Bobbye, I understand your frustration . . . I've been there. The truth is, however, the clerks in County Court Houses and other records repositories are not paid to do research or make copies for people. It's just not a part of their very full job. The wonder is that so many of them are willing to take time out from their real job to do a favor for a family historian. That usually occurs when they are approached with an understanding - not demanding - attitude and a polite request for assistance. Wayne -----Original Message----- From: Bobbye Davis [mailto:bobbye@microsped.com] Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2001 7:48 PM To: MISSISSIPPI-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [MISSISSIPPI] Blocked Research Last week I mailed a letter to the court house in Rosedale, Bolivar Co. with a check for copying for two marriage records. Not having received any thing yet my daughter who lives closer than I drove over there today. When she found one of the records she started to copy and the woman told her the charge. She informed the Clerk that I had already mailed her a check. She informed the my daughter than she had replied to me telling me she couldn't find any thing. Well,looks to me like it is another case of I don't care. This is what makes out research so hard with a bunch of no cares working in these offices. I had called the Circuit Clerks Office in Newton Co. and asked for a specific marriage record. She laid the phone down and was back in less than five minutes was back telling me she didn't have it. Another don't care. I am really upset about all this and wondering what action we can take to prevent this from happening in these offices. No use in paying tax money to support the don't cares. ==== MISSISSIPPI Mailing List ==== Visit the Mississippi-L Website at http://www.rootsweb.com/~mississi where you can both SUBSCRIBE and UNSUBSCRIBE with a click of the mouse. ============================== Search over 1 Billion names at Ancestry.com! http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist1.asp

While I agree that it not the job of acting as a researcher for the public, it is the duty of the clerks in archives to furnish copies of materials requested. When writing for documents we try to supply all the information needed to find it (except book and page number). We say please and thank you in our letters, and enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelop. I had the same problem with my grandmother's death certificate in New Orleans. I finally obtained her obituary and sent that to the clerk who then was able to find the death certificate but she wanted to charge me a second time. I had given her the exact date, name, etc. and the obit from the funeral home files reinforced my request. I finally received the certificate and after speaking with the supervisor during a long distant phone call it was decided that I indeed did not owe them more money. People besides genealogists request these documents also. They are public property ( taxpayer supported), and if a clerk wants to be lazy and not look for the documents there is no excuse. Lawyers, insurance companies, banks need documents all the time for their case files. Wayne, you are just too kind and tolerant. Tree Mother ----- Original Message ----- From: Wayne E. Easter <weaster@home.com> To: <MISSISSIPPI-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2001 7:23 PM Subject: RE: [MISSISSIPPI] Blocked Research > Bobbye, > > I understand your frustration . . . I've been there. The truth is, however, > the clerks in County Court Houses and other records repositories are not > paid to do research or make copies for people. It's just not a part of > their very full job. > > The wonder is that so many of them are willing to take time out from their > real job to do a favor for a family historian. That usually occurs when > they are approached with an understanding - not demanding - attitude and a > polite request for assistance. > > Wayne > > -----Original Message----- > From: Bobbye Davis [mailto:bobbye@microsped.com] > Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2001 7:48 PM > To: MISSISSIPPI-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [MISSISSIPPI] Blocked Research > > > Last week I mailed a letter to the court house in Rosedale, Bolivar Co. > with a check for copying for two marriage records. Not having received any > thing yet my daughter who lives closer than I drove over there today. > When she found one of the records she started to copy and the woman told her > the charge. She informed the Clerk that I had already mailed her a check. > She informed the my daughter than she had replied to me telling me she > couldn't find any thing. > Well,looks to me like it is another case of I don't care. This is what makes > out research so hard with a bunch of no cares working in these offices. > I had called the Circuit Clerks Office in Newton Co. and asked for a > specific marriage record. She laid the phone down and was back in less than > five minutes was back telling me she didn't have it. Another don't care. > I am really upset about all this and wondering what action we can take to > prevent this from happening in these offices. No use in paying tax money to > support the don't cares. > > > ==== MISSISSIPPI Mailing List ==== > Visit the Mississippi-L Website at http://www.rootsweb.com/~mississi > where you can both SUBSCRIBE and UNSUBSCRIBE with a click of the mouse. > > ============================== > Search over 1 Billion names at Ancestry.com! > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist1.asp > > > > ==== MISSISSIPPI Mailing List ==== > To subscribe and Unsubscribe with ease, visit http://www.rootsweb.com/mississi and scroll down and click the appropriate lind for the list you want, then click on Send > > ============================== > Create a FREE family website at MyFamily.com! > http://www.myfamily.com/banner.asp?ID=RWLIST2 >