In a message dated 6/20/2006 2:18:45 PM Central Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: Hi list: I have a desperate situation. My mother lives in Texas sponsored housing. Well she just got a notice yesterday that she has to have proof she is a American citizen. She needs her birth cert. She has lost it in her many moves around the country. She was born in Ramsey co. MN 21 Apr 1915. Her name was Evern Pauline Lillian Bierschenk. Her father was Richard M. Bierschenk and mother was Ella Nelson. I hope there is someone out there that can help me. She needs her birth cert by 1 July 2006. I tried going to "Random Acts of Kindness". But no one was doing birth cert, all were pictures of gravestones. Bill Forshay - San Antonio, TX Bill, I called the state. You have to go to the state website to order it. You print out a copy of the form, sign it and have it notarized, then you can fax it to them with a creditcard number. Include a letter explaining the problem and asking them to fax a copy to the necessary people, explaining the time constraint, and they will do so as well as sending the original to you. However, to get it in time you would need to pay an extra $20 to have it expedited, so total cost would be $36. The only way someone else could get it for you is if you printed up the application from the state web site and have her sign it and have it notarized, plus have her sign a letter asking that it be released to them stating her full name and that person's full name and then you would have to overnite it to whoever is to pick it up. That letter would also have to be notarized. A certified copy would only be released to you or her. Annie in Minnesota P.S. It can be picked up at any local registrar's office in any county in MN now. The state has computerized everything and you pick up copies in any part of the state now.