Ladies, if the DCs are erroneous, you can have them corrected. Yes, you will have to pay a fee for it to be changed, but you can get them corrected, eveb 26 years later. I did this for my direct line ancestor's brother, that was in error for 80 years. Fortunately, my father and I composed his obituary together, before he passed away. So, when family told the undertaker that he was born in Manhattan because it "sounded better than the Bronx," and that he completed an M.S. degree [I guess that sounded better too], when he never completed the required thesis thus degree, I was not going head to head with them. Usually errors happen when someone, perhaps married into the family, provides the details, or doesn't care, but in some cases it is deliberate. Barb NYC Researcher NYIHR, GGG Barb NYC Researcher > From:bobbidoll@optonline.net > > Hi Kim, > > You are so right. My father died 26 years ago. On his death certificate > it > gives a birth year two years later than his. His occupation was given as > a > mechanic, it should have been carpenter. And worst of all, his mother's > maiden name was copied from his birth record, which was in error. If my > family does not pass down my research heaven help my descendants who try > to > find her family. > Bobbi =====================> > From: "Kim Hawkins" > > > My grandmother passed away Thursday in East Northport and while I was in > > > New York for her funeral I was given a copy of her death certificate. > It > > was a genealogist nightmare. Her mothers maiden name was spelled wrong, > > > my grandmothers middle name was omitted, they marked that she graduated > > from High School. I dont believe she did and for her occupation they > had > > put homemaker. My grandmother worked in a factory and retired from > there. > > I was very disappointed and when I asked my mother why they put > homemaker > > down instead of her occupation she said "It was just easier". I just > want > > to remind everyone that death certs have errors and not to count on them > > > 100% for accurate info. > > Kim

My grandfather's death certificate, social security application and the 1930 census are all wrong about his birth year and birth location. And it was most definitely very deliberate -- on his part. Unfortunately, his tombstone is also wrong. All of those indicate that he was born in 1890 when in fact he was born in 1880. That's all because he had a wife and 2 children that he abandoned in Montreal before he ever even met my grandmother. He didn't want my grandmother, my father or my uncle to know about his first family, so he lied about his age. My grandmother, father and uncle all knew that he was actually born in Montreal, but his death certificate, social security application and the 1930 census all indicate he was born in either Minnesota or Minneapolis. And that's because he didn't want to have to worry about being an alien in the U.S. before and during the World War II era. He immigrated to the U.S. from Montreal by way of Cuba in the 1920's. I located one record on the Canadian Border Crossings showing him heading from Montreal to Cuba, and I located another record in the New Orleans passenger lists showing him coming from Cuba to the U.S. -- supposedly on his way back to Montreal, but he never left the U.S. after that. And he never formally immigrated either -- he merely claimed to have been born in the U.S. once he was already here. Early on, part of that might have been to hide from his family in Montreal, but eventually World War II played a bigger role in the deception. About 12 years ago I found the proof that he was born in 1880 in Montreal (he was baptized in a Catholic church there). I never even thought about trying to correct his death certificate; I'll look into that. I have no idea how much it would cost to correct his tombstone, but that is something I have thought about doing from time to time. -- Mary On 4/26/2010 8:51 PM, MizScarlettNY@aol.com wrote: [snip] > > Usually errors happen when someone, perhaps married into the family, > provides the details, or doesn't care, but in some cases it is deliberate. > > Barb > NYC Researcher > NYIHR, GGG [snip]

Hi Barb, My father did not die in NYC. When I inquired about "fixing" it I was told that only information such as cause of death could be corrected. But I think I will ask again. Bobbi ----- Original Message ----- To: <nyc-roots@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, April 26, 2010 8:51 PM Subject: Re: [NYC-ROOTS] death certs > Ladies, if the DCs are erroneous, you can have them corrected. Yes, you > will have to pay a fee for it to be changed, but you can get them > corrected, > eveb 26 years later. I did this for my direct line ancestor's brother, > that > was in error for 80 years. > > Fortunately, my father and I composed his obituary together, before he > passed away. So, when family told the undertaker that he was born in > Manhattan > because it "sounded better than the Bronx," and that he completed an M.S. > degree [I guess that sounded better too], when he never completed the > required > thesis thus degree, I was not going head to head with them. > > Usually errors happen when someone, perhaps married into the family, > provides the details, or doesn't care, but in some cases it is deliberate. > > Barb > NYC Researcher > NYIHR, GGG > > > > Barb > NYC Researcher > > >> From:bobbidoll@optonline.net >> >> Hi Kim, >> >> You are so right. My father died 26 years ago. On his death certificate >> it >> gives a birth year two years later than his. His occupation was given as >> a >> mechanic, it should have been carpenter. And worst of all, his mother's >> maiden name was copied from his birth record, which was in error. If my >> family does not pass down my research heaven help my descendants who try >> to >> find her family. >> Bobbi > =====================> >> From: "Kim Hawkins" >> >> > My grandmother passed away Thursday in East Northport and while I was >> > in >> >> > New York for her funeral I was given a copy of her death certificate. >> It >> > was a genealogist nightmare. Her mothers maiden name was spelled >> > wrong, >> >> > my grandmothers middle name was omitted, they marked that she graduated >> > from High School. I dont believe she did and for her occupation they >> had >> > put homemaker. My grandmother worked in a factory and retired from >> there. >> > I was very disappointed and when I asked my mother why they put >> homemaker >> > down instead of her occupation she said "It was just easier". I just >> want >> > to remind everyone that death certs have errors and not to count on >> > them >> >> > 100% for accurate info. >> > Kim

When my dad died in 2005 I was the informant for his DC. His birth name included Jr. even tho he was not really a Jr as his father's middle name was different, but his father used a different middle name (which was my dad's middle name) all through his life (which I believe may have been his confirmation name). But when the DC arrived they had switched my gfather's first and middle name. I haven't yet looked into correcting it, but need to do that - even tho it still won't make any sense why my dad has a Jr attached! -----Original Message----- From: Bobbi <bobbidoll@optonline.net> To: nyc-roots@rootsweb.com Sent: Mon, Apr 26, 2010 10:41 pm Subject: Re: [NYC-ROOTS] death certs Hi Barb, My father did not die in NYC. When I inquired about "fixing" it I was told hat only information such as cause of death could be corrected. But I think I will ask again. Bobbi ---- Original Message ----- o: <nyc-roots@rootsweb.com> ent: Monday, April 26, 2010 8:51 PM ubject: Re: [NYC-ROOTS] death certs Ladies, if the DCs are erroneous, you can have them corrected. Yes, you will have to pay a fee for it to be changed, but you can get them corrected, eveb 26 years later. I did this for my direct line ancestor's brother, that was in error for 80 years. Fortunately, my father and I composed his obituary together, before he passed away. So, when family told the undertaker that he was born in Manhattan because it "sounded better than the Bronx," and that he completed an M.S. degree [I guess that sounded better too], when he never completed the required thesis thus degree, I was not going head to head with them. Usually errors happen when someone, perhaps married into the family, provides the details, or doesn't care, but in some cases it is deliberate. Barb NYC Researcher NYIHR, GGG Barb NYC Researcher > From:bobbidoll@optonline.net > > Hi Kim, > > You are so right. My father died 26 years ago. On his death certificate > it > gives a birth year two years later than his. His occupation was given as > a > mechanic, it should have been carpenter. And worst of all, his mother's > maiden name was copied from his birth record, which was in error. If my > family does not pass down my research heaven help my descendants who try > to > find her family. > Bobbi =====================> > From: "Kim Hawkins" > > > My grandmother passed away Thursday in East Northport and while I was > > in > > > New York for her funeral I was given a copy of her death certificate. > It > > was a genealogist nightmare. Her mothers maiden name was spelled > > wrong, > > > my grandmothers middle name was omitted, they marked that she graduated > > from High School. I dont believe she did and for her occupation they > had > > put homemaker. My grandmother worked in a factory and retired from > there. > > I was very disappointed and when I asked my mother why they put > homemaker > > down instead of her occupation she said "It was just easier". I just > want > > to remind everyone that death certs have errors and not to count on > > them > > > 100% for accurate info. > > Kim ------------------------------ o unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NYC-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com ith the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of he message