I am attempting to find death and probate records for Michael J. McDonnell and his wife. From what we have been able to learn, they lived in the Georgetown and/or northwest areas of Washington, DC. According to his tombstone, Michael died on 11 June 1886. He is buried at Holy Rood Cemetery on Wisconsin Avenue. His wife, Mary (sorry, no maiden name known) died sometime in the 1850s. Michael remarried about 1857-58. To the best of our knowledge, McDONNELL is the original surname. Michael's naturalization papers read that way. However, he is buried as a McDONALD. We believe the family arrived in America in the 1849-50 timeframe. A daughter was born, in the District, in 1851. We have not been able to locate them in the 1850 census. The 1860 census lists them as McDONOUGH. In 1870 they were listed as McDONNELL. By 1880, they were listed as McDONALD. Today, cousins and other descendants use the McDONALD surname. We tend to discount the earliest version as a misunderstanding by the enumerator. Does anyone have access to information of this nature? I have the address for the Vital Records Division. I'm looking to verify information before making any requests to that office. Is there another department, of which I should be aware? Is it possible to do this research in person? I'm about a 2 hour drive from the District and not opposed to making the trip, if I'm allowed to get my hands dirty. Bob Thompson Harrisburg, PA