Thank you Jim, but, yes, I have the census records. And the two marriages are not my Silas. Mine married Arabella Hanford abt 1872. They had nine, possibly 10 children. Thank you for taking the time though. Pat Belterman Message: 5 Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:32:17 -0700 (PDT) From: James Harder <jaharder88@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [NYCOLUMB] Death Certificate - Silas P. HOFFMAN To: nycolumb@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <801853.35326.qm@web55602.mail.re4.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi Pat/Bob: Death Certificates are great if you can find them, but they are not perfect sources for many of the same reasons gravestone inscriptions are not. I was misled for years by an incorrect maiden name on a death certificate that turned out to be the surname of the deceased's grandmother, not her mother. I've also seen incorrect birthdates and birthplaces. Anyway, I got curious about your Silas P. Hoffman and found a few census records that you may already have. I'll give you them shorthand - let me know if you want them complete. I didn't not find any marriage or baptisms for any Silas Hoffman as groom, child or father in all the Kinship indexes of Columbia Co. records. Good luck, Jim 1930 Valatie, NY: Silas P. Hoffman 81 wid./ md. at 21y, b.NY/f-NY/m-NY, Gardener /Private Family Cyrus 47- son, wid./ md. at 21y, b.NY/f-NY/m-NY, Caretaker /Private Family 1900 Kinderhook/Valatie, NY: Silas Hoffman 51 b.June1848, md. 29 yrs NY/NY/NY gardner Arabella 50 b.Sep1849, 12ch/9lvg. NY/Ct/Ct cotton weaver Cyrus 18, Robert 15, Mabel 14, Stewart 10, Stanton 10, Bench? dau 6, Leroy 3. 1880 Pittsfield, Bershire, MA: Silas Hoffman 28 laborer & Arabella 26 NY/Ct/NY in household of Freeman Miller, butcher. These may or may not be your man: 1870 Stuyvesant, NY (Stuy. Falls PO): Silas Hoffman 19 Farm worker in household of Simon Allen. 1860 Claverack, NY (Humphreyville PO): Silas Hoffman 39 farm laborer, Julia(na?) 28, Silas 9 - all b.NY ------------------------------ Message: 6 Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:17:51 -0700 (PDT) From: James Harder <jaharder88@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [NYCOLUMB] Death Certificate - Silas P. HOFFMAN To: nycolumb@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <532136.54349.qm@web55601.mail.re4.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Correction: I should have said I didn't find a marriage record that matches, but there are 2 Silas Hoffman marriages in the Kinship NY Marriage Index: Silas Huffman md. Melissa Schmid in 1843 at St. Thomas Luth. Church, Churchtown. [Possibly an earlier marriage for the Silas who md. Juliana] Silas Hoffman md. Mary Miller in 1885 at Mellenville Ref. Church.