Hi Curtis, Basically, Ohio did not begin recording births or deaths until 1867. They were recorded in registers until Dec 1908. Parents shown were very sporadic. Marriages were also recorded in registers but I don't remember when they began showing more information other than bride and groom names - I think it was around 1900. Hopefully someone else on the list knows. I would like to mention that volunteers with the Stark County Genealogical Society are in the process of transcribing six volumes of Stark births beginning with 1867 which will be published for sale. You might check with the Stark County District Library to see if they have indexes for the births of the children you mentioned as well as the marriages. The library has - Marriages 1809-1986 with index to same 1809-1972; Births & Deaths 1867-1908. Check the library's website - http://www.starklibrary.org/genealogyservices.html You might also try the Stark Probate website which may show Alma's marriages. http://www.probate.co.stark.oh.us/search/search.html Enter surname and click on Search. I just did and found following marriages: Gertrude Haines - Townsend Lingo - 03 Feb 1881 Gertrude Haines - John Cown - 14 Jan 1885 Alma G. Cowan - George N. Yant - 25 Feb 1893 Hope this is of some help to you. Shirley In a message dated 2/28/2006 1:45:22 PM Eastern Standard Time, [email protected] writes: Hello All, This is my first inquiry to your group. My G-Grandmother is Alma Gertrude Haines daughter of Jonathan Ridgeway Haines & Sarah Grant. She was born in Alliance on Nov 12, 1860 & died in Santa Barbara CA on August 3, 1943. After may years of searching for her in CA I finally, with a lot of help, found her on Feb 13 of this year while traveling in CA. I would send a photo copy of her death certificate to anyone interested. Her death certificate lists her name as Gertrude A. Cumming instead of Alma Gertrude. She was married four times and her last spouse was Alexander Cumming who she married in CA. She outlived her first three spouses all whom I believe she married in Alliance. I believe her first Husband was Victor Hugo Linguex/Lingo. In the biography for Jonathan R. Haines the History of Stark County, OH, William Henry Perrin, Baskin & Battey Publishing Co., 1881 there was the following " Alma G, now Mrs. T. Lingo of Warren". Family lore has Victor Hugo Linguex/Lingo passing away before there first child was born. When the child was born it was given the name Victor Hugo Haines. I am assuming she was back home with her parents in Alliance when this child was born. Victor Hugo Haines is My Grandfather. Her second husband was John A. Cowan. He was born April 13, 1863 & died Mar. 3, 1890. He was an engineer and was killed in a train wreck near Loudenville, Ashland co., OH. He is buried in Alliance City Cemetery. In "The Alliance Review", September 30, 1891, Alliance, OH in an article about the Golden Wedding Anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Ridgway Haines she was listed as "Gertrude Cowan". They also had one child. His name was William A. Cowan. I believe he was born on Jan 7, 1888 in Alliance. Her third husband was George N. Yant. In "The Alliance Review", September 5, 1899 in the obituary for her father Jonathan R. Haines she was listed as Mrs. George N. Yant of Alliance. They had five children. First were set of twins that died at birth on August 2, 1894 in Alliance. I believe there other three children were also born in Alliance before they moved to southern California in about 1903. Alma b. August 29, 1896 and Mildred & George who I have no birth dates for. I am asking for help or direction concerning the following. 1) Would there be a recording of Alma's birth somewhere in Stark Co.? I would like to know if her name was "Alma Gertrude" or "Gertrude Alma". 2) Marriage dates for her first three husbands. Were marriage licenses issued in the 1880s & 1890s? Would the licenses list the grooms parents? 3) Would the birth dates of her children be recorded somewhere in Stark Co.? Did the have birth certificates in the 1880s & 1890s? 4) Is there anyone in the group that knows anything about the Cowan or Yant Families. 5) Anyone I could contact in Warren, Trumbull Co. concerning her first husband Victor Hugo Linguex/Lingo. Any help would be appreciated. Curtis Grant Haines Boise, Idaho.