It was a major letdown today when I received a letter from the Marshall Co (IN) Health Department saying they couldn't find my ancestor's birth certificate (he was born in 1884) so they would be unable to provide me with a copy. I'm unfamiliar with doing family research in Indiana and don't know whether I should take this as a solid sign that a birth certificate for my ancestor doesn't exist anywhere or whether it just means the Health Dept doesn't have a copy but I might find one somewhere else. I would be grateful for any hints, advice, faxed chocolate-chip cookies (for consolation), etc. Amy Robbins-Tjaden atjaden@mindspring.com Researching Melvin and Lillian BURDEN ROBBINS in Marshall and LaPorte counties, Indiana.

Hi Amy, You might check the newspapers during that time, sometimes you can find birth and death dates. The papers that were around were very small and of course not many were published. A long shot but just maybe!!! So even if a birth certificate does not exist, you might find information elsewhere, church logs, cemetery logs, you get the idea. Don't give up but don't make that your total goal unless it's the only piece missing. Good Luck Pinx ----- Original Message ----- From: Amy Robbins-Tjaden <atjaden@mindspring.com> To: <INDIANA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2001 6:02 PM Subject: [INDIANA] birth certificate for 1884 > It was a major letdown today when I received a letter from the Marshall Co (IN) Health Department saying they couldn't find my ancestor's birth certificate (he was born in 1884) so they would be unable to provide me with a copy. I'm unfamiliar with doing family research in Indiana and don't know whether I should take this as a solid sign that a birth certificate for my ancestor doesn't exist anywhere or whether it just means the Health Dept doesn't have a copy but I might find one somewhere else. > > I would be grateful for any hints, advice, faxed chocolate-chip cookies (for consolation), etc. > > Amy Robbins-Tjaden > atjaden@mindspring.com > > Researching Melvin and Lillian BURDEN ROBBINS in Marshall and LaPorte counties, Indiana. > > > ============================== > Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & Celebrate > your heritage! > http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog >

Amy, Try the Indiana Archives . sorry I dont have an address.My cousin sent me a birth certificate for my aunt born in 1897, Marion Co. Alice Wolfe ----- Original Message ----- From: Amy Robbins-Tjaden <atjaden@mindspring.com> To: <INDIANA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2001 6:02 PM Subject: [INDIANA] birth certificate for 1884 > It was a major letdown today when I received a letter from the Marshall Co (IN) Health Department saying they couldn't find my ancestor's birth certificate (he was born in 1884) so they would be unable to provide me with a copy. I'm unfamiliar with doing family research in Indiana and don't know whether I should take this as a solid sign that a birth certificate for my ancestor doesn't exist anywhere or whether it just means the Health Dept doesn't have a copy but I might find one somewhere else. > > I would be grateful for any hints, advice, faxed chocolate-chip cookies (for consolation), etc. > > Amy Robbins-Tjaden > atjaden@mindspring.com > > Researching Melvin and Lillian BURDEN ROBBINS in Marshall and LaPorte counties, Indiana. > > > ============================== > Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & Celebrate > your heritage! > http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog >