As all of you know, state vital records for births don't start in Iowa, Illinois and points west (by law) until 1 July 1880. In order to verify birth dates before that date, you can do severalt things: 1. Find them as a child under the age of 10 in the 1880 Census SOUNDEX. This is an index of families with children under the age of 10 and gives the month and year of their birth. 2. Find them in the 1900, 1910, or 1925 census. This gives the month and year of ALL family members who are in the census. 3. Find the date on a tombstone, death record, marriage record, church record or school record. 4. Find them listed as an heir in a probate record which usually gives dates of birth for spouses and children. 5. Find them listed as heirs in a military pension records (Civil War, etc.) which lists dates of birth for spouses and children. Check out the free online genealogy classes (url below) and it should help also. -- Diana Hanson, Administrator, Iowa Digital Education Association Professional Genealogist ************************************************* What good is magic if it can't save a unicorn? ************************************************* http://www.idea.edu/index.html (Idea School) http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/5327/ireland.htm (Original IrelandGenWeb Resource Pages and Passenger Lists) http://www.idea.edu/courses/general/gen/index.html (Free Genealogy Classes) http://www.idea.edu/staff/hanson/hubbard/index.html (Mother Hubbard's Cupboard) ________________________________________________________ NetZero - We believe in a FREE Internet. Shouldn't you? Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at http://www.netzero.net/download.html