There were 67 searches for the week ending 08/28/04 for DesMoines County, Iowa at http://users.rootsweb.com/~iadesmoi/. Here are the top phrases searched: - 3 for "anderson" - 3 for "coffelt" - 2 for "coffle" - 2 for "data processing phone number" - 2 for "hoyt" - 2 for "koffel" - 2 for "lange" - 2 for "tedrick" - 2 for "thorn" - 2 for "william simpson" I hope you find a cousin here. Donald O'Còllàùgh/O'Còllàìgh Kelly

Hello, I am seeking information on ministers who would have performed marriages in 1889 in Burlington Iowa and might have filed the marriage record in another county. I have a marriage record for S. D. Bishop and Amanda Mc Keehan who were married 30 November 1889 Burlington, Iowa by Rev. W. W. Pierson. I have contacted Des Moines Co., IA and they do not have a license application on file for this marriage, nor do they have a minister's return. We have the souvenir copy of the marriage record. The witnesses are Mrs. Sophia Brown and T. J. ?elphery. I find Sophia Brown in the Burlington in the 1900 census, on the page above her is a Pierson who is not a Reverend. I know from working with marriage records here in Indiana that ministers and JP's would file the marriage record where ever it was convenient for them to do so. Especially if they were traveling to various churches to perform there duties as ministers. I contacted Des Moines Co. and had a search done there by their genealogy society. I have had someone check the surrounding counties for application and a register of the actual marriage, but none has been found. I have searched the 1880 and 1900 census records for this minister to determine where he might have lived circa the time of the marriage. So far I have not found him. Does anyone one on the list have recommendations on how I can find the actual record for this marriage. Any advice would be welcomed. Others have searched for this record by going to the county of record and not found anything either. Regards, Virginia L. Aldridge www.genealogy-resources.net