Kia ora from New Zealand I need some local knowledge to help me locate (hopefully) the birth records of my great aunts Alice (b 1871) and Mary (b 1874) McLAUGHLIN both supposedly born in Pennsylvania. I have a possible "sighting" of their parents James and Margaret Ann (Maggie/Mary) McLAUGHLIN/McLOUGHLIN on the 1870 census in Bellevue Borough, Allegheny County so I thought I would start there. I see that Vital Records in that county are available from 1870 to 1905 and wonder if there is some sort of index available. Or I should just try my luck with the dates I have. Also there seems to be a requirement that the person requesting the certificates is an immediate family member. Does this still apply for Genealogical enquiries where the person is clearly deceased? Neither of these women have any living direct descendants. I would really appreciate some help on this one as this is the first time I have looked for records in the US Many thanks Catherine Auckland, New Zealand

Good day Catherine, If you will check with your local Family History Center (at an LDS church) and see if they have the complete index to the 1880 census, and if they do, either go or ask someone to check on the two aunts you are researching. If the FHC does not have the complete index for the USA, repost and I will try next week when I go to my local FHC. Happy hunting for those ancestors. The Genealogy Nut Mary Ellen

The 1880 census is online at familysearch.org . Debra On Friday, Jul 30, 2004, at 07:45 US/Eastern, Wilmoth wrote: > Good day Catherine, > If you will check with your local Family History Center (at an LDS > church) > and see if they have the complete index to the 1880 census, and if > they do, > either go or ask someone to check on the two aunts you are > researching. If > the FHC does not have the complete index for the USA, repost and I > will try > next week when I go to my local FHC. > > Happy hunting for those ancestors. > > The Genealogy Nut > Mary Ellen > > > ==== PENNSYLVANIA Mailing List ==== > If your Pennsylvania ancestor was German or Swiss, check out the > Pennsylvania Dutch Family History website at: > http://midatlantic.rootsweb.com/padutch/ > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 >