The NS H. Vital Stats actually proved my grandparents had married even though I believed they had not. I was told they had married in 1911, after five children had been born. This was because the travelling preachers were few and far between - so I was told. I thought this was a cover up story for the late marriage. When I didn't find any record in 1911, I just assumed they lived 'common-law'. However, searching the Vital Stats, I learned they married in 1910. Still, they had lived together for at least four years since their first child arrived in 1906. Diana Tibert Bob Hegerich wrote: >Hi All: > >I occurs to me, after participating in the discussion about marriages on >this list, that common-law marriage may be the reason why a number of people >whose obit says that are survived by a spouse don't show up in the NS Vitals >database. > >