Ditto, for Calhoun County, MI (a kind soul sent me the copied page FREE, of the 1879 marriage of my great grandparents). All I want is the May 29th, 1832 record (copied, uncertified page) of my great great grandparents, Daniel Tainter & Polly Godfrey by Judge Deland in Washtenaw County, MI. In Charlevoix County, the Boyne City Clerk sent me a marriage certificate for $5.00, nicely typewritten & without errors, when the State charged me $15.00 and made mistakes, looking at the same page! Most likely misread by a young state employee It is best to get a copy of the original handwritten/typed page, the entire page is great, as it can lead to other clues in your search. Sincerely, Marilyn LeVeque Oceano, CA -------Original Message------- From: MIWASHTE-L@rootsweb.com Date: 11/08/04 14:44:15 To: MIWASHTE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [MIWASHTE] County records: policy changes? Mr. Kestenbaum, Is it possible to allow researchers to obtain a xerox of a record for a nominal fee? In most cases, a certified copy is not necessary and the $13.00 fee for each record really adds up. I am not aware of the current policy, but about four or five years ago I was able to order copies of marriage records from Ingham County for only $5.00 each. Thank you taking the time to consider our suggestions, Jane Barker Phoenix, AZ Researching Barker and King in Washtenaw County ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lawrence Kestenbaum" <polygon@potifos.com> To: <MIWASHTE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 2:13 PM Subject: [MIWASHTE] County records: policy changes? Genealogists, I need your help! On January 1st, I take office as the new county clerk of Washtenaw County. As you know, Washtenaw County is regarded as a difficult county for genealogy research. I want to change that, but I expect to face some institutional inertia and perhaps opposition. Very likely I will hear arguments that changes I propose are contrary to Michigan law. What I need is a list of those things which need to be changed in the County Clerk's office. Some changes will probably be easy; others may take some fighting for; still others may not be achievable. But I can't even begin without knowing specifically what they are. I also need examples of other Michigan counties with policies more friendly to genealogy. There are 83 county clerks in Michigan. I need to know which ones are pro-genealogy and likely to be allies and resources for helping make these changes. Also, I am planning to create a volunteer citizens advisory board or committee for the Clerk-Register's office, and I want at least one of the members to represent genealogy. If you are interested in this, please send your information to me via email or postal mail. Further, I am always interested in comments, suggestions, and criticisms on any aspect of the county clerk/register's office and my management of it. Please feel free to contact me with any concerns which arise during my term of office. Many thanks! Larry Kestenbaum soon to take office as Washtenaw County Clerk/Register of Deeds --- Lawrence Kestenbaum, polygon@potifos.com The Political Graveyard, http://politicalgraveyard.com Mailing address: P.O. Box 2563, Ann Arbor MI 48106