This is so true. I think the Archives staff have even put a littler blurb on that site to point out that you should try many name spellings in your search.if not successful the first try. ----- Original Message ----- From: "DAVID BROWN" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2006 11:41 PM Subject: Re: [MoRandolph] Missouri Death Certificates > Hi Carole, > > Don't worry as I wasn't offended by anything you wrote. I too > appreciate the efforts of the volunteers. But, I do believe the point > that both you and I attempted to make is that researchers should not > immediately give up on the Death Certificate database if they don't at > first find the specific names for which they are searching. This is, in > my opinion, a valid point to make that is in no way meant as an attack or > criticism of the volunteers or any person that at any time was involved > with the death certificates. > > David > > [email protected] wrote: > David - I just wanted to add that my original comments in no way were > meant > to be critical of the wonderful volunteers who have worked on this > project. My > goal was rather to encourage people not to be too rigid in their searches. > As you point out the original recorders of the information could make > mistakes > - plus sometimes their handwriting was sloppy - leaving the records > vulnerable > to misinterpretation years later. I am over the moon over this whole > project. It's helped me in my research by often confirming (or providing) > birthdates, death dates, birth & death locations, cemetery where deceased > was buried and > family relationships. As a bonus I often get the maiden names of the > mother > of the deceased. It is also so thrilling to have access to the actual > signatures of your ancestors on a document. > > Carole > > In a message dated 4/23/2006 12:51:31 AM Eastern Daylight Time, > [email protected] writes: > Hi Carole, > > I agree as I think the death certificates are an awesome tool for research > and to corroborate other evidence! As a word of caution, everyone should > keep in mind that there may be errors on the death certificates as the > informants > were human and therefore prone to make mistakes. For example, I ordered > several of my direct-line ancestor death certificates a few years ago and > noticed > the name of the mother of my great-grandfather Charles Calvin Brown is > listed > as Araminta Dameron when in fact it is Araminta Martin...he married a > Dameron. > But all in all, they are still a great tool! > > I think what you mention too about being creative in your searches on the > website is great advice. I have done the same in some of my searches. For > instance, I noticed that Lewis Stark who is a brother to my > great-grandfather > William Howell Stark is shown as Lewis Stork. Interestingly though, if you > look at the orginal death certificate, it does almost look like Stork > instead of > Stark (if one didn't know any better)! > > I think the greatest aspect of this new search engine is if you had an > ancestor who died before 1910, but they had a sister or brother who lived > after > that date, which could potentially give you the names of the parents of > that > particular ancestor. I have the Martin surname on another line (through my > Grandmother Mary Margaret Asbell Brown) and I was able to find a death > certifcate > for a Mary Martin in Montgomery County, MO, which listed her father as > Patrick Martin. Mary looks to be a sister of my gg grandfather Thomas > Michael > Martin who was born in Ireland in 1830, migrated to Michigan in the 1830's > with his > parents, lived for brief period of time in Montgomery Co., MO before > moving > to Randolph Co., MO in the 1870's where he died in 1900. Until now, I > didn't > know the name of his father! > > I hope everyone else finds this as helpful as I have! > > > ==== MORANDOL Mailing List ==== > Questions for the List Administrator? > Send them to Leslie at [email protected] > > > > > ==== MORANDOL Mailing List ==== > Questions for the List Administrator? > Send them to Leslie at [email protected] > >