100 year is a general privacy rule, depending on the country of jurisdiction. I think in the US it might only be 70 years. Generally, you can obtain information more recent by demonstrating that you are related. What most people do when writing (or showing up at the village office/archives/etc.) for info is provide photocopies of their birth record, and who ever else is in the lineage back to the ancestor in question. 1895 is not only approx 100 years ago, but the time the govt took over b/m/d recordkeeping (civil registration), though churches continued to do so for their own purposes. Death records are notoriously erroneous. Data was never verified - usually taken from the mourning next of kin or a close relative. US Death certs usually show place of birth, but not the parents names. Where did the individual die? America? Europe? 100 years ago, birthdays were no big deal. Often in fact the individual and his parents didn't even recall the precise date or year. Name days were the big deal. So, to be off by a few years is par for the course. I've got a GF with two different dates, six different years. I'm resigned that' I'll never know for sure, because he never knew for sure. Oftentimes, precision in genealogy is impossible. I admire your quest for the holy grail, but don't be surprised if it comes up empty. Bill Tarkulich > -----Original Message----- > From: Donna Przecha [mailto:DonnaPrz@att.net] > Sent: Saturday, November 09, 2002 1:16 PM > To: SLOVAKIA-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Civil Records > > > We have pretty much exhausted the parish records for > Nyarsardo up to > 1895. In one case the parents of a person who died after 1895 > aren't clear. > There were two of the same name born around the same time. On > the birth > record of one is written the date of death in 1903 (but I > think it was > written on the wrong person's name). Would a death > certificate give the > parents' names? Does the 100 year rule mean they won't give > out information > on any event less than 100 years old? > > Donna > > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online > genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=> 1237 >