This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: MarilynRoth58 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.maryland.counties.baltimorecity/4520.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: You need several sources of information to confirm relationships. Some helpful records are church records of baptism, confirmation, marriage, & death cemetery sexton's and stonesetter's records landowner's atlases and land transfers or lawsuits among relatives local and family histories, & birth and death certificates (usually beginning around 1900). John VINUP (11 July 1900 - Apr. 1982, Essex, Balto., MD) per SSDI, online. Have you checked whether there was probate or an obituary for him? If necessary, you can order his application for Social Security. That should name his parents. See SSDI, online. You can begin by following the censuses for clues. In 1930, there were VINUP: John [M/ N?], 29; Mary. There was a John V., 5, but the free database at "1930 census" doesn't place children with parents. The actual census does. Some public libraries have access to the censuses through Ancestry, or you can use the free trial membership, but beware that you have to give them your credit card number and then cancel in time by phone during their business hours. In 1920, Baltimore, VINUP: John M., 19. See the actual census for the family. In 1910, VINUP, John, 42, b. MD; Barbara, 41; Frederick R., 16; John, 10. In 1900, VINUP Lena, b. Jan. 1835, wid., parents b. Germany, her birthplace seems to have Germany crossed out; 13 ch., only 5 living Son John, b. Jan. 1866, MD, m. 7 y. D-law Barbara, Jan. 1870, MD, parents b. Germany, had one child, living. Frederick R., b. Nov. 1892, MD Dau., NEWMAN, Helen, Feb. 1851, wid, nurse, one child, living, Emma, Nov. 1881, MD (Lena's) Dau. Amelia VINUP, Nov 1875, MD. Balto., 1880, NEWMAN, John, 35; Helen, 32, MD, parents b. Saxony, George, 8. Lena of 1900 must have been the widow of Frederick. John must have been J. George, & Amelia must have been Mary A. on the 1880 census. John would have named his first son for his father Frederick. Archives of MD, online, has, on Board of Welfare, Dr. Frederick H. VINUP, Balto., 1935. Hospital Bulletin: Dr. Frederick VINUP, class of 1909, & wf., nee Marie B. MURCHISON, nursing class of 1910, had a dau. b. 1914. Wm. Barnett VINUP, Jr., d. 3 July 2004, bu. Center Presbyterian Cem., New Park, PA, husband of Margaret McELWAIN, father of Joan & Thomas W., predeceased by brothers Karl and Frederick R. [See SSDI in my earlier post.] Good Luck! Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.