Looking for information about Harry MASON, b Harry Branigan 1881 in Mt. Pleasant to parents Beverly Branigan and Della MASON Branigan. By 1900 census Harry was listed with grandmother Sarah C. (Anderson) MASON and listed as Harry MASON. He had uncles George W. MASON and Horatio R. MASON. One of these 2 was called Roy. This family came to Mt. Pleasant in 1864, but are very hard to track. Has anyone ran into these names before? fthom32202@aol.com

>Perhaps our energy would be well spent brainstorming some >possible alternative solutions for them that will still allow us > access to records. I agree. A willingness to compromise is usually appreciated by both sides of an argument. It would seem to me all birth certificates issue by the counties should be non-certified copies stamped with "FOR GENEALOGICAL PURPOSES ONLY." Certified copies should only be issued by the IA Dept of Health Vital Statistics when requested and the requestor should have to provide two forms of ID. Even if the IA Legislature believes more recent birth records absolutely have to be closed to public viewing in the counties......it would seem the 95 year time limit is a little extreme. Surely the time frame could be changed to 50 or even 75 years. Linda ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.

Yipes...having all the states make it difficult to obtain birth records is really going to make our job harder, no question, and more expensive too. And it probably won't put much of a dent in the fraudulent identities problem, either. Hollering at the lawmakers is probably not going to do much good. Perhaps our energy would be well spent brainstorming some possible alternative solutions for them that will still allow us access to records. Remember, to their way of thinking, closing the birth records is the easiest thing to do, so whatever we propose as an alternative should also be pretty easy. Any ideas? It would seem to me that perhaps legal things like acquiring a drivers license and such should require a certified copy of a birth certificate, then make getting certified birth records a little harder to get, while still keeping public, uncertified records readily available. Any other thoughts on that? Tonja Hetrick dhetrick@netvigator.com -- Join the most exciting community of women on the web! iVillage.com's FREE membership gets you private email, your own home page, special discounts and sweepstakes, and dozens of problem-solving tools. http://www.ivillage.com/frame/join_email.html

Subject: Check out story on this web site An article in the DM Register about closing of records: http://DesMoinesRegister.com/news/stories/c5917686/10355636.html Once again our government has found the wrong solution to the right problem. Take away from all the good people of this land and punish them, so the guilty ones are not tempted to do ill deeds. Don't punish anyone for stealing these records, just take them away so no one can have them. Richard Harrison was right in his message when he talked about sending money for a record, they will come back and say NONE WAS FOUND and charge you the fee whether they looked or not. It happens in Illinois. Below is the address for Governor Vilsack. There is a place on his website for emails. Let's go to the TOP MAN with our complaints. http://www.state.ia.us/governor/comments/index.html It is best to stay away from genealogy but talk about not punishing the innocent, but punishing those who steal identities. If you want to talk genealogy mention how much money you spend when you come to Iowa to research.

Since the possible closing was posted to the list, I am giving you the URL to read part of a letter, I received that might be helpful. It is found at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~iamcgs/closedstatebirthrecords.htm Also this e-mail >Someone on the Ballard-L list received the following response to a query >about the issue from bsoukup@legis.state.ia.us (Soukup, Betty) > > >Thank you for your interest in the proposed change in the procedure >relating to copies of birth records. This initiative will be part of the >Department of Public Health's legislative package for the 2000 session. > > I have spoken with officials in the Department of Public Health to hear >their rationale for this change. They have indicated that under current >law anyone can walk into a county courthouse and look at birth records. >Their concern stems, not from wanting to restrict access to such records, >but from a history of abuse by those seeking to establish false identities. > > I understand your concern, but there is a specific problem the >Department is trying to address and the Legislature will have to evaluate >the arguments. > > I am unsure how to address this issue, but the Department has indicated >they are willing to discuss alternatives. > > Thank you again for sharing your views with me. Please feel free to >contact me with any additional information or comments. > >Sincerely, >Betty Soukup >State Senator > > > -- Jean Leeper jeanlee@harenet.net Visit our register report web site at: http://www.harenet.net/~jeanlee Visit our every name index, web site at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jeanlee Visit Marion County IA Genealogical Society's web site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~iamcgs/Index.html Currently researching: WILMOTH/WILMETH, HIGGOTT, THORNELOE, HALL, REISINGER & MCILVAINE

This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_01BF71B8.DA276800 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Just want to let people know we have the same thing going on here in Ohio. There is a bill to close all the birth records. ---------- > From: SusiCP@aol.com > To: IAHENRY-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Fwd: Iowa resources future > Date: Tuesday, February 08, 2000 2:36 AM > > > --part1_33.102957f.25d0db4b_boundary > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > > > --part1_33.102957f.25d0db4b_boundary > Content-Type: message/rfc822 > Content-Disposition: inline > > Return-path: SusiCP@aol.com > From: SusiCP@aol.com > Full-name: SusiCP > Message-ID: <2.d12840.25d0d90a@aol.com> > Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2000 21:27:22 EST > Subject: Re: Iowa resources future > To: SusiCP@aol.com > MIME-Version: 1.0 > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > X-Mailer: AOL for Macintosh sub 56 > > Okay all here is hoping this will go to all Rootsweb lists and I will ask the > Golden Gates Forum on AOL to post same on our web site, hopefully we can if > not I will at least post it to the states area for all to read... > > IF any one does much research they know how many people came through Iowa > even didn't stay but were there for awhile coming west, south, north etc.

--part1_33.102957f.25d0db4b_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit --part1_33.102957f.25d0db4b_boundary Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Disposition: inline Return-path: SusiCP@aol.com From: SusiCP@aol.com Full-name: SusiCP Message-ID: <2.d12840.25d0d90a@aol.com> Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2000 21:27:22 EST Subject: Re: Iowa resources future To: SusiCP@aol.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: AOL for Macintosh sub 56 Okay all here is hoping this will go to all Rootsweb lists and I will ask the Golden Gates Forum on AOL to post same on our web site, hopefully we can if not I will at least post it to the states area for all to read... IF any one does much research they know how many people came through Iowa even didn't stay but were there for awhile coming west, south, north etc. . I have walked many of the wagon ruts in Iowa and Wyo. Look at migration patterns please do not let this happen.. SusiCP@aol.com --part1_33.102957f.25d0db4b_boundary--

Help the other day I signed on and read some disturbing possible data. Is it true IOWA is considering closing the future records for researchers etc?? I know I got something in the PA list about it coming from IOWA Henry Co list.. Can someone bring me up to speed so I can present to our group ...? Please and thank you.. SusiCP@aol.com

I am looking for info on Eva Irene Crouch. She married Falkin Obedean Bottoms November 2, 1876. I would like to know if anyone knows where she is buried. She was the daughter of John Perry Crouch & Margaret Ada Leasure. Siblings: Newton Alva (Jack) Crouch Charles Orpha married Arasmus Foster Masterson, Palmyra, MO Eva Grover Cleveland - Married Nettie Smith Dec 27, 1919 Lucy Myrtle - Married Samuel Brown Bowling SAMUEL CLAUDE (my grandfather) Married Emma Elizabeth Crouch Jan 15, 1915 in Palmyra, MO Earl Virgil - Married Elizabeth Dodd in Wellsville, MO Bertha no info on her. Any help would be appreciated. Nancy

***** URGENT ***** ***** URGENT ***** ***** URGENT ***** Are Iowa Birth Records Closing????? Are you aware the State of Iowa's Legislature is considering a bill RIGHT NOW to close Iowa birth records to public viewing in Iowa county courthouses? Laws like this have already been enacted in other states. If this bill passes the only way to obtain a birth record for anyone born after 1905 will be to write to the IA State Dept of Health. You will have to pay a (probably) non-refundable fee for EACH record search you want performed. When just starting your research, how will you even know which records to ask for? Aren't you are searching the records for that very information?? The following is from Richard Harrison, the IAGenWeb State Coordinator.: The Closing of Iowa Birth Records???? The Iowa State Department of Health, Vital Records Division, would like to see all birth records less than 95 years old closed to the public at the county level and have drafted a bill to this effect to be taken up by the legislature. According to Larry Coghlan of the Vital Records Dept., "The proposal is to make birth certificates 95 years old and older available for inspection and copying at the county level. The rest of the birth certificates would require a direct and tangible interest to obtain a copy. It is being proposed because of the identity theft (fraud) that has been taking place throughout the United States." This proposal raises a number of questions: Is it really necessary to close 95 years of records to address this problem? How will moving the records from the county level to the state level make it any more (or less) difficult for people interested in committing fraud? How will they define "direct and tangible interest"? Will state employees have the time and inclination to REALLY search the records for your ancestor, or will they keep the money and say "Not Found!" when the record is not exactly where it should be but just a few lines or pages away? Can they take the time to search for possible misspellings or decipher illegible handwriting? If ISDH gets this passed for birth records will all the other records follow suit? Is this an ill-conceived plan to punish the innocent (genealogists and others who need access to these records) instead of the guilty (those who commit fraud)? We need to ask questions, now. If you cherish your right to have all your county records available at your county courthouse, now is the time to speak up. WRITE… CALL… EMAIL… your county officials, state representative, and yes, even Governor Vilsack. If you don't speak up now, it might be too late. -- Richard Harrison/Encinitas, San Diego, California IAGenWeb State Coord.: http://www.rootsweb.com/~iagenweb/index.htm IAGEN-L List Owner: IAGEN-L@rootsweb.com ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** If you are NOT an Iowa resident it is just as important, if not more so, that you also be heard. Remind the legislators of the money you spend when you are in your county of interest to do research. Not only are you providing revenue to the county for copy fees, etc. You are also spending money in their motels, eating establishments, shops, and other area tourist attractions. PLEASE contact one of these legislators and express the importance of having the birth records remain open. Send an email to: keith_weigel@legis.state.ia.us and betty_soukup@legis.state.ia.us ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** CONTACT INFORMATION The Honorable Governor Vilsack Mailing Address: Office of the Governor State Capitol Des Moines, IA 50319 Phone or Fax: (515) 281-5211 phone (515) 281-6611 fax Email the Governor http://www.state.ia.us/governor/comments/index.html The web page below has links to District Maps and to the emails of all the Iowa Senators and Representatives. Send an email to the ones representing your county of interest: http://www.legis.state.ia.us/Members/78GA-members.html. We will post the bill number and the names of committee members as soon as that information is available. Please forward this message to: 1) as many people you know who reside in Iowa 2) as many genealogists you know who have Iowa research 3) as many genealogical societies as you know 4) as many other organizations whose voices might make a difference 5) everyone you know who is involved in genealogy and history research ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.

Hello fellow researchers! Thanks again for all the responses I've gotten for links to Iowa resources. I think I have enough to explore now. :-) I do have another question, however... Does anyone know how they used to conduct "land rushes" for homesteading? Supposedly my great grandfather participated in one that set out from Mt Pleasant to Nebraska, where he staked a claim in Gosper County. How would I go about finding out more about this event so I can accurately describe it in the family history? Thanks again! Tonja Hetrick stitchinfits@ivillage.com -- Join the most exciting community of women on the web! iVillage.com's FREE membership gets you private email, your own home page, special discounts and sweepstakes, and dozens of problem-solving tools. http://www.ivillage.com/frame/join_email.html

Tonja, Here are a few sites I have bookmarked. http://www.iren.net/ http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/ http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/ia-dir.html http://www.idph.state.ia.us/pa/vr.htm http://www.digiserve.com/igs/ http://www.sos.state.ia.us/register/r7/r7hist.htm http://www.culturalaffairs.org/shsi/index.html http://www.genexchange.com/alhn/ia/index.cfm http://www.mtpleasantiowa.com/ Derivative sites may also be of interest. Enjoy. Regards, Patrick Winters Tonja Hetrick wrote: > > Hello Fellow Researchers, > Can folks please fill me in on the location of research resources for Iowa? Other than Rootsweb and Genweb, I mean. I can only find one address for any genealogical society, and they don't appear to have any websites. I also know there's a state library, but I don't know how to contact them for information. Any suggestions about finding Iowa research material would be appreciated, especially, but not limited to, those on the web. > Thanks! > Tonja Hetrick > stitchinfits@ivillage.com > or > dhetrick@netvigator.com > > -- > Join the most exciting community of women on the web! > iVillage.com's FREE membership gets you private email, > your own home page, special discounts and sweepstakes, > and dozens of problem-solving tools. > http://www.ivillage.com/frame/join_email.html

Hi! Does anyone out there belong to the Henry Co Genealogical Society? I let my membership lapse a couple years ago and would like to renew. I'm not sure what the current yearly dues are. Can anyone tell me? Linda ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.

Many, many thanks to all who responded with information about Iowa resources! Thank you! Now why couldn't I turn any of that up on a search? Someday I may get the hang of doing "smart searches". Anyhow, so all may benefit from the responses I received, here's a list of information that was sent to me...hope you all find something here you didn't already know about, and if someone finds another not listed here (or accessible through these sites), I'd welcome those too! Iowa Genealogical Society http://www.digiserve.com/igs/igs.htm Snail mail address, publications, links to other sites etc also available here State Historical Society of Iowa Library and Archives http://www.culturalaffairs.org/shsi/library/library.htm Snail mail address, links to other sites etc also available here IIGS Library USA for Iowa http://www.iigs.org/library/shelves/NAmerica/usa/ia.htm Lots of links for Iowa and genealogy stuff Iowa Counties Page http://www.iowa-counties.com/ Includes links to lots of neat stuff, including an Iowa Civil War page Thanks again to all who helped! Tonja Hetrick stitchinfits@ivillage.com or dhetrick@netvigator.com -- Join the most exciting community of women on the web! iVillage.com's FREE membership gets you private email, your own home page, special discounts and sweepstakes, and dozens of problem-solving tools. http://www.ivillage.com/frame/join_email.html

The Henry County marriages are on line in the Iowa Archives which you can search on your own at: ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ia/henry/vitals/marrhenr.txt You can also find the 1850 census records in the Archives or on the Henry County, Iowa website at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~iahenry/census/censindx.htm The Henry County Home pages are at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~iahenry/index.html You will find the Henry County Databank at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~iahenry/hdatabnk.htm You are encouraged to use these resources first before requesting a researchers help as we do not have local researchers to rely upon except for those posted on the webpages in certain areas.. Norma Jennings

I am researching the above referenced families. Having been told that they all come from Iowa (Davis County), I was having no luck in finding very much; however, I have received word from another researcher I contacted on the Web, that my Conaway family came from Ohio, Adams and Pike Counties, and the northern Kentucky Counties adjacent thereto. I had William Conaway married to Rachel Ann Cadwallader married in Davis County, and now believe it was 28 Oct 1855 in Henry County. Rachel Ann was the daughter of John Cadwallader and Belinda Spurrier, and was born in Mr. Pleasant, Henry County, Iowa 16 Mar/Apr 1832. I have both William and Rachel deceased in Davis County, with William having married again, after Rachel's death in 1866, to Elizabeth Horn. I tried to contact a Douglas Lind from Bandon, Oregon regarding Belinda Spurrier, as I thought he was researching the Spurrier's from Ohio who settled in Henry and perhaps surrounding counties. Belinda Spurrier would fit in nicely with Richard Spurrier, perhaps a sister or cousin. If anyone knows if Mr. Lind is still with us I would appreciate him contacting me. If anyone can help me confirm any of the above info, I would greatly appreciate it. Stephen Carlile Salem, Oregon

In response to a query on what other Iowa resources are available on line, I am posting the IGS website address along with specific pages that may be helpful to others. The Iowa Genealogical Society has a page listing the Genealogical Societies that are on line. http://www.digiserve.com/igs/county.htm There is also a a page that lists publications for sale by IGS. http://www.digiserve.com/igs/forsale.htm You will also find the State Calendar, libraries, German resources and several other things on this site.

Hello Fellow Researchers, Can folks please fill me in on the location of research resources for Iowa? Other than Rootsweb and Genweb, I mean. I can only find one address for any genealogical society, and they don't appear to have any websites. I also know there's a state library, but I don't know how to contact them for information. Any suggestions about finding Iowa research material would be appreciated, especially, but not limited to, those on the web. Thanks! Tonja Hetrick stitchinfits@ivillage.com or dhetrick@netvigator.com -- Join the most exciting community of women on the web! iVillage.com's FREE membership gets you private email, your own home page, special discounts and sweepstakes, and dozens of problem-solving tools. http://www.ivillage.com/frame/join_email.html

Does anyone have access to a listing of all of the cemeteries of Henry Co.? I am looking for the RAINEY and Peter ANDERSON families. (My Peter was from Tennessee, he is not the Peter from Sweden.) Could anyone help me? Thanks a lot, James Collins

Could anyone tell me if there is a cemetery there for people who died there. Have a greatgrandmother who was there in the early 1900s. Louise