Yes, I can see where you are having a difficult time. My first question to you is have you exhausted ALL of the census records available to you??? This is the most important step, if you have not - or don't have access to them, let me know and I may be able to help you on this. The census records may be able to provide you with clues - where was the mother born? Does one of the children have a middle name that could be the mother's maiden name? My ancestors routinely gave the third or fourth child the maiden name of the mother, as the middle name. It sure made my research a little easier at times. At times, the parents gave three or four children the same middle name, which would turn out to be the mother's maiden name. You may find one of the mother's parents move into the home, and be listed on the census. Cheryl Helm <[email protected] To: [email protected] k.com> cc: Subject: [ILMARION] Divorce Records 05/09/01 06:14 PM Please respond to ILMARION-L First of all, Jody, thank you and Sandy so much for all the work you've done in posting so much information for all of us. Among the information from you or Sandy was a divorce record for Uriah W. HELM vs. Margaret M, 13 Feb 1877 in Marion County. I'm trying to identify his wife's maiden name. Unlike the rest of this line, Uriah didn't marry in Fayette County. Since the marriage doesn't show up in the IL online marriage database, and since I did find them in Wayne County in the 1865 State Census, I'm afraid that's where they married which means there is no marriage record any more thanks to the yahoo who wanted a new county courthouse and so burned down the old one to force the issue. Does anyone know what kinds of information might be available in a divorce record and how I would go about getting a copy of the file? I'm hoping that it might identify their marriage date, Margaret's maiden name which I suspect is STOOPS, and any minor children living at the time of the divorce. The last time I wrote the Marion County Clerk for a marriage record for my Marion R(eally frustrating) PHILLIPS and Susan LOVELESS, I got back a paper with nothing but their names and the name of the JP who performed the marriage. Not very helpful -( Cheryl Helm, Ohio ==== ILMARION Mailing List ==== To unsubscribe from the ILMARION List if you are in mail mode, send to [email protected] If you are receiving messages in the digest mode, send to [email protected]