true. While I am not a >permanent resident of your state, I do own property there and will be adding >financial support to your state. > >Please give very long and serious thought to your decision on this matter -- >it is important to many of us and the information should be available for >anyone taking the time and energy to find out more about themselves through >genealogical research. > >Thank you for your time. > >Melinda Collins Larson >Marco Island, FL > > >==== HCPD Mailing List ==== >------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Copyright 2004, the author and Hacker's Creek Pioneer Descendants >To subscribe or unsubscribe, write to HCPD-L-REQUEST@rootsweb.com > > > >