Hello list, I am searching for clues to the parents of my gg-grandmother, Mary E. Nebergall. She was born in McDonough County, IL, on 20 Oct 1862. On 1 July 1878, Mary and George Washington Brown applied to marry in Fulton County, IL. The application was returned to the county clerk, however, because both were minors and his father would not consent to the marriage. A daughter was born to George and Mary 6 Nov 1880 in Seward, NE, so I "presume" they married elsewhere, perhaps without proper license or perhaps in another state. By 1882 or so, they had returned to Fulton County, IL, where they lived the remainder of their days. Mary died 15 June 1890 in the Astoria area, a few months short of her 28th birthday. The 1870 Census of Fulton County lists a Mary E. Nebergall (age 4) living with Adam (age 66) and Rosanna (age 63) Nebergall in Astoria Township. Adam and Rosanna had several children, including 1. Mary E. born in 1829 and died in 1856, and 2. Pricilla born about 1831 and died in 1863. Maybe, just maybe, the Mary in the 1870 Census is my Mary with her age listed incorrectly. And again maybe, just maybe, she was born out of wedlock to Pricilla, who named the baby after her deceased sister, the older Mary E. Pricilla died less than a year after my Mary's birth. This could explain why a couple in their 60's had a young child in their home and it could explain why information regarding my Mary's parents is difficult to find. The 2nd paragraph contains a lot of speculation. The bottom line is this: does anyone out there know how or where I might find a birth record for Mary E. Nebergall, born 20 Oct 1862 in McDonough County? Thanks, Robert